I'm waiting for a few parts before I can finish my motor, so I spent the weekend swapping trees on my '09 Super Glide Custom. I picked up a set of '15 Low Rider trees off a forum member here. My intention was to move the front wheel out a small amount, and also lower the front end slightly. Knowing the FXDL trees have 1.5 deg of rake in them, I figured this would be perfect, and shouldn't have too big of an impact on the handling. I'm running 2" over stock tubes.

What I wasn't expecting was that the FXDL trees have the top fork mount further back, closer to the tank.

FXDL trees on bottom, FXDC trees on top



FXDL top tree sitting on top of FXDC top tree. Stem and riser mount holes are lined up, you can see the difference where the fork tubes mount.



Bottom trees, FXDL bottom, FXDC top.



After mounting them up, and based on my rather imprecise measurements, the wheelbase didn't change at all. I didn't think to measure the front of the frame to ground measurement before the swap, but I'd guess its slightly lower now.

Knowing all that...I probably wouldn't have bothered. Oh well. It was a pretty easy job, the worst part was fishing the wiring out from under the neck to disconnect the wiring to the bars, and I had to go buy a 1 1/2" socket.

 

So, you've changed the suspension geometry. Hope you haven't created something that can spit you off when leaned at speed on a bumpy road while applying the brakes...

But, it's very possible...

 

I certainly don't expect that. I basically now have a Low Rider with slightly longer fork tubes. My bike came factory with 12 1/2" shocks, which I swapped out for 12" shocks a few years back.

 

FXDB trees look pretty similar in geometry, tho spaces the forks wider obviously. After the wide conversion I took it easy for a few miles to feel and understand the handling differences... the front is quicker, but at speed she handles fine.

Also running 12" in the back... 412HD

 

You're kidding right?

FXDB vs. FXDL...similar geometry?... 0° vs ~1-1.5°