First name is Luke
Joined on October 27th of '04
Lives in Elk Mound, WI
Local time: 02:23 PM
PM Posts: 447

3 degree cups are an option to. I've used those a few times with the springers. My personal opinion on the big butt bikes. Once you go over 200mm your handling is affected somewhat. The tires they have now days are well rounded so its not alot but you do tend to need to push the bike around a little bit more on corners. from 250 to 300 there isn't alot of difference. really depends on your riding style and how much you like to be able to throw the bike around. I run a 200 but i ride hard. once again this is just my opinion. if you go with a 250 or bigger make sure you go with right side drive. WAY better handling and balance!

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Luke's Low Rides

Report post | Post #16 of 27

Premium Member

First name is dave
Joined on August 18th of '04
Lives in Bung Hole, LA
Local time: 08:23 AM
PM | Posts: 10183

180/200 is all i got on personal stuff.. wider tires catch every bump in the road.. sorta like a 4X4 truck.. you buy one & its got stock tires.. & drives great.. but of course we must have big wide tires on it.. right?? then the ride goes to shit.. a rough example, but actually pretty accurate.. a 250 tire would be the max. for real ridability.. it just depends on what you want.. i think they are cool to look at, as long as i dont own it.. i followed a guy on one of the store bought big tire bikes down the interstate one day.. i was shocked.. the guy literally fought every curve.. of course the guys owning them will defend them.. i would too if i had that cash in one.. .. i'm way more traditional of a builder than some..

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Better To Be Judged By 12 Than To Be Carried By 6

Report post | Post #17 of 27

First name is Ed
Joined on December 7th of '09
Lives in Ithaca, NY
Local time: 09:23 AM
PM | SITE Posts: 43

Thanks for your insight, I'm kinda leanin (no pun intended) toward a 180/200.

Report post | Post #18 of 27

Joined on October 17th of '04
Lives in ABERDEEN,SCOTLAND, Europe
Local time: 02:23 PM
PM Posts: 16

I will start by saying I have used DNA stuff and as long as you keep in mind it is 'budget' quality and not top end stuff then it's fine.

Tyre wise for a bike I want to ride a lot I keep the rear below a 200, but for my tribute Indian chopper I went with a 300 and with a full size belt it is one fat ass!

Attachment: 300 indian rear.jpg
This has been downloaded 54 time(s).

Report post | Post #19 of 27

First name is Ed
Joined on December 7th of '09
Lives in Ithaca, NY
Local time: 09:23 AM
PM | SITE Posts: 43

I heard somewhere that fat bottom girls make the rockin world go round.

Aye Haggisbiker Howz it gaun ! The wifes from Ayrshire, n granny's from Glesga.

Last edited by Beastie25 on 02-18-2010 at 12:53 AM

Report post | Post #20 of 27

Joined on April 29th of '04
Lives in The Great White North, Canada
Local time: 07:23 AM
Posts: 82

I have a DNA rear wheel, 18" x 8.5" 80-spokes and wide hub, 1" axle. VERY good looking wheel and nice chrome for a decent price.
I put a 250 Avon Venom on it and it took half an ounce to balance the assembly which I was okay with.
This was back in the day when a 280 was still the widest available.
I thought I was going to build a "show & shine" bike with it, but time and finances never really went that way. Having something
to ride NOW has always been the top priority and I've managed to maintain that.
I have never ridden on that wheel so I can't make a valid first-hand comment on the handling, but I will say this....
DAMN that wheel and tire are HEAVY !!!
I'm sure if I weighed it we'd be talking over 50 pounds. Since I've had a few years to sit and stare at that wheel and think about what
I really want in a bike, I've come to the conclusion I will never use it. The real clincher for me was when I lucked upon some Akront
and Excel alloy 40-spoke rims. Nice and light, even a 6" wide Excel. Now I'm convinced I want light wheels, and a 8.5" wide
steel rim and 80 spokes are not going to get me there. I think it "robs" a lot of horsepower to have to turn a massive heavy
wheel/tire and hurts roll-on acceleration. I'll bet it even shows up in the miles you get from a tank of gas, and this matters to me when
both my current running bikes have the small-style Sportster tanks.
So I'm running a 150 whitewall on the rear of one bike and going with a 180 on the highway hotrod once I widen the rear a bit.
I have a frame that will take a 200 so I'll eventually lace up a 6" wide Excel once I can see my way clear to start working towards
a roller. But at this point, I think my "wide tire fever" has subsided
so I don't really see going beyond the 200 in the future.
This spring I'm going to talk some H-D Rocker owner into taking that great-looking 80-spoke 250 off my hands so he can look
different that all the other Rockers that seem to have popped up in this town.

