Problem with Metzler on 07 Streetglide : V-Twin Forum: Harley Davidson Forums

Johnny G · 01-01-2007, 09:46 PM

I have an 07 streetglide and before I took delivery of the bike, I had the dealer put on a set of progressive 440's(HD), 11.5 inch. I have a 30 inch inseam so I wanted to get my feet on the ground. The ride was good and everything worked fine. I hate the dunlop tires and decided to put a set of Metzler 880's on. The front tire size is the same as OEM, however, both Metz and Avon don't sell a tire that is 85mm high , they are all 90mm. So here's the problem. I switch tires bike rides terrific, but now I noticed that the rear tire has a rub mark on the right hand side of the tire. It is definitely hitting the top of the fender and the upper right side. I pulled the 440's today and put the stock 12" shocks back on. What I don't understand is how is my buddy who has the same bike with dunlops, runs the stock 12" shocks with a 1" lowering kit, and his fender doesn't rub? Any answers? Can 1/2 of an inch on the shocks and 5mm height diffference in the tire make that much of a difference.

**baggersport** · 01-01-2007, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny G

What I don't understand is how is my buddy who has the same bike with dunlops, runs the stock 12" shocks with a 1" lowering kit, and his fender doesn't rub? Any answers? Can 1/2 of an inch on the shocks and 5mm height diffference in the tire make that much of a difference.

Yes.

You should be able to find what the tire was rubbing and modify for clearance. You might try removing the shocks and lowering the bike on the jack, checking clearances as you go until you find the contact.

aka_matt · 01-02-2007, 12:18 AM

1st of all, the 85 is not a measurement in mm, its a percentage of the width of the tire... the stock tire's sidewall is 85% of the width, while u put on a tire that has a sidewall 90% of its width... 140 x 85% = 119mm, while 140 x 90% = 126mm, ok, not a big difference, but still, its not a set measurement... but look at the websites of each tire to see actual tire diameter... ok, i looked, the MU85 has a diameter of 25.71", and the ME880 140/90 has a diameter of 26.18", so thats almost a half inch difference, which is 1/4" under the fender, and the metz is also 146mm wide vs 140 for the dunlop...

03GLIDE_ · 01-02-2007, 02:51 AM

All things aside your tire should NOT be rubbing. Find out what it's rubbing on and fix it. I run a Metz 140 with 12" 440s with zero problems.

Johnny G · 01-02-2007, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aka_matt

1st of all, the 85 is not a measurement in mm, its a percentage of the width of the tire... the stock tire's sidewall is 85% of the width, while u put on a tire that has a sidewall 90% of its width... 140 x 85% = 119mm, while 140 x 90% = 126mm, ok, not a big difference, but still, its not a set measurement... but look at the websites of each tire to see actual tire diameter... ok, i looked, the MU85 has a diameter of 25.71", and the ME880 140/90 has a diameter of 26.18", so thats almost a half inch difference, which is 1/4" under the fender, and the metz is also 146mm wide vs 140 for the dunlop...

So would the Avon be a better tire than the Metzler for this set up? Because I would still like to lower the bike.

Thanks for the input.

Johnny G · 01-02-2007, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 04GLIDE

All things aside your tire should NOT be rubbing. Find out what it's rubbing on and fix it. I run a Metz 140 with 12" 440s with zero problems.

I did find out what is rubbing against. On the right side of the tire it's the wiring conduit shield inside the fender. I can't move it. Second, it is actually hitting the seat screw at the top of the fender. I believe you said you were running 12" 440's , I was running 11.5" 440's. I believe that is the problem. If you lowered your bike any lower you to might have the same problem.