Why You SHOULD NOT put 21" wheels on your Harley!
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- Опубліковано 31 тра 2024
- In this episode, I share 6 reasons why you may not want to upgrade to a 21" front wheel.
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2018 Road Glide Upgrades
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Battery: Advanblack Lithium
Rims - Coastal Moto 21/front 18"rear
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I own a 2019 CVO road glide with 21”wheel, took it off put 18” front wheel , it handles sooo much better, added race tech suspension. I don’t feel every bump, and not as worried of pot holes. This video is accurate.
Thanks for the feedback! I agree that the 18 is more comfortable. One thing I like about the 21 is the added lean angle. I was a little worried at first but quickly got over it and now I actually like it
I'm rolling a front 21 on stock suspension. Maybe it will hit me when I'm older but I don't mind the added "road feel". Ride safe ya'll!
My 53 year old back doesn't like a harsh ride!
The added "road feel" is not because you went with a bigger wheel, it is because of the lower profile tire. There is not as much sidewall to "cushion" the bumps. Adding different suspension wont change the outcome. Its just like in cars and trucks, the effects of lower profile tires are identicl to a bike.
@@Venomized95 I haven't experienced any issues with handling or slow speed riding or riding through twisty roads. My biggest issue is the kickstand (which is an east fix)
All solid reasons to ponder if you want to make the switch. I appreciate you telling the truth about your experience.
Sharing personal experiences is a great thing. Thanks for your input on the subject.
Thanks Cue! Your insight is always appreciated!
I am happy with stock.
Thanks for sharing this perspective. Ive never considered changing stock wheels but obviously there are some points to think about before making such a change. Ride safe and enjoy. 👊✌️👍
I played your video again, you truly care about your audience. Good heart, I appreciate that a lot. Thank You again Cue.
Thank you!
Great job explaining several reasons for not changing your wheel size. My concern has always been tire availability when traveling cross country and less handling performance. See ya this weekend.
Very informative! Thank you for sharing your knowledge
Great content Cue! Very informative.
Great video,thank you for all the excellent information ! 👍🏼
Thanks for the video brother! This is a big help!
I really enjoy watching your videos, as you offer some great advice and explanations of why or why not to make changes to your bike. Listening to you is just easy. Not sure if you're profession is teaching but you'd be a great teacher. Thank you for your videos!
Thanks for the feedback!
This video is spot on brother..was at the Harley dealership the other day and was told the same thing from other riders,I have a 2020 roadglide special with the chopped engine guard,if u get a 21 rim...when u hit a bump or pothole of any size..the middle of the fender will hit the center of the crash bar mount,especilly if u have the fang fairing installed like on the CVO, the only way it will work is to upgrade or change the front suspension....period.
Boy you coming with the bangers!
Thank you sir. Excellent presentation.
Very imformative my friend, this is why when it comes to wheels,tires and suspension I stay with the recommended specs, it may not be HD parts, it is one way to avoid minor problems as you explained. Ride safe brother!
Great Vid Cue ! Very informative
I appreciate this video as I was thinking of putting one of these rims on my 2016 Road king thank you. This was very helpful.
Glad it helped
Thanks Cue. Good knowledge share! I've never been a fan of the low profile tires but never considered the effect on your ride.
Excellent - appreciate the honest comprehensive look.🇺🇸👍💥
This clip have important information 👌...thank you buddy
great review Q, things I didn't think about..
Thanks Cue ! Very helpful info
21 road glide limited here. 18 inch on both wheels. I'm happy with them I'm used to the standard 16 rear and 17 front. It handles well.
Thank you for this information. I’ll keep my stock rims.
Thx.very interesting and informative..
Thank you,,,so glad that I watched your video before buying,, saved me from making some mistakes
I like my 21" front wheel. My biggest regret is not considering the weight of the wheel. The other issues are fixable
txs for your expertise! saved me a decission!
a laser w return buzzer ... will give you about 2 seconds warning of above ground obstacle warning!
Interesting take mate. I'm running a 23" low profile on my Road King but I went into it knowing that I needed rake, suspension, fluid upgrades and changes. As for the tires, holy crap , glad you're okay mate! That would have dumped more than the brakes for me!
NOTHING BUT HONEST FACTS HERE! Thanks for sharing man!
