Wheels and Tires

[1852cc]

Getting ready to order the Roadsmith kit for my 2002 FLHTCUI.

Have a question which wheel and tire size: 245/55-17 of course 17" wheel or 215/55-16 16" wheel.

Would like pros and cons and what you all think.

The trike will have Campion 5 degree ez-steer if the has any baring on rear wheel diameter or tire size.
Thank you in advance.
Mike

 

[1550vt]

I don't want to get into heavy "mathematics" here, but I have just been through a tire-pondering episode. The first number in the size is the width in cm. A 245 tire is going to be 10-inches wide (245/24.5cm). Take any first number on a tire and divide by 24.5 to get the width. The next number is aspect ratio and will give you the sidewall height. A 55 tire would render a sidewall height of 5.5 inches (245 x 55%/24.5). You can multiply the sidewall height times two and add the rim size to get the overall wheel diameter. In this case, 5.5 x 2 +17=28-inches in overall wheel diameter for a 245/55R17. That is based on the tire being pressurized to specifications. Trike tires are not usually pressurized that high and the diameter will be a bit smaller. You can work through these numbers on any tire size to get a desired wheel diameter. A 215/55 will be narrower and have a little less sidewall height. All this will have some bearing on your final gearing. and ride height.

I WOULD NOT go with anything larger than a 215 and 205 is the normal trike size tire being used today. Some late model kits have a 70 profile, but 205/65R15 seems to be the most common. I had 245's on mine from the factory kit and those things will hydroplane like a water ski after they get some wear on them. They are TOO BIG for a light trike (as compared to a car).

Roadsmith may specify a certain size tire, but you have to consider being able to get it on/off the trike past the fender wells and reduce any interference up in the fender well. It will also depend on wheel selection in terms of rim width. The TG has a 5.5-inch wheel. My kit had a 7-inch wheel and you can mount down to a 195-or-so on a 7-inch wheel.

Find out what Roadsmith recommends and what size wheels they ship with the kit. Or...do you have to provide your own wheels?

I will be happy to help you with this as I have suffered with the wrong size tires on my Lehman for years before I finally swapped. I just don't think you need anything close to a 245.

 

[tkglider]

As one who is planning a trike kit is it notbest to have a narrower reg. profile tire?

 

[ultratrike]

I am getting a ROADSMITH and have been told a lot of times around here and am getting 215/55-16 for mine ULTRATRIKE

 

[1852cc]

OK 1550VT and Ultratrike

The stock the kit ships with is the 215/55-16 radial
The wheel is 16x7 4x100mm with a 35mm offset.
The 245 on a 17" is a option.

Based on your comments think will stick with the 215 tire, but don't want their wheels, going to find black wheel with a polised bead edge ala the stock Harley front weel from 2002.
Thanks for the input.
Mike

 

[1550vt]

I confess that I don't know beans about the Roadsmith kit...like wheel base, width and weight. All I can tell you for sure is the 245 is a lot of tire. I am sure if they give it as an option it must fit, but I had to let the air out of mine to "work" them out from under the fender well and as I said, they were bad to hydroplane in a heavy rain. The Lehman/Harley TG family uses the 4 x 108mm bolt pattern, which is the same as a lot of Ford products, but on a 15-inch wheel. The 15 was likely used for clearance and gearing issues. You could come up with all sorts of wheel/tire combination's to arrive at whatever wheel diameter you needed. I think the 205's I have on now really out handle the 245's I had on, but all that may be psychological. I surely would stick with the 215's. I am glad to be rid of my 245's. You may not have any problems finding wheels, but the TG guys do. They have to have a 5.5 inch width due to the removable fender option on the TG. Lehman says nothing but the 5.5 will work on the TG due to clearance issues.