Seca vs Maxim rear tire difference in handling?

Does it actually make a noticable difference? The larger tire on the 16" rim, or the narrower tire on the larger rim?

I'm pretty curious, as (as far as XJ's go) I've only ridden my Maxim with it's wide rear tire. Other bikes I've had vary, but they've always been chronologically spaced out and wildly different machines.

 

Yes, it makes a difference.

 

Can you describe said difference? I mean, I get the "try and see" bit, and that time will come, but there's a bunch of work that needs to happen before I can do that.

 

I can provide some input to this. I put a 16" rear on my Seca. Dealing with OEM tire sizes (but admittedly different brands) it dropped the rear axle about 3/4".
At the same time I also lowered the front a similar amount and I'm running a sidecar combo so handling is not in the least comparable to a solo bike.

You have a Maxim so if you were to mount the Seca wheel (and OEM tire size) you would effectively raise the rear of the bike. Racers typically raise the rear to gain ground clearance but at the same time it will make the handling quicker, some might say twitchy. There's an easy way to find out, just mount a Seca wheel and go for a cautious ride. If you were closer I could lone you one to try out.
I wouldn't pay more than $30 for a Seca wheel at the wreckers but a new tire and bearings makes it a little costlier experiment. There's no point in comparing any handling mods if it involves an old worn and squared off tire. Note this will also make your final gearing taller which might improve touring comfort at the cost of acceleration. Centre stand will be easier to employ but might not lift the rear wheel as high.

On an unrelated (maybe somewhat related?) I rode a GSXF1250 Suzuki for a couple seasons. When I 1st bought it, it had a lowering kit mounted and the original dog bones in a bag. I planned to put the OEM ride height back as soon as I got it home but the ride home was horrible. I really couldn't believe someone would ride it like that. The front end was unaltered, it felt like a chopper in the corners.

 

The upside is I have brand new tires on my Maxim and on the back end of the Seca right now. But, I haven't pulled the rear off the Seca to check the brake pads, wheel bearings and all that stuff (while I know you can swap the wheel, I don't know if the brakes are identical? Just thought now I could use the brake hub off my Maxim rather than worrying about delamination on the Seca if it's got old shoes)...

Basically, considering trying it out, but reluctant to but the time in if it's not going to make an appreciable/beneficial difference.

Based on what you've written above, however, it may well be worth trying out. I'd love a bit more height on my Maxim.

 

Measure the diameters of the brake cover (they're actually the backing plate)......if te diameters are the same, they'll swap. There were different sizes, but they are very different, so you don't have to worry about accidentally putting the wrong one in. It will either fit right or it won't.

Dave

 

using hub on maxim wheel for the seca wheel test may be a bad idea if the drums are worn differently you may alter the way the brake shoes work when you swap them back

 

True, though I'm not terribly concerned... If I liked it, I'd leave it on the Maxim, if not it'd wear back quickly enough. The rears drums don't do a whole lot anyways, and I never rely on them.

Will have to give it a try if I get some time I don't want to spend productively.
Still, I'd use the Seca backing plate if either it doesn't swap or the shoes looked ok.

 

um while the rear drums are not the major braking power on the bike they are an important part of keeping the bike in control while braking.
get in the habit of using them both . using or locking up the front tire only in sand loose gravel or wet pavement even dry pavement could give you some rather unexpected results.

 

I use them, I just don't rely on them stopping the bike in a short distance.

If they didn't work as well for a while it wouldn't be a big deal. It'd be a short term thing, as if I ever switched back, it would be because I preferred the Maxim wheel, and would have done it in pretty short order.

Mind you, I've frequently done things like replace just one disc brake rotor (with a used one!) and that sort of stuff. Just need to test and assess braking performance so you know what's available.

Not really any different from just getting on a different bike; test before trust.

 

I've never felt any issue when swapping around. If the plates and pads are the same size, the braking surface is the same, and the brakes don't pulse, then things are in s true circle of the same size........I've swapped a lot of them......

 

I'm looking to put a seca rear wheel on my maxim. I am planning a tour of the top quarter states, redwoods, etc, and i wanted to get better mileage. I've taken the first step and mounting a 750 tank on my 650, now I'm getting new shocks, and then, if I find one at the local shop, I'll buy a rear seca and put some fresh rubber on it. I'm sure the maxim isn't the best touring machine, but it's pretty comfortable, so I'm assuming it'll do the trick.

 

Not too sure if you are talking about swapping the wheel or the tire? I would think with just a little bit of searing on the WWW you could find what tire you are looking for your current setup. I am not too sure what you have up in your neck of the woods, but I use this site for select the size of my wheel and then go from there. They have sport tires, sport/touring tires and just long ware touring tires.
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/

Hope this helps.

 

The Seca and Maxim rear rims are different - the Maxim rear is a 16" rim, while the Seca is larger diameter(19"? I forget off hand, but it's very much different). The rims+final drive swap very easily, but the tires will be specific to the rims.


My post above was regarding a full rear swap: tire, rim, final drive as I have three.

 

The Seca and Maxim final drives ae geared identically. No need to swap those.

The Seca does have a 19" rear wheel, and the rolling diameter is slightly lager than the Maxim.

The Maxim is a fine touring machine; that's why Yamaha sold an optional touring package for it.

 

Make sure you have the correct size brake assembly

 

120/90-18 actually