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[FXR4NUT]

I'm looking for a set of original wheels for my FXR4. I want to put my FXR4 back in its original state.  I'd be willing to give a set of chromed HD mags as trade-in. See pic attached.

Anyone interested?

[RedFXR2]

I would think that actual take-offs from a FXR4 would be hard to run across, but I would also think that the front wheel would be a commonly available 19" laced wheel.  Probably still available from HD if nowhere else.  Maybe used on many models.  You could get your dealer to look up the part number, see what other models it was used and then watch ebay, searching under those models, not FXR4's.  Watch out for the dual disc hub--that might be the key difference from the FXR4 to other HD's.

I'm not sure, but I think your rear wheel is the same as for then-year FatBoys.  I'd do the same thing--have the dealer look up the number and cross-reference it for other applications.

[FXR4NUT]

Hello RedFXR2.

You're really an inexhaustable source of information bro. Thanks for the info.

You're right, laced wheels with dual discd are available from the Factory (around $500 CDN) and the rear wheel is the same as those installed on softails in those years.

The wheels that are currently on the bike are HD ThunderStar mags. The previous owner, who did and still doesn't know dick all about motorcycles, had bought the bike brand new and had those mags installed at the dealership;he never asked to keep the original wheels... so they were sold to someone else I guess- another good example of double dipping by some unscrupulous dearlers.

After I bought the bike from the previous owner, by law, I had to get it safety checked for registration in Ontario, Canada.  The local dealer here who is doing the safety check told me that those mags weren't meant for an FXR4 especially the 19" front wheel. Because of the space between the hub and the lower fork, the nuts are not long enough to bold the rotors in properly and, on those mags, the rotors cannot be aligned properly either. So they told me they had to order longer bolts (aftermarket because Harley doesn't make them) and strongly suggested that I revert to the original wheels at some point in time. In the meantime, they will put the rotors back in with the longer bolts and monitor this set up from time to time.  I find that a bit strange, don't you?

Going on Harley's website and looking up their parts section, I realize that the ThunderStar mags do not show FXRs in the list of possible applications. I wonder if the dealer has got a point here.

[RedFXR2]

The wheels that are currently on the bike are HD ThunderStar mags. The previous owner, who did and still doesn't know dick all about motorcycles, had bought the bike brand new and had those mags installed at the dealership;he never asked to keep the original wheels... so they were sold to someone else I guess- another good example of double dipping by some unscrupulous dearlers.

Thunderstars were really popular for a short while, there.  Too bad you (and the previous owner) didn't get the original wheels.  I'm amazed that the original owner just let the dealer keep them.  Maybe the dealer gave him some sort of discount on the Thunderstars in exchange.

After I bought the bike from the previous owner, by law, I had to get it safety checked for registration in Ontario, Canada.  The local dealer here who is doing the safety check told me that those mags weren't meant for an FXR4 especially the 19" front wheel. Because of the space between the hub and the lower fork, the nuts are not long enough to bold the rotors in properly and, on those mags, the rotors cannot be aligned properly either. So they told me they had to order longer bolts (aftermarket because Harley doesn't make them) and strongly suggested that I revert to the original wheels at some point in time. In the meantime, they will put the rotors back in with the longer bolts and monitor this set up from time to time.  I find that a bit strange, don't you?

Going on Harley's website and looking up their parts section, I realize that the ThunderStar mags do not show FXRs in the list of possible applications. I wonder if the dealer has got a point here.

The first thing that comes to mind is that the FXR3 had Thunderstar front wheels from the factory.  To my knowledge, all the CVO FXR's used the same front fork assemblies--wrong:  see edit.  So if the wheel fit the FXR3 why doesn't it fit the FXR4?  [edit:  I have since discovered that the FXR2 and 3 used the same fork sliders but the FXR4 had different ones on both L and R legs.  Not sure what's different besides the caliper mount on the right leg, or how that affects the rotor/caliper alignment.  Would have thought that the Left leg would be the same.]

But on the other hand this story rings more familiar than you know.  About a month ago I finally pulled the trigger on a project I had been thinking about for about two years.  My FXR2 came from the factory with a 21" front wheel.  A really nice billet aluminum (but bare--impossible to reach for polishing) hub, cruddy cadmium plated spokes, and a nice chrome rim.  I wanted the same hub in chrome, polished stainless spokes, and the same chrome rim.  I shopped and shopped, believing that I could get a whole new wheel already built up for much less $$ than creating my own wheel from pieces.  What I found after talking to people (you have to get beyond the sales types) at American Wire Wheel, Landmark, and Billet Boys, is that the nice pre-built wheels out there are for newer bikes with newer style forks, meaning the spacing between the rotor and the caliper is different as of the year 2000.  In short, I would have to replace my lower fork legs to make one of their wheels and hubs work.  So I  bit the bullet and ordered a new hub from HD (the FXR2 billet hub was the same as used on 1994 FXLR's), and had it chromed, bought a set of polished stainless spokes from Landmark, and a new chrome rim from HD.  All the parts are at the shop now being assembled.  It's going to look really nice but I sure thought it would be easier.  However, this way it will all mate up and the brake will function safely.

