Rear Wheels - All Created Equal?

[jgrm1]

Does anyone recall why there are two generations (?) of non-ABS 5.5" rear wheels for the R1100S listed on the parts fiche? I'm trying to verify that a later wheel will fit my early 2000 model 'S. I can't imagine it wouldn't, but curous why the difference.

Although the part number is the same, it seems the first gen ran through January 2001 and the second gen started in Feb 2001.

Assembly 36_0357
36 31 2335284 Silver rear wheel 5,50X17 End Date 20001100

Assembly 36_0599
36 31 2335284 Silver rear wheel 5,50X17 Start Date 20010200


Thanks,
Jeff

[jgrm1]

Looking at A&S's parts list, it may be the due to the difference between ABS 2 and Integrated ABS.

-Jeff

[jgrm1]

Ah-ha! I found the answer here: BMW motorcycle wheels

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.

-Jeff

[sgoodwin]

The difference is the cut for the abs ring. The older wheels used a thicker cast ring where the newer ones use stamped steel. There is also a non-abs wheel, from the boxer cup series I think.

[jgrm1]

Correct, it seems the IABS and non-ABS wheels are the same.

-Jeff

[Chris Canning]

Originally Posted by sgoodwin

The difference is the cut for the abs ring. The older wheels used a thicker cast ring where the newer ones use stamped steel. There is also a non-abs wheel, from the boxer cup series I think.

Yup and I used both on my non ABS bike with spacers before I went Dymag.

[R1100S2000]

I used a newer abs wheel and milled 5mm(?) off the posts in order to fit my 1999 abs bike. At the time It was hard to find a 5.5" wheel that would fit without modification.

[BadToTheBown]

Just to add to what others have pointed out above, 2 basic differences between these and they are driven by Front rotor size and ABS ring design:
1) earlier bikes had 305mm rotors, later had 320mm rotors, the earlier bikes had Brembos, later had Toniko [sp?] with BMW cast on them - the problem was the rotor diameter and the large rotor mounting base circle that interfered with the rotors mounting bosses (ask me how I know), without the rotor mounting boss relief cuts, look at picks of the early front wheels vs. later, all the 305mm wheels have big relief cuts in the rotor mounting bosses to clear the calipers, since the Brembos and the Tonikos have a different mounting arrangement/spacing, the calipers are specific to the fork ends (i.e. early are different than later)
2) early ABS rings are cast and much thicker, therefore the wheel rotor mounting bosses are cut further down as pointed out above, later ABS rings were stamped (much thinner) and can be shimmed up to work on earlier wheels or used with stamped ABS ring as is if using a later wheel on an earlier bike as you want to do - BUT re-read #1 above if you do this and what to use the later wheel on an earlier bike, if you want to use 320mm rotors wheels on earlier 305mm rotor bikes, you also have to swap the rotors and forks as well, heads up

Hope this helps and best of luck...