swap excel rims from YZ to CR

[angst2]

just bought a 2001 yz125 for a great deal at $1500. I also own a 2000 cr125 that I have had for some time.
The (2mm bored)YZ motor whoops butt on the (stock) CR but the ergonomics on the CR are much better. I think I am going to keep the cr and try to make a couple hundred profit selling the yz and put that money toward engine mods to make the cr perform like the yz. The YZ has Excel rims and I am considering swapping them out and putting my stock CR rims on the YZ before I sell it. So, is this possible? are rims universal? Do Excel offer rims offer a noticable performance gain over stock to justify the trouble. ?are they lighter, stronger, what? I wouldn't begin to consider respoking everything myself. What is a reasonable amount to pay a shop to swap the rims out and remount all the tires?
Also I have heard of people that have put a YZ engine in a Honda bike. Anyone had experience with this.
Eric Z

 

[nikki]

Find Excel rim part numbers and spoke/nipple part numbers online and check this first. I mounted rear tires on a CRF250 and my YZ250F last night, and the YZ rim appeared to be shaped a little different (deeper) so I would guess the spokes are a little shorter and the nipples might be different as well.

 

[KaTooMer]

The White Bros website indicates that the Excel rim will work on either bike. However, the spokes may cause you some problems. Speaking from recent experience with my KX250, sometimes the stock spokes and/or nipples don't fit on the Excel rim (note to KX folks: stock nipples do NOT fit in the holes of Excel rims). So if you take the Excel rim off the YZ and put it on the CR, the stock CR spokes might not work with the Excel rim. And it looks like the two bikes use different spokes, so you probably can't take the YZ spokes and lace them into the CR hub. Seems like it should be less complicated....

The advantage with Excel rims is that they're stronger and less prone to flat spots when you hit something hard. My stock front rim on my KX250 has a few dings from rocks, so I'm in the process of swapping to an Excel. Last year I converted to an 18" Excel rear rim. I laced them up and a local bike shop trued the spokes for about $35. A competent mechanic should be able to true them in less than half an hour.

 

[NCPaulD]

Are you thinking of switching the hubs out as well?

 

[angst2]

Are you thinking of switching the hubs out as well?

no I was thinking about just swapping the rims only. I would assume that the hubs have some bike specific sizing going on. I havent looked that close but the front wheel shaft looks the same but the position of the brake rotor looks a little different. That would be a quick interesting experiment seeing if I could just take the whole assembly off one and put right on the other.