To 21 or Not to 21 That Is The Question
 

OK here goes, I have a condition that my freinds and family call "Cant Leave Shit ALONE Syndrome"

I need to replace the front Dunlop on my 2007 Road Glide due to some major cupping. I can easily get a season out of the tread on the tire just cant stand the vibrations. last season I replaced my rear with a Commander II and love it. On my RG I have upgraded to an 18" front wheel and Brembo brakes from a 2010.

Last week I received the 18" front Commander II and as it sits here in my cube at the office I am saying myself "Why did I buy a 18" and not look to upgrade to a 21"

So my question is Should I upgrade to a 21" (witch also means new fender because I have a wrap on my 18" now) or just mouth the new tire I have and ride it....

Thanks for reading

I think you just said it yourself. It's not a need but, a want. I am in the same boat but, its not for changing front tire but, rather engine performance. I have considered 107-124ci engines. Its a disease and our passion/ addiction. Since you already have the new front tire mounting that and just ride for now... The itch will continue to be there, its just a matter if you are gonna scratch it.

personal opinion. cannot stand the big wheels. they may grow on me but i would never replace a fatter front rire for a tall skinny one. dont like the look of em and cant say too much on the ride bc i never ridden one but i can only imagine what its like when your really riding hard. do not wanna shoot you down if your hopes are up brotha, but imagine hitting a pothole with a 21 inch wheel. low profile i assume.. if its big enough it will not be a good day for that rim. if thats your glide in the pic, it looks radical as is..

I wanted a 21 at first, now I got a 23 and am trying to figure out how to get a 26 approved by the wife :-p

I have the same thing lol! I agree with above post since you have the tire already I would just ride for now. your RG looks awesome as is.

I have a serious case of "Cant Leave Shit ALONE Syndrome" and found a nice used 21 at tire replacement time. I like the look but it is no performance/handling upgrade. Since ya already got a new tire I'd recommend some Calamine lotion and see if it clears up??

I said the same thing, I have the new tire here and should just mount it.... Save money and maybe buy my girl a ring.....

Seeing as I talked to you on a another forum you probably know my opinion but I'll post it anyway.

First off, there are a lot of differing opinions on 21" wheels. How do I know whose opinion to trust on this on the internet? I don't. The only way to know for sure is to make the change and see what YOU think.

I spend hours helping people make this decision daily. My opinion is that a 21" wheel rides great...better than stock for me. Of course being a sales guy most people discount what I say. I have no stake in this either way but I do actually ride a Harley (FLTRX) unlike many out there and do have a 21" wheel on it. I ride A LOT. That means daily so I feel that my experience with things is probably more pronounced than most as not nearly everyone puts 25K on their bike each year.

This also means that I adapt to things quicker than people who do not ride as much. So take it for what it is worth, but if you are looking to increase the looks of your bike with a 21" wheel, rotor, and tire combo there is nothing to be afraid of. The bike will sit a little bit higher in the front than at stock height (about 1-1.25"). I am not a tall guy (5'9") and had no issue with this at all. I did not lower the front end but rather put in stock height mono tubes and love the way this bike rides.

I have had no ill effects as the result of this swap. I chose the Michelin Commander II tire in a 120/70/21 size. The bike rides great. I prefer the 120 tire to the stock 130 as the bike falls into corners much easier with this tire, not to mention the compound absorbs inconsistencies in the road much better than the stock Dunlop which was cracking on the side wall after only a few thousand miles.

Whatever you choose I hope you enjoy it. All I know is if I listened to everything people told me and followed their rules my entire life I would not have a motorcycle much less be thinking about getting a 21" wheel for it. Thus I have learned to trust my own gut more than "some guy on the internet's opinion" as I know what I want and know that everyone has their own opinion. Last but not least it seems I could also be categorized as "some guy on the internet".

I do love the look of a 21 on our bikes and think its near perfect. I just need to justify spending $1500 on a wheel, tire & rotor combo. I think it would move my bike to the next notch.

