I have matched wheels and here is the problem. The rear tire is a 17X200. This is not a tire size that is necessarily in stock at a small dealer. Thus, is you are on a road trip and have to replace the rear tire, it may not be an easy exchange. The problem arises when you embark on a 5000 mile road trip with 3000 miles of tread. It gets expensive to have tires changed out. I am not going to start changing tires myself as I only ride about 10,000 miles a year, all on road trips, nothing local. My rambling point is to keep the replacement size tire pretty standard on a touring bike.

 

I'm planning on a 21" PM Gasser Contrast and a black fatboy rear. Should be calling Dr-V-twin the first week of May to order.
Was planning on using a "smoothie" rear anyway, but the fatboy will be allot cheaper.

 

I guess I'm too cheap, do plan on blacking out my stock rear rim. Well actually I had to beg my wife to let me get the front wheel, so its more like my wife's too cheap.

 

........ my wheels match, but my paint doesn't ............. damn Pearls anyway !

 

Most dealers have this size now since newer fatboys run it.

 

Good feedback. Although I probably won't spend the money on a larger front wheel, I have solid centerline wheels front and back from a '03 SE Road King. They were actually made by the Centerline company. Since I only want an 18" in the front, I was going to leave the back as a solid wheel.

 

Guess I'm cheap but Ness did my '99 roadglide with a 21 front, extended bags and fender. Just blacked out the stock rear 16. Could barley see it even on the stand. My current Roadking (for sale) has a 16" weld disc wheel on the front and a Fatboy rear. At least they are both solid discs. I kinda like the stock wheels on the '09 flht I just picked up, we'll see how long that lasts??

 

Matched front and rear, rotors and all.

 

i havent done my wheels yet but have been debating this for a long time in my head, if you dont change the rear it sticks out like crazy, if you do change it you cant really see enough and its not that noticable.thats just my look at it. i plan on putting a smooth chrome rear at least on mine

 

Good point, I have a 21 up front and stock back, due to friends having high speed issues running a aftermarket rear, if bothers me that they don't match so I'm look at the 19/18" agitators as a new matching set, so when traveling I hope if any issues the local dealer will have tire size, bearings, even wheels in stock. when traveling far from home, you think about reliability and availability over fashionability of the week