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I have a 2002 sportster custom which originally had a 180/60R16 80H rear tire with the original cast rear wheel. According to the factory manual for that year with the cast wheel says the size of the wheel was T16-3.00 D with the tire size being 130/90-V16.
Recently I ordered a new rear wheel 16" x 3.00" with the laced spokes. I went to local harley dealership to get I new back tire, which I wanted to put the 180/60R16 80H or something close to that size of tire to put on the new rim. They said they could not put that size tire on that wheel. Instead they sold me a 130/90 B16 M/C 73H tire. Once I got home and put itr onto the bike I really did not like that size tire as it was not as wide as the one I just took off.
My question is can I go a wider tire than the one the dealership sold me? I really liked how wide the 180/60R16 looked on the bike. Or do I have to order a wider wheel. Note to that when I changed rear wheels I also switched from a belt drive to a chain drive. So considering the width of the rear tire without considering the offset for the sprockets at this time as I know that could very much so change.
Original back tire with the 180/60R16 80H size.
View from the rear with the new 130/90 B16 M/C 73H tire
side view of the bike with the new rear wheel and tire.
I trying to see if I need to order a new wheel to get back to the wider tire again or was the dealership probably going by what the manual said.
You could measure the wheel width on the 180 size tire, but definitely you'll have to go wider. Depending on the tire profile usually 4.5" - 5.5" wheel width will take the 180 tire.
Looks like you went from belt drive to chain. You also have the same swing arm as on the 180 tire?
So theoretically I could go to the 150/80B16 tire on the 16x3.00 poked rim I have. I did change it from belt to chain. I already have 4 or 5 different offset sprokets for the front. So the rear offset I would have to get to compensate the difference.
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What Size back tire?
