[Zedbra]

Wouldn't it be true that a wider tire has a larger contact patch?

Yes, they do. There are pros/cons of a wider tire for various bikes, of course. I think if you dial the suspension to match the added weight, there are more pros to this fat front tire swap than cons.

Are Wider Motorcycle Tyres Safer?

motorbiketireshop.com

 

[Uncle Fuzzy]

My first take on it is that it’s noticeably different. It feels heavier to me and perhaps not quite as nimble. The one thing I’ve found is that going into a turn, I need to really dig into it to get the line started but once’s you’ve committed to it, it holds that line perfectly and then it’s a bit more effort to roll it back to an opposite curve. It rides really smoothly, although I checked the tire pressure last night at it was at 45 psi? Seems quite high to me so if anyone has some insight on what that fat tire is supposed to run at, I’m all ears. I think as I ride it more, I’ll get used to it just like anything else. It’s a nice ride, just different.


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You perfectly described what physics dictates when you go to a wider front. Nothing wrong with the 'dozer' front, and you'll get used to the slower response to steering inputs within days and won't even notice it shortly. Looks great.

 

[StoneTrekker]

In theory because I have no proof:

I would think the wider tire would be a nonissue for steering response in curves....let's say 15 mph and up....after an adjustment period for the rider. The larger contact patch should provide additional grip in curves and under braking or hard acceleration. I could see some possibility of slight sluggishness (in feel) when speeds decline to where counter steering goes away and bar steering / L/R tire turning happens. That would be a consequence of the larger contact patch and greater friction. Whether it was actually felt would likely be an individual thing. Some would say they never feel it while others might.

 

[Little Wing]

I really like rollin a fatty!
It's a much more positive feel in the high speed sweepers to me.
And it improves the trackability in grooved surfaces a little bit.
I haven't ridden in the rain yet, so I can't comment on that.

The Touring bikes all have less rake for slow speed maneuvers, but can feel "loose" at higher speeds.
With the fatty I can stand the bike up and throw it back down with no problems.
I'd actually like to put a steering damper on it next to get it even "tighter."

I run 38 front and 42 rear.

 

[cpbedor]

So I’ve got a couple hundred miles on it now, both solo and two up and my review today is different than my initial review. It DID take some time to get used to and it no longer feels sluggish or heavy. I do feel like the fat tire allows and almost commands a deeper lean into corners but that said, it’s stable as hell. I appreciate everyone chiming in on the pressure they’re running - I knew 45 was too much. Every time I hit a tiny bump I could feel it and now that it’s back down to 40, it feels a lot better.

Second item, the fender. The fender was bare metal and my painter doesn’t want to mess with it til winter. In the meantime, MN has been super humid and it started to show surface rust already so in the spirit of not wanting to be down for an extended period of time, I’ve decided to paint it myself. Be clear, I am not a painter and I don’t expect that it’s going to turn out super great but it’ll be painted and cleared and protected from the elements for the next few months of riding that we still have left up here. It’ll look perfect from 50 feet away. I’ll post up a pic when I’m done and have it all back together.


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[RoosterMan]

……. Second item, the fender. The fender was bare metal and my painter doesn’t want to mess with it til winter. In the meantime, MN has been super humid and it started to show surface rust already so in the spirit of not wanting to be down for an extended period of time, I’ve decided to paint it myself. Be clear, I am not a painter and I don’t expect that it’s going to turn out super great but it’ll be painted and cleared and protected from the elements for the next few months of riding that we still have left up here. It’ll look perfect from 50 feet away. I’ll post up a pic when I’m done and have it all back together.

I purchased the Color Rite rattle can kit and the color coat was a perfect match to my brilliant silver pearl which is a very difficult color to match. My son also used it in the HD vivid black, and it too was a perfect match…….

