When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Curious whats involved in running a wider tire on a chain drive wide glide? More specifically what is done with regards to the primary / transmission to move the chain over or do people just switch to a belt? I understand the swing arm isn't wide enough, the obvious stuff is easy.
Im asking because I like this 82 wide glide I have but the reality is a stock bike like this just lacks in a lot of ways and originality isn't a factor for me. I know the purists might cringe but the build is half the fun! I took my road king apart and built it the way I wanted it, sold all the original parts, I love it and Ill never sell it but its done now. This shovel head would fall into that category, a keeper, a bike I build to suit and my kids will end up with it when I croak.
With everything OEM I believe you can go up to 150 with a chain.
Anything wider you probably need an open primary with offset kid... can't remember, I have not cared for wider tires for 10 years... I don't remember what was available at the time
anyway... I don't think that a belt would help in any way.
You'll spend a pile of money and aggravation just to bump up to a 180. You got a nice Shovel, appreciate it for what it is. No purist here, but that's one idea I would suggest you forget about.
Thanks again for the input. I did find the CAS4 site last night. Just gathering information that Ill let it roll around in my head for a while then Ill pick a path. I wont hack the bike up. I do like the looks of these two though. I see he put a solid rod in place of the rear shock on the silver bike. They both look cool in their own way.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
wide rear tire with a chain
