'81-83 GS1100E swing arm and 4.5" Teapot rear wheel?

[scott-s]

 Would it work?

 

 The GS1100E swingarm is pretty much a bolt on for my 1980 GS550E  frame. 

  I have a 4.5" Teapot rear wheel and have spent a bit of time already getting chain alignment sorted, etc. We had to notch the inner frame slightly and go to a 520 chain.

 I'm sure I could come up with the right spacers to center the Teapot wheel in the GS1100E swingarm,  but would that screw up my alignment? Is the 1100 arm even wide enough for a 4.5" wheel and a 150/70-17 tire?

 

 The Teapot arm I've converted is awful long. I'd be very interested in the aluminum GS1100E swinger if it didn't mean starting over again on chassis alignment.  And if the wheel fits, of course.

[Swiss Toni]

A 5.5" will got into that arm, at a push! I'm assuming you're talking about the one the same as the 11000ET/EX? Ask SteveA (Steve Adams) on here. He's done a 4.5" into that arm, as have a few others, which I'm sure will be only too happy to help you. Gotta love OSS!!! 

[scott-s]

 Can't find a SteveA in a members search.

 

The more I look at my converted Teapot 750 swingarm, the more I'm not happy with it. It's just awful long and I'm not sure the shock angle is correct. Those swingers are cheap, so I guess I could get another and start over.

 I'd love to find an Inazuma 750 swingarm, but they're like hen's teeth here in the states.

 The GS1100E swingarm would require new shocks and relocating the caliper hanger. Maybe a B12 swingarm and the conversion bits are a better bet?

[Swiss Toni]

You'll find Steve Adams in the Traders section. Lucky7.

[scott-s]

 First, I want to apologize for the pics. My phone sucks and the light in my garage tends to wash it out. It's nearly impossible to get good pics in there. It looks like I used a potato instead of a camera!

 

 I put the wheels back on the bike and set it down on it's on weight. The jack is just keeping the bike from tipping over, not lifting it at all. The shocks are 14" and set on the medium setting. I *still* feel like we could have laid down the shocks a bit more but, as you can see, the shock and swingarm angle aren't as bad as when it was on the center stand/lift and not rear wheel in.

 This is workable. And if it just handles too poorly or annoys me too much, I think it would be easier to go with some 13" shocks and maybe even have the chain adjuster slots machined longer and the end of the swingarm cut off a like amount. That would shorten the wheel base, lower the stance and lessen the swing arm angle. All without having to start from scratch.

 

[Fjbj40]

A 4.5" would easily fit. I run a Bandit 5.5 in my 1000 with the 1100 swinger. I run a 530 chain with a 5/8" offset front sprocket. I trimmed about .050-.080" (from memory) off the outside of the Cush drive (gs1000) to move rear sprocket in. Chain has about 2-3mm clearance from frame.

Nothing will ever be a bolt in when u r doing these type of mods. All my rear spacers were custom. I run a 170 tire.

Edited August 30, 2018 by Fjbj40