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.
Every 18" tire up to, and including, a 260/40/18 will fit the Breakout. Amount of lowering does not matter. It would fit with the shocks completely removed even.
The wheel actually is 8", my bad. I was going from memory, but I just went out to the garage and looked.
You might be able to get a 280 under the stock fender with some creative spacers and a narrower belt, but it would be a hell of a squeeze.
As for a 280 on an 8.5" wheel, I think that is fine. I wouldn't go any bigger than a 250/260 on the stock wheel personally.
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.