I replaced the OEM wheels on my GT with 5-spoke Marchesinis bought from ebay. These are the same as fitted to the Ducati ST4S & I got a great deal on a new (boxed) pair of wheels. The rear wheel was a simple bolt-in job but the front needed some modifications - the front axle is now from an S2R Monster & the disc rotors are from a 748R to accommodate a 10mm offset. You could look for wheels from a Monster (from a twin-sided rear swing arm needed for a GT) if you are considering buying used. You would have to search t'internet if you want forged aluminium wheels. Oz make forged aluminium wheels, but I don't know if they have them for a GT. There are other options to reduce unsprung weight & allow use of tyres without inner tubes. Take a look at the www.ducati.ms site & search on 'wheels'. There are options from Alpina & Kineo to provide classic spoked wheels with tubeless tyres, and also other/lighter forged aluminium or magnesium wheels from companies such as Carrozeria. I believe some Sport Classic owners in the US have used 749/999 wheels on their bikes, but I don't know what modifications they had to do to fit them.
Thanks for that, I was looking at keeping spoked wheels, Maybe excel rims?, would they still need tubes?
Excel rims would still need tubes. Some guys in North America tried sealing their own Excel wheels with varying success! Not something I would risk. The Sport Classic 1000/S & Paul Smarts all had Excel alloy rims as standard, but the spokes were still prone to corrosion as they were the same steel as used with the GT1000 chrome/steel rims. You could get a wheel builder to make up a wheel with an alloy rim & stainless spokes. Never used their services personally, but I know the following companies build & rebuild wheels - so you could have them build an alloy rim around the original hub of a GT1000 wheel: Central Wheel Components Limited Anglia Wheels http://www.hagon-shocks.co.uk/common/pdf/wheels2011.pdf Wheels | SRM Engineering
I am using Fa.Ba: http://www.fa-ba.com/UserFilesFCK/file/2014/Catalogo Moto/Catalogo Moto 2014_mini.pdf Page 7
