converting an X to an R

Hi

Before posting this question I searched for threads that talk about converting an X to an R. The result was a recommendation to buy X wheels with R rims from Wheeling Cycle Supply.

Ahh but what if you live in England??

Immediate thoughts were; does the X front disc survive off roading, is it too sharp for off roading but more importantly to import the WCS wheels the import duty & shipping would be make the cost up to + 1300$ probably & you wouldn't find a buyer for the left over X wheels so altogether that's not a possibility

The reason I ask is that Xs are much more plentiful than Rs here so if a conversion was cheap that would be a good way to go

Any thoughts?...What rims can you lace on?

i wouldn't cause they don't even come with tubes or tires. that's another $220.00

been trying to swap a 18" rear mx wheel in from a older model or wr/yz450 save you alot of money plus a guy already made a 1987-1996 Rm 125 front wheel fit from ebay

IMHO, it wouldn't be worth buying an X to then try to convert if your not going to use the X wheels. But if you were going to use both sets of wheels and just swap them out when needed, then it is worth buying the X model.

I too have an X, and what I did was buy a set of R wheels. To accommodate for the different size brake rotors, I bought a rotor made by I believe EBC, which has the diameter of the X rotor, but the bolt pattern of the R hub. This way all I have to do now is swap the wheels and I'm ready ride. Takes me about 45 min start to end by myself, with limited tools.

Thanks Gentlemen

Seems like that a conversion isn't easy/common knowledge.

Buying R wheels and an EBC front disc would be a possibility but Yamaha OEM parts are so expensive in England that for a Yamaha TTR 250 I know most owners find it cheaper to buy parts from an American company Boats.net and pay the tax and shippping rather than buy from a UK dealer...so, what is the cost of a pair or R wheels? By the time they would get to my door I can increase the price by another 40% and I bet that would still be cheaper than buying them here!

At the end of the day buying an R seems to be the cheaper option but they are dear, an 08 R will be 5000$ whereas an 08 X might be 3500$

bloke in England wrote:

Thanks Gentlemen

Seems like that a conversion isn't easy/common knowledge.

Buying R wheels and an EBC front disc would be a possibility but Yamaha OEM parts are so expensive in England that for a Yamaha TTR 250 I know most owners find it cheaper to buy parts from an American company Boats.net and pay the tax and shippping rather than buy from a UK dealer...so, what is the cost of a pair or R wheels? By the time they would get to my door I can increase the price by another 40% and I bet that would still be cheaper than buying them here!

At the end of the day buying an R seems to be the cheaper option but they are dear, an 08 R will be 5000$ whereas an 08 X might be 3500$

If those prices you quote are close to real then it would make sense to buy the X and then maybe just get a 21"front from either Wheeling or Warp 9. There are plenty of decent off road rubber for the 17" rear, just buy the front wheel.

You could check some bike scrapyards and buy a set of damaged X or R wheels rarely is the hubs damaged at a crash. You could use the hubs, buy a set of rims you want and then buy a pair of spoke set (should work with same spokes as for the YZ/ WR or something.

Its some work but is not neccesary that expencive.....

Man i rebuild my old Suzuki DR600 -87 to a motard. Respoked the original front hub with the original rear rim with spokes from the later DRZ400 motard and then put a KTM SM rim on the original rear hub with the original DR spokes. Costed me about 150-200€. And some friends do some road racing so i got some front tires for free and just bought me a new rear one.

Everything is possible......

I like Jefmad's idea; keep the rear & buy a front; much less expensive. But I can see that when I came to selling the bike I'd just get beaten down in price trying to sell a ...17/21! or if Warp 9 etc would do it a 17/19 (a 17/19 would ride better I expect)

What Mr Cave says is realistically the way to go & is what I'm trying to find out... what rims to use? Need to be plentiful/easy to come by i.e. cheap

What do you say, out there?

bloke in England wrote:

I like Jefmad's idea; keep the rear & buy a front; much less expensive. But I can see that when I came to selling the bike I'd just get beaten down in price trying to sell a ...17/21! or if Warp 9 etc would do it a 17/19 (a 17/19 would ride better I expect)

What Mr Cave says is realistically the way to go & is what I'm trying to find out... what rims to use? Need to be plentiful/easy to come by i.e. cheap

What do you say, out there?

