XB12S Rear Wheel Part Numbers

[Boaski]

The rear wheel on my 05 Lightning has some corrosion under the anodizing in a couple spots. I had thought pulling the wheels this coming winter and having them powder coated. After cleaning up the bike I think I would rather stay with the factory gold. The comments I've found online indicate it would be very difficult to match the look of the factory translucent coating.

It appears my best bet would be to find a good used replacement. I live pretty close to the Mid-Ohio race course & they have a great motorcycle swap every summer so I'll look around to see what I can find. Can I get some guidance on what part number rear wheel I should look for or avoid?

 

[Barrett]

Can I get some guidance on what part number rear wheel I should look for or avoid?

REAR SPECS:
17 inch diameter.....5-1/2 inch width.....8-3/4 inches bearing OD to bearing OD....too many part numbers to list here as the number changes depending on year and color. ALL XB rear wheel numbers commence with "G" code.
2003-2009 inclusive XB all rear the same with ONE wheel hub bearing per side.
2010 ALL XB same with one bearing rotor side...two bearings drive pulley side. Fits all XB's but requires unique axle and spacer assemblies.

take your tape-measure.

 

[Cooter]

All Buell XB, Uly, and even 1125 wheel assembllies are interchangeable from 2003 and up. The later Uly 3 bearing wheels use a different rear axle. The pulleys are different, so keep your original or count the teeth.

FYI, the gold was tricky even for Buell themselves, and had issues keeping it just right. It will be hard to match your existing front perfectly, even with a OE replacement, so think about getting a pair that match and selling yours if it's that important.

 

[Boaski]

Thanks for the responses

 

[34nineteen]

He’s not kidding. In my “parts collection” (shut up Cooter!) I had a few sets of wheels. My gold ones were all a little off in color. It made it easy to keep the matching pairs together, but I think the actual color depended on weather, temp, paint mixture, what the painter had for breakfast, etc.

I’d knock the bearings out and get them stripped and re-powdercoated. The right shop can do some pretty amazing things with powder.

 

[Cooter]

There was a story regaled on Badweb a long time ago about this:
IIRC, the story was that Buell was complaining about the powdercoater being unable to hold color tolerances on the gold wheels, so they went down (to Mexico) and saw the ancient shop complete with dirt floors and barely functional people to ask them whats up. The spokesperson had them meet upstairs so they walked through the second level of the warehouse where everything was brand new, hospital clean, and perfectly running.

The obvious question was asked... and the answer was "you can't afford this floor".:black_eyed:

Buells response was to open the wheel color tolerance much wider:apathy:

Take 34:19's advice. They'll tell you a tough color to replicate (been there), but if you want them nice and to match each other it's about all you can do for a 20 year old bike.