Was at the dealer yesterday and saw the new Sporster forty eight. I like the way it looks with that wider front tire. I'm due for new tires on my Dyna. I don't want to buy new wheels, but would like to get a little bigger tire up front. I'm not looking at the bike right now, but I think it's got a 100/90 19 on the front. The sportster specs show it's a 130/90 16. I don't necessarily need a 130, but maybe 110 or 120. Can a wider tire be mounted on the stock rim?

Thanks in advance,

Brian

 

You'd have to find out the width of the stock rim, then go to the tire manufacturer's website or catalog and find out what width tire they recommend for that width of rim.

Usually, a 130 is on a roughly 3-3.5" rim. I think that rim on your bike is 3", but I'm not sure.

 

I take it back, it looks like your rim is 2.5" wide. Avon has a 110/19 that would fit, but I don't see a Dunlop.

 

the Avon mentioned above is a very good choice. Match it up with an Avon 150 or 160/80-16 for the rear.

 

Keep in mind that going to a wider front tire for looks will negatively affect the handling, maybe a lot.

 

sports bikes have tires wider than 110 up front. Typically, a 120 front.

 

Yes they do but the wheel width, rake, trail, and offest are designed for that 120 size tire. Installing a 130 front tire (if they even make one) on a CBR would do the same to it as putting a 110 tire on a Dyna designed for a 100. It's likely going to make the front end feel heavier and a little more sluggish to turn. This could be a good thing if that's what you're after. Your FXDX does have a couple degrees steeper fork angle than some other Dynas with a 100 tire, so maybe it'll work for you?

 

I have a guy at work with a new Sportster Custom and it has a 130 front tire. What would it take to make that work on my bike? I would think the forks have the same gap between them. The fender bolts look the same. I have a 2005 FXDX too.

Personally, I think the poster about is wrong about the bike handling worse. If anything the bike should be able to handle better. I am not guess at this either. I happen to know this for a fact.

A wider tire will give you two things. As long as you have the proper air pressure and are comparing the same tire at different sizes. The wider tire will have less surface to road contact on the center and less rolling resistance. This is because the contact patch is shorter and more round. On a skinnier tire the contact patch is more oval. When you are turning the wider tire will give you more contact on the road and better traction. The only trade off is weight. But when your talking about a 600 pound bike the weight shouldn't be an issue.

And further, to the person saying the rake and trail would matter. Sorry, you are wrong. If you just go wider on the tire this will in no way change the rake or trail. What he says about the rim being too skinny would matter though.

A wider tire can also be faster. The trade off which cancels it out is that as a tire gets wider it creates more resistance to air.

But in the end...I just think a wider tire on the front of my FXDX would look bad a$$. So, what would I have to change to get up to 130? New fender? New wheel?

The same applies to bicycles btw. You can look it up. It is called bicycle theory.

 

if the front tire gets closer to the same as the rear you WILL have better handling... damn it old thread

 

Stock rim is 2.15, not 2.5. A 110 will fit the rim, but might not fit between the fender. Avons are wider than most others. A stock 100 measures 4". Avon 100 is 4.3" and the 110 is 4.7". The 4.7" won't fit a 39mm narrow glide. The new sportster with the 130 uses midglide trees.