That said, their primer and color coat is very good, but their clear cost is absolute ass. Both of us followed Color Rites instructions to the letter, but, after two attempts each, sanding off the color and starting over in between, the clear still failed. It covers very spotty and leaves a very rough and grainy texture that you can’t buff out. It really is horrible. We both ended up repainting a third time with the Color Rite paint, but went back with K2 Gloss Glamor clear coat instead, and the results came out excellent….. In deciding on the K2 we read tons of reviews on-line, and pretty much everyone said the Color Rite clear sucked….

You might be surprised how well a DIY spray can come out; we were. As you probably already know, it’s all in the prep; sanding, primer, sanding, first coat of color, sanding, clear, cut and buff, etc. We ended up at 3 coats of color and 2 coats of clear and it took all day. Light coat, let dry, light sand, wipe with alcohol, repeat….. Then let it sit for 48-72 hours before doing the final cut and polish.…. We also made a makeshift paint booth with 1 X 2 furring strips and plastic sheeting which really helped to keep the dust and airborne contaminants at bay…….

Spraying the color and all the prep work and sanding wasn’t that tough, and the K2 was excellent. The other option to consider is if you know someone with a paint sprayer that knows how to use it, have them lay down the clear coat and you can buy K2 in a can for that… Getting the clear right will make or break your job….. Good luck, and like I said don’t cut yourself short and you might be surprised how well it comes out…..

Harley-Davidson FLSTC Motorcycle Paint - ColorRite

Spray Max USC 2k High Gloss Clearcoat Aerosol https://a.co/d/cqbovXD

 

[cpbedor]

It’s painted and back together. The paint doesn’t match nor do I care, I just needed to get it painted “well enough” so that it didn’t rust the bare metal. I’ll send it out to the painter this winter to be painted correctly but I can’t afford to be down for 3-4 weeks during an already short Minnesota riding season. I did the best job I could with what I had and it turned out nicely albeit a color that doesn’t match perfectly. All that matters is we’re back in business.

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[StoneTrekker]

^^^I still love it. Strong and beautiful look.^^^

 

[phillyfan1]

Looks real good man. What I really like is the hidden axle. Fat tire or not, the hidden axle really cleans it up

 

[Mongo40]

Well after years of drooling over the Native front end kit, I had this put on out here in Rapid City. Need to get the fender painted obviously but Jesus I love the way it looks. If this forum is good for anything, it’s showing me new ways to spend money.

View attachment 465306


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What did they charge you ? I stopped by there today and they quoted me $4300 + tax with painted black fender!

 

[StoneTrekker]

What did they charge you ? I stopped by there today and they quoted me $4300 + tax with painted black fender!

I didn't know getting fat was that expensive!

 

[Mongo40]

I didn’t think it was that high! Rally prices maybe!!!

 

[cpbedor]

What did they charge you ? I stopped by there today and they quoted me $4300 + tax with painted black fender!

The difference is “painted black fender”. I got a bare metal fender. I also had to buy new rotors to fit the wheel I wanted which was +600 and that sucked but the rotors that were on there had 40k on them so it wasn’t the worst thing ever, still not fun.


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[Little Wing]

I also had to buy new rotors to fit the wheel I wanted which was +600 and that sucked but the rotors that were on there had 40k on them so it wasn’t the worst thing ever, still not fun.

is that a PM wheel?
i swore i would never spend that much for a wheel and the first chance i get, i buy one lol
the damned adaptors were $100 each, which had i known, would have necessitated a rotor change, too.

i like that you planned better than me and spent the extra money: it lines up better and looks great.

maybe if i can get some extra buckaroos over the winter i can upgrade that, too.

 

[cpbedor]

yes it's a PM wheel but I'll be damned if I can remember which one it is. They had another one there that was very similar and it would have accepted my rotors but if we're going that far, we may as well do it all the way.

EDIT: I was wrong, it's not a PM wheel. It's from Metal Artopia and it's called the Slicer 2.

SLICER 2 CHROME | metalartopia

www.metalartopia.com