Got curious

Well today I got the curiosity bug and wondered if an 82 XT550 spoked wheel will fit my 550 Seca. I pulled the front wheel from the XT and it bolts right up to the stock front end of the Seca. To use it I will need to fab up a stay for the front brake drum. May also need an 1/8" spacer between the wheel and the forks but that isn't a big deal at all. An extra axle washer will work for that. The XT550 wheel has a brushed aluminum rim with a black drum brake. May just spray the whole thing black. Gonna try this on my next project. It isn't going on my stocker. It looks like the whole front end off the XT will bolt up to the Seca too. They use the same steering bearing set and the frame neck is the same length too.

 

21 inch wheel ?

 

The wheel is 21 inches. Sorry. I should have put that.

 

go for the whole front end if you can i would think the xt has longer, stronger forks
the 21 inch wheel would give you the old school chopper look

 

That is what I was thinking. The fork tubes are larger in diameter than the Seca so can't swap them without the tree. I wouldn't have to fab a brake drum stay either. Ran out of light so I didn't have time to pull the full front end off the XT.

 

very cool

 

very informative

 

I'll try to find the time to do the swap tomorrow and get a few pics. Best part is the XT was free!

 

wouldn't the suspension from the xt be too soft? seems to me all those older dirt bikes had pretty squishy front ends.

 

The XT550 was a dual sport. Stiffer front for the street riding. Most never even saw the dirt.

 

Well I finally got some time to try things out. The front wheel fits the stock front end. The XT550 front end does not fit the 550 Seca like I had hoped. The bearing pack is larger in diameter. Looks like I might use just the front wheel with the stock Seca front end.


By zombiehouse at 2010-12-11

By zombiehouse at 2010-12-11