2012 Superglide Custom,
custom wideglide front end,
Spoke wheels

Hi all, a few of my posts have been able wheel sizes and tire sizes etc. Just wondering what is the preferred method of choosing wheels and tires.

Do most find the tire they want and then find the rim or do you find the rim and then look for tires.

Seems to me that you almost have to do it at the same time, no good having a tire that you can't find a rim for and same thing if you have a rim that no one makes a tire for.

My quest is to change over my 19 x 2.5 spoke wheel for either a 17 x 3.5 or 16 x 3.5 spoke rim. I am running a custom (true) wideglide front end (not a softail one). I also want wide white wall tires
so far this is the tire sizing i would like to run. Front 140 Rear 160. If I switch to a 16 on the rear, does anyone know what size rim in 16" I would need to keep my 160. If I go to a 16 x 5.5 can I run a 180 without problems. Just looking at options right now and the more I look the more frustrating its getting.

 

Yeah, it's a little back and forth for me.

 

If the bike is to be ridden and not just parked and looked at, stick with OEM rim sizes unless you want to potentially create handling problems.

As a rule of thumb narrower tires generally improve turn in response as long as the rim width and sidewall profile remains the same although they will reduce braking traction, particularly if it is the front wheel. The front wheel applies about 80% of the braking power in the stop due to weight transfer to the front under braking. On all motorcycles, other than long wheel base cruiser types like Harleys, you can actually lift the rear wheel off the ground with progressive application of the front brake, this means the front wheel is doing 100% of the braking in this instance. Larger diameter wheels and wider tires will make the bike harder to initiate and hold a turn. This is why you never see 250HP Grand-Prix litre bikes with tires wider than a 120 on the front and a 190 on the rear - they need to go through the corners at speed.

Another way of looking at it is imagine the cross sectional shape of the tire mounted on the rim. Certain rim width work best with certain tire widths, going over or under this, screws up the cross sectional shape which worsens handling.

Also be aware changing the outside diameter of the rear tire tread is going to screw up the speedometer and odometer. Changing the outside diameter of the front or back tire from OEM will also cause your ABS system to fail.

Change rims but make sure the rim widths and diameters match the OEM although there is a bit of wiggle room with the front rim. You may get improved turn in response going to a front rim that is lighter and/or smaller than stock but again it is going to f**k your ABS system and potentially create longer braking distances if the front contact patch is smaller. If it was me and I was going to spend my good money on fancy custom rims I would stick with OEM sizes, also the hubs and rotor mounts as well as rotors must be identical to OEM for fitment.

 

 

I'm running a 180/70-16 Avon Cobra on a 5.5" wide rim. You should refer to the tire manufacturer website for recommended rim fitment. Different tire models have different fitments.

 

 

It kind of depends on availability of both and how important to you one is over the other.

For my rear, I initially wanted a 200 wide tire. Period. Didn't care much about rim diameter. Then I found a good deal on a closeout 16x5.5" rim so I started digging for tires that would fit. Avon made one I liked so I ordered both. Then I discovered the 200 fit inside the swingarm OK but the chain wouldn't clear the inner primary so I decided to downsize to a 180 rather than space out the primary. That sent back to researching 180s that would fit the rim I already had. Again, Avon made one.

For the front I wanted as wide and tall (aspect) as would fit without using a "rear" tire. Couldn't find a tire wider than 150, already had a Cobra on the back, and they made a 150/80-17 that was the same outside diameter as the MT90-21 that was coming off....so I started digging for a rim that would work with that tire. Ended up with a 17x4.5 from the same company as the rear rim.

Both rims are laced to customized touring hubs with Buchanan's spokes.

It's a bit of a back and forth puzzle.

 

 

 

You would have to find the rim fitment for that tire. Most tires have about a 1" range for rim width. That's the recommendation, tho. Plenty of people deviate from recommendation but you need to take on all the liability if you do that.

Exile Cycles uses "rear" tires on the front (mounted backwards) if they want to go wider than 150. Seems to work OK but rear tires have a different profile and belt arrangement. I was a bit more concerned about performance over appearance to consider that approach.

It's also possible to "pinch" or "stretch" tires onto rims that are below or above the recommended rim widths. That also affects the tire profile and possibly load limits. Again, not a gamble I was willing to take.

There was a Sportster chop posted here the other day with WWII Jeep tires on it. People run car tires on bikes (darksiders)... Lots of flexibility out there. Just depends on what you really want and how adventurous you are.