Tech

Skill Level

Plus-Sized Wheels and Tires With Upgraded Shocks Add Looks and Performance

Depending on your needs or desires, custom wheels and performance tires can be the largest changes you make to your two-wheeled toy. Visually, the new wheels are largely more attractive than the original circular hoops that were placed on the bike from the manufacturer. From a performance standpoint, plus-sized tires are generally comprised of a much more aggressive rubber compound and tread design for smoother running and higher handling efficiency. In the custom bike world, it’s a mandatory change that must be made.

In preparation for some serious attitude adjustment being made to a 2006 Harley-Davidson Road King, we sought to get the ball rolling by swapping on some sweet rollers from Ride Wright. We went with the company’s 50-spoke Fat Daddy wheels, in 18×4.25 and 21×3.5, and dressed them up thanks to the myriad of options that Ride Wright has available to make your wheels one of a kind. Klassic one-piece rotors and a Klassic pulley finished off the order. Avon’s Cobra and Venom tires were specifically designed for such applications and were the perfect choice to complement to our wheels. The front’s 120/70-21 Cobra and rear’s 150/70-18 Venom outperform the stock tire in all areas. Speaking of performance, the original rear shocks were ditched so we could bolt up a pair of Progressive Suspension’s 944-series rear shocks. Specifically designed for touring bikes, the 944 lowered the Road King 1 inch and will be a blast to ride thanks to Progressive’s Frequency Sensing Technology. You can even alter preload by hand! HB

Sources:

Avon Tyres

avontyres.com

Progressive Suspension

progressivesuspension.com

Ride Wright Wheels

ridewrightwheels.com