Wire Wheel / Cast Wheel Swap

pekingduck

Road warrior
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In doing my swap, it looks like 2017 EX wire wheels and 2014 DLX cast wheels can be easily swapped using OEM parts. 2014 DLX and 2017 EX use the same rear disc. Others use a different part number that may work fine, or a new disc will be needed. 2013 models also have a rear axle issue addressed below.

This is a list of 2017 EX wire wheel parts for the 2014 DLX. Use your old F & R calipers and axles, rear disc, sprocket and dampers. Prices were found online at well below suggested retail from hondaparts-direct.com:

Front:
wheel assembly ...........$523
pulser ring and bolts ........22
L & R disc rotors ...........610
12 disc bolts ...................17
tube/rim strip................. 25
L & R wheel spacers ........15
------------------------
Front subtotal ...........$1212


Rear:
wheel assembly ...........$615
tube/rim strip .................28
L & R wheel spacers ........26
caliper bracket ................97
brake hose .....................37
drive flange ..................128
pulser ring and bolts.........55
speed sensor..................116
---------------------------
rear subtotal .............$ 1102

If you have a non-ABS 2013/2014 model, you may need to shim the right front disc outward 2mm because a pulser ring isn't used. On a 2013 ABS, the speed sensor is mounted into the right caliper bracket, and later bikes have a separate bolt-on bracket. The front pulser ring has a different part number, so the speed sensor location/spacing may be different. But there are ways to check or compensate.

At the rear wheel of either 2013, the 25mm axle causes problems compared to the 20mm on the later bikes. You would need to use the later 20mm axle and chain adjusters, and make spacers where the axle passes through the swingarm - with a 2.5mm wall thickness, they would be a little fragile. Or use a later swingarm.

I went the other way, putting 2014 DLX cast wheels on my 2017 EX. It was a bolt-on using OEM parts. Only slight problems were caused by speed sensors. The rear speed sensor wire was shorter than the original, and needed to be carefully routed and secured. The front had too large an air gap, but I didn't check it beforehand. I was able to put 0.5mm shims/washers between the separate speed sensor bracket and the fork leg.

The cast front wheel weighed 20.2 lbs with discs.
The wire-spoke wheel weighed 16 lbs with discs - add 1 lb for the tube.

The cast rear wheel weighed 18 lbs with disc.
The wire-spoke wheel weighed 17.5 lbs with disc - add 1 lb for the tube.

Net weight reduction is 2.7 lbs. I used my shipping scale, so only fairly close.

This applies primarily to US 2013, 2014, and 2017 models, and probably Canadian models. Check with your local parts department to be sure.
 
That looks really good PD.
 
The best of a number of worlds. It looks great.
 
This is all very interesting to me, as you know I have the '14 (non-abs) wheels I want to put on my EX as well. Between new rotors, caliper brackets, and the older speed sensor equipment it doesn't look cheap but it does look doable! Do you have a list of parts numbers you put on your EX? For example, are the spacers an OEM part or just something you picked up at the hardware store?
 
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iamheero_imp said:
This is all very interesting to me, as you know I have the '14 (non-abs) wheels I want to put on my EX as well. Between new rotors, caliper brackets, and the older speed sensor equipment it doesn't look cheap but it does look doable! Do you have a list of parts numbers you put on your EX? For example, are the spacers an OEM part or just something you picked up at the hardware store?
All the parts are original Honda. I don't have the part numbers as I bought the parts used from a member. Parts are available on eBay too. Are you putting on stock wheels or the Magtans?
 
pekingduck_imp said:
iamheero_imp said:
This is all very interesting to me, as you know I have the '14 (non-abs) wheels I want to put on my EX as well. Between new rotors, caliper brackets, and the older speed sensor equipment it doesn't look cheap but it does look doable! Do you have a list of parts numbers you put on your EX? For example, are the spacers an OEM part or just something you picked up at the hardware store?
All the parts are original Honda. I don't have the part numbers as I bought the parts used from a member. Parts are available on eBay too. Are you putting on stock wheels or the Magtans?
All the parts are original Honda. I don't have the part numbers as I bought the parts used from a member. Parts are available on eBay too. Are you putting on stock wheels or the Magtans?
I would put on the Magtans! I think the red tank and gold wheels would look great. I have the bike at a shop having the valves checked and getting a dyno tune for the new Power Commander I put on it, but I also asked them to see if they can write up an invoice for potentially swapping those wheels too. Honestly I may let them do it, but I know I can save a lot if I just buy the parts myself. I mean, I can take a wheel off so how hard can doing this swap be to DIY?
 
