[wolvie66]

Can somebody tell me if I can rake out my forks on my Sportster and if so can you tell me where to buy the parts and what I need please.
And if somebody already did can you tell me if you like the way it rides and looks?

Thanks in advance
Wolvie

 

[EZE RIDER]

Here is a spot.

http://www.chopper-kit-usa.com/harley-davison-motorcycles_new.htm

 

[wolvie66]

Thank you, I been trying to find a website to see if I can do it and to see what they look like. I think they look sweet, the only other thing I am thinking is how do they handle and ride with the tire out that far?
Thanks once again.

Wolvie

 

[Mustang Marvin]

Be careful what you wish for. If you extend the front end, your Sportster will never perform the same again. I know they look cool, but they steer like a truck without power steering.

 

[KBOlsen]

There used to be a guy in Evanston that did custom tubing.... www.frankmain.qpg.com

 

[wolvie66]

Mustang I talked to a person today that had it done and they said the same thing you just told me. He want to put it back to the stock way.
And KBOLsen thanks for the website...

Thanks
Wolvie

 

[Mustang Marvin]

Big Wheel

Here is something else I discovered. The 21" front wheel also restricts steering. I am in the process of replacing my 21" front wheel on my "06 1200 Custom with a 19" standard Sportster wheel.

I used to have a '97 Dyna Superglyde that I changed the front wheel from a 19" to a 21" with 80 spokes. It looked really cool, but it lost it's ability to corner as well.

I know I may piss some people off, but as cool as that big 21" wheel looks, it really takes away from the performance. Remember, the Sportster is a "SPORTS" bike. Personally, I don't like the looks of the big bicycle looking wheel anyway. I also removed the stock forward controls and replaced them with the standard foot controls. Those forward controls were killing my back. If I want my legs stretched out I stay home in my easy chair.

I have done some other things to personalize my Sportster, but I think going with the 19" standard wheel will be the best improvement as far as handling is concerned. I prefer performance over fluff, but thats just me...

 

[Dave63]

I changed the front wheel from a 19" to a 21" with 80 spokes. It looked really cool, but it lost it's ability to corner as well. .

I sure wish someone could explain to me how taking a tire and wheel off and replacing it with another one of the same height messed up handling or took away from cornering..... ?????

I replaced my 19" front Dyna wheel with a 21" and they're both 26.5 inches tall and handling isn't/wasn't effected ONE BIT.

The contact patch remained the same and I throw the thing in corners all day long and don't feel a difference, other then the coupe of bucks I spent to do the mod.

If you hypothetically replaced a tire and wheel with a tire and wheel that was taller, raising the front, changing rake a trail, I could see handling effected negatively. The fact remains you changed NOTHING but the sidewall aspect, so maybe a few bumps were a little more noticable due to less sidewall for cushion. It's Tire-101, Marvin.

Outside that..............you've changed nadda, other then REDUCING some rotating mass, which will actually IMPROVE handling and braking because the 21" tire and rim weighs LESS then a 19" tire does. This is the reason why racers like myself changed out to lighter tires and wheels for the track to gian easier turning abilities and better braking and not tote around a lot of un-needed weight spinning around our wheels.

I know I may piss some people off, but as cool as that big 21" wheel looks, it really takes away from the performance. Remember, the Sportster is a "SPORTS" bike. .

Didn't your Sporty Custom come from the FACTORY with a 21" front wheel, Martin?

Your comment doesn't "Piss me of" Marvin, but do you have anything to back it up other then constantly telling people information that basicially isn't true or bad-mouthing 21" front tires because you had ONE bad experience and don't like how they look?

Let's do the math.....

A 21" tire is no taller then your rear 16" tire, rather it just appears to be because there's more open space inside the wheel.....

If you look at the standard tire heights for Harley, they're basically all the same as a 130/90-16 (5 x 16) tire height, only the 19" and the 21" have different aspects to maintain the same front height which is in the 25-26" range. It's done for a specific reason. Hence why a Sporty basic, or an 883 comes with the 19" front wheel and the Sporty Custom comes with a 21".

By swapping them, you change the "look", not the bike's geometry, which is what's necessary to effect handling........

21"....note fender gap:

same bike, 19" note fender gap...:

 

[scol]

Dave I can see the tire deference the bigger tire may give smother ride? What about the two different tread designs? How do they affect handling? Don't mean to change the subject but once I saw the tires had to ask before I forgot to ask on a different post.

 

[Dave63]

The larger, sidewalled 19" tire would have more cushioning in the event of bumps, but the 21" tire rides just as smooth. Remember, less sidewall means less sidewall flex and less wollowing in hard corners or on weight transfer, like when braking......

As for the tread design, the old-school 19" tire is an Avon Mark-II, Speedmaster. It rides nice, but it's more apprearence when compared to the technology of the 21" Avon Venom series, which is one of the leading tires in the Aftermarket industry right now due to its tread, carcass and compond design.

Some of the Dunlop 21" tires are known for cupping (not just limited to Dunlop's touring tires either....sport tires do the same) and following the grooves in the road. Othen brands may do the same, no matter if 19" or 21".

