[Ringo]

I am getting the new wheels and tires put on but want to make sure I am not missing something before putting it on the road. Finally got that new rear wheel wedged back in. Damn that was a tight fit. The new wheel is 18x8.5 so it is wider than the stock wheel. When I got everything bolted back up on the rear axle I ended up with a leftover part. Usually a bad sign when you finish a job and you still got parts on the table..... Down here we call that lagniappe.

So that spacer is not on the axle and everything is bolted up with no extra room for another spacer much less one this wide. I am guessing that with the wider wheel and different hubs this is no longer needed? I don't have anything to reference that says discard this wheel spacer when using this wheel and they aren't open to ask them. Anyone on here that put these wheels on that can verify if this is correct and I no longer need to use this. Don't want to find out I missed something when rolling down the road.

Here is what I now have on each side of the rear axle. One original small spacer on the drive belt side and nothing on the brake side but the abs sensor and the caliper bracket.

 

[Knut J]

In the compensator bowl..

 

[mikeinatlanta]

I have BSTs but no on my VRSC, so can't directly answer. However, generally speaking most tend to leave out an inside spacer like Knut J said. The way to know for sure is pull it back apart. You should be able to fully build the stack up end to end. Check inside with a light for any gaps. Any gaps and you have something wrong. You should have nothing but metal with no air gaps from one end of the stack to the other. Otherwise when you tighten the axle you will be putting a thrust load on the ball bearings, not good.

 

[mikeinatlanta]

Have you measured total weight drop yet? What are your OE wheels?

 

[Ringo]

In the compensator bowl..

I have the OEM spacer back in the compensator bowl. That was a different spacer that was swapped over to the new wheels when I moved the compensator bowl from original wheel to BST wheel. This is a spacer that was on the axle outside of the wheel assembly. I think it was originally on the pulley side and the thinner spacer was on the brake rotor side but I forgot to take a picture before I pulled the axle. :banghead:

This arrangement is the only way I could get it all back together and have no rubbing issues.

 

[Ringo]

Have you measured total weight drop yet? What are your OE wheels?

Forgot to weigh the front wheels when I had them both off.

Saved 32 lbs in the rear.

 

[Ringo]

So I pulled the axle back out and there are no gaps in the axle tube. Metal all the way through so this must be right. Put the axle back in and tightened the belt and torqued everything down. The clearance I had on the drive belt side is exactly the same as I had on the old wheels so that side is right, the drive belt is in line and the brake rotor is in the middle of the caliper. No rubbing when spinning the rear wheel so I guess I am good. That spacer must have originally been on the right side but no room for it now. Dropped the bike down and went for a ride.

WOW much different ride. :ride: I also went from 240 to 260 in the rear and was thinking I would loose some handling but this thing just wants to lay over now! Color me impressed. Can't wait to put this thing in some twisties now.

:thumb::thumb:

 

[bogie]

I have BST wheels and yes they make a huge difference to how light the bike feels on turn in. Love them#

There is no difference in fit across the axle, its just the rim is 8.5" wide, they are the same as OE, no change to spacers or bearings

Im pretty sure that is the left hand spacer that goes in the compensator bowl - part 7 in the pic attached from workshop manual

The spacer does not make the fit any wider its kind of loose in there and the axle goes through it, usually put a little grease around it before reassembly so it does not rub on the cush drive rubber which it sits in.

 

[Knut J]

Hmm, could it be that abs versus non abs bearings play a role here?

 

[bogie]

Yes, but the ABS has not changed, so if he had ABS in old wheels, he has in these wheels. The difference is in the ABS sensor width. If you have no ABS you have a wider spacer on the disc side instead.

 

[Ringo]

OK, I'm at a loss now..... I ran up to my local HD dealer at lunch. They have a muscle and a NRS on the lot and both have abs like mine. Both their rear axles look exactly like the pictures I have in the first post on each side of the swingarm. The left side has the thin spacer and the right side has the abs sensor and the brake caliper mount and that's it. Same as mine. I swapped the compensator spacer along with other parts wheel to wheel next to each other with both old wheel and BST wheel laying side by side. One part came off and one part went on the new wheel. This spacer was off to the side with the axle and shock parts.

I shined a light down the axle tube and had no gaps or empty spaces before putting a good coating of anti-seize and bolting everything back up. Going to double check everything again..... Feels like a Monday....

 

[Knut J]

Measure hub width, both; dx and bst. Compare.

 

[Ringo]

Well color me a freakin' dumba$$. I believe the mystery is solved. I couldn't stop thinking about this all day at work. Running through every step in my mind and then I started thinking wait where the hell did that front wheel right side spacer go that I did have to swap out for one that came from BST. I had held this spacer up to the front axle bolt over the weekend and the nut was too small to use a spacer this big so I dismissed that as even a possibility. I had done the front wheel earlier on Friday and put all that stuff up before I started on the rear wheel later in the weekend. I still had both OEM wheels in the truck and hadn't brought them to my warehouse yet. When I got home I grabbed the spacer and went out to the truck and held it up to the front wheel up against the bearing and what the hell do you know the same exact ID as the front wheel bearings and axle tube! I had completely forgotten until really thinking about it today that the front axle has a step down for the nut which made me think the axle was smaller and this was not a possibility. That's what I get for thinking. I thought for sure I had picked everything up before tackling the rear wheel. Somehow that single part got mixed up with what I was working on with the rear. I sure feel better about riding the bike and glad because I was about to fight that damn rear wheel again and pull it all back apart till I figured this out but I do feel like I should have been drinking or something.........

I know I'll blame the dog! :spank:

 

[Ringo]

Sorry for leading you guys down this stupidity trail with me, but thanks for the company....... :bolt

 

[streetrodracer]

We're just dumb A$$ Humans, what do ya want ?

As they say Modification begets more Modification which begets more Maintenance which begets well, more Modification and then yes, more maintenance - I think you get it. It seems really redundant to mark every part and the positioning when you disassemble something but it can save hours even DAYS of frustration - get a magic marker - index, identify, put in plastic bags - take photos and notes. If you do this mechanic stuff every day ( like I do on aircraft ) and you complete a routine project in a short period of time its not quite as necessary but if an unknown factor drags the job out for days or weeks you better have marked and I.D'd parts and positioning up front or you will kick yourself in the A$$ for every minute that's wasted going back together. But then you can take excellent notes on disassembly, lose them in a safe place, and spend hours figuring out reassembly only to find the notes the next day. Just did that on a home repair item, cost me riding time. But BST wheels, yea that's a weight dropper ! Worth it I'm sure - I need to loose that kinda reciprocating weight on my R model - Ride on ! :blahblah:

 

[DMS1970]

More pics!

 

[Ringo]

Yea no doubt streetrodracer! That's exactly what I always did until that day evidently....

I was kicking myself for sure cause I'm usually religious about taking pictures the whole time. Guess I was too excited about finally being ready to install. Been waiting to put these on since Feb.

 

[Knut J]

More pics!

Yes, more pics!

 

[Ringo]

Ok, ok..... :stilpoke:

I see you guys poking me for pics. I will get some loaded up. I need to start a build thread. I keep getting asked for pics along the way. Guess I need to get off my a$$.

 

[Ringo]

Yea, front reflectors coming off this week.