Hi all, first time poster here.

I have a 2007 Nightster. I'm looking to put on new tires this winter (and some other more simple stuff). Basic summary is I think I do my fair share of riding. A buddy and I did a 1,100 trip to Memphis and (almost) back this summer and it may have been the best week of my life; so we are already talking about where to go next summer. So you could say I spend a lot of time cruising around my local area, but I also need something that is reliable enough to pack up a bag and do 300-400 miles a day for a week straight. I'm also fairly confident in my mechanical skills. Last winter I took my bike apart and did some busy work like re-route the wires thru my bars/frame to clean it up a bit, new suspension, new bars, relocated coil pack/speedo, etc.

Anyway, I've tried to summarize my questions and thoughts in bulletins below. Feel free to chip away at them/me.

• I want a 180 wide rear tire with whitewalls. I was looking at the Dunlop American Elite. Any feedback or other recommendations?
  
• I know I will need a wider rim (5") for this. At this point I think I have two options: get a new wheel that is 5" wide or get a new rim and lace the wheel myself.
  
• I've laced maybe over 50 bicycle wheels in the past so I feel relatively confident in my abilities. Anyone else have relatable experience? I think the wider rim would make it easier (I expect the rim to be less sensitive). Can anyone vouch for this? Basing this all off a youtube video I watched where it looked more or less the same as a bicycle wheel...
  
• If i were to buy a new wheel, are there any model Harley's that come with a 16x5.0 spoked wheel that I could use?
  
• If I were to buy a rim and relace the wheel: where do you buy spokes? Are there any online spoke calculators to help determine the required length?
  
• For some reason I am stuck on keeping the rear wheel 16". I see plenty of people use a 17x5.0 Dyna rear wheel for this, but for some reason I keep telling myself I want it to be as similar to the stock setup as possible. Does someone have enough sense to talk me out of this for a better option? I started to notice that 16x5.0 seems like an odd size.
  
• If you were in my position, which route would you go? New wheel or new rim? What size rim would you go to?
  
• I'm fairly confident I will need to swap from my belt to a chain. I like the look of a chain better anyway so I think I can live with this. Anyone have any input on this? I haven't researched this much (yet). I think I like the idea that I can repair the chain easier than a belt, but I suppose I will have to replace the sprockets more often.
  
• Based on my research it looks like the tire will fit within the stock fender by just trimming the stock bolts. Can anyone vouch for this?
  
• I haven't looked into the front tire much, but same idea. I want to go slightly wider for a more "full" look. I keep telling myself that this will be the easy wheel and I should just focus on the rear for now.
  
• Has anyone used the "zip tie trick" to put on tires? Is it as easy as it seems? Or is it not worth the effort?

Hope this isn't too many questions to be asking at once.

Thanks for the help.

 

Hi from the UK and welcome to HDF. Too many questions! We have several threads on fitting a 180 tyre, so look them out, where you should find plenty of answers. There is no single solution. Some have put a 180 on a stock rear wheel, however as you suggest a wider rim is more suitable. On my Glide I have a 160 tyre on a 4.5" rim, so you are in the right ball-park.

Here's one recent thread and another one here. There are others going back in time.