Suzuki 2 Strokes

Stock GT250 rims are: 1.6x18 front & 1.85x18 rear
Want to upgrade to: 1.85x18 front & 2.15x18 rear

The rear is easy.
The T500 uses the same hub + spokes, and has the 2.15x18 rim.
So we can use either an entire T500 rear wheel or just the rim.

Seems that there is a few choices for the front.
Choice 1: Can we use the GT250 1.85x18 rear rim on the front wheel?

Choice 2: The 2015 TU250 and GT250 use the same front wheel spokes, part # 55320-18420.
The TU250 front rim is 1.85x18. Will it work on the GT250?

Choice 3: new eBay rims from Thailand. Any thoughts?


The spokes look to be in pretty good shape & want to reuse them.

Doing a cafe build while we are rebuilding the motor with new crank seals + pistons.

Am thinking of painting the hubs black, the spokes black & powder coating the rims to match the tank.
Will be using the blue tank that used to be on my 69 T350.

Pic of the 69 T350 with the tank:


But then I like what 2strokelove did with his sweet GT550.
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=10926&p=148935&hilit=gt550#p148935

I've been wrong before, but I believe the 2.15 tire will fit the 1.85 rim. Of course that's no help if it's the rim you're after. I love the yellow striped black rims. Really slick.
Be careful mounting the tires on the powder coated rims. Powder coat is hard, but it's also brittle. I don't know Robert, but you might look into having the chrome chemically stripped off the rims. I can see them coming out of the blaster distorted beyond use (without hub and spokes).. I've had a few things powder coated without blasting and it worked OK. The gas cap on RedZone is an example. It was not blasted. I etched the surface using emery paper and it came out just the way you see it

I’m a bit concerned about the powder coating as well.
Those black-with-yellow-stripe rims on forum member 2strokelove’s GT550 are powder coated.
I think I’ll PM him to ask about the issues.

Probably will go with good tires like the Avon Roadrider (90/90-18 front & 100/90-18 rear).
The minimum rims for those tires are 1.85x18 front & 2.15x18 rear

I did a little more reading about rims.
Obviously you need to have the correct # of spoke holes.
But there are apparently different spoke patterns.
And using a drum-brake rim with a disk-brake hub can be problematic because of the spoke angles.

Think I may have found an interesting option at MikesXS.
http://www.mikesxs.net/products-56.html#products

The 74 & later XS650s with spoked wheels were disk front & drum rear.
MikesXS part #19-0067 are spokes that convert the XS650 front from 19” to 18” rims.
Their description is:
“Finally - you can run 18" rims on the front of your XS650!

Stainless Steel Spoke set - Converts original 19" front rim to 18" front rim on XS650s (74-84) with disc front wheels.

Angles calculated for our 18" rims with XS650 front hub. XS650's were not offered with 18" front rims.

Note: Fits: Stock OEM Rim or #34-1902, #34-3182, #34-009, #34-3181, H type XS Performance Alloy Rims. And #34-0007, #34-3185 WM type XS Performance Alloy Rims.”

So I'm thinking:
rim #34-3181 is “H 1.85x18 36 hole shouldered aluminum rim Black” & would be the the GT250 front
rim #34-3182 is “H 2.15x18 36 hole shouldered aluminum rim Black” & would be for the GT250 rear

I didn’t notice MikesXS site saying anything about how its coated.
Probably is anodized, but does anyone know?

Am thinking we could stick with stock GT250 spokes.

I did notice a forum post about using MikesXS wheels on a GT750:viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6331

It would be nice if they were anodized. THAT won't chip off. 20 years ago I had the rims on my GS1000 clear anodized. Today they still look new. The same outfit also electroless nickel plated my spokes. They looked fantastic for about 10 years, but then started to rust. I'm not sure but I think it's because I used muratic acid to strip them. Of course I neutralized the reaction, but it must not have been good enough. Right now I have 79 mags on the bike because new spokes don't exist. 78 was the only year the GS1000 had spokes and that was just the 'C' model. Other 78 models like the GS1000EN had mags. Also had an 17" rear wheel as opposed to the 18" on the spoked C model.
I know --- too much information.