Can I change FireBlade front wheel size?

Q. Not sure if you’ve ever been asked this before, but I want to get some decent modern rubber on my ageing CBR900RR FireBlade.

Is there a way I can go about putting a 17-inch wheel on the front to widen my choice of rubber?

A. It is possible to change the front wheel of a FireBlade from 16 to 17 inches. If the bike is a 1992-1996 model it will take the same wheel and discs that is fitted to CBR600s and VFR750s of the same vintage.

If it’s a model from 1997-onwards then there’s a bit of engineering involved as the six disc mounting holes need elongating to allow the head of the bolts to sit 1mm further out from centre of the hub.

When you do change the wheel make sure you fit a 120/70 x 17 tyre as a 60-profile will ruin the handling (and your nerves too).

The speedo reading will be way out though, so convert to Foxeye speedo drive that comes off the gearbox sprocket or you’ll be all over the place.