|  | Topic : 21" Front Wheel |  |
| | | custom59 | | Set |  | | Reg. Date | : | 24/02/2016 | | Posts | : | 2 | | Location | : | Australia |
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| | Posted : 27 Feb 2016 - 11:26 Post title : 21" Front Wheel | | | Has anyone put a 21" spoked front wheel on their 1600 Thunderbird.
I am wanting to put one on mine but am not sure where to start.
The spoked hub off a Thunderbird LT looks to be too wide. My next thought was to see if a Harley hub could be made to fit using spacers
if the axle diameter is the same.
Apparently a Thunderbird Sport (900 triple) has a 17mm axle. Does anyone know the axle diameter of a 1600 Thunderbird.
This may be the go with a bit of adapting.
I haven't found any aftermarket wheels to suit the Thunderbirds.
If anyone has already done this it would save a lot of trial and error on my part.
Regards,
Mal.
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| | | Slcharger | | Jupiter | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 18/02/2016 | | Posts | : | 1,661 | | Location | : | Denmark |
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| | Posted : 27 Feb 2016 - 18:11 Post title : Re: 21" Front Wheel (Re: custom59) | | | Now, why do you want to do that?
If it's because you want to make life difficult for yourself, you are on the right path 
First of all, the bird is a metric bike, and nothing from a Harley will fit, without modification.
Secondly as far as I know, there is no tire that replaces the original 120/70ZR19, at load index 60, unless you are willing to accept change in circumference. That again will affect ride height and actual rake angle, that again affects riding experience. Should you succeed in acquiring the right tire, you still ned the rim with the right width to fit the brake rotors, hole pattering, axle, etc. By the way, the axle on a bird is 20mm.
Thirdly the bird is a heavy bike ( service weight 330 kg, maximum 550 kg ), and the 2x310mm front brakes, they put a lot of load on the front tire. If you choose a tire with a width less than 120 mm., then you will experience increasingly stability problems when cornering at high speed, or heavy breaking, the smaller the width is.
Beside my bird, I have a 2015 Harley Sportster 1200 -72 with MH90-21 front tire. The service weight is 250kg, and since the brakes on Harleys generally are crap, I fitted bigger brakes. And let me assure you : The front tire can't handle more bike than the 72. Fitting the same tire on a bird would be nothing less than dangerous, in my opinion.
Ride safe, and may the force be with you 
Kim
| Big Bird, Bordeaux with " Celtic theme " Airbrush, 2010, 1700CC, ABS, 65.000 km. Lowered with Nitros rear shocks, Linear front springs, Burchard forward footrest kit, Kuryakyn ISO grips, LOTS of chrome, SLcharger REV2+ tune, Modified Cee Baileys windshield, Oil pressure gauge, Air box elimination kit, Portet cylinderhead, Intake cam advanved 8 degree, Exhaust cam retarded 2 degree, 10.5 C/R, Knock sensor, Machined flywheel, DNA Chrome Spoke wheels, 18x8.5"- AVON AV72- 240/40/18, 21x3.5"- AVON AV71- 120/70/21, Corbin seat with backrest, 20W fork oil. Hiflo HF303RC oil filter, Penrite Racing 20-20W60 engine oil, Adjurl lights.
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| | | MickeyBoy | | Chaac | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 18/09/2010 | | Posts | : | 553 | | Location | : | WiNe CoUnTrY TeMeCuLa, Socialist State of Kalifornia, United States |
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| | Posted : 29 Feb 2016 - 00:17 Post title : Re: 21" Front Wheel (Re: custom59) | | | You could do it if you found the right rim. That will require some research.
You will also need to rake the front and lower the rear about 1". There is a company called xchoppers that sold a rake kit for the bird. He may be able to direct you toward a 21" rim as well.
Good luck.
| | Post edited by MickeyBoy on 29 Feb 2016 - 00:18 |
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| | | surfing72 | | Set | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 20/03/2012 | | Posts | : | 483 | | Location | : | Nth, New South Wales, Australia |
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| | Posted : 29 Feb 2016 - 08:05 Post title : Re: 21" Front Wheel (Re: custom59) | | | Yeah mate I did it then I bolted Harley Wide Glide forks and bike to the 21 inch front spoked wheel
But seriously i reckon it would look great on the Tbird and lift the front end a little for better ground clearance. Good luck
| Dan
| | Post edited by surfing72 on 29 Feb 2016 - 08:06 |
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| | | custom59 | | Set | | | Reg. Date | : | 24/02/2016 | | Posts | : | 2 | | Location | : | Australia |
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| | Posted : 01 Mar 2016 - 11:48 Post title : Re: 21" Front Wheel (Re: custom59) | | | Thanks for all of your input.
Slcharger... Over the years I have had several choppers and all of my bikes have been modified.
Of course the 21" wheel will change the circumference. I plan on using a 120/70 21 (load rating 68!!!).
If I can I want to rake the triple trees and even extend the fork tubes, but that isn't looking likely so far.
I know the bike is heavy etc. but the correct 21" tyre will handle whatever the Thunderbird can dish out.
MickeyBoy... Thanks for your more positive response. I checked out xchoppers site and contacted them.
