why is it always 21/18 combo for wheels/
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Road Warrior
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,879
Likes: 5
From: miami,fl
why is it always 21/18 combo for wheels/
Is there a special reason why it seems that everyone who does a 21 front wheel does a 18 rear.I know some just do the 21 front and leave the rear stock.But is a 21/16 combo something that is not done for some reason?I would think the 21/16 would give the bike a lower profile appearence.
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 897
Likes: 10
From: Oregon
i did a 21 16 combo, but replaced the rear with one matching the front. i like not seeing the rear wheel from the side view. also a 150/80/16 is a very available tire, whereas my local shops dont stock the 150/70/18
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As of late ,the trend has been, more and more, to keep the stock 16", whether you match the front wheel or not. I would btw, but thats another topic.
My take on the 21/18 issue is simple. When custom wheels and baggers in general took the nation by storm, what would any good wheel manufacturer/dealer do? Invent from a marketing perspective the 21/18 combo. I realize there were and are other reasons why these combos seem to work together, but think about it. If you're in the business of moving wheels and tires, would you rather sell one customer wheel or two to the same customer? I also realize that the opinon of showing more rear tire was always there, but again IMO it really isn't a look that works real well from a style perspective. MANY of these combos have lowered the rear more or added stretched bags. Otherwise the, the 18" rear lifts the *** end up just enough to show a bit of that while while also taking away from the low slung rear end look, once again, IMO
The idea being that the 16" is a perfectly reasonable (preferred?) rear tire/wheel choice, but since those are what come stock on the bike, and it's pretty easy to "just go with the front setup cause that's all you see", somebody had to begin to normalize the process of 21/18 as if it were the only well thought out combination. Good old marketing at work IMO. I think if were starting over, however, I'd still do the matching rear wheel but in a 16" for the plusher ride.
My take on the 21/18 issue is simple. When custom wheels and baggers in general took the nation by storm, what would any good wheel manufacturer/dealer do? Invent from a marketing perspective the 21/18 combo. I realize there were and are other reasons why these combos seem to work together, but think about it. If you're in the business of moving wheels and tires, would you rather sell one customer wheel or two to the same customer? I also realize that the opinon of showing more rear tire was always there, but again IMO it really isn't a look that works real well from a style perspective. MANY of these combos have lowered the rear more or added stretched bags. Otherwise the, the 18" rear lifts the *** end up just enough to show a bit of that while while also taking away from the low slung rear end look, once again, IMO
The idea being that the 16" is a perfectly reasonable (preferred?) rear tire/wheel choice, but since those are what come stock on the bike, and it's pretty easy to "just go with the front setup cause that's all you see", somebody had to begin to normalize the process of 21/18 as if it were the only well thought out combination. Good old marketing at work IMO. I think if were starting over, however, I'd still do the matching rear wheel but in a 16" for the plusher ride.