Thread starter
iamheero_imp said:
pekingduck_imp said:
iamheero_imp said:
This is all very interesting to me, as you know I have the '14 (non-abs) wheels I want to put on my EX as well. Between new rotors, caliper brackets, and the older speed sensor equipment it doesn't look cheap but it does look doable! Do you have a list of parts numbers you put on your EX? For example, are the spacers an OEM part or just something you picked up at the hardware store?
All the parts are original Honda. I don't have the part numbers as I bought the parts used from a member. Parts are available on eBay too. Are you putting on stock wheels or the Magtans?
All the parts are original Honda. I don't have the part numbers as I bought the parts used from a member. Parts are available on eBay too. Are you putting on stock wheels or the Magtans?
I would put on the Magtans! I think the red tank and gold wheels would look great. I have the bike at a shop having the valves checked and getting a dyno tune for the new Power Commander I put on it, but I also asked them to see if they can write up an invoice for potentially swapping those wheels too. Honestly I may let them do it, but I know I can save a lot if I just buy the parts myself. I mean, I can take a wheel off so how hard can doing this swap be to DIY?
All the parts are original Honda. I don't have the part numbers as I bought the parts used from a member. Parts are available on eBay too. Are you putting on stock wheels or the Magtans?
I would put on the Magtans! I think the red tank and gold wheels would look great. I have the bike at a shop having the valves checked and getting a dyno tune for the new Power Commander I put on it, but I also asked them to see if they can write up an invoice for potentially swapping those wheels too. Honestly I may let them do it, but I know I can save a lot if I just buy the parts myself. I mean, I can take a wheel off so how hard can doing this swap be to DIY?
So what parts will you need? Do you have any of the 2014 parts (rotors, caliper bracket, pulser rotors, sprocket carrier?
 
Thread starter
Well, ran into a problem. While everything bolts up fine physically, the speedometer (rear speed sensor) is not working. There was a change in the configuration of the speed sensors between the 2014/2017 model years, from 2-bolts to 1, and more compact for 2017, but nowhere near interchangeable.

Also wire colors were reversed, but even when corrected, no response. Air gap fine at 0.7mm, has about 560 ohms, battery voltage coming through, but no response.
rear speed sensor, and there were delays in availability, so I just got a used one off eBay. Didn't work. Air gap was fine, had resistance across it similar to what was on the original 2017 sensor. Got a new sensor, no difference

So working on it now, and will update with conclusion.
 
pekingduck_imp said:
Well, ran into a problem. While everything bolts up fine physically, the speedometer (rear speed sensor) is not working. There was a change in the configuration of the speed sensors between the 2014/2017 model years, from 2-bolts to 1, and more compact for 2017, but nowhere near interchangeable.

Also wire colors were reversed, but even when corrected, no response. Air gap fine at 0.7mm, has about 560 ohms, battery voltage coming through, but no response.
rear speed sensor, and there were delays in availability, so I just got a used one off eBay. Didn't work. Air gap was fine, had resistance across it similar to what was on the original 2017 sensor. Got a new sensor, no difference

So working on it now, and will update with conclusion.
Just my 5 cents worth.
Since the ABS speed sensor signal is an AC wave type, the wires polarity are not important.
Place the bike on center stand and rotate the wheel while monitoring if there is an AC signal at the ABS computer connector (when back probing the "RR VSP+ (Pin #2 wire P/W)" and "RR VSP- (Pin 18 wire G/R)" - Note: Voltmeter must be set in AC mode and NOT DC mode.

Note: the AC wave signal from the rear wheel pulser ring is digitally converted inside the ABS ECU (from analog to digital) and sent to the speedo head (RPO pin #7 wire P/G).

One can also read the Diag Trouble Code.

Note: The ECU can only detect an open or short circuit but not whether the incoming signal is good or not. There is a good chance that there is Normal (no fault) DTC.

You mentioned "Battery voltage coming through"; There should be no battery signal (voltage) at all at the wheel speed sensor??

Good Luck
Alain
 
Thread starter
When I swapped my 2017 wire wheels/brakes for 2014 cast wheels in the previous posts, I'm confident about their physical interchangeability. However, I have found an incompatibility between 2014 and 2017 rear wheel speed sensors.

In my case, it is necessary to modify the rear brake caliper bracket to fit the original 2017 sensor. So I machined the bracket to fit it. (I actually made a spare in case anyone else ever makes this swap).


In the more likely situation of fitting 2017 wire wheels to a 2014, a Japan/European market rear caliper bracket can be used - p/n 43110-MGC-N21. Rather than order one, I machined/welded one up. I will be selling my 2017 wire wheels and will include this bracket.
 
Nice work, pekingduck.
 
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