Straight up honest, knowledge, and around my age.
I'LL BE FOLLOWING & PLEASURE MEETING YOU.
Sincerely,
Doc AJ
Thanks for the feedback!!
Excellent informative video. Thank You !
Thank you for watching!
I’ve done the big wheel bagger in previous builds and will happily stick w the stock FW great video keep up the grind
Thanks bro!
@@RidingandWrenching absolutely
Great video and very informative thank you
Thank you! I plan to do an update for this video soon. Stay tuned!
Good vid, just subscribed.
Yeah, been thinking of making the change. I don’t plan on racing my SGS. Looks & tunes. Appreciate you.
Thanks for the feedback.
Ive been running 21’s on all my bikes for quite some time. While everything youre saying is true, to each there own. All of these reasons can and many should be addressed when changing to this size wheel. IMO, the most important one being the front suspension internals and the ride height of the bike increasing when moving to a 21. Both of these can be addressed with an upgraded front suspension and thats what Ive done in every bike that has the 21 on it. I believe they ride better than stock in some ways and not as good in others. To each their own. Ride safe!
What did you do for the jiffy stand (if anything). I ordered a longer stand, but I saw someone bolt a small block to the bottom of the jiffy stand
@@RidingandWrenching I have never done anything to the kickstands on my bikes for this. They work fine as-is.
This is a great video thanks
I appreciate this information my man!!! I think because of your video I made my decision to upgrade my wheels on my RG ST but keeping size 19! Thank you my man!
Can't go wrong with the 19". I considered it, but I allowed myself to be influenced by others
@@RidingandWrenching I 100% appreciate your opinion on this! I did that too but now doing my due diligence with research because it is a nice chunk of change! I can’t wait to get my wheels! Should be by next week!
Good informative video, Thanks
I like the way you are so detailed in your analysis of a major change. I had stock 17 rear and 21 in the front. Hated that tire mainly because it was very narrow. So I changed out to a 17 with a wider rim and now she handles like a dream. The rake will change so that is a consideration also.
Thanks for the feedback! I have no intention on changing the rake. I don't want a longer wheelbase....it would screw up the riding dynamics too much for my liking
@@RidingandWrenching My stock wheelbase with the 21 inch wheel was 5.2 inch trail. That's actually great for going straight. When I put the 17 on the front it went down to about 4.29 trail which in the world of biking is GREAT!
Thank you for sharing your experience, it helps with me my choice.
It's been a few months for me since my install. The only remaining issue is the lean angle, but I found a fix that doesn't require a change of jiffy stand. I'll share that in a future video
Great information Cue!
First time viewer. Really enjoyed your video. It was very informative. Also looking forward to the piano video. New sub. God bless.
Thank you! Sadly, I sold my piano prior to moving into my new house (I didn't like it anyway). I had a tall upright piano. I want a 6.5' (ish) grand piano but I don't currently have room. We will be moving to Georgia in a couple of years. I plan to get my grand piano at that time. In the mean time I have a few recordings that I plan to use in future videos
Thanks for the advice very helpful
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for sharing, I was thinking about upgrading the wheel size 👍👍👍
It's not a bad thing, you just need to go in "eyes wide open".
Double catastrophic blowout, rims outta round and no get off. Serious riding skills
I wish I could say it was skills. I'm calling it dumb luck! But in this case I'll take luck!! It was very scary....almost made me quit riding
@@RidingandWrenching
Excellent reflexes, and no panic. If that happens to me ,hope to get through it like you👍
Nice vid . Love that Stang in your garage
Thanks! I am an X New Yorker too. It's a nice place to visit....but I'm glad I'm gone!
i went the other route and put the 18" 150 on the front of my Road Glide. absolutely love it. the ride is smooth and it eats up imperfections in the road.
I want to ride a bike with a fat front tire. I can only imagine that the ride has to be butter smooth!
Good review thank you.
getting ready to install rc laguna on my front 17x3.5 its right under 13 lbs
great video.
I'm towering at a whopping 5' 8" so I think I'll stick with the stock wheel height. I do like the look of the 21" wheel filling in the fender but again, I like the way my RG handles as stock.
Thanks for the honest info in this video.
