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[tlr]

Hi all;

I was doing some research on wheel and tire sizes and figured I would post the question here, which is "what is the best wheel size" giving that look and handling are both important.  as an example, my 2012 SESG has 19" in the front and 18" in the rear.  The 2014 SGS has 19', 16" and the 2014 Limited CVO has 17", 16".  Does the Limited have a 17" front because it give a better ride.  Better I mean for the long haul since there is more rubber between rim and road?  is there an optimum answer here.  I think it is also interesting that the 2012 had an 18" rear and now MOCO went to a 16" rear, big difference?  Maybe not since you can really see the rear wheel as well.  anyway, thanks for reading and offering some opinions.  My question, btw, is based on that I am looking into getting the Limited CVO and I am not thrilled with the look of the 17" front wheel.

Thanks,

T

[tlr]

Bueller??

[CVOgliderider]

I went 18 front and back on mine and it rides/handles great.

[TEQUILA -aka- RED RUM]

I just changed from a 18 to a19 I cannot believe the quicker response and lighter feel the 19 gave the bike...

[tjablons]

Tequila - did you change anything else or just the wheel?

[TEQUILA -aka- RED RUM]

Just the wheel new brakes and bearings all HD never stopped better ..never drove so good...real change in handling 19,500 ...put on by me since new ,so I can tell the difference the first hundred feet....

[Midnight Rider]

One of the main things to be concerned about on the Ultra, particularly if you do any two up touring, is the load rating on the tire.  Putting an 18 on the front would not be a big issue, as there are 18" tires available that are the same load rating as the 17".  BUT, other than the 18" tire made for HD by Dunlop that fit on the '11 SERGU and likely the SESG with 18" rear, I don't know of another 18" rear tire that is rated for the loads you'll see on a touring bike, if you use it for touring.  The 18" rear is not even listed on Dunlop's website the last time I looked...only available at HD dealers.

And yes, there is always going to be a bit more sidewall flex in a tire that has a larger/taller sidewall, so there would be some small difference in ride quality.

The rear tire on a Ultra, with two bags, a TP, and likely a piece of luggage on the rack...plus a passenger of whatever size/weight, it generally technically overloaded anyway by most folks, so if you start lowering the load rating, it could be a bad thing at some point...