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.
With a good aftermarket shocks and front suspension, you can use all the tire.
I have 13" shocks in the rear and have the front end reworked also.
See front suspension Report HERE and rear shock Report HERE.
Combined that with some adjustable pegs (Canyon Carvers are a good choice) and some exhaust, and I can lean over all the way to the edge of the tire tread and not scrape.
If I want to go even faster thru the curves, then it is up to body english.
In the video below I was on a 1000 mile plus ride, so I had heel rests installed (for some LD comfort). They were the only things dragging (no biggie they wear down AND fold up). Without them nothing would drag. Even with them, I was using ALL of the tread on the front and rear tires.
I put Dyna damper tubes in front to raise ride height an inch or so. Also new springs (spec'd to my portly mass) and Intiminators to counteract dive. Added Pro-Action 13" shocks in the rear and I can roll her right over without scraping a thing. With both front and rear raised, the frame is level (I measured it) and she rides beautifully. I agree with DK Custom's shock recommendations. The new shocks have made a world of difference. Learned it is very possible to raise the Custom and make it perform as good as (maybe better) than the older Roadster version. Not sure how it would compare to the new Roadster as I don't fit that bike very well and have not ridden one of those (yet).
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.