Swapping mags for spokes
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6th Gear
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 12
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From: Michigan
Swapping mags for spokes
hi again, I posted about this before but hoping for some clarification from someone who maybe has done this before. I have an '84 xlx1000 that has the stock mag wheels on. I want to replace the front 19" mag wheel with a 21" spoked wheel. After going through wheels "guaranteed to fit" from both JP Cycles and Dennis Kirk, which didn't end out fitting...I talked to someone at the Harley Dealer who said the only way to really get one that will fit right is to have a wheel made for my bike, and they referred me to Buchanan Spokes. So I contacted them, and they said yes, just get a narrow glide hub and send it, and we build the wheel using that for your bike. But the thing no one seems to be clarifying for me, is if we will still keep having the same issue, which is that the brake caliper hits the spokes. Is this something that a custom wheel can be made to deal with, or will this likely always happen unless I change out my brake system? My concern is that my brake system is set up for the mags, which seem to take up less room than a spoked wheel. But at the same time when Harley designed this bike it seems odd they wouldn't have designed it so these brakes would also work with a spoked wheel....
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 9,568
Likes: 7,936
From: Long Island, New York
I am guessing here, but I would guess that there was a Sportster or Big Twin with a narrow glide front end built by HD in 1984 that had a spoke wheel from the factory. Assuming my guess is correct, be patient and keep going through eBay till you find one. If it needs some love that is OK, at least you know it will fit your bike.
Buchanan, though correct, is not helping your issue since the HUB is the issue, not the spokes or the rim. Of course if you had a hub that fit they can lace it to any rim you would like, but that does not solve your issue. Maybe HD didn't make a 21" spoke wheel in 1984 and Buchanan may be needed to lace up a 19" into a 21" for you. Do some research in that direction and see what you find out. Good luck.
Buchanan, though correct, is not helping your issue since the HUB is the issue, not the spokes or the rim. Of course if you had a hub that fit they can lace it to any rim you would like, but that does not solve your issue. Maybe HD didn't make a 21" spoke wheel in 1984 and Buchanan may be needed to lace up a 19" into a 21" for you. Do some research in that direction and see what you find out. Good luck.
Road Warrior
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,441
Likes: 791
From: Heart of Dixie
If you get a hub from an '84 or '85 Sportster (and maybe even the earlier Evo models) and have it laced to a 21" rim, you shouldn't have any issues with brake caliper interference. The '84 and '85 XLH came standard with spoked wheels.
Novice
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 18
Likes: 2
From: Metro New Orleans
There's a solution out there in that we've all seen rigid and hard tailed Ironheads running a 21 inch spoke wheel with disc brakes. Maybe a PM caliper is the easy answer. PM has made direct bolt on calipers to replace OEM calipers on front ends with spoked wheels. A call to PM might resolve the 19 inch versus 21 inch spoke wheel question.
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