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[neanderpaul]

So, I'm talking to my friend Eric, who's one of New England's premier customizers (see next months Iron Horse), and we were talking about the "fat tire" fad.

He's of the opinion that the trend is on the downside.

Wouldn't that make the MoCo's alleged fat tire bike a day late, and a dollar short?

Plus...imagine the markdown on Big Dogs if it's true

[Coolbreeze]

That would fit the MoCo's present configuration.  A Day late and a  Dollar short...   [smiley=oops.gif]

[nidan]

I think there will be plenty buying the 200mm softails and going up to th e180 on the dyna as it is really cheap. Personally after going from a 130 to a 150 when I got my new ride , I don't find a need for a wider rear from a handling perspective.

[RedFXR2]

He's of the opinion that the trend is on the downside.

Not sure if this is directly connected to fat tires, but I'm hearing that style trends are changing.

I recently moved to South Florida, so after buying a house, the next thing was to check out the local riding scene.  There's a local shop (indy) that is run by two guys, one with an Arlen Ness connection (worked for him for years and still travels with him to all the major rallys) and the other is from Connecticut, a Hamster, and friends with Dave Perewitz.  In fact, the shop was originally opened under the name Perewitz Cycle Fab.

Anyway, the former Ness guy is right now still on the road with Ness and Company after Sturgis but according to him, the vendor displays at Sturgis were all about Pro Street  bikes, and that choppers were dead.  Over. Kaput.  He is building a modified Dyna for himself and told me that Ness was telling him, jokingly, all about a new Dyna swingarm that would accept a 300 rear tire.

"But Arlen, I want to actually *ride* this bike."

"Oh, you want to ride it?  What a concept."

And then they both had a laugh.  Anyway, these guys say that much more reasonable rear tires will be back, used on bikes that are imminently more rideable.

[dickie]

CHOPPERS WILL NEVER DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[smiley=cool2.gif]

[Screamin]

Whlie the big tires are cool IMHO; look how Harley did it. The belt's about the size of my pinkie. Gotta think there's trouble a brewing w/ that.

[RedFXR2]

CHOPPERS WILL NEVER DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 [smiley=cool2.gif]

I don't think anybody's saying that choppers will "die", but I do think that the current fad (of a whole lot of people spending big $'s to have one sit in their garage) has about run it's course.  Like fine art, there will always be a spot in motorcycling for the chopper look and style, but I have to believe that a lot of folks who bought that fine art will tire (no pun intended) of it quickly.

[TB]

Just stopped into Wild Boar HD in Grand Rapids and checked out the new "06's.  They had a '06 Night Train Softail with the new 200 tire.  Man is the drive belt narrow on it.  It must be about 3/4 of an inch wide.  Can't beleive that'll hold up when the motor is pumped up and the 200 tire grabs some traction.  I know everyone is saying that the new belt are plent strong....buy this thing looks downright tiny!!!!!!

[Coolbreeze]

I would have to agree with the narrowness of the belt due to experience 2 days ago...  New friend, new bike, new big tire...  tried a 3rd gear burn out in the driveway.......  shredded the belt when he dropped the clutch..............   yeehaw.  The rev limiter works though!!! [smiley=nervous.gif]

[TB]

It certainly appears HD went the "cheap" route with their fat tire installation.  No real engineering behind the change other than an ever narrowing belt.  The aftermarket doesn't even go this route with their fat tire kits which usually include wider swingarms, extended tranny shafts and offset plates.  

As long as it took MOCO to jump on the bandwagon of the fat tire craze, I would have expected more.

[spydglide]

It certainly appears HD went the "cheap" route with their fat tire installation.  No real engineering behind the change other than an ever narrowing belt.  The aftermarket doesn't even go this route with their fat tire kits which usually include wider swingarms, extended tranny shafts and offset plates.  

As long as it took MOCO to jump on the bandwagon of the fat tire craze, I would have expected more.

You know, we probably shouldn't be too quick to disparage the narrow belt decision, 'cause I notice that belts have been getting more narrow ea. year in lots of applications.......I think it may be like when they started building boat hulls out of fiberglass and didn't have any track record, they over-built them.  In subsequent years, the thickness of the hulls got thinner ea. year as they realized that they didn't need to be that thick to hold up..........belts may be evolving the same way.......who knows, maybe next we'll have 'string bikini-type' drives on the sleds!  Har!   [smiley=beerchug.gif]  spyder

[LETS_ROLL]

Same goes for the SE Fat Boy.  Big tire, tiny belt and funky fender (looks like a metric bike from the back).  One burn out and is done, my opinion.

Let's Roll

[Tonys]

Same goes for the SE Fat Boy.  Big tire, tiny belt and funky fender (looks like a metric bike from the back).  One burn out and is done, my opinion.

Let's Roll

Time will tell..I understand it is made a lot stronger...kevlar/carbon fiber or something like that..supposed to be stronger than the wide one. Like Spyder said, may be a natural progression.