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[reo]

Any one here ride a bike with a 300 back tire? I've read somewhere that it’s like riding on a beach ball. I'm sure the cornering is challenging but the look is incredible. Another question is: tire mileage and tire replacement cost.

I would think riding in the rain would be a big problem so I guess Magie vally would be out, he he.

Anyone got any input at all would be appreciated.

[spydglide]

 My only input is that if anyone on this site should do it, it should be you, Reo.  [smiley=xyxthumbs.gif] Go for it and definitely bring 'er to Soggy Valley so we can all check 'er out. Then you could get one of those 'Smoke a Fatty' t-shirts.   har!  spyder

[BLM777]

I've ridden lot's of chop's with a 300 and have never found one to be worth a $hit.  The more recent bikes with right side drive tend to help the "flopping over" syndrome in left hand turns, but are still a lot of work to ride in any condition other than straight ahead for very short distances.  If you really want to see how much fun they are to ride, check the miles on the used fat tire bikes for sale on ebay or cycle trader.  Fun to look at....miserable to ride.  JMHO.

[reo]

Thanks for the input guys. I saw the Baker 300 tire conversion with the ddr 6 rsd and got to thinking what kind of sick look I would have. I guess it would make the bike kind of one dimensionable. Maybe it would keep me from putting the miles on.

I guess I should have asked what kind of handling I could epect with the short rake the stock harley has negotiating the 300 back tire around turns. Most of the bikes I've seen with 300 tires are pro street versions with a 45 to 50 plus degree rake and I would think the slow responce from the extended rake would make the 300 back tire that much more difficult to handle.

My mind is racing......any input is welcome.

[VaEagle]

Hi reo,
This is just my .02 but I would say you are already having doubts about converting to a 300 rear tire.
So far other than looking cool there doesn't seem to be anything positive about doing that conversion.
Look at it this way,you will be spending lots of hard earned money to make the bike handle worse,probably use more gas and make it harder to find a replacement tire on the road if you have a flat.Then you have the increased wear and tear on the drivetrain which may make the bike less reliable and will mean increased maintenance costs.
If you are doing this conversion to be stylish for others then you may be at the tail end(No pun intended) of the big tire chopper fad? Many of the motorcycle magazines are now spouting the mantra that bobbers are the latest fad because they are cheaper to make and handle better.
If that is so you may hurt the resale value of your Screamin Eagle since it will no longer be relatively stock and if the big tire craze is gone so will the demand during later sale.Unless you can hold on to the stock parts and restore it if needed.
On the other hand if you are doing this 300 tire thing because it is truly something you want and will feel like you are missing out if you don't do it then I would say go ahead and do it knowing full well the pitfalls of doing so and enjoy the bike as you want it. After all you paid for it and you are the only one that has to ride it!
If it was me and I had to have a 300 tire bike I would probably get a custom one where the frame,suspension and drivetrain were originaly built to handle the tire and all it's geometry and physics.

[fatboyse2]

My next door neighbor bought a Bourget Fatdaddy with a 330mm rear tire.  It actually rides very stable and likes to be straight up and down.  Since it's not a total chopper it turns reasonably well too.  But, that's where it ends.  I found I had to muscle it to make it go where I wanted and as a consequence, after 20 miles I was pretty tired and needed a break.  On my HD I've got a 200mm rear tire and though it's not a standout it does have a great look and handles well and I get a 100 miles before getting that urge to stop for a beer and stretch  I'm sure the front end rideability and overall bike geometry would be different doing this to an un-stretched Harley and it would be cool to see a 300mm rear on a fatboy.  Post us the pics if you do this. [smiley=xyxthumbs.gif]

[dualcarb300hd]

I have a Baker RSD 6spd with a 300mm rear tire.  A true HD FXST Softail with a 300 tire is a sweet comfortable ride.
I have been on many 100 plus mile trips, canyon carved etc.  The dual carb manifold does have a power ban you have to be aware of.  When you hit 2700 rpm the bike takes off.  Otherwise nice stuff as far as Edelbrock.  I would not buy Edelbrock again, chrome peeled off of a dual carb manifold that was never installed in a temperature controlled room and was still in the box new.  They (Dave) would not replace the manifold, and were not really to nice about it.
In any event get the big rear tire, you wont regret it.  Stay with the HD screaming eagle stuff and not Edelbrock.
dualcarb300   AKA Fat-n-Furious