I just installed the same tires and wheels on mine. Rides great and looks awesome. I used a 3/8 nut though.

need to update the sig pic...forgot about that

 

The bottom line is that a sealed spoke wheel is more susceptible to issues than running a tube. We all know I sell wheels for a living. Please set that aside for a minute so that I can draw on my own personal experience with various brands and issues as I have run fat spoke wheels on several of my bikes for many years and I feel that this information is important as after putting close to 100K miles on fat spoke wheels everyone can benefit from my experience. Yes, I may be the only wheel salesman that actually rides a Harley to work every day as well. Thus, I am in a better position to explain this than a guy who has had his wheels for a month or a year, etc.

First off, think about how much you want to spend. If you want the least expensive fat spoke wheel get a DNA or Ultima. I don't sell DNA or Ultima and know that if there is a brand I do not sell that I could potentially profit from (we are a business and need to make money to keep out doors open and pay our employees as well as survive this brutal economy) there is a good reason. We all know that DNA products come from overseas. So be it. "The global economy" is what it is and I cannot change that but will do what I can to keep my fellow Americans employed and if that means buying a product that costs more for my extremely expensive American motorcycle I will do it every time. Can I afford this stuff on my budget? Not really but I buy it anyway.

That is just my pride. Do I make a lot of money? Not a chance. Do I prioritize in order to be able to buy what I want? I do.

So as far as fat spoke wheels go there are three or four brands out there. I have sold 3 of the 4 brands and run 3 of the 4 on my own personal bikes. Did I mention I actually have used these products for thousands of miles? I think I did twice now.

My first set of fat spokes was a set of the DNA Mammoths. I ran a 21x3 and a 16x3.5 on my softail in chrome. I stretched a skinny 90/21 WWW tire on the front wheel as this was before Vee rubber had the 120/70/21 tire. Way back when. The wheels were great for a while. These wheels were "sealed" and fine for a while. Probably at least a year. When I put new tires on they would not hold air anymore. I took them and had tubes put in them. Never had an issue with a tube. The only "hassle" was getting the dyna beads in the tube and that was not a big deal at all although before I worked for a motorcycle shop I would take my wheels to shops and ask them to put beads in the tires and they would look at me like I was crazy. "You are going to have to pay extra for that" they said. Fine I said, charge me. Whatever. That took an extra 5 minutes and never actually ended up costing any extra.

Next I heard that Vee Rubber had come out with a 120/70/21 white wall. This is when the white walls were really yellow. I got one anyway. I put this on my DNA wheel (with a tube of course as it would not hold air without it) . The bike rode so much smooth and handled so much better that it was not even funny. Never had an issue with the tire not holding up and I put my bikes through their paces...a lot.

Next I decided to get a set of Ride Wrights as I had started working for a shop and worked out a deal I could afford as an MC parts salesman on a new set of fat spokes. This time I got a 21x3.5, Vee rubber front tire and Avon rear. I did not notice a difference with the 3-3.5 wide rim but got the new wheels as they were done a little different with powder coated spokes. I sold my DNA's on Craigslist for $700 with rotors, tires and pulley. The guy that bought them thought he won the lottery!

These wheels worked fine as I ran them with tubes. They stayed on the bike until I traded it for another bike. Never had an issue with the tubes. Next I bought a Dyna and got some Sinister Big Daddy's in all black with chrome nipples. I ran these with tubes as well. Never had a problem and sold the bike about a year and a half later. I only put about 30K on that bike but rode that thing like a bat out of hell all the time. Not one issue.

Back to the 90/21 white wall on a 21x3 wheel. A friend of mine (who used to be on the forums) bent two rims with the 90/21 on his Ride Wright rims. I know as I saw it happen and was with him when he purchased the wheels from HogPro long before I worked here. He is the reason we will not mount a 90/21 on a 3 or 3.5" width rim. Liability is what it is and I do not want customers bending wheels. If I see the possibility of an issue with a product I sell I do not sell it anymore. It is not worth the time or hassle for us or the customer. We pay good money for this stuff and who wants to spend that money and then have an issue? Nobody does. That is why HogPro sells the Sinsiter fat spoke rims, not DNA, Ultima, or Ride Wright. We have seen too many issues with the others and have sold both DNA and Ride Wright in the past. Is there anything wrong with these other brands? Nope. They are what they are and no company has a perfect record.

I leave choices like this in the hands of my customers as it is their money, their bike and their life in their own hands. Choose whatever brand works for you for whatever reason. If you guys have questions please feel free to call us at the shop as being in the wheel business for well over 10 years has given us a fair amount of insight and probably more combined experience than your local internet bargain basement store. We are not high pressure sales people. These are wheels for a luxury motorcycle, not penny stocks that we are selling. We realize that. We sell dreams like the stock broker in The Wolf of Wall Street but we are not promising to make you rich or make you ride better, only that your bike will have a much more pleasing aesthetic once you put a set of wheels on it.

Whatever you choose for your ride, may it be the right choice. When I get a chance I will find some pics of my bikes with these varying wheels and get them posted but it has been a long day and I am beat.

 

Yea,,tires just are a bad place to go bargain IMHO.

 

Well I have plugged my rear tyre on my Husky with no ill effects, thats what us poor English folk do!
Old school, if you can make it last then do it, incidently the plug kit comes from the US and its the best I've used.
I would be interested in your set, does it have a rear and if so what size is it?

 

The front is a 21 inch, the rear is 16 inch...shoot me am offer you never know...

 

I am running sinister big daddies from Hog Pro with 120/21. lowered the front. bike rides great and looks even better.

 

Ultima King spoke 21x3.5 on the front with a tube. No real issues so far since the tube.

 

I have Ride Wright 21x3.5 with a Metzler 880's. It's a 90 series with a tube to round it out. I get compliments all the time. Just can't hit huge pot holes... Can warp a rim... Love them like they are!

 

Love the look of your bike. Its something that I have not considered about potholes, we have so many here at the moment. May have to consider this a little more closly.

WOW! just been on the site of Ridewright, I'm sure you certainly get what you pay for. How does the DNA standard compared to these?

 

I have a problem with your wheels, its my bike has 3/4" rear spindle, I'm going to get a later swing arm but they are a problem to buy here at the moment so I will have to say no for now, the front would be OK as that is 1" unless its 24.5mm.