You could cross-check (using OEM partslist) hubs and compare them with the WR250F model for example. thats how i got to the conlcusion that spokes from drz400 was fitting my hub and rim on the DR.

But look for 18" rear and 21" front rims for a wr250F maybe its juste easier to buy such a set of wheels and change bearings and make som new spacers?

Depending on if you can get hold of used parts in good condition and so..everything is a price issue right?

Check these guys : http://www.smprowheels.co.uk/

I believe WCS uses them for the R-to-X conversion wheelsets, and they do offer MX/Enduro wheels on their site.

Thanks craigq, just the sort of usefull lead an international forum throws up. I could collect from them! they're so close! I'll be giving them a call today.

If the prices are horrific I'll be going the way Mr Cave suggests; doing my homework before eventually getting a solution cobbled together

Still like to know about best price from the USA of a set of R wheels, especially as that EBC front disc can bolt straight so you can keep the X's front brake caliper

bloke in England wrote:

Thanks craigq, just the sort of usefull lead an international forum throws up. I could collect from them! they're so close! I'll be giving them a call today.

If the prices are horrific I'll be going the way Mr Cave suggests; doing my homework before eventually getting a solution cobbled together

Still like to know about best price from the USA of a set of R wheels, especially as that EBC front disc can bolt straight so you can keep the X's front brake caliper

If you go with SMPro rims, post up their parts numbers and prices.

I spoke to SMPro. They quoted £500/$800. Who I spoke to didn't sound too convincing but assured me that so long as the rims had 36 holes i.e standard on Japanese bikes, it's an ordinary job; just choose your rims and spokes

I reckon that closes the thread, thanks to everyone for their input. What I thought was a specialist problem turns out not to be and it would be probably 300$ cheaper to buy an X and convert it than an R, not worth the hassle except you'd have a better front brake (but has complained about thr R's brakes)

Have a word with Talon, they have made me two sets of wheels for my WRR. 21 and 18" wheels with Excel rims and some 17" wheels.

That's alot of farkles. Definetely a lover of the WRR...2 sets of wheels and both of them with road rubber. Brilliant.

Iv had alsorts of bikes and sizes in the last 23 years, and this little toy is the best fun iv had since I started ridding. More fun than the KTM 690smc and the CCM that I had too.
So instead of spending a fortune changing my bike every 6 months, I am spend a lot less on changing things on this bike, and getting lots more enjoyment out of doing it !

Guy I bought my x off had bought two more hubs off eBay and had smpro build him an 18/21 set.. Looks the mutts. Only need one set of discs/sprockets too, tho dunno how often you'd want to be changing brake discs over (thread wear etc) for the sake of 100 notes for another pair

Is the only difference between the X and the R the wheels and brakes, other than colors ? I ask because used WRR's are not available, but I see a WRX for sale.
Hey I just realized this must be a UK hosted forum, it wants to change colors to colours,
Brad

bradrh wrote:

Is the only difference between the X and the R the wheels and brakes, other than colors ? I ask because used WRR's are not available, but I see a WRX for sale.
Hey I just realized this must be a UK hosted forum, it wants to change colors to colours,
Brad

Sorry to take ages to respond.. Been asleep :)

Pretty much that's it. The x has bigger brakes, road wheels, gearing to match the rims and a speedo matched to the gearing. Note that's a problem if you R your X you either have to buy a R speedo or a converter like Speedo DRD to convert the pulses. My X on R wheels and 12 48 gears reads 25% higher than true now 30mph shows as 38mph. I'm not bothered, tho mileage accumulates faster.