Report post | Post #21 of 27

Premium Member

First name is dave
Joined on August 18th of '04
Lives in Bung Hole, LA
Local time: 08:23 AM
PM | Posts: 10183

those are good words.. when using a dna frame remember what you have.. its a budget frame.. dont expect all the frills..

Report post | Post #22 of 27

First name is Ed
Joined on December 7th of '09
Lives in Ithaca, NY
Local time: 09:23 AM
PM | SITE Posts: 43

Thanks for the words of experience concerning tyre size I haven't had a bike with anything larger than a 200, big tyres is a fairly recent thing to my 40 some years of buildin and ridin built my first when I was 15 that was a 650 Matchless. Makes sense really from a mechanical logical stand point. I had also wondered about the wieght of a big tyre. Harder to get rolling and harder to slow down inertia being what it is.

I'm looking at the DNA springer, maybe wheels. I like the look of the Thompson "Tommy Gun" frame but haven't been able to find much feed back about them.

Still don't know about the aftermarket engine thing though It's been 12 years since my last build and it was a Triumph tr7rv.

Being an old fart I'm having a hard time changing my mindset about starting with a used engine and rebuilding it. Partly because if I build the motor I know what's there and since I like the look and sound of a shovelhead I think that's what I want for this one. It seems more real to me to be able to say it's a Harley Davidson engine or a Trumpet or a Beezer not putting down S&S and the like it's just me personally. And I flat (just my personal taste again, it's those square cylinders.) don't like the look of an EVO. I've built shovels in the past rode em hard put em away wet and never been stranded where I couldn't get it runnin again and back home. And if ya build one right they have all the horsepower you want.

Last edited by Beastie25 on 02-19-2010 at 02:20 AM

Report post | Post #23 of 27

Premium Member

First name is dave
Joined on August 18th of '04
Lives in Bung Hole, LA
Local time: 08:23 AM
PM | Posts: 10183

dont overlook the evo. factory h.d. motors.. they got alot of bang for the buck.. they have become my motor of choice.. add a nice cam, some adj. pushrods, & a s&s carb.. & they got it happening.. i dont know what type bike you want, but i have a kiler chopper for sale for 10k .. i know it wouldnt be one you built.. i built it & its nice..

Report post | Post #24 of 27

First name is Ed
Joined on December 7th of '09
Lives in Ithaca, NY
Local time: 09:23 AM
PM | SITE Posts: 43

I keep trying to warm up to the EVO motors, good tolerances, engineering etc. It's just those square cylinders. Kind of why I looked at the Evo bottom with Shovelhead looking top end.

I appreciate others builds some beautiful bikes out there, but I gotta build it. I want/need a bike with my heart,soul,sweat, and blood in it. Probably a late midlife crisis thing or something.

Report post | Post #25 of 27

Joined on October 17th of '04
Lives in ABERDEEN,SCOTLAND, Europe
Local time: 02:23 PM
PM Posts: 16

I have had various motors that I have used but find the Evo a good buy, however in the Indian chop I am building the PP100 motor looks very nice with the round look.

Have a look at the pics under 'almost built' and you can see just how good the Indian motor looks in a chop.

Report post | Post #26 of 27

First name is Ed
Joined on December 7th of '09
Lives in Ithaca, NY
Local time: 09:23 AM
PM | SITE Posts: 43

It is a great looking engine. Ya kinda hit a soft spot, my first hardtail chop was a 700 vertical twin Indian. But that was in 1971 when you could find them all over. Bit rare now.

Report post | Post #27 of 27