1978 WR250 17 inch wheel and other questions

Didn't the wr come with a 18" rear rim? And the cr came with the 17" rims?

gotcha. So how do I tell a wr rod from a CR? The 40mm forks I have are of unknown origin. But they are only a few inches longer then my 35mm forks. So perhaps these are already wr forks?

all my huskys back in the day had 17s 79 250WR 80 250OR 81 430XC 81 250XC RAN Dunlop k190s or k88ht IRC VE 33 AND CHENG SHIN C755 I WAS JUST LOOKIN IN MY TUCKER ROCKY CATALOG THERE ARE 17S TO BE HAD [ FN CAP LOCK]

The 17" are still available cause the hondas still use them.

FN CAP LOCK] ...and I thought it was Tourette's...

Thanks, we have solved the wheel issue already - 17 it is. Several rims still available and tires. Now back to 40MM forks. Last night I took the springs out of the 40mm forks and mounted to bike. I slid the fork up just far enough so that that the fork bottomed without the lower tube hitting the bottom of the triple clamp. Comparing the fork length at this position in the triple, to what it would be with the 35MM fork, I'm only about 1.25 inches longer. That would of course slow the steering (more chopper like) but I'm thinking of using 16" shocks in back to compensate for the longer fork vs. the OEM 15 inch. Vintage ohlins reservoirs are convenient being 16" eye to eye. Probably means more frequent replacing of the chain slider, but the existing shocks on there are 16" and there is no apparent wear on the swingarm at that angle. I'm tall, so the extra height is not an issue.

If it turns out I don't like the new geometry, I was thinking I could use a spacer in the bottom fork slider and be able to slide the forks up more in the tube so that I could match the 35MM ride height. Just a simple spacer slid into the bottom leg that would limit the travel of the chrome tube. What do the gurus think of that approach?

Here's some info from the husky club?

http://www.huskyclub.com/ps.htm

I´m no guru but I don´t think the Husky forks work with any type of spacer in the forks, as a conventional fork might. The CR and WR damper rods are different lengths, CR being longer, and that is what determines the total length of the forks. So if the 35mm´s total length is longer than your 40mm´s there is most likely a longer damper rod that you can use to lengthen the 40mm fork. Hope this helps.

I'm trying to go the other way - have the 40MM forks equal or close to the length of the shorter 35MM forks. In other words, keeping the distance from the axle mount to the triple the same so as not to make too much of a change to the turning characteristics. Moving the forks up in the triple is one option, but because of the increased travel of the 40MM's you can only raise so far before the travel is too much and will hit the triple. Looking at the bottom tube, I see no reason why a spacer would not accomplish this - think of a ring at the bottom of the tube that limits the stroke of the fork.

By the way if anyone is looking for 40MM forks, Drew at WER Suspension told me he has a few sets.

Husky forks wont work with a spacer like that because they dont have top out springs they have a hydraulic top out washer. If you put a spacer there the top out washer will not function properly and your forks will slam to the stop every time they top out. What you could do instead of a spacer is a spring of 1" or 1.25" and then you convert the top out into a traditional spring so you no longer need the hydraulic washer to function. I have used junkyard valve springs as top out washers, they are (usually) free and as long as the OD and length are correct they work perfectly.

good plan to ditch the washers, they are a pia. will also shorten the wr forks to suit I rekon

Big shout out to forum member motomwo for hooking me up with a complete hub, axle, spacer and DLS brake plate to go with the 40MM forks. Once they arrive, I can start the blasting and paint process. In between turkey football and naps this weekend, cases will be split and crank and cylinder off to the machine shop. I bit the bullet on the OEM rod kit - $320 from Halls (hope my wife is not reading this) Bike is in pieces right now, but here's a before pic:

Other than being a bit grubby around the edges .... that looks like a great bike to restore.

Is it me (angle of picture), or is the rear frame loop bent down slightly ?

Good eye grouty, it is bent, and that caused a broken seat pan. Its a fairly gentle bend that should come out by clamping it upside down to a bench with some well placed wood blocks, and metal working it a bit. I have also had luck using an electrical conduit bender in the past to take bends out of round stock. I have to weld on an exhaust mount tab and I am massaging a stuck swingarm bolt, not quite ready to get the sawzall out...yet, still working it with penetrating oil and heat.

Nice project bike to start off on.

These older oval number plate bikes look cool. I have that frame and air cleaner setup. The 390cr to go with it. I was thinking of leaving it grubby as a sleeper. Mark it 250cr and laugh on the inside.

It is a common trait to find the rear frame loop bent on the WR's in 77/78 as the swing arm was so short. Usually they are bent up as a result of looping it ! I wonder what story is behind yours being bent down. The rear frame on my '78 390WR is bent up slightly. I have been meaning to get around to it for the last 14 years, but riding it gets in the way .

If you look closely you can see the upward curve

a downward curve is clearly from an incident involving too much speed, too little suspension or an immoveable object causing the rear wheel to pass the front wheel in the vertical plane. This would most likely have sling shot the pilot into nxt week!

Those shocks are period Works Performance and are rebuildable, they are just as good as new Works Performance.

I would say that the frame looks to be 1978 OR as the cradle looks rectangular compared to the the semi tear drop of the normal 1978 ML frames.

Me and that year go back many miles. My 78 cr390 was my favorite ride. Or was it my '77 or '79? I had back up bikes. I like the style of air cleaner on the '77. Once I rode the 390 there was no going back.