Super/Wide Glide ?
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Elite HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 4,571
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From: Mpls, MN
Super/Wide Glide ?
Ok, I may have talked myself out of this, but now that the wife has her bike, I'm looking at a new Super Glide and.....
What I really want is the Wide Glide front end rake but with the narrow forks of the SG.
Last Bike I had with the extended front end was my 72 Sporty with a 13" Girder and raked so the bike still sat level, liked the way the bike looked, but it wasn't all that friendly in town.
I'm thinking the way to do this is to buy a WG, pull the front end off it and add a SG front end, longer fork tubes I figure is needed but I should be able to measure the WG..if they're a different diameter.
But, I'm just wondering if the added rake is going to make it a bit less nimble? or will it only effect it slightly?
I'm thinking riding a WG and a SG might give me a idea what to expect?
Anybody done this??
Cost?
Sorry if this has been brought up before, I tried search and went back quite a bit in past threads and didn't see anything.
TIA
Al
What I really want is the Wide Glide front end rake but with the narrow forks of the SG.
Last Bike I had with the extended front end was my 72 Sporty with a 13" Girder and raked so the bike still sat level, liked the way the bike looked, but it wasn't all that friendly in town.
I'm thinking the way to do this is to buy a WG, pull the front end off it and add a SG front end, longer fork tubes I figure is needed but I should be able to measure the WG..if they're a different diameter.
But, I'm just wondering if the added rake is going to make it a bit less nimble? or will it only effect it slightly?
I'm thinking riding a WG and a SG might give me a idea what to expect?
Anybody done this??
Cost?
Sorry if this has been brought up before, I tried search and went back quite a bit in past threads and didn't see anything.
TIA
Al
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 4,919
Likes: 23
From: Seattle, WA
Al
About 99.4% of the front end swap questions are the opposite ... Super Glide wanting to go with a Wide Glide front end ....
The rake in the FXDWG frame is only about 1-1/2 to 2 degrees ... so not a whole lot ....
Also, it will depend on what year(s) you are talking about ... the '06 and later have 49mm forks and are considered 'mid-glide' (vice narrow glide) ....
With the '06 and later, the swap could be done by just exchanging the triple trees and axle/wheel (because they all use 49mm fork tubes) ... with the earlier bikes, the FXDWG had 41mm fork tubes but the other FXD models all used 39mm fork tubes ... so entire front end would have to be replaced ....
Because of the additional rake, the Wide Glide fork tubes have always been about +2" over the other bikes' tube length ....
I don't really forsee much of a problem doing what you are contmplating ... depending on the specifics as mentioned above, and what your source of parts is (i.e., dealer new stock or online/swap meet take-off parts) ... the cost could run anywhere from a few hundred dollars to over a thousand ... also, if you were to sell your take-off parts you could probably recoup most of your outlay ....
Hope this helps ....
R/
'Chop
About 99.4% of the front end swap questions are the opposite ... Super Glide wanting to go with a Wide Glide front end ....
The rake in the FXDWG frame is only about 1-1/2 to 2 degrees ... so not a whole lot ....
Also, it will depend on what year(s) you are talking about ... the '06 and later have 49mm forks and are considered 'mid-glide' (vice narrow glide) ....
With the '06 and later, the swap could be done by just exchanging the triple trees and axle/wheel (because they all use 49mm fork tubes) ... with the earlier bikes, the FXDWG had 41mm fork tubes but the other FXD models all used 39mm fork tubes ... so entire front end would have to be replaced ....
Because of the additional rake, the Wide Glide fork tubes have always been about +2" over the other bikes' tube length ....
I don't really forsee much of a problem doing what you are contmplating ... depending on the specifics as mentioned above, and what your source of parts is (i.e., dealer new stock or online/swap meet take-off parts) ... the cost could run anywhere from a few hundred dollars to over a thousand ... also, if you were to sell your take-off parts you could probably recoup most of your outlay ....
Hope this helps ....