They don't know of any aftermarket replacement wheels, mags or spoked and also said that
the raked triple trees are no longer available. Pity, I would definitely have got them. The look great
on their shop bike.
They do have a few items in their store that will make their way onto my bike in the future.
Surfing72... Good looking Wide Glide. I have had several Harleys over the years including a rigid Panhead, a Heritage Softail,
a Shovelhead trike, and a '99 Twin Cam. The Twin Cam is one of the reasons I now have the Thunderbird. I vowed I
would never buy another new Harley again. Biggest POS I have ever owned.
The Thunderbird is a Great bike but it looks like all the other black Thunderbirds on the road.
Now I have painted it so it stands out a bit but I'm keen to do more mods.
Cheers,
Mal.
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| | | MickeyBoy | | Chaac | | | | Reg. Date | : | 18/09/2010 | | Posts | : | 553 | | Location | : | WiNe CoUnTrY TeMeCuLa, Socialist State of Kalifornia, United States |
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| | Posted : 01 Mar 2016 - 23:22 Post title : Re: 21" Front Wheel (Re: custom59) | | | No problem.
You might also try to contact some of the wheel manufacturers you find in Bike Magazines. Two more issues you might encounter are fitting a front fender due to the height change and an ABS ring that fits. It can be done and I thought about it, but with over 80,000 US miles on the bike it is time to start shopping for a new one. Maybe there is a customized LT in my future.
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| | | Slcharger | | Jupiter | | | | Reg. Date | : | 18/02/2016 | | Posts | : | 1,661 | | Location | : | Denmark |
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| | Posted : 03 Mar 2016 - 18:19 Post title : Re: 21" Front Wheel (Re: custom59) | | |
custom59 wrote:
Thanks for all of your input.
Slcharger... Over the years I have had several choppers and all of my bikes have been modified.
Of course the 21" wheel will change the circumference. I plan on using a 120/70 21 (load rating 68!!!).
If I can I want to rake the triple trees and even extend the fork tubes, but that isn't looking likely so far.
I know the bike is heavy etc. but the correct 21" tyre will handle whatever the Thunderbird can dish out.
MickeyBoy... Thanks for your more positive response. I checked out xchoppers site and contacted them.
They don't know of any aftermarket replacement wheels, mags or spoked and also said that
the raked triple trees are no longer available. Pity, I would definitely have got them. The look great
on their shop bike.
They do have a few items in their store that will make their way onto my bike in the future.
Surfing72... Good looking Wide Glide. I have had several Harleys over the years including a rigid Panhead, a Heritage Softail,
a Shovelhead trike, and a '99 Twin Cam. The Twin Cam is one of the reasons I now have the Thunderbird. I vowed I
would never buy another new Harley again. Biggest POS I have ever owned.
The Thunderbird is a Great bike but it looks like all the other black Thunderbirds on the road.
Now I have painted it so it stands out a bit but I'm keen to do more mods.
Cheers,
Mal.
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Comparison.
120/70-19
120/70-21
Difference
Diameter inches (mm)
25.61 (650.6) 27.61 (701.4) 2 (50.8) 7.8%
Width inches (mm)
4.72 (120) 4.72 (120) 0 (0) 0%
Circum. inches (mm)
80.47 (2043.92) 86.75 (2203.51) 6.28 (159.59) 7.8%
Sidewall Height inches (mm)
3.31 (84) 3.31 (84) 0 (0) 0%
Need raise fender 1 inch.
If you have ABS, it properbly wont work, and show error. These systems normally only accept 4% offset. In this case we have 7.8%
| Big Bird, Bordeaux with " Celtic theme " Airbrush, 2010, 1700CC, ABS, 65.000 km. Lowered with Nitros rear shocks, Linear front springs, Burchard forward footrest kit, Kuryakyn ISO grips, LOTS of chrome, SLcharger REV2+ tune, Modified Cee Baileys windshield, Oil pressure gauge, Air box elimination kit, Portet cylinderhead, Intake cam advanved 8 degree, Exhaust cam retarded 2 degree, 10.5 C/R, Knock sensor, Machined flywheel, DNA Chrome Spoke wheels, 18x8.5"- AVON AV72- 240/40/18, 21x3.5"- AVON AV71- 120/70/21, Corbin seat with backrest, 20W fork oil. Hiflo HF303RC oil filter, Penrite Racing 20-20W60 engine oil, Adjurl lights.
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| | | bnz433 | | Jupiter | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 10/06/2011 | | Posts | : | 1,842 | | Location | : | Clifton Park (Upstate), NY, United States |
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| | Posted : 08 Mar 2016 - 12:42 Post title : Re: 21" Front Wheel (Re: custom59) | | | Check out DR MECHANIK. I think he's in Germany. On the Facebook Triumph Thunderbird page, he lists not only a 240 rear tire setup, but also looks like at least a 21" front. Spokes both ends, with swingarm kit, etc. Probably pretty pricey, just for the wheels. Not sure about kit, etc. His FB page looks like he does nice work with lots of custom builds, etc.
| Bennington Triumph Bash - 31May-2June 2019. Home of the (tied in '14 & '15) US RECORD T-BIRD FLOCKING!!!!!
Link
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