My sg is set up to be a go bike not a sat nite parking lot show bike got the factory set up for the rim and tires and I carve thru the twistees no prob great video
Great video.Thanks for the honesty. Guess I’m old think I’ll keep it stock . Chubby guys like me can use more suspension wherever they can get it
You might love the upgraded suspension!
Great video Cue! Love your content and wasn't planning on getting a 21" wheel but NOW I'm sure it would not be for me. I just love touring too much! Keep up the excellent video's.
Thanks! It's definitely more than just putting on a bigger wheel.
Great video sir and hit my interest in moving to the 21 inch tire.
Thank you!
The larger the front wheel the more gyroscopic effect is generated, the bike will be harder to turn the faster you go, the bike doesn't want to turn because of this effect, so the bigger the diameter the more effort you will have to put into the steering.
My RGS came with 19” and 18” wheels. I changed to a 21” 4 years ago and haven’t had any issues at all.
Thank you for sharing
Loving your content. I roll with a 21 on my road king and can agree with this. Keep producing quality content!
Thank you!
Nice video.
Nice bike.
Thank you.
I totally agree,I have a 2020 roadglide special, I prefer bigger tires on the front, looking at fat tire kits for my bike,same size as back ,equal.
Great toys sir nice bike nice mustang! Godspeed!
Hello, thank you for this info. I did not see this before and just changed mine out on RK FLHR this weekend. I do need to get a longer kick stand for sure. I need now to search for one because it did make the lean different on the stand. Thank you again.
You can order a longer kick stand from JP Cycles. www.jpcycles.com/product/performance-machine-1-extended-kickstand-for-harley-touring-2007-2017
The other option is a kick stand block from Amazon amzn.to/3rpxPkm
Thank you again!!
Excellent video. You make very good and valid points to think about when looking at different wheels vs keeping stock wheels. Keep up the great work and thanks for sharing your experience on YT.
Thank you!
good advice -telling it like it is
Cue thanks for the info. Same wheels and tires on my Street Glide. Being this my first Harley Davidson I haven’t noticed the difference yet. I smashed an armadillo a few weeks ago thank God no issues.
Yikes! Glad you're ok. I've managed to hit a bird (actually the bird hit me) other than that I've only hit that mystery object that destroyed both my tires
I live in a state with some of the most horrible condition and potholed roads as rated by Truckers, and a fat 130/90/16(at least!) is the only way to go! I had a friend who went over a storm drain grate with a broken slat and his 100/90/21 dropped in that extra-wide 'slot' and stopped his bike dead, putting him over the bars. I see lots of bent rims from riders who run low-profile tires too!
And 21's are downright scary on rain-grooved roads or steel-grate bridges! 🥺
FWIW: If ya run laced (spokes) wheels and tubes, PJ1's Balance Plus works great! Originally designed for dirt bikes, it's work great in all my spoked rims/tires for over 30yrs.
Great video.
The speedometer is based off the diameter of the rear tire. You can put bigger rims on and still maintain the tire diameter. The front tire diameter could mess with abs but not speed.
I should have been more clear. I put an 18" tire on the rear (replacing the stock 15".)
@@RidingandWrenching you were very clear. People just need to have something to bitch about 😂
Great video and info. God bless n ride safe.
Awesome video
I put the fat front tire on mine and I love it!! a little heavier going into curves but no noticeable difference for me at slow speeds BUT I've never been on anything thats as stable riding down the highway at 80
I want to ride a bike with a fat front tire. They look cool and I bet they ride nice too.
Right. The meltzer tire is good
One of the best HD videos I have watched in a long time. Thanks for taking the time to put it up. CAHDBiker.
That's a great compliment! I appreciate that!
Quite amazing the way fads come and go on Harleys. Way back in the day up today . Twisted chrome . Sissy bars , different pipes over the years . Seats , the old baggers gave way to the choppers , fat wheels . Tall wheels . Back to the street glides , to slammed baggers , big ass stereos , never got into the fads , still riding my 05 low rider almost 20 years later .
I’ve noticed though … Bro hasn’t put the OEM stuff back on it . Looks cool AF
I like my bike! I've gotten rid of most of the OEM parts that I removed. Compared to many other bikes, my "upgrades" are pretty subtle
Wonderful comment.
CUE! Thank You! Very informative! Again thank you big time! God Bless Be Safe Brother!