It sounds like what you've got going on with your Thunderstars is a variation on the same problem.  But your bike came with dual discs, and therefore a different hub, so maybe not unless the spacing on the rotor mount pad is the same as mine.  But I would guess that this is the reason that Thunderstars are not shown to fit on FXR's.  Since your bike is a model year 2000, youmight have to do some research on your hub before trusting the aftermarket.  I'd say do the part number thing at the dealer again, and see if that hub was used on other models--especially past model year 2000.  Remember, my bike is a 1999 but the hub was last used in Production bikes in 1994.

This is probably (but make sure) the wheel you would need from HD:

19" Chrome Plated Front Wheel assembly:  OEM Stock Replacement with Double-Flange Hub Fits 84-99 XL, XLH, XLX, XLS, FXR, FXRS,FXRT, FXRS-SP, FXRS-CON, FXLR, Dyna Glide™, and FXD models with dual disc brakes 
43321-79A

Suburban Harley in Wisconsin has them for $360.80 USD.  Don't know about conversion/cross border purchase to Canada,though.

http://suburbanharley.com/catalog/productdetails.cfm?ProductID=782

You're really an inexhaustable source of information bro.

Thanks for the compliment but I'm not sure I deserve it.  It's like this: when the kids drive me crazy I obsess over the bike to relax and get "me" time.

[fxr3joe]

Harding,

Sounds like you're on the right path for the wheel.  On a different subject...Can you take a picture of your saddle bag supports? 

Thanks,

FXR3Joe

[Bullwinkle]

Being new here, I don't want to stick my nose in too much, but....

Even though the FXR4 had dual disks and a wire spoke front wheel, I feel safe in saying that the FXR4 used the same front end as a Dyna, just as they did in the 1990's, except the FXR4 used a 2000 Dyna front end.  The fork lower legs would be different to accommodate the four piston calipers which were introduced that year and which had different mounts than the single piston sliding calipers of the '90s. And a 2000 Dyna Sport model was available that year with dual disks, so it stands to reason that any wheel which would fit a Dyna Sport with dual disks would work on the FXR4 with the same front end and dual disks.  Using the same forks, it shouldn't be inherently unsafe unless the wrong parts were used (too short or wrong bolts, etc.)

HD used the same triple trees on single and dual disk bikes, so the width of the dual and single disk front ends would be the same.  The only difference should be the wheel spacers.

Again, sorry if I stepped on someone's toes.

I posted a message asking about reliability of 2000 vs. 1999 components.  If I decide on an FXR4, I may want to talk to you about those Thunderstar wheels.

Best,

Bullwinkle

[RedFXR2]

Forget the toes, I welcome any activity on FXR's down here.

I don't have access to Dyna part numbers so I can't compare Dyna front end numbers with any FXR numbers.  Maybe year-2000 narrow glide Dyna forks are the same.  But the original thing I was trying to offer help with was in replacing the original FXR4 wheels.  I would think that those wheels were used on other models so I would advise asking the HD dealer for part numbers and what other models they were used on, to possibly search ebay or wherever.  This may well reveal that the front wheel is the same as 2000 Dyna sport models. The part description
I found from Suburban Harley seems to bear that out. Bound to be easier to find a wheel listed for a 2000 Dyna than a FXR4.
 
Essentially what I found in my situation was that the key difference is in the hub.  It wasn't about spacers or fork width.  The raised pad on my FXR2 hub, used on FXLR's in 1994, where the disc rotor mounts is apparently either higher or lower (still not clear which) meaning that the newer style hubs will place the disc rotor out of alignment with my caliper.  It may be possible to cure this with spacers but (depending on who you're talking to) either safety becomes a concern, or the caliper must be relocated nearer to the wheel through the replacement of the lower legs.  I do know that the FXR4 uses different part number lower legs than the FXR2 and 3.

Since the FXR3 came from the factory with Thunderstars, and used the same lower fork legs as my bike, I can presume that the rotor location on a Thunderstar lines up with the caliper on FXR2's and 3's.  But it might not line up with the different caliper location on the different lower legs on the FXR4.

