Oklahoma Super Bikers

i just bought a 2005 crf450x that is tagged with the stock wheels/tires. i want to put 17's on it asap. looking for the best value.

i see a few sets for sale on smj but i am not sure if they are a good deal.

My questions:
-what is the benefit of the talon hubs over oem hubs?
-is it that difficult to lace/true a wheel if i buy the parts seperately?
-how could i go about seeing if wheel sets from other makes (yamaha,kawasaki...etc) would convert over to my bike with proper spacers?
-what is the benefit of a 16.5 inch front wheel over a 17 (or 17 over 16.5)?

i assume tire selection is the main concern for that last one cause i dont recall seeing any street tires that are 16.5

Talon Hubs are billet aluminum where as stock hubs are cast aluminum, essentially stronger hubs

Lacing and truing wheels as fas as difficulty is all relative, I find it difficult to basket weave underwater but for those that do it, they sure make it look easy

As far as fitment of other wheels...anything can be made to work for the most part, but is it truly worth the time, hassle, & cost if you dont have the equipment to do it yourself..... Excel Hubs have carriers that are model specific, so if it is Excel, that makes it a little easier to interchange

16.5 turns better than a 17, but are only available in a race tire, so there again if you are racing on a very competitive level 16.5 has its advantage, if you are running it on the street and want DOT's as well as availability and options put 17's on it

personally, for a street bike i would use the stock hubs... much easier, cheaper, and should be just fine for street duty...

also, i laced my own 12" wheels years ago for my 80 with no experience or any real practical knowledge about it at the time... they lasted through me for 2 full seasons, hef another a season, and presumeably they are still going strong somewhere in new york... if an embarrasing failure like me can do it, a high stepper like you should have little problems...

thanks guys. i think i will attempt to lace some 17's up to my stock hubs.

then its time to research brakes.....

i dont understand the benefit of ''floating rotors/calipers''.
anyone care to enlighten me?

a floating set-up allows the rotor to move side-to-side and maintain better contact with the pads...

think of getting some head slap and the rotor pushes the pads into the caliper and that first grab of the brake lever is spent pushing the calipers out instead of grabbing the rotor... now think of that happenning on a much, much smaller scale during riding... a floating rotor allows movement and helps keep the braking action more consistent...

is the extra expense worth it for a street bike?
debateable...

another question about wheels. after reading about 200 posts about wheel/tire sizes, i have yet to read about what to put on my crf. i thought i wanted a 5'' wide rim but heard that people are having issues with chain rub. i am really considering a set of warp 9 wheels. i can get front/rear assembled with a 320mm front rotor for around $700. the only options they have for a rear rim is either a 4.25 or a 5'' wide. i will be riding this on the street and on the track. i think most people are using 5'' wide rims on the track but i will be wanting to use an o-ring chain for the street.

-can anyone give some advice on what would be an all round good rim size?
-how much will chain rub affect performance?
-is there anything that can be done to reduce/eliminate chain rub? like a bracket or chain guide?

Get the 4.25

not that i dont trust you fred.... but would you mind giving me an explination?

You will have to much trouble getting a 5" rim to fit in your swingarm on a honda..

hey mike, whats with the two different names? Split personality or something?

no. had trouble creating an account at first. now i have 2. one of them is the same login/passwork as TSR so i use it out of habbit.