My memory may be off on this, but I seem to remember that a GS550 wheel will work. However, that is a mag wheel. If you want to keep the spoke look, your best bet is re-lacing the existing hub. It can be re-laced and trued in about 1-2 hours.

The 550 wheel is 16" tubeless cast, the hub and brake fits like a glove. If you want 18" spoked look for a brake hub that says 130 mm to fit the s40 brake hub. The drive side may or may not fit our hub. Your pretty much on your own on that.

That link is priced a little high, and the drive hub will NOT be a match for ours. The brake hub can not be read in the pictures, ask BEFORE you buy shipping it back is a hassle you or the seller don't want. If you can get both hubs with it, all shipped together for less shipping, you might be alright.
I used a wheel from a 02' 800 v twin and had to make a brake hub arm to stop it from turning. Ours has it built-in.

You could send your hub to Ryca they will lace & true a 18" aluminum rim on it , either plain or polished !

If you just searched “whale” in the search bar on the site then you got taken to a thread about the meat industry. Search google using
“whale site:suzukisavage.com” in the search bar.

Thanks Versy for the additional link.  And thanks snels516 for the tip.  badwolf you've been down this road and I thank you for the insights.  

Lots and lots of discussion I had not found using Search.  I obviously need to hone my search criteria words. As far as research goes I have spend hours gleaning what I could from this forum even before I asked the open ended question....plus hours on ebay and google. My frustration stems from knowing there is encyclopedic information out there...but I seem to lack the proper queries to access it.  Must be the dead brain cells from a misspent youth.

To be honest, I was looking to keep my bike on the road and deal with a conversion that would allow me to not deal with too much down time.  I have to admit...new rim with re-lacing new spokes appears to be my best best. (that 70's show build outlines this very well). I do not have the equipment or the contacts to machine parts for alignment, brake stops, etc....don't want cast nor tubless...want 18" and spokes.  And, obviously I do not have the command of parts interchangeability that seems to be prevalent on the forum. Also, I'm a hands on kind of tinkerer...so sending my current hub to have the work done for me isn't on my radar.

I used to work in a bike shop (pedal bike). Building wheels is something I have done, but not the size of motorcycle wheels.  Have to say that the secret of lacing pedal bike wheels is a good truing stand.

So, armed with the 70s 80s GS550 and other rear wheel data, I'll keep looking until colder weather forces me indoors. Then the wheel conversion, accompanying chain conversion, and additional mods (got a Lancer piston coming, going with a Phase 3 cam) and others will be a great way to while away the winter.  

Appreciate all of you that added to this thread!!

* NMSavage

One of the problems with salvage spoked wheels - is that the majority of them are from bikes built in the 80's which makes them old, corroded, scratched....and maybe bent or wobbly.  The spokes and nipples are generally corroded enough that truing the wheels is most likely not going to be possible.  If your current bike is in good shape and looks nice - it is going to be hard to find a 30+ year old wheel that is in similar condition.  A lot of the older rear wheels are only 1.85 or 2.15 inches wide, and this really limits the choice of tires (See my comments in the Cafe' Tire thread).

(I am away on vacation and using a laptop.....I can't figure out how to copy and paste links on this Dell that uses a flat rectangle without any left and right mouse buttons)

You likely can get a Savage hub and build a wheel = while you keep riding on the stock wheel.  If you want to run vintage sizes on the back you can go to a 2.50 width rim - if you want to run a more modern looking tire size like a 130/70-18 you need to get a 3.50" wide rim.

There was a fellow recently that found a 17" wheel that is a direct swap (a DR800 Ii believe) - but that bike is not very common in the US and finding that wheel in good shape is not easy.  Maybe somebody can help me find that thread and link it here.  I looked on eBay when that wheel was posted, and I only found one listed and it was in the UK....and the wheel was not in great cosmetic shape.