Harley Davidson Forums

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:

Why the wide rear tire?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Sep 3, 2011 | 06:33 AM
Share
  #1  
eazyduzzit's Avatar
eazyduzzit
Thread Starter
|
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 280
Likes: 10
From: Knoxville, TN
Default Why the wide rear tire?
I've read on this forum that in some people's opinion, the '09 and up bikes are better, and one of the reasons listed was the wider rear tire.
I'm just wondering why you like the wider tire. I've taken curves pretty fast on my '08, and we have no straight roads in TN. and I've never had the rear tire break loose. I'm not sure it's even possible without severely dragging your floorboards and maybe even the mufflers. Is there another reason I'm not thinking about?
 
Reply
0
Old Sep 3, 2011 | 06:52 AM
Share
  #2  
glide2005's Avatar
glide2005
Supporter
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,196
Likes: 10
From: Shenandoah, TX
Default
It makes it a lot easier to put a car tire on if you choose. I did, never go back to a MC tire.
 
Reply
0
Old Sep 3, 2011 | 06:56 AM
Share
  #3  
Flintshooter54's Avatar
Flintshooter54
Road Captain
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 511
Likes: 14
Default
Wide tires are the "IN" thing. I do like the stiffer frame.
 
Reply
0
Old Sep 3, 2011 | 06:59 AM
Share
  #4  
krwould's Avatar
krwould
Club Member
Veteran: Air Force
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 112,202
Likes: 1,316
From: On a hill among the hills, PA
Default
makes my OL's azz look smaller....
 
Reply
0
Old Sep 3, 2011 | 07:13 AM
Share
  #5  
Pine Tree's Avatar
Pine Tree
MODERATOR
Veteran: Marine Corps
15 Year Member
Liked
Top Answer: 1
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,108
Likes: 1,964
From: New England
Default
Originally Posted by eazyduzzit
...I'm just wondering why you like the wider tire...Is there another reason I'm not thinking about?
Part of it is appearance and part is performance.

The slightly larger contact patch of the wider tire tends to add to the tracking stability. The narrower a tire, the more it tends to follow the subtle bumps and grooves in the road's surface. Wider tires tend to track more true.
 
Reply
0
Old Sep 3, 2011 | 07:22 AM
Share
  #6  
rleggs's Avatar
rleggs
Tourer
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 451
Likes: 3
From: Laurel,Ms USA
Default
It looks better and the new design seems to get better mileage before replacement. I just replaced my rear with 19,300 mls on it.
 
Reply
0
Old Sep 3, 2011 | 07:30 AM
Share
  #7  
kredin's Avatar
kredin
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 2,236
Likes: 1
From: Gainesville, VA
Default
Originally Posted by krwould
makes my OL's azz look smaller....
 
Reply
0

Trending Topics

Old Sep 3, 2011 | 07:37 AM
Share
  #8  
jjnoble's Avatar
jjnoble
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,727
Likes: 6
Default
Originally Posted by krwould
makes my OL's azz look smaller....

Made me laugh
 
Reply
0
HD Forum Stories

The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders

story-0

Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Becomes a Dark, Decepticon-Inspired Custom

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

6 Weirdest Harley-Davidsons Ever Sold to the Public

 Verdad Gallardo
story-2

7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-5

10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-6

Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

 Verdad Gallardo
story-9

Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Sep 3, 2011 | 07:41 AM
Share
  #9  
NewfieHarley's Avatar
NewfieHarley
Cruiser
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 102
Likes: 0
From: Saskatchewan
Default
I test drove the 2012 Road king a couple weeks ago. Didn't find the bike to ride much different than my '05 other than slow speed stability is much better. I'd say the wide tire is the blame for that. Other than that, I wouldn't trade my '05 RK for it.
 
Reply
0
Old Sep 3, 2011 | 07:47 AM
Share
  #10  
EP50's Avatar
EP50
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 2,352
Likes: 6
Default
Its not as narrow as the 08 and earlier models
 
Reply
0



Advanced Search
Reply Closed Thread Share
Forum Jump

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:12 PM.

story-0
Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Becomes a Dark, Decepticon-Inspired Custom

Slideshow: Killer Custom's latest build relies on styling changes rather than performance upgrades, giving the cruiser an entirely different personality.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-03 18:28:05


VIEW MORE
story-1
6 Weirdest Harley-Davidsons Ever Sold to the Public

Slideshow: From military-inspired singles to scooters and three-wheel utility vehicles, these Harleys took the company far outside its comfort zone.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-02 18:34:10


VIEW MORE
story-2
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-3
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-4
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-5
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-6
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-7
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-8
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-9
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