A thing some do with Harley is a wide front tire. That means an 18,19,21 or 23 informant tire 180/55 is common.
I have been looking at doing this. It looks like if I go with the 180/55-18 kit new wheel,new wrap around fender and fork lower cut and trimmed to clear the tire will work .
@smitty901, you may want to contact Hannigan Sidecars in Murray, Kentucky, and at least talk to them about a 180 front end. They make them, including the completely new front fender, wider forks, wider wheels, etc. Whilst this is something you may want to make on your own, at least garner as much info as you can from Hannigan, or buy all that you need from them.
They changed out the entire front end on my rig (caution, not a H-D), and my new front tire is a 180/65-16 Michelin Commander lll reinforced rear tire, installed on the front wheel, that is also custom made for this application.
Two Million Mile Rider...All 7 Continents
Exploring the World in Comfort
Your Rig is a work of art.
I was just there last week stopped in on our ride.
I will give them a call. The Native customs system has been around a while is is well though of.
I also like to keep my shopping with Hannigan. They seems to keep Cory busy in that CNC shop now.
Up side of the Native system is quick and easy. I have figured out that going with 18 inch wheel 180/55R18 tire will only raise front end 1/4 inch.
I can live with that.
Not in a big hurry. Looking at getting it done by August 24 for UT trip.
I've put a couple of Native kits on. The install was easy and simple. Does it look good, yes. Does it handle good, yes. Would I put it on my bike, no. If I had it all custom, then I might. Being my bikes are basically stock I prefer the stock look. On the average on my Harley Hack I get about 30000 out of the front tire.
Quote from 2FLTC on September 20, 2023, 8:38 amI've put a couple of Native kits on. The install was easy and simple. Does it look good, yes. Does it handle good, yes. Would I put it on my bike, no. If I had it all custom, then I might. Being my bikes are basically stock I prefer the stock look. On the average on my Harley Hack I get about 30000 out of the front tire.
With the Twin Classic sidecar. Extra weight with wheel chair I just want a wider tire on front with more sidewall. The pot holes on many of these road are getting worst.
The RGU use to have a 16 inch 180/60R16 in rear and the 130/80R17 in front The 130/80 had a bit more sidewall and stood up well to bad roads.
2020 RGL was changed to 180/55R18 rear and 130/70/18 front. The front tire is lacking side wall and we are seeing a lot of bent front wheel because of it.
This was not an issue with the 130/80R17.
It would be a lot cheaper just to change the wheel.
Quote from 2FLTC on September 20, 2023, 10:33 amIt would be a lot cheaper just to change the wheel.
Yes cost is not the deciding thing.
Going to a 130/80R17 still means buying a new wheel and tire. It gains nothing in tire width. Find a wheel that looks right with the 2020 RGL seems to be hard to do. Finding one then having to have it painted Gloss black the right way is not cheap. My RGL is factory Blacked out.
Finding one in a 16 matches the rear is going to be a lot harder. The couple that I did end up with custom matching wheels and I can tell you that wasn't to cheap. Getting them in all black is no problem. If cost is not the deciding part. Then getting the wheels is not a problem.
I you end up with custom wheels for your bike it would be the time to get a matching wheel for the side car. I luck out on my Harley hack as I found a wheel to match the mags on the bike.
Quote from 2FLTC on September 21, 2023, 7:16 amI you end up with custom wheels for your bike it would be the time to get a matching wheel for the side car. I luck out on my Harley hack as I found a wheel to match the mags on the bike.
OR.....another way to do it is (like I did), knowing you are going to get a custom wheel for the front of the bike, move the OEM stock wheel from the front of the bike over to the sidecar, then have the custom wheel installed onto the front of the bike. In my case, since we knew in advance that Hannigan was going to be installing their 180 front end on my bike, with a custom made 16" wheel, and a 180/65-16 tire onto that wheel...for the front end....they moved my existing stock front wheel over to the sidecar, so when viewed from the sidecar "side", it shows up as a OEM Honda wheel on the sidecar.
In the picture below, that is the OEM front wheel from my bike, an 18" front wheel, that originally came with a 130/70-18 tire. Knowing we would be moving it over to the sidecar, I had a 140/70-18 Bridgestone BT-46 "rear" tire installed onto the wheel before I left home (it easily fit inside the OEM front fender on the bike), then rode the 2,500 miles to Hannigan Sidecars, hoping that when all was completed, that wider 140/70-18 would also fit inside the sidecar body fender area of the new sidecar. It did, and as they say, now it's all history. That same tire, now with over 12,000 miles on it, looks almost new, as it is a "rear" tire, a bias-belt tire, designed to carry the load of the rear of a motorcycle, yet it only carries the lighter load of the sidecar, and it is wearing extremely well.
I know you folks are talking H-D, but the same could be done.
Two Million Mile Rider...All 7 Continents
Exploring the World in Comfort
One of the reason I went with the Twin Classic was the sidecar uses a car tire. So match wheel is not an issue. I may just end up doing the 17 inch in the end time will tell.
I luck out as my sidecar wheel takes a 13" car tire, but I luck out and found a mag the match the mags that are on the bike. Also all the tires have matching white wall.