Thank you!
There was a reason back in the day with the 16 inch rims in the front....Taller the sidewall more softer the ride.....
Agreed! Taller sidewalls make for a more comfortable ride
one other thing about the wheel issue that you mention about the mileage being off means it quite possibly can be throwing off the speedometer as well which in some place can get ya into trouble that get really picky about speeders. kinda like the way how going up or down in tire sizes with cars/trucks will throw off the speedometer if you don't match the factory specs with rims and tire size..
The speedometer is off by about 3 or 4mph at higher speeds. It's weird because it isn't consistent. At lower speeds (below 40) it's accurate.
Thanks for the inf.
Nice video bro.
Some great info. Ive thought about a 21 on my RKS, but this just solidified the reason to keep the 19". Probably just do a wrapped fender.
If I had the 19" I probably wouldn't have purchased these wheels. My Street Glide has 19" and it looks pretty cool. A wrapped fender would look good
@@RidingandWrenching thanks!
Good info. Thanks.
Thank you
good info. was considering a 21" wheel on my CVO RG Limited
As long as your suspension can handle it, you should be fine. Also be prepared for the extra lean on the kick stand.
Very true same for cars as well
Absolutely! My 2012 Mustang has low profile (stock) tires. Hard ride, but you expect that from a sports car.
Great video bro and if they had rotated ur bearing on the front rim the valve steam would be on the right sight of the wheel its a simple fix 👍🏾
it's an easy fix. I'll address it when I get new tires.
Hey Que, I put a progressive lowering kit and that kit brought my bike down a 1inch in the front. You can do 2 inches and I also used a heavier oil as well. Great video
How did the lowering kit affect the ride quality?
@@RidingandWrenching my bike ride as if I still have a 19 inch wheel 🛞 on it.
@@kellybgliding I bought a longer kick stand. I'll let you know how it turns out. One thing I like about the higher ride height is more lean angle.
I was told by Harley Dealership that the front suspension is not designed for a 21 inch .
I did a 21 on my other Harley. Now I just stick WTH stock..👍
I’ve just sub to you brother, I like your stuff, good job.
Thank you!
Thanks for the info. Changed my mind. I wonder what the 21 inch fat wheel does for performance.
I tell all of my customers that they should, upgrade their stock suspension whenever choosing to go with a 21" or any other bigger size wheel and tire size for these very reasons. The first thing they do is ask me if I did, so of course I have to show them one of my bikes. Before they're ready for spending this type of money, it's the least I can do.
Ohh and I never recommend that they're doing this, on any bike that they're traveling cross country on especially when wanting to travel with a passenger. Great video.
Agreed! I didn't factor in the cost of upgrading the suspension, but it was a necessity for me
Tks for sharing 👍🏾 new subb.
Put 21 front 18 rear on my '97 Road king. It definitely lifted the bike. Especially with the police seat. I feel like I'm King of the road on that bike. She's old and no longer my daily. I keep a stock '17 Street Glide for that.
I put wheels on my Heritage and I was told by several Dealers not to go to a 21 because of the same reasons you mentioned plus it could throw off the ecm, So I went from 16's to 18's and it was fine, the bike now takes the same tire as the road king and I think it handles a bit better
Awesome. Thanks for sharing!
16s are the best. On a softail chassis, I guess nothing really matters.
I agree with everything you have talked about with the exception of odometer. The speedometer and odometer are controlled by the VSS (vehicle speed sensor) It is located in the top of the transmission and has nothing to do with the front tire. You could have a 36" tire and it will not affect the odometer or speedometer. Now when you change the back tire, that will affect both.
Gotcha. There was no impact to the speedo due to the bigger wheels.
21" front wheel all the way for that classic chopper look
I love the look!
That bike looks really nice like that!
Thank you!
I have an older FLH Shovel that came with 16" put a 21"up front years ago never really noticed any difference. Just picked up a used SG that someone installed a 21"up front, other then the front probably rides a tad taller really don't notice any difference in handling.
I started out on rigid frames with springer front ends so everything after that has been a huge improvement to me, I'm sure stock is best all around but I've never been able to leave especially a HD stock.
The only difference you should feel is it being a little "heavier" feeling in low speed maneuvers.
Ride on, my friend.