19” rear wheel

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19” rear wheel

Postby Otis » Mon Dec 03, 2018 9:58 pm

I have a 19” early style high shouldered aluminum rim laced to a standard rear drum brake hub with a 4.00 x 18 Goodyear Grasshopper on it. I didn’t see any mention to this size wheel anywhere. Can someone tell me what this would be found on?
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Re: 19” rear wheel

Postby strong56KH » Wed Dec 05, 2018 1:41 pm

If there is an 18" tire on it then it is an 18" wheel.
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Re: 19” rear wheel

Postby Rubone » Wed Dec 05, 2018 8:42 pm

The wheel size is the diameter at the inside of the tire bead seat, not the outside of the rim.
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Re: 19” rear wheel

Postby Otis » Wed Dec 05, 2018 10:58 pm

It’s a 4.00 x 19 tire and a 19” wheel. The first post was a typo. Disregard anything 18”.
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Re: 19” rear wheel

Postby Rubone » Wed Dec 05, 2018 11:43 pm

4:00x19 was a standard option for many years. So was the grasshopper. What style rim is it, standard center or deep drop center? The high shoulder Borrani rims made their debut in '60, after '70 they were deep center.
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Re: 19” rear wheel

Postby Otis » Thu Dec 06, 2018 7:39 am

Early style
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Re: 19” rear wheel

Postby Otis » Thu Dec 06, 2018 9:31 am

I checked “The Legend Begins” from 1960-1969 and found no mention of 19” rear tire options which brings me back to the original question.
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Re: 19” rear wheel

Postby Ferrous_Head » Thu Dec 06, 2018 4:43 pm

It would have been found on a modified race bike.
The rims were made by Borrani in Italy. They made all sizes from 16 inch up to 21 inch. In widths from wm0 to rm3 (6?).
Road racers preferred 18 inch rims because the best race tires came in 18 inches.
But rough surfaces such as in grass track or scrambles mean 19 inch wheels perform better. The Grasshopper is a "knobby" tire best suited to those type events.
I don't believe HD offered the 19 inch alloys but nothing to stop a racer from having a hub laced up with a Borrani. We did it all the time.
"I know only too well the evil that I propose, but my inclinations get the better of me."
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Re: 19” rear wheel

Postby Rubone » Thu Dec 06, 2018 5:53 pm

The 19" was an option on XLRTT and KRTT models. It used the standard hub and the 19" factory Borrani rim. It could be fitted to any Sportster as an over the counter purchase if a rider wanted one, and riders who built privateer desert racers and such from stock Sportsters could get them. The 19" spokes that fit a standard hub were available from '48 up for all models using that basic hub flange. The rim should have an H-D