which rear rim? 18 or 19 inches

[atlanticave]

hello guys,

I'm building a hardtail 89 sportster, narrow-frisco style and I'm thinking about rear wheel measurement.

Is it better an 18 inch or a 19 inch? I guess I'm going 21 on the front.

Thank you

Ale

[JBinNC]

Pick the tire first, then select a rim to suit the tire.

Jim

[atlanticave]

Thank you Jim.

And what about style/"historical coherence"?

Was it more common an 18 inch wheel or a 19?

[JBinNC]

For H-D, the 18" tires are more historically common. On the Brit bikes, 18" and 19" tires were widely used, as well as 20" and 21".

You need a DECENT tire, because your rather modern bike will make good horsepower, and you want to build something (relatively) safe and RIDEABLE. A bike that is just a styling exercise, and is not rideable, is a waste of effort in my opinion.

I am dealing with this same question and I go back and forth with it. Avon, Dunlop, and Duro make decent tires in the 18" and 19" sizes, although the 19" Avons in particular are very pricey. I mention Duro because they make a 4.00×19 that is good for front or rear, is serviceable, and inexpensive. I've got a set of 19" rims laced up for an XL project and they have 3.50×19 Avons on them now, but those are too small for the look I want. I have one 18" rim with a 4.00×18 tire on it, prepped for the front of my Duoglide project, and will probably do the same for the rear. I will probably use Dunlop 4.00×18 or a 4.50×18 tire for that bike since it will be heavier, and with more torque than the XL.

I do not care for some of the "vintage" tires like the repop Firestones. They look good, but I am unsure about their roadworthyness. I recently rode a vintage H-D big twin equipped with those Firestones, in 4.00×18, but I did not push the bike hard so I really don't know how the tires would "handle". Looked great on the bike, though.

Jim

[atlanticave]

You are right, I want this bike still rideable, so I'm gonna look for a 4x18 on rear.

A friend of mine ridden Firestones for a while and they sucks. They're actually dangerous.

Ale