supermoto wheel and tire sizes?
 

I'm trying to do a supermoto conversion on the cheap. Found some used 17" warp 9s off a drz but something tells me they won't even come close to fitting.

Believe I'm looking for F 3.50x17 R 4.25x17 but wondering if I can get away with others

I did a lot of tire/rim research when planning a set of 17s for my KLX650, here is what I learned:

Depends on tire width. Look up the tires at manufacturer web sites and you will find the radials are much tighter on what can fit properly. You could go with a 3.00 front rim if you run a 110/70-17, but a 120 needs the wider 3.50. I planned on running a 110 on the front of my 650 because research and experience told me I'd have no problem on the street. My 400+ lb Zephyr 550 only runs a 110 and it can bend a turn really well. The 110 will work fine for handling, the 120 on a 250 is more about having a fat tire look.

On the rear you do want the 4.25, although a 4.00 would work if you could find it. The 130-140 run on the rear needs the minimum of 4.00 I think. A 140 will handle the power without bogging the engine down. That was the planned size for my 650 as well.

One way around wider rims is to go with bias tires that are a bit fatter, like a 110/80 or 110/90 front which can work on 2.50 or 2.75 rims and a 140/80 on the rear, which will work with a 3.00 or 3.50. The bias ply tires work with narrower rims in most cases. Don't look quite as trick Though.

If you got the DRz wheels cheap enough you could unlace them, get spokes and lace them up to the KLX hubs. Do some measuring on the Suzuki hub flanges and see how close things are there. You might be able to use those spokes if the flange diameters are within maybe 1/4" or so.

I learned there is seldom a "cheap" way to do supermoto rims. The rims are costly as are spokes. If you found a set of KLX SF rims for around $600 that would be a heck of a buy compared to building. Spokes are around $100 a set - plus lacing if you can't do it. Rims run $100-250 depending on size. So you see you have over $400 in just rims and spokes, no hubs and with hubs you could swap back and forth between 21/18 and 17/17.

Thanks for the insight! That was some solid info.

In your opinion will a 3.25 X 17 rim work on the front and a 4.5 X 17 on the rear? What size would I be looking at, I'm concerned with clearance of course. I'm building some wheels for my 2013 KLX 250.

Many thanks!

JH

Klx tire swap
 

I have a 2021 klx 300 Sm 17” wheels and Sm tire setup looking to trade for dirt 21/19 knobby and wheel change lmk!!

More likely 21 and 18. Besides all of the other changes mentioned, you'll also need to change the front brake as the SM disk is larger than the dual sport. Your gearing will also need to be changed, because SM's are geared higher than dual sports.

Why not simply put some dirt tires on your wheels and go riding? :)

https://external-content.duckduckgo....jpg&f=1&nofb=1

It’s cause I want to do some desert riding in the dirt and sand and I want the specifics for that. I heard I have to change my forks also and my rear springs or shocks idk imma noob

The only thing you won't have to change is the frame and engine. ;)

The SM rotor will work on the dual sport hub, same hubs. Even if there is a fork change all that need be done is use the SM caliper carrier. I was looking at putting a 300mm rotor, used on the KLX650C as well, on my 250 but decided against it when I realize I can brake to the point of front wheel lock up just fine with the stock set up. But in the process I learned there was only the difference of the carrier used on the SM vs the one for the S.

If I was doing a wheel change I'd probably see if I could trade off or sell the SM wheels, which are worth more, or I'd simply get another set of wheels and swap the rotor as needed or get another rotor. The rear hubs are the same as all the rear wheels from 09 up KLX250/300, only difference may be finish, in fact I'm pretty certain the rear hub is the same on all KLXs, 250 and 300 all years, and was also used on KDX models as well. The front hub is the issue, only the 2009 and up have the electronic speedo drive, so it has to be the newer hub. Having two sets of wheels is the ticket if one can afford to do so if you want the ability to swap back and forth between street and dual sport/off road. Half hour to swap out wheels is nice. I will say it is much lower cost to get the dual sport/off road 18 and 21 rims than it is to get the 17 sm rims. Plus it is easier to find used 18 and 21 rims/wheels than it is to find the 17s.

I got a lot of the information I've learned when starting to build a set of SM wheels for the KLX650. Then I learned more when getting the 250 I saw the front brake wasn't OEM equipment and that I needed to deal with a rear rotor that wasn't sweeping the entire brake pad. I dug in and learned about the part numbers finding the front wheels had the same bearings and internal spacers proving out the fit of the hubs to the bikes. The non-cush hub rear wheels also proved to have the bearing and seal similarities too. Then the same flat rotors/bolt patterns and calipers, the difference being in the carriers, both front and rear.

I will say I am running the smaller rear rotor from a KLX300, using the 2006-8 KLX caiper carrier to fit the 220mm versus the original 240mm rotor. I wanted less power on the rear brake for off roading, being able to control the braking easier. It had an aftermarket 220 rotor on the back that I sold off, intending to replace it with the 240 OEM rotor, but came across a deal to swap out the carriers to go with the smaller one.

On the front there a KLX300 250mm replacing the OEM 250 petal cut rotor. The bike actually had the 300 rotor on the front when I got it. I am pretty sure the reason was the former owners had two sets of wheels and used the different front brake. I had a KLX650 300 mm rotor that would bolt on, only needing the carrier to fit the caliper to the rotor, but as said, decided it was overkill for me.

Wow thanks!