I have a 2005 deluxe and I am getting ready to order big spoke 21 inch front wheel and a 18 inch rear wheel. The problem I am having is with the front wheel. From reading post on this forum it seem astho the www120/70-21 tire is not readily available for the 21x3.5 wheel. Should I order the 21x3 wheel and go with the www90/90-21 until the www120/70-21 are available? Visually is there much difference in the 21x3 and the 21x3.5 and will the www120/70-21 tire be too large for the 21x3 wheel? Also please help me here. Will the 18x4.5 rear wheel fit my Deluxe without any modifications? Thanks for your help in advance.

 

With DB Tires not making white walls any longer, I found these couple of options for the 21x3.5", the first is an Avon custom that is pricey but for custom you do pay...the DB would have been made $75 or cheaper, Native Custom Baggers and then of course it looks like many of us will be stuck going with a Vee Rubber which may have improved in quality in more recent production runs. I'd stick with the 3.5" front if it were me, but that's just my personal preference and not that there is anything wrong with the 3".

I'm not sure that you'd want to go with a 4.5" rear wheel? I'm thinking the 4.25" with a 150/70/18 is about as wide as I would go personally, although, they say you can run a 160/60/18 max. Check out this chart at hdwheels, it may help. I went with the 18x3.5" and 140/70/18 just so I wouldn't have to worry with any issues with the Shotgun slammed etc. Others as I'm sure you have read are running the 4.25" wheel with a 150/70 with no major issues. Hope that helps.

 

I run the Vee rubber on my bike and they hold up great! Recommend these since they are made to fit that wheel. I got my fat 50 wheel from ride wright wheels and the mounted the tire right to the wheel and sent it.

 

Will be needing a new front in 6 months or less...for those that have vees up front do you keep running metz on rear or switch to vee rear alsi..?

 

I thought about keeping Metz on rear but since I got two new ride wright wheels I told them to just throw Vee Rubber on the rear too. So far they are great.

 

How do they handle..? Wet/dry...under two up with luggage.?

 

Two up is fine no problems. I live in Okinawa where I get dumped on by rain all the time and when it's wet out the roads are slick due to coral composite pavement. Even with these conditions tires perform well so that should say a little something for them. We also get extremely hot and humid days her since it is a jungle island and tires perform well in extreme heat too. From my experience with them at least.

Also here is the place I got my powdercoated fat 50 wheel and Vee rubber tires from.
http://www.ridewrightwheels.com/

 

I was looking at wheels the other day, and came across hdwheels. Apparently they do custom whitewalls to include Metzeler's 140/70-21. Not exactly cheap though at $450.

 

The rear wheel size that you need is 18x4.25. The largest rear wheel/tire combo for the rear of your bike should be the 18x4.25" with a 150 tire.

 

HDwheels used DB tires as well unless they have found a different mfg.