I kept finding wheels and hubs that used a 3/4" axle like mine, that fit a narrow glide front like mine, but would only fit 2000 and up model years.  It wasn't until I had the rotor height difference explained to me that I found out why.  The guys at Billet Boys told me that they did this drill frequently with customers who thought their hubs would fit older forks and found out they wouldn't because of the rotor/caliper issue.  Harding's experience with the safety inspection seems to mesh with what I was told by Billet Boys.  It's more about the wheel/hub and not the forks.

[Bullwinkle]

I would guess it's hard to find any post 2000 bike with both wire wheels and dual calipers.  On the pre 1999 Thunderstar part numbers the same wheel would fit Sportsters, Dynas and FXRs, so my first thought was to find a spoke wheel Sportster, but I don't recall ever seeing one with wire spoke wheels -and- dual front disks.  I may be wrong, but I would think the FXR4 might be the only one.  Ebay maybe?

>> Bound to be easier to find a wheel listed for a 2000 Dyna than a FXR4.

No doubt.  But a spoke wheel Dyna with dual disks?  I think the only 2000+ Dyna with dual disks was the Dyna Sport and it had aluminum wheels.

Not to sound discouraging....
 
>> the newer style hubs will place the disc rotor out of alignment with my caliper...

Again, I'm no expert but it might have to do with the FXR2/3 having a cable drive speedometer and the FXR4 having electronic speedometer driven off the transmission.  There is about 5/16-3/8" thickness in the speedometer drive.

>> Since the FXR3 came from the factory with Thunderstars, and used the same lower fork legs as my bike, I can presume that the rotor location on a Thunderstar lines up with the caliper on FXR2's and 3's.

Right.  For years HD had listed in the P&A catalog a dual disk kit which had only the right lower fork leg, another caliper and rotor, and the proper brake lines and spacers.  So pretty much any narrow glide scoot could have dual disks if you could bolt the right side rotor to the wheel.  IOW, the forks were the same except for the brake mount.

Some time ago I had the bright idea to put a Dyna Sport cartridge mount front end on my scoot.  A dealer parts man told me that other than the cartridge damping and the brake mounts, the 2000+ Dyna Sport front end was identical to my 1993 FXR.  I could use my current wheel, speedometer drive, spacers, axle, etc. on the DS front end.  Or I could switch to a 2000+ wheel with appropriate hardware.   I can't say for sure, but if he is right your options opened up some.   I never did the swap mainly because I didn't like the idea of taking the fork tubes off to change the fork oil.  I like the simple drain plug arrangement of the regular Harleys.

When you have an itch, you gotta scratch it.  For my money I'd rather have an aluminum wheel simply because you don't have to worry about truing it, rusty spokes, leaks, etc.  But if the only thing that will do it is a wire spoke wheel, then the search is on.

Bullwinkle

[FXR4NUT]

Thanks fellows, interesting stuff

So, "if the pads on the stock FXR4 hub, where the disc rotor mounts, are higher or lower meaning that the ThunderStar hub will place the disc rotor out of alignment with the caliper", then changing the lower fork leg for FXR2s or FXR3s could be one solution to solve that problem, if I were to keep those mags, of course.

Pardon me my ignorance but what about the rear wheel? would the alignment issue be identical?

[RedFXR2]

Again, I'm no expert but it might have to do with the FXR2/3 having a cable drive speedometer and the FXR4 having electronic speedometer driven off the transmission.  There is about 5/16-3/8" thickness in the speedometer drive.

This could very well be the factor that drove the rotor height change.  Nobody at my sources ever mentioned that but it is true--I have the mechanical drive speedo at the front wheel and the FXR4 has an electronic speedo driven off the transmission.  I'm just guessing since my HD knowledge is basically stuck in 1999, but maybe that became standard beginning in 2000 and therefore all 2000-up front hubs became different.  This is what's great about more than one source of info--thanks.

[RedFXR2]

...but what about the rear wheel? would the alignment issue be identical?

My guess (and that's all this is) would be no.  Again, my recommendation would be to get part numbers from the dealer for the stock FXR4 rear wheel and see what else it fits.

The 4 has a different brake caliper, caliper mount and swingarm from the 2 and 3.

[hdfxr3]

 >:(I have close friend who just bought fxr4 w/ 3500 miles on her and i may convince him to swap w/ you for the chrome thunderstars you now have. He has the genuine stock wheels sold w/ the fxr4 and are in great condition! i guess you would need the rotors too..and you could supply the rims you no have ..which do fit?  may be easier swap if ya just swapped tires, wheels, rotors as unit.  we are in alabama, where are you located?  i'm letting him know you have yours available..to swap for his original set..if that is correct?  let me know please via email  hdfxr3@aol.com ..i have fxr3 and he wants his fxr4 to look like my bike if all items will change out with no issues.  dave

[FXR4NUT]

Hello HDFXR3:

That sounds interesting; I will send you an e-mail shortly in that regard.


Cheers

Harding