17" Wheel Conversion

[chync_imp]

In case anyone uses this thread for making a decision on 17" wheels I thought I would share my experience. I finally bought the 17" Kineo wheels and for anyone concerned about parts scraping easier on the smaller wheels here is why it doesn't happen (I believe).

The main reason I switched to the 17" wheels was to get some decent sport tire options. In addition to switching to a smaller diameter wheel I also went to a wider wheel. I'm now have 180's on the rear which also have a higher aspect ratio which helps turning in to corners. When the bike leans I believe the geometry of the wider and taller tire may actually compensate for any loss in ride height. All I know for sure is that I can lean the bike and use all but a quarter inch of the edge of the tire without scraping anything (I believe I could lean the bike over even further but it's clear from examining the cracks in the pavement at that lean angle I would need some leathers with knee pucks). Ok maybe a bit of exaggeration there. I have replaced the stock pegs with racing pegs that prevent them from scraping but both the muffler and center stand are the next things in line to start grabbing pavement. That hasn't happened on the 17" wheels again using most of the tire. I routinely scrape my boot on the ground but never any parts of the bike.

If you like to ride sideways, even on the CB1100, the 17" wheels give you some tire options to get you closer to that goal. If you don't like riding sideways then there is certainly no risk of switching to 17" wheels and scraping anything.