I'm picking up an 2011 X tomorrow with only 100 miles on it then heading to see Forrest at Wheeling Cycle to get R wheels on it so I'll let ya know how I like it. Luckily I'm in Pittsburgh which isn't far from Wheeling. I like the X better than R with black frame and trim and the black rims hubs etc. I want to ride mostly off-road but couldn't find any used R's. Sold my CRF250R tired of hauling in truck every time I wanna ride which is almost daily. I wanna ride to the nearest trails! Not to mention kickstart only at my age sucks. So electric start gonna be great. Stock it doesnt have the balls the Honda did but I mostly ride trails so the WR is for me. Can't wait!

Forrest at Wheeling Cycle Supply is a great dude. Hung out and BS'd with him today when he hooked me up with dirt wheels for the X and I'm lovin them.

He ships everywhere and if you're not keeping the 17" X wheels resale of them is great - way higher than that of R wheels.

Now to take this pup to the dirt!

3KGT_Maddness wrote:

IMHO, it wouldn't be worth buying an X to then try to convert if your not going to use the X wheels.  But if you were going to use both sets of wheels and just swap them out when needed, then it is worth buying the X model.

I too have an X, and what I did was buy a set of R wheels.  To accommodate for the different size brake rotors, I bought a rotor made by I believe EBC, which has the diameter of the X rotor, but the bolt pattern of the R hub.  This way all I have to do now is swap the wheels and I'm ready ride.  Takes me about 45 min start to end by myself, with limited tools.

Does anyone know the part number for the EBC front rotor that will enable me to use a WRR front wheel?
Thanks,
Lloyd.

I now have the EBC part number for the rotor.

Can I just check - the R front wheel will fit straight into the X or do I need anything else (spacers, etc)?
Thanks,
Lloyd.

LPB wrote:

3KGT_Maddness wrote:

IMHO, it wouldn't be worth buying an X to then try to convert if your not going to use the X wheels.  But if you were going to use both sets of wheels and just swap them out when needed, then it is worth buying the X model.

I too have an X, and what I did was buy a set of R wheels.  To accommodate for the different size brake rotors, I bought a rotor made by I believe EBC, which has the diameter of the X rotor, but the bolt pattern of the R hub.  This way all I have to do now is swap the wheels and I'm ready ride.  Takes me about 45 min start to end by myself, with limited tools.

Does anyone know the part number for the EBC front rotor that will enable me to use a WRR front wheel?
Thanks,
Lloyd.

I now have the EBC part number for the rotor.

Can I just check - the R front wheel will fit straight into the X or do I need anything else (spacers, etc)?
Thanks,
Lloyd.

LPB wrote:

3KGT_Maddness wrote:

IMHO, it wouldn't be worth buying an X to then try to convert if your not going to use the X wheels.  But if you were going to use both sets of wheels and just swap them out when needed, then it is worth buying the X model.

I too have an X, and what I did was buy a set of R wheels.  To accommodate for the different size brake rotors, I bought a rotor made by I believe EBC, which has the diameter of the X rotor, but the bolt pattern of the R hub.  This way all I have to do now is swap the wheels and I'm ready ride.  Takes me about 45 min start to end by myself, with limited tools.

Does anyone know the part number for the EBC front rotor that will enable me to use a WRR front wheel?
Thanks,
Lloyd.

LPB wrote:

I now have the EBC part number for the rotor.

Can I just check - the R front wheel will fit straight into the X or do I need anything else (spacers, etc)?
Thanks,
Lloyd.

Spacers are the same. Can you do the rest of the Internet a favor and post that EBC part number...?

Of course - EBC were very helpful but remember I haven't got the part yet or tried it - will revert back when I have.

EBC part number is 6320CSPEC

Lloyd

N8 wrote:

LPB wrote:

I now have the EBC part number for the rotor.

Can I just check - the R front wheel will fit straight into the X or do I need anything else (spacers, etc)?
Thanks,
Lloyd.

Spacers are the same. Can you do the rest of the Internet a favor and post that EBC part number...?