Touring Models Road King, Road King Custom, Road King Classic, Road Glide, Street Glide, Electra Glide, Electra Glide Classic, and Electra Glide Ultra Classic bikes.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Widest Tire

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Apr 9, 2008 | 08:27 PM
  #1  
sewerat's Avatar
sewerat
Thread Starter
|
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 769
Likes: 8
From: Brooksdale, ON
Default Widest Tire

Ok I know this has been done a million times but I am going to put a twist on it. I want/need to put the widest tire i can get on my 2002 RG. This tire will only last me about 1/2 the summer so I don't want to get to wild and crazy unless it is in the right direct to keep going wider. My goal for next season is to maybe get a 180 under it, but funds are not there right now for tht. So here is the whole story. The belt on the bike is the stock 1 1/2 wide belt the stock tire is the Dunflop 130/16 I want to go as wide as I can with the stock pulley and belt and rim as I can, I have removed the lower belt guard already and am not againt a spacer if it will help, the stock belt could use changing for next year but it's not too bad right now. I have heard that the MU85 tire would fit, but not sure as it is the wide tire that would normally be on a sportster sport or a dyna sport, but I do not know if there is enough clearance without a spacer? Has anybody done this that can offer some insight.
 
Reply
Old Apr 9, 2008 | 08:42 PM
  #2  
skootchnc's Avatar
skootchnc
Grand HDF Member
Veteran: Air Force
15 Year Member
Shutterbug
Liked
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 4,528
Likes: 606
From: Raleigh NC
Default RE: Widest Tire

make you the tire has the load rating... many of the wider tires won't carry the RG's heft
 
Reply
Old Apr 9, 2008 | 08:51 PM
  #3  
2008FLHP's Avatar
2008FLHP
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,782
Likes: 7
From: NC
Default RE: Widest Tire

03 rk w/ Dunlop 150, i needed a spacer
 
Reply
Old Apr 9, 2008 | 09:48 PM
  #4  
Rev00's Avatar
Rev00
Tourer
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 355
Likes: 0
From:
Default RE: Widest Tire

The Front Final drive pulley appears to have about 3/4" of free space in it (in other words the belt can track that much further to the left), so you "should" be able to install a 1/2 or 3/4" rear pulley spacer and get a 150 in there pretty easy. The other option is to go with a 1-1/8" belt and rear pulley.

With the wide belt, the 130 barely clears the belt itself so a 140 will need belt guard trimming and a thin spacer to space the pulley away from the tire some. I've done the 140 but not the 150 but it looks like it would go.

Load capacityon a 130 is 805#and a 140 is 908# and When you go to a 150 it drops down to around761# (Metzlers).

The 140 is 0.340" wider than the 130, so a little more than 3/16" wider on each side. So a 1/4" or3/8"pulley spacer ought to do it. It's also a 3/4" taller than the 130.


The 150 is 0.600" wider than the 130, so a little more than 1/4" wider on each side. So a 1/2" pulley spacer ought to do it. It's also a 1/2" taller than the 130.

The 160 is almost 1" wider than the 130, and is about 3/4" taller and I doubt that would squeeze in there.
 
Reply
Old Apr 10, 2008 | 08:29 PM
  #5  
sewerat's Avatar
sewerat
Thread Starter
|
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 769
Likes: 8
From: Brooksdale, ON
Default RE: Widest Tire

Well I got looking at things tonight and it seems that i have no room at all to move the pulley even, it is only about 1/4" away from the swing arm, and I can't get my fingers between the edge of the tire and the belt so for now I am going to just stick the 130 back on. I am going to research really hard as to what the 180 kits contain and try to get the cost down as much as possible on one , My guess is that most of the kits come with a fancy pulley well the way I see it... well I just don't, you can't see a pulley on a bagger. So if any one has done a 180 out there and can lead some insight as to what a kit contains. I can fab up most of the stuff.

One more question for the almight knowledge around here. I have heard that HD changed the pitch on the belts as the went with the narrower belts, and with that being said, with the wrong pitch front pulley it will shorten the life of the belt, also when they changed to the 6speed, the output shaft is different? Can anybody correct me on this or help me out on this?
 
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
JesseDyna
EVO
13
Mar 13, 2018 04:28 PM
Derek_96
Wheels/Tires
5
Apr 15, 2017 06:47 AM
ronjon8505
Softail Models
2
Sep 24, 2012 10:44 PM
82ndpara
Dyna Glide Models
12
Jun 11, 2012 07:11 AM
El Chiguete
Dyna Glide Models
15
Dec 8, 2009 10:55 AM




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:24 AM.

story-0
7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson built its reputation on nostalgia, but every so often, the company took a hard left turn into the future.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-20 11:18:19


VIEW MORE
story-1
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.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 16:50:35


VIEW MORE
story-2
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: Not every Harley gets it right, but these are the ones that genuinely earned their reputation.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-15 14:23:21


VIEW MORE
story-3
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-01 20:01:09


VIEW MORE
story-4
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

Slideshow: Killer Custom's "Jail Breaker" build focuses more on stance and visual aggression than mechanical overhaul.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-18 19:20:32


VIEW MORE
story-5
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.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-07 16:15:30


VIEW MORE
story-6
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's new RMCR concept revives the café racer formula with modern hardware-and it may be exactly the reset the company needs.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-04 12:23:37


VIEW MORE
story-7
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.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-02-24 18:19:44


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There is no shortage of great motorcycles to buy, but we would avoid these ten.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-02-19 14:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

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.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-13 18:33:17


VIEW MORE