Rims

[SuperiorKolours]

ok so, I had no idea how expensive rims are for motorcycles. Holy crap! I hate spoke rims though, does anyone know of any other bikes rims that will swap out with my 94 Shadow 600VLX?

[MikeB]

Really the only factor that is critical is axle diameter (unless you are also willing to swap out forks, but even then the replacement forks need to be the right diameter to fit into the triple tree). I swapped out spoked rims for alloys on a Suzuki cruiser I used to own, and the only mod I had to make was to shim them out with washers at the axle so that the brake rotors and calipers lined up correctly. Of course you must be careful to ascertain that the hub is not TOO wide for the space between the forks and swingarm, but most OEM setups use shims of some kind so enough space is usually not a problem.

I would think any Shadow alloy rims would fit without problem since Honda probably uses the same axle and bearing sizes on all of their cruiser line. Maybe you can find someone to let you measure theirs.

[adlowe]

I LOVE the look of spoke rims on a cruiser. I hate everything else about them. What is it you hate so much?

Replacing is expensive. I don't know much about the VT600s but if there were/are any without spoke rims they *might* be a direct swap. (I just learned of one for my bike that I had not expected.)

If, like me, you like the look then sealing the rims might be the option for you. There several ways to go about it. The one that appeals the most to me is the method Aced It used earlier this year. I can hunt up a link to his posts if you're interested.

[SuperiorKolours]

Originally Posted by MikeB

Really the only factor that is critical is axle diameter (unless you are also willing to swap out forks, but even then the replacement forks need to be the right diameter to fit into the triple tree). I swapped out spoked rims for alloys on a Suzuki cruiser I used to own, and the only mod I had to make was to shim them out with washers at the axle so that the brake rotors and calipers lined up correctly. Of course you must be careful to ascertain that the hub is not TOO wide for the space between the forks and swingarm, but most OEM setups use shims of some kind so enough space is usually not a problem.

I would think any Shadow alloy rims would fit without problem since Honda probably uses the same axle and bearing sizes on all of their cruiser line. Maybe you can find someone to let you measure theirs.

Thanks man

[SuperiorKolours]

Originally Posted by adlowe

I LOVE the look of spoke rims on a cruiser. I hate everything else about them. What is it you hate so much?

Replacing is expensive. I don't know much about the VT600s but if there were/are any without spoke rims they *might* be a direct swap. (I just learned of one for my bike that I had not expected.)

If, like me, you like the look then sealing the rims might be the option for you. There several ways to go about it. The one that appeals the most to me is the method Aced It used earlier this year. I can hunt up a link to his posts if you're interested.

Yes I saw his post actually, thanks. Its the look I dont like. If I was going for a vintage look on my bike then I would go with spoke rims, probably painted red with white walls. But I want a more modern look.

I dont know how to find out if they ever made alloys for my 600vlx

[adlowe]

Originally Posted by SuperiorKolours

I dont know how to find out if they ever made alloys for my 600vlx

They probably didn't make them for your bike but maybe for another VT600 model. In 2004, there were two models and both had spokes. There are probably a lot of ways to figure out what was used through the years. I'd start with the Powersports Network comparison chart and change the years on one side to see what options show up. I would guess that you've got to go out more than a year or two to find something different. The advantage of "shopping" this way is that you can look at other Honda models to see if they've got similar-sized tires. That could prove fruitful. It could also be a big waste of time.

Another more complex path is putting your part numbers into a "where-used" search ( I like the one at ronayers.com. ) to find other Honda models that use the same wheels then exploring options available on those models. I just did that for your wheel sets and found that it's *likely* all the VT600s came with spokes for the last 15 years. I did it with the front axle and found it was common on VT600s going back to 1988. (Spoke wheels on the 1988.)

You probably won't have much success searching for cast rims on VT600s. I'm not an expert by any means but what I've seen does not look promising. That means you won't get a lot of help here because few people are likely to have made the change.

With Honda's "common parts bin" approach to design, I've got to believe that somewhere in their lineup is a set of rims that you could swap on easily. Finding them is the tough part.

[CrazyDave]

Originally Posted by MikeB

Really the only factor that is critical is axle diameter (unless you are also willing to swap out forks, but even then the replacement forks need to be the right diameter to fit into the triple tree). I swapped out spoked rims for alloys on a Suzuki cruiser I used to own, and the only mod I had to make was to shim them out with washers at the axle so that the brake rotors and calipers lined up correctly. Of course you must be careful to ascertain that the hub is not TOO wide for the space between the forks and swingarm, but most OEM setups use shims of some kind so enough space is usually not a problem.

I would think any Shadow alloy rims would fit without problem since Honda probably uses the same axle and bearing sizes on all of their cruiser line. Maybe you can find someone to let you measure theirs.

Listen to Mike and you will find that there is much variety to be found in used wheels that you can buy cheap, bring home plate or polish to your liking and then bolt on and ride

[SuperiorKolours]

Originally Posted by adlowe

They probably didn't make them for your bike but maybe for another VT600 model. In 2004, there were two models and both had spokes. There are probably a lot of ways to figure out what was used through the years. I'd start with the Powersports Network comparison chart and change the years on one side to see what options show up. I would guess that you've got to go out more than a year or two to find something different. The advantage of "shopping" this way is that you can look at other Honda models to see if they've got similar-sized tires. That could prove fruitful. It could also be a big waste of time.

Another more complex path is putting your part numbers into a "where-used" search ( I like the one at ronayers.com. ) to find other Honda models that use the same wheels then exploring options available on those models. I just did that for your wheel sets and found that it's *likely* all the VT600s came with spokes for the last 15 years. I did it with the front axle and found it was common on VT600s going back to 1988. (Spoke wheels on the 1988.)

You probably won't have much success searching for cast rims on VT600s. I'm not an expert by any means but what I've seen does not look promising. That means you won't get a lot of help here because few people are likely to have made the change.

With Honda's "common parts bin" approach to design, I've got to believe that somewhere in their lineup is a set of rims that you could swap on easily. Finding them is the tough part.

thanks! I'll look around.