PUt the 18 on. In a couple years the Big Wheels will fade as a fad (like OC Choppers) and you will want to go back to the more traditional look

I totally got to agree with Hogpro here. My 23 rides a slight bit stiffer then the stock 16 did on my EG, but it handles awesome. A 21 with a taller sidewall should have almost none if any impact on your riding. I ride my 23 regularly on any road surface (and living in cleveland that means bad road surfaces). Albeit I have only had it on for a short time, I have no qualms riding almost 60 miles a day commuting nor taking off for a 500 mile trip with it. :icon_eddie:

i agree with Hogpro 100%. i have 21 on my 09 sg with wrap fender. i didn't lower the front or anything else but i am also 6'4". love how it rides and looks greats. get compliments all the time. but on the note of your disease it is going to get worst with the new 21. because now you have to ask your self if im getting the front do i need the rear and on and on... i know you get the point. also mine isn't a bar hopper bike i love to tour different places. good luck it never ends!!!

21"'s have always been popular as they are stock size on some Harley's. Now bigger than that may fade but a 21" will always be in style. The issue I have with an 18 on a bagger is that the rotors block so much of the wheel unless you go single disc. This is something many people don't think about until they get it on their bike.

Let me tell you a story about a customer I had last year. He was trying to figure out what size wheel he had. He read everything he could find on the internet and decided he wanted an 18x3.5 front of the same size as stock on his bike as he was convinced that it would ride better than a 21".

He had a long trip planned and that is what his bike was always used for. He always rode two up loaded down. He got the wheel installed prior to the trip. So, he took his trip and the first thing he did when he returned home was call me and ask how much a 21" would cost. I asked why as we spent so much time trying to figure out what would work best for him and it seemed the 18" was the way to go for his needs.

One of the guys on the trip with him had a 21" and he rode that bike during the trip and decided that he should have done the 21". The cost difference between the two different sizes is very minimal ($100) but I was unable to take his wheel back as he had already installed it and put lots of miles on it. Regardless, this is what happened.

I have a 21" wheel and I love it! I put a custom fender on it, it handles great and looks awesome. Sometimes, I wonder if I should have went with a 23" but I couldn't justify the additional cost. No wrong answers here...

I don't like the tall skinny tires. They don't handle as well, and I plain don't like the look of them on a touring bike.

Personally, I'd pay to see you "mouth" the tire. :)

Reasons to buy the ring instead of the wheel? Sounds like a good Top Ten List:

1. Who doesn't like a good love story?
2. Bikes are temporary. But I guess love sometimes is also. :icon_sad:
3. Chicks dig a guy with a wedding ring.
4. Women don't fall over on hot asphalt.
5. Her headlights are more fun to look at.
6. If you want to upgrade her headlights, you don't have to worry about the LED option.
7. If she's worth the ring, she won't say no about the wheel.
8. She'll look better in chaps than you do.
9. A motorcycle can only take you to the beer. A woman can bring the beer to you.
   
   And the number one reason to buy the ring instead of the wheel...
10. Long after the wheel is gone, you'll still be riding her.

The only reason to respond with is:
A 21" wheel will cost you much less in the long run than being married, will continue to shine for a lifetime, and will never ask for a divorce. It's more like 3 reasons but I think that gets the point across.

I am divorced now...

Only good thing was I got to keep the bike.... But I lost everything else...

So you know from experience which leaves only 1 answer to the question and ensures that you will be able to keep your bike forever.

I'll chime in since I had a 21" on my streetglide and I am leaving my ultra at the stock size. I'm not leaving the Ultra at the stock size because I don't like 21", I'll share my reasons in a second. First, I didn't notice any negative handling effects with the 21". It takes about 5 mins if that long to get used to it. I rode it in all types of roads (even dirt and gravel), at very low to very high (110+) speeds, straight and twisty. I will say the ride is slightly more harsh due to less tire to soak up bumps but again you get used to that and won't notice unless you trade bikes with someone who is running a stock size. So why don't I put my 21" on my Ultra? I still have it. First, I actually like the look of my stock wheel. Second I'd rather spend my money on this bike on other things (one day I am going to get off my ass and sell the custom wheels). Third the one issue I ever had is it's tougher to find the low profile 21" tire out on the road if you have an issue. I've had that happen to me. Maybe its just my bad luck but I have found its always easier to find the stock sizes when I call around for a tire on short notice. I spend a lot more time on my current bike on long trips and I don't want to get stuck.

The smart thing to do when buying a new wheel is to keep the old in case you ever decide to sell the bike that way you can take off the wheel and sell and put stock back on teh bike.

Let's be honest here. We are all putting wheels on our bike as we like the way they look. Wheels are ALL about looks.

Agreed

I have no issues with the 21" wheel. Love the look (although I am sticking with stock size). He just said it was either that or the ring. To me, that shouldn't be a decision. If you're more serious about one than the other, you already know where you stand.

Dude, get the 21 inch!! I wish I had done it and wont do it right now because I like the look of my agitator. I've ridden my buddy's a couple of times and I see no difference in handling....I really don't understand the people who are saying it doesn't handle well----may have just been their experience (which is cool and completely understandable)....or maybe they have no experience with a 21 and are assuming. If you want it, can afford it, then get it!!!! However----I wont tell you to get it before you buy a ring!

You're going to find people who don't like them and think they are stupid just as there are people who used to think the following were stupid: cell phones, computers, iPhones, GPS, CD Players, MP3 players, phones with no cords, and power steering

That is what really gets me too. I ride twisty roads for hundreds of miles at a time on my 21" and like it better. I got my first Harley before I got married but didn't get my first set of rims until after the wedding.

Ask yourself, "Would the good people of HDForums rather look at pics of a ring or my bike with a new wheel?" and there's your answer.:icon_photo:

I'm all in favor of a 21" wheel. However, I say mount the new 18" tire and ride now. You can spend months looking at new wheels and stuff. Or maybe there's a multi-week wait for the new 21 wheel and tire. Plus you gotta get a new fender and paint it. Spring is not the time for your bike to be parked for no good reason.

Excellent point here re: the availability of tires "out on the road"... one reason I'm sticking to the stock wheel size. That and the fact that everyone seems to be going to the bigger wheels and its a cheap way to stand out in a crowd!!!

Go for it!!

oups!!! just sold my SG wheels (second set after oem ones), now i have to keep my Ultra!!!!

21s are fine as long as they are on a Dyna! I just don't get the big wheel thing. Don't even think they look cool on a Touring bike.

You could always hold out for that "bitchin' 30!"

Another who doesn't "get it..."

Your bike/money/ego.

Just me, but it don't care for tall skinny tires. I want my front tire to have some meat and be part of the suspension.

I would say Go For It !! I have had a 21" on every bike i have owned. I even had a 21 on my FLH Shovel head with the stock front fender in the mid 80s. People would tell me how really stupid it looked !! I loved it !! AND the more people told me to put the 16 back on. Or at least get the fender narrowed ! The more I loved it !!!! Look now, Everyone is doing it . Who would have thought that we would be putting taller tires on "dressers" ! WOW how times and styles have changed !!!!

Great to see someone like me. You didn't care, you accessorised it the way you wanted and didn't get bent out of shape because others thought it was silly. Good for you!!! I absolutely love this forum and have been here a long time---great bunch of ppl here---but sometimes, the comments on the forum do not match what I see when I'm out on two wheels. Some of the stuff the majority of the forum doesn't like are the things I see the most on bikes when I'm out riding.

New wheel is off the table for now, I'm going to get the new tire mounted tomorrow.
Now I think I'll buy some daymakers....

The best price I found on Daymakers is $583 at a 20% off dealer. Enjoy that new tire, it almost as good as a new wheel with all that tread. Enjoy the ride and see you roadglide.org.

Just installed my daymakers last weekend. I bought the new reflective daymakers from Kutter HD. Of course, mine are cheaper than RG--like $300 and some change

As a current 21" owner, and I do love my 21 set up, you made the right call. Save your money, and run what you already purchased, and get her a ring if you're really at that point in your relationship. You'll still get some good rides out that ring :icon_eddie:

I really like my 21" front wheel, but since you already had the wheel, you made the right choice. Go ahead and buy the ring too.....

My 2 cents...........