FYI: Having a generic tire, or some POS tire can make a bike handle crappy. There's so many factors in motorcycle handling that to make a blanket statement that by simply adding a 21" wheel to a Sportster or a Dyna will make it handle bad, is a crock of poo...

Even the tire PSI that's run on your front tire can effect handling.....

 

[scol]

Thanks

 

[Mustang Marvin]

Dave,
I hear what you say, but I know what I feel. The two wheels perform differently. I know this for a fact because I have compared them both. As I said, I went from the 19" to the 21" on the same bike. There was a difference I noticed right away. Maybe it was narrow vs wide. Whatever the case, the narrow 21" did not handle as well as the 19" standard Dyna Superglyde tire/wheel. You can do the math all day, but I know after riding the Dyna for almost a year then doing the switch, I noticed the difference Immediately.

I am in the process of doing the reverse switch on my Sportster. Going from 21" to 19". I'll let you know if I feel the same change. I will be honest about it because I want to know for sure if wheel/tire size makes a difference in handling.

 

[Dave63]

The only way to truely tell is to change from a 19" to a 21" (or the other way around) using the exact same brand tire, like I did. If not, you can't exclude the tire brand, model, sidewall aspect or different tread pattern.

I went from a Dunlop D401 to a Dunlop D401 on 2 other bikes. The pics you see here are my current, personally owned bike.

Yes, I agree in that the 21" tire/wheel, because it's slightly narrower, will have a tendency to "track" on a rough or grooved roadway, but I never felt any difference in cornering, especially a negative difference.

If the wheel heights are the same, it's the same distance from the axle to the ground, meaning rake and trail have not changed. If that's the case, then it HAS to be due to another factor.

The different weights can be felt, I'll give ya that one....

 

[Mustang Marvin]

Tires

Dave,
I don't mean to drive this subject into the ground, but I just changed my wheel to a 19" as I stated earlier. I measured the distance of travel of one revolution between the two. 21" measured 82 7/8", 19" measured 81 1/4". Thats not much difference. How about the tire patch. Surely the wider 19" will have a wider and longer tire to ground ratio. Maybe that could explain my situation. I don't know. If the weather warms up I'll try it this week end. The research was interesting though. I wasn't trying to start an argument, just trying to understand.
Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[Badassbrutus]

Just my 2 cents my chopped and raked bike handles like a dream 21" is definatly the best way to go, you rake your front end you lower your center of gravity.there fore you handle better.21" is way less rotating mass and its a lot easier to handle and turn it might get in a rut but hit the throttle and your out.you wont be sorry you did it to your bike trust me.

 

[Dave63]

Dave,
I don't mean to drive this subject into the ground, but I just changed my wheel to a 19" as I stated earlier. I measured the distance of travel of one revolution between the two. 21" measured 82 7/8", 19" measured 81 1/4". Thats not much difference. How about the tire patch. Surely the wider 19" will have a wider and longer tire to ground ratio. Maybe that could explain my situation. I don't know. If the weather warms up I'll try it this week end. The research was interesting though. I wasn't trying to start an argument, just trying to understand.
Thanks for your thoughts.

The 19" tire has a wider "body" between the sidewalls. Depending on what pressures you run, it can effect the handling, because you'll have more sidewall flex. That alone can effect handling, in that it'll feel softer, and may absorb more road shock, making the front feel less bumpy or "hoppy". The difference there is your tire pressure, but the tire construction allows it. Tire pressure has long been a handling trick for riders for handling......

I also currently run Progressive suspension 2" lowered front springs and 20wt oil, where as your Sporty has 7.5 or 10 wt.

If the wheel heights are the same, it's the same distance from the axle to the ground, meaning rake and trail have not changed. If that's the case, then it HAS to be due to another factor.....

Factors like these can effect compression and rebound.

I'm not saying there's NO difference, but with all the other factors to consider, I can't say, with a blanket statement, that hanging a 21" rim/tire on the front of your Sporty/Dyna is going to ruin the handling.

Certainly not without knowing all the other factors.

Sporties are NOTORIOUS for having stiffer, smaller rear shocks in the rear, and that will effect handling as well...... The shock body diameter is smaller, which equates to less damping under compression, and the need for a higher external spring rate for preload. The rear effects the front.........

 

[Mustang Marvin]

Great information. Thanks

 

[big worm]

heres a picture of a 76 ironhead with a bolt on hardtail. anyway the front has been raked out to about 42 degrees(just a chop job i done for a guy) and the stock bearings put back in it. the fall away went to shit. riding straight it was fine but we you go to turn you had to fight the front end from just falling over on you. if i put like some -6 or -8 degree bearings and or races will it fix the problem?

 

[Badassbrutus]

Wider bars.

 

[Dave63]

Decrease rake/trail.... Too much rake and you lose your turning ability. Too much trail and the bike will feel sluggish.

You could decrease rake a tad, and inturn decrease trail by doing it.
You can add -offset bearings. (If you can find them) I'd also try to run a slightly taller rear tire.

Dropping the forks 1-2" in the triple trees will help as well, but that's a lotta rake going on there.......