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.
I might also "cheat" if I build one too an buy the wrecked donor an take the frames to a custom frame shop an have the HD vin neck used on the after market frame to make titling easy, it'd just be a rebuilt title.
I'd like to build a bike too some day. If/when I do I plan on buying a wrecked softail for a donor. Maybe use the motor/trans an wiring harness an anything else. little stuff nickle an dimes you to death. look at the swing arm an see what size axle it uses or check with the manual if one came with it. once you get a wheel an rear brake you can measure for spacers. You can also buy a spacer kit of various sizes off ebay. if you want the deluxe or heritage look do you want to go 21" up front? if so I'd go with a 3.5" wide wheel an a 120/130 wide front 21" tire.
I was thinking of going with a 3.5" vs a 2.15" I read somewhere that it offers better handling. I've ridden only one harley but plenty of sportbikes but they're meant purely for handling so it's pure research for me. A lot more involved than I originally thought...
I'd like to build a bike too some day. If/when I do I plan on buying a wrecked softail for a donor. Maybe use the motor/trans an wiring harness an anything else. little stuff nickle an dimes you to death. look at the swing arm an see what size axle it uses or check with the manual if one came with it. once you get a wheel an rear brake you can measure for spacers. You can also buy a spacer kit of various sizes off ebay. if you want the deluxe or heritage look do you want to go 21" up front? if so I'd go with a 3.5" wide wheel an a 120/130 wide front 21" tire.
A wrecked donor has actually crossed my mind it would simplify the whole process so much
I was thinking of going with a 3.5" vs a 2.15" I read somewhere that it offers better handling. I've ridden only one harley but plenty of sportbikes but they're meant purely for handling so it's pure research for me. A lot more involved than I originally thought...
Build it right the first time,don't put the neck off something else just to get by a 15 minute inspection.i put the 3.25 tire on my second bike and it seems to give it a heavier steering feel but does look good.
I've had the 21" skinny an on grooved pavement it goes where it wants. I've also had the rim hit on the transition for parking lots an stuff. I think he's referring to a 3.25 compared to a 2.15". the 21x3.25 look good IMO but I've never ridden one. I have a 19" on my V rod an a 16 on my fatboy. I had a 19" enforcer wheel on my 05 electra glide before I sold it. Might look good on a softy.
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.