Cast and spoked wheels for K and Oilheads

Wheel swapping is limited by a few mechanical features which result in different wheel dimensions. The wheel configuration is affected by things like:

I started this project trying to figure out which 5-spoke wheels I could fit to my R1100RS, and uncovered a large variety of wheel configurations. Find a wheel with the same features and geometry as the one you have, and you have a good candidate for a swap. Please note that there is a lot of information to be considered and some of this may be inaccurate.  It is a good starting place if you're trying to find out what wheel works with what bike (like if you see some mystery wheel on eBay or at a flea market).

R1200C and "CAN-bus bike' wheels are skipped, as they are basically non-interchangeable with other BMWs. Fronts might be.

Note: Cast ABS rings are for ABS2, and slotted stamped ABS rings are for iABS. I have successfully used a slotted ABS ring on my ABS2 front brake, and a friend has successfully used a cast ABS ring on his iABS rear brake. Hoever, this should not be taken as a guarantee that they are compatible. Safety dictates that you should observe the wheel speed sensors with an oscilloscope and satisfy yourself that an adequate signal is being reliably sent to the ABS unit.

If you find an error or have additional information, please let me know. However, please DON'T ask me what will or won't work. Anything I could tell you would come from the information here. You need to figure it out. If you can't, you shouldn't be messing with the wheels.

Fitting a 5-spoke wheel to your 3-spoke Oilhead:

Components

Front Brake Rotors:

Rear brake rotors

Speedo drives

Front ABS rings

Rear ABS rings

Axles

4-spoke (Y-spoke) alloys for Airheads and 2-valve K

Front

These are the same for K and Airheads, and accept fixed 285mm brake rotors which mount with 4 bolts near the center of the wheel. Bearings accept 25mm axles.

Rear

3-spoke alloys for old K and R1100

K75 and K1100LT used bias-ply tires and had different dimensions.  The radial-tired K1100RS, K1, K100RS-4V and R1100 used rims of the same dimensions. In addition to silver, K11RS rims were available in gold, K100RS-4V were available in white, and all K1 rims were yellow.

Front

The Oilhead front rims have the speedo drive flange and the K fronts do not. For radials, the front ABS ring has 6 tabs and mounts to the left brake rotor carrier.

Rear

The radial rear rim is dimensionally the same for Ks and Oilheads. The brake rotor and ABS ring mount to the hub, not the rim.

5-spoke alloys for K12 and new Oilheads

For Oilheads, especially the R1100S and the different R1150R variants, these rims are now available in many colors.

Front

Early 5-spoke wheels had shorter mounting standoffs on the left side for ABS versions, because the 5mm-thick cast ABS ring is mounted between the brake rotor and the standoff. These measure 111.5mm across the rotor mounting surfaces whereas the non-ABS measured 116.5mm. Later versions were all 116.5 because the stamped ABS rings had very thin mounting flanges. With the stamped ABS ring  on the left and a washer on the right, the new rotors are actually 118mm apart. Most R1150 models have the speedo drive fitting (R11S, Rockster and K12 don't) and K1200LT front wheels have heavier flanges. All accept 20mm axles.

Rear

R1100S and R1150 have standoffs for mounting the brake rotor to the wheel, and  have a much greater offset (much thicker mounting flange).  Early R1100S wheels are ABS-specific due to the mounting thickness of the ABS ring ("short" indicated below).  K12 has the brake rotor mounted on the hub like the older R1100 bikes have. These are all available in 5" and 5.5" sizes.

Wheel Bearings

20x47x14 SKF 6204-2RS1

25x52x20.6 INA 3205-2RS F0712

25x47x12 FAG 6005

Front Wheel Chart

All are 3.5"x17" except where noted

Description Brake rotor mounting ABS ring Casting number Wheel bearing Part number
36 31 +
Notes
Airhead/K 4-spoke Fixed, 4-bolt, 285mm On brake rotor 1 451 897 silver
1 457 361 black
2.5"x18"
2-valve K 3-spoke Fixed, 4-bolt, 285mm On brake rotor 36 31 2 310 187 25x47x16 R
25x47x12 L
2 310 734 silver 2.5"x18"
K1100LT 3-spoke bias floating 6-bolt On rotor carrier 36 31 2 312 810 25x47x16 R
25x47x12 L
2 312 809 silver 2.5x18"
R1100 3-spoke floating 6-bolt On rotor carrier 36 31 2 312 282 20x47x14 R
25x52x20.6 L
2 311 220 silver Speedo drive
K11RS, K100RS 4V
K1 3-spoke radial
floating 6-bolt On rotor carrier 36 31 2 310 252 25x52x20.6 R
25x47x12 L
2 311 272 silver
2 323 775 gold
2 310 708 yellow
5-spoke K12LT ABS2 5-bolt 111.5mm Cast 2 335 667 20x47x14 R 1 335 679 Reinforced
5-spoke K12LT IABS 5-bolt 116.5mm Stamped   20x47x14 R 7 658 469 silver
K12RS/R11S
Rockster
5-bolt 111.5mm Cast 2 335 507 20x47x14 R 7 650 032 Silver
5-bolt 116.5mm Stamped/none 2 335 050 20x47x14 R
7 650 026 Silver
R1150RS/RT/R 5-bolt 116.5mm Stamped/none 2 335 507 20x47x14 R Speedo drive

Rear wheel chart

Description Brake rotor
mounting
ABS ring Size Casting number OA width Mount
depth
Bolt
depth
Stub
depth
Part number
36 31 +
4-spoke Airhead (drum) none none 2.5x18" 1 452 252 silver
4-spoke K75 (drum) none none 2.75x18" 1 451 831 silver
4-spoke K75 (disc) none none 2.75x17" 1 451 243 silver
1 457 364 black
3-spoke K75 none none 3x17" 36 31 2 310 188 2 311 887 silver
3-spoke K100/1100 bias none none 3x17" 36 31 2 310 188 typ A 96 20 20 2 311 149 silver
3-spoke R11/K radial none none 4.5x18" 36 31 2 310 255 114 29 17 20 2 311 275 silver
2 310 711 yellow
5-spoke K12 none none 5x17" 2 331 468 127 35 14.5 22 2 331 909 silver
5.5x17" 127 2 335 268 silver
5-spoke Oilhead ABS2
(R1100S only)*
short cast 5x17" 2 331 358 2 331 693 silver
5.5x17" 2 331 694 silver
5-spoke Oilhead IABS or non-ABS* tall stamped
or none
5x17" 2 331 358
2 331 357
23 2 331 692 silver
5.5x17" 2 331 351
2 335 051
23? 2 335 284 silver

* Early versions of this wheel, used on the R1100S with the older Brembo floating caliper, may lack the machined relief that is needed to clear the later EVO rear caliper.

All dimensions in millimeters unless specified.

Spoke wheels

Application Rim Spoke Offset Note
R100R/GS rear 2.5x17 153mm    
R100R front 2.5x18      
R100GS front 1.85x21      
R1100GS front 2.5x19 198mm    
R1100GS/R rear 4x17 177mm    
R1100R front 2.5x18     Different rim than R100R, same spoke
         

 

 

Wheels