TOPIC:

Hi all,

As you may know I am trying to build a cafe racer-type bike with a Z1300 frame and engine.

I have now got a couple of USD front forks which are 3cm longer than standard and wanted to complete the look by having a slightly smaller and wider front tyre than the current 100/90/19 sized tyre. I was thinking of a 17 inch wheel with a 2.5 or 3.00 rim so I can fit a 120 or 130cm tyre. But it needs to be a Kawasaki wheel as then the wheel spoke pattern matches to the rear one.

Only wheels of that size I can find are rear wheels off KZ 750, 1000 and 1200's.

But I do wish to have double brakes discs at the front, so I need to graft another brake disc on to the wheel hub. In itself not that big a deal, however, the wheel hubs of rear wheels are connected to the wheel by means of the rubber drive shock damper.

My question is whether that will create a problem when braking.... the RH disc being connected directly to the wheel hub with bolts and the LH disc going through the rubber drive shock damper?

Cheers
Paul

I cant imagine it will make a big deal. It's just gonna give you a slight movement of the dampened brake.
I'd like to hear what others have to say though.

I don’t think it would be wise to have a disc mounted in any way other than rigidly bolted to the wheel. The disc needs to run true and concentric to the wheel, and I fail to see how you could achieve that.
A wheel specialist could probably widen the standard 18 inch front wheel, assuming you could then get a suitable tyre.

I think you would end up a braking action like have a dragging or sticking front caliper on a car it will pull slightly to the side of the ridgely mounted rotor because there would be no delay in braking action (the dampened side would react slightly slower in my opinion with the cushioning of the dampener having to be taken into account)
I can only speak from the experience of having one front caliper stick on me while braking the front wheel jerked to the right and off I went.
just my two cents worth

Yeah, that is instinctively what I thought as well - uneven braking. Not a good idea and too many if's and buts to try out. I really do not want to come off at any stage!

I'll have to see if I can find an alternative. Maybe a 17 inch rear wheel that has a disc on one side and the chain sprocket on the other, but directly mounted... - which I don't think exists as all these wheels seem to have a rubber drive shock.

Or even better a 17 inch front wheel with that pattern...

Failing all of that I will simply put an 18 inch front wheel one on. There are loads of those...

Thanks for your thoughts all!

Paul