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Using Fatboy wheels on a Heritage Softail Classic

RobertS

New Member
I am working towards my 1st Harley purchase and am torn between the Fatboy and the Heritage Softail Classic. I like the dressed look of the cruisers with the saddlebags, windshield, etc. and will have a frequent passenger so I am really leaning towards the Heritage; however I have an unhealthy passion for the looks of the early-mid 2000s Fatboy solid disc wheels. My question is can I swap the solid disc style Fatboy wheels for the wire spoke wheels on the Heritage. If so, how? Is there and special modification work that needs to be done or adapters needed etc. Any help will be helpful.
 
I would imagine they are a direct bolt on swap. Myself, I really like the looks of the blacked out center fatboy low wheels.
 
As the heritage softail and fatboy are both flst series bikes they are primarily the same bike with different dressing on them so as long as the bikes are of similar age the wheels should fit as wheel bearing types and sizes have changed over the years

Brian
 
The only problem you might have is with the wheel bearing size. If you keep the years close on the wheels, you should be good. If not, have the bearings changes and they will fit right up.
 
It depends on the year bike, not all Fat Boy wheels are identical. Depending on year, the offset of the rear wheel is different (offset increased for `03 to allow for a wider tire).

On the Front wheels the hubs are not the same width, so when you change out a front wheel, a Fat Boy wheel will get the spacer for a FB, Heritage wheel would get the spacer setup for a Heritage.

Scratching my memory here... without checking the parts manual, I think the left side spacers are the ones that are different, the right side spacers are the same.

On the `99 and earlier Softails, the Fatboy rear wheel is a direct swap, but the front has a different spacer on the left side.
 
Ok, so from what I'm getting here there may be a bit of a hang up on the bearings, but with some parts swapping the wheels should fit. I am hoping for and planning on purchasing a 2013 Heritage Classic and then finding a set of fatboy wheels after market or used. Sounds like I need to find them as new as possible if I go used.

Is correcting the spacers / bearing issue, if there is one, something that the parts desk at a dealership can / should help with or am I going to have to try to track down the needed hardware myself? I am not very mechanically inclined and I don't know much about bikes yet, as I said this will be my 1st motorcycle purchase so again, any info is helpful.

Thanks all for the replies.
 
You will need to do some more research. The rear wheel and tire on, I believe a 2007 and up Fat boy is very wide and probably will not fit under a 2013 Heritage. Please again do all your research so that you do not spend a ton of money and end up selling Fat boy wheels for it will not work out.
 
Newer Fatboy rear wheel is much wider than a Heritage rear wheel, won't work as you will not have fender clearance amongst other clearance issues. Best bet if you absolutely must do this is to get some early 2000's Fatboy wheels but you will need to change all the spacers and the bearings as axle sizes are different, may not even be able to purchase spacers, may have to have a machinist make them. With this being said I would be hesitant if you know nothing about bike alignment or if you do not have direct access to someone that does. This is JMO and if it were me I would continue to do lots of research before I jumped in with both feet....
 
If the reason you wish to swap out the Heritage spoked wheels is due to the tube, I believe there is an option now (2013) for the Heritage model that you can get spokes with tubeless tires. I know this is the direction I would go.
 
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