R/
'Chop
Thread Starter
|
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 4,571
Likes: 121
From: Mpls, MN
Al
About 99.4% of the front end swap questions are the opposite ... Super Glide wanting to go with a Wide Glide front end ....
The rake in the FXDWG frame is only about 1-1/2 to 2 degrees ... so not a whole lot ....
Also, it will depend on what year(s) you are talking about ... the '06 and later have 49mm forks and are considered 'mid-glide' (vice narrow glide) ....
With the '06 and later, the swap could be done by just exchanging the triple trees and axle/wheel (because they all use 49mm fork tubes) ... with the earlier bikes, the FXDWG had 41mm fork tubes but the other FXD models all used 39mm fork tubes ... so entire front end would have to be replaced ....
Because of the additional rake, the Wide Glide fork tubes have always been about +2" over the other bikes' tube length ....
I don't really forsee much of a problem doing what you are contmplating ... depending on the specifics as mentioned above, and what your source of parts is (i.e., dealer new stock or online/swap meet take-off parts) ... the cost could run anywhere from a few hundred dollars to over a thousand ... also, if you were to sell your take-off parts you could probably recoup most of your outlay ....
Hope this helps ....
R/
'Chop
About 99.4% of the front end swap questions are the opposite ... Super Glide wanting to go with a Wide Glide front end ....
The rake in the FXDWG frame is only about 1-1/2 to 2 degrees ... so not a whole lot ....
Also, it will depend on what year(s) you are talking about ... the '06 and later have 49mm forks and are considered 'mid-glide' (vice narrow glide) ....
With the '06 and later, the swap could be done by just exchanging the triple trees and axle/wheel (because they all use 49mm fork tubes) ... with the earlier bikes, the FXDWG had 41mm fork tubes but the other FXD models all used 39mm fork tubes ... so entire front end would have to be replaced ....
Because of the additional rake, the Wide Glide fork tubes have always been about +2" over the other bikes' tube length ....
I don't really forsee much of a problem doing what you are contmplating ... depending on the specifics as mentioned above, and what your source of parts is (i.e., dealer new stock or online/swap meet take-off parts) ... the cost could run anywhere from a few hundred dollars to over a thousand ... also, if you were to sell your take-off parts you could probably recoup most of your outlay ....
Hope this helps ....
R/
'Chop
Helps a lot, thanks.
Ya, odd duck here, I've always liked narrow front ends, just think they look better...imho
Looking at 2011, saving for the down stroke now and figure early spring.
Would I need a new wheel or just the axle and whatever spacers are involved?
It didn't appear there was much difference between the two bikes basically, I'll have to look again, but its hard to find a dealer with both them in stock right now.
Both the wife and I worked at Drag Specialties waaay back, but its been a long time since we dealt with Harley's, so its a new learning curve.
Thanks much, it sounds doable and affordable.
Al
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 4,919
Likes: 23
From: Seattle, WA
You would definitely need the shorter axle ... maybe someone else can chime in about the wheel ....
I know there have been quite a few guys who've laced a FXDWG rim to a mid-glide hub on their Street Bobs ... you might be able to just replace your hub and re-use your tire, rim and spokes ....
But, that also prompted me to consider you'd need a new front fender ... the narrower fender can be made to work with a wider front end with the use of spacers ... would not work the other direction, however ....
* * *
What might work really well would be to just find someone with a mid-glide front end who wants a wide-glide front end ... then just do an even trade of all the parts ... triple trees, axle, wheel, fender ....
R/
'Chop
I know there have been quite a few guys who've laced a FXDWG rim to a mid-glide hub on their Street Bobs ... you might be able to just replace your hub and re-use your tire, rim and spokes ....
But, that also prompted me to consider you'd need a new front fender ... the narrower fender can be made to work with a wider front end with the use of spacers ... would not work the other direction, however ....
* * *
What might work really well would be to just find someone with a mid-glide front end who wants a wide-glide front end ... then just do an even trade of all the parts ... triple trees, axle, wheel, fender ....
R/
'Chop
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