Softail Trike Swingarm

[crzrlou]

I plan on converting my 2007 Heritage Softail Classic to a trike. I can't afford an entire kit at this time so I am buying a part at a time over a few months. I am looking for the swingarm now and I am getting different answers on the year swingarm that will fit. One site says a 2000 on swingarm will fit, yet another site told me a 2006 and 2007 takes a different swingarm than a 2008 and on takes. If I get the wrong one it would cost an awful lot to ship it back. Can any one give me some info on this before I order. Thanks

 

[scotty]

Based on info in the road test below there will definately be a difference between 2005 and earlier and 2006 and later.

"New for 2006 on the Standard, as well as the Night Train and Springer Softail, is a major change as Harley joins the plethora of manufacturers and builders putting serious rubber on the back of their bikes. While their tires may not be as big as some of the tires used by some of the other manufacturers out there, three of this year's models will be outfitted with a 200/55R17 78 tire from Dunlop (Harley-Davidson Series).

Last year's 150/80B16 71H pales in comparison when set alongside the new 200. This year's rubber measures out at approximately 1-1/2 inches wider than what was available in 2005.

So just how did they fit that much more tire in the chassis? The answer is simple. Harley's engineers redesigned the frame, swingarm, transmission pulley, final drive belt, rear pulley, rear wheel, rear-brake caliper, fender, and struts. Adding 2-1/4 inches to the width of the back of the bike left plenty of room for the new 17x6-inch cast rear wheel fitted with the Dunlop. Helping make room for the fatter tire is a 20mm final drive belt; compare this to the standard 29mm belt normally associated with Twin-Cam Harley-Davidsons."

 

[THEREALTRIKKY]

07 was a "tricky" year for the swingarms on the Softail. They offered a wide and narrow tire for the bike; respectively, they also had a different swingarm (width difference where the swingarm attaches to the motorcycle). In 08, they standardized it to use the same dimensions regardless. I would recommend you measuring the width of your swingarm where it mounts to the motorcycle. Typically the narrow tire bike has a "narrow" swingarm at the front, and the "wide" tire has a wider swingarm at the front. There is approx 1/2" difference in the two.