26"

they look cool for sure, never had chance to ride one. Any difference to stock bike in handling. Maybe you can give us some more info on them...

 

Looks good to me!

 

I think 26" is a bit much. JMO.
Can't imagine that they would do well on a trip through the Rockies.
Not sure they would handle all that well, would depend on spot on geometry.
Not much for a sidewall. Wonder how they would do with aggressive cornering.
Instincts tell me that this is a form before function excess.
They do look cool though. But so does a 15' long chopper. Wouldn't take that on a 4000 mile trip though either.

 

@gree: They look great for show I don't think their practical for bolting on lots of miles and running challenging roads.

 

21 is as far as I would go, never rode a 26 but then you have to change the rake. I wouldn't mind riding one just to see how it handles. Its just not for me,

 

Just another bar stool.

 

That about sums it up.

 

What is your opinion of a bagger with a 26" wheel?

Are they starting to grow on you guys yet??

Sorry, they do nothing for me. I like the performance of my fatter tire, lots of grooved pavement around here.

Personally I don't understand why people spend so much money on modifying baggers. If I were to spend a lot of money to make a cool looking bike, it would not be a bagger. Sorry, but that is my opinion. And yes, I love my RK\half bagger for what it is.

rkc

 

Fugly would be the word.

 

@gree:

Agreed! I fail to see the appeal of them. They look like crap and there is no way they perform or handle as well as a stock tire and wheel. Even if they did they are still as you said, "Fugly"! Someone else mentioned "form over function". Personally I ride too much to sacrifice function for form. I am not a performance person and still have a stock motor but I like to ride fairly aggressively in the mountains and twistie's a lot and would not take a bike on those roads with a 21" wheel let alone a 26" or bigger. Had a customer show me his bike with I think a 31" wheel on it. I told him I thought it looked like a friggin' wagon wheel!

 

it'll last as long as the 300mm rear tire, a good idea taken to yet another extreme, just another fad....

 

Not to mention how many of those 300mm tire bikes are selling at bargain basement prices because the fad came and went.

 

I think your bike is one of the best looking examples i've seen. One thing i really dont like (and it's not your bike) is how alike MOST of the 26" wheel bikes look. They ALL have a John Shope Sinister 2-1 pipe, all have a monotone paint job with skulls airbrushed on one side usually and are mostly Road Glide based. For all trying to be different they share a great deal of commonality. As far as the handling goes, i'd sure like to ride one for a day. Most everyone says they handle just fine with the rake job. I would think they rode like sh!t but everyone who owns one says different.

PS I liked your exhaust so much i bought one too.
Tim

 

they look nice on a show bike,but I prefer the utility of the stock size wheel on my Ultra.

 

My bagger rode the absolute best with an 18" front and 18" rear combo with Metz ME880s. You wouldnt imagine how much better it rides than stock 16" wheels.
Tim

 

Not my style, never understand why people take the handling out of a dresser. I have a friend in the industry and sells suspension parts and he tells me all the time at events that people come up to him with these big front tire slammed in the back and can't for the life of them figure out why the bike ride like crap

 

I think they look awesome. Thought the same thing about a Big Dog chopper that i bought a few years ago. That turned out to me a BIG mistake. I would have to spend some time on one of these big wheel baggers to make an informed opinion.

 

I think the better handling characteristics came from better tires (the Metz ME 880s) and the lower profile sidewall, so yes, i think your last sentence answered it. I think stock 16" FLHT series wheels and tires are designed to have a soft cushy ride, not really a sporty feel at all, which is what you get with a fairly tall profile sidewall. Your later model bagger shows that Harley is SLOWLY getting with the times by using more contemporary wheel and tire combos. You can even get a SE bike with a 19" front wheel. That seems to be a good compromise in style and performance as opposed to putting a 21" wheel on it. Which i think HD will NEVER do. 23" set ups require a lot of mods and 26-30" even more so.

Back to OP, sorry for the detour. I honestly think your bike is one of the cleanest 26" equipped bikes i've seen. If someday i get a later model bike and keep this one, i'd like to turn it into something more radical and rake it and put on a 23" or maybe a 26", i think PM now will make custom bigger wheels. I have RSD contrast Judge wheels and i'd like to keep that style.

Tim

 

I love the look of the big wheel bikes. I can't really see myself building one for various reasons but I do admire them.

 

A perfect way to fook up a good touring bike and turn it into a bar hopper. The only thing that would fook it up even more would be some tall apes pushed waaaay forward.

 

Looks cool in front of the bar but if you wanna actually ride, TOUR (touring bike right?) I will take a fat front tire that corners properly (does not 'fall' into the corner as a larger diameter front does) and absorbs and deals with the road conditions properly. Just my preference.

 

Took a nice touring bike and turned it into a trailer queen. It may go down the road straight but you better be holding on tight going into a turn hot. There are enough stories about 23's handling like crap, now a 26. Not to mention it looks like a little kids tricycle with the big front tire. Maybe some colored streamers hanging off the ends of the bars are on the "custom mods" list for the winter. I just shake my head and laugh. Some of the crap I see in the last 5 years in the Harley world is ridiculous.

 

Bluntly, totally out of place and as ridiculous as putting 24 and 26 inch wheels on 4 wheelers. Semi trucks use 24 and 26 inch wheels. And confession time, I edited and this isn't the blunt version after all. That would be post 10.

 

Kids missing their Big Wheel Toy when they were Young ..

 

LOL. I had a green machine

 

I think they look cool, but I have to wonder what riding one would be like on a mountain road.

 

Looks ridiculous!

 

Don't much care for the looks.
What's next a 12 in. front wheel?
To me they are just another fad that will go by the wayside. I think they look look ridiculous on cars/trucks too!!

 

At some point, everyone will agree on what's "too extreme". I suspect we'll find out in the next few years.

 

I'm not a fan of the 26" front wheel. I don't like the look, I think that it makes the front of the bike too crammed together. Not to mention that you can't tell me you don't have to worry about the fender slamming the fairing.
If you ask me a 21" front is the largest I would go and still maintain full functionality as well as what looks best. Again, this is just my opinion.

 

Not to mention that you can't tell me you don't have to worry about the fender slamming the fairing.

Actually, there is a local guy around here running a 23" wheel and the under side of his fairing is beat up pretty bad. I don't know if that's the case for every big wheel bike. I'm sure some are built better than others.

 

Just eye candy. Will go the way of the long and low choppers.