Larger front tire handle better?
Former Sponsor
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 10,968
Likes: 54
This is something that I noticed on my softail but not my bagger. This stuff is mostly power of suggestion. If I read it on the net I am more likely to "feel" it. I feel a competent rider will adapt within a block to a different sized larger front wheel. Don't get me wrong, I am not calling anyone incompetent. I am simply saying that the more you ride the quicker you will adapt.
The bagger sits a lot higher than the softail did and I attribute the difference in feel partly to the lower seat height of the softail and partly to the extra weight of the fat spoke rim that I was running on the bike. It felt like it steered a little slower, however the bagger does not feel that way. The fat spoke was probably at least 10 pounds heavier than a billet aluminum rim.
The bagger sits a lot higher than the softail did and I attribute the difference in feel partly to the lower seat height of the softail and partly to the extra weight of the fat spoke rim that I was running on the bike. It felt like it steered a little slower, however the bagger does not feel that way. The fat spoke was probably at least 10 pounds heavier than a billet aluminum rim.
Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 222
Likes: 7
From: Palm Springs
+1 I went from a 16 to an 18" front and the steering seems more precise and lighter, but it does ride a bit firmer.....this is on a 2000 RK
Road Captain
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 576
Likes: 20
From: Eau Claire, WI
Put a 21 on my 2000 road king strictly because I love the way the larger fat spoke wheels look. As far as handling, the front end is a bit harsher over rough spots, but not terribly so at all. It does seem to handle "quicker" and lighter than the fatter 16 inch stock setup did. I rather like the more aggressive feel to the handling myself. Putting some mono shocks from progressive in the front end a year later really added to the firmer more aggressive feel in the handling. The only down side I could really come up with, and it's not really to me, but could be to some, is on any kind of grooved surface, the front wheel wants to follow the grooves much more than it did with the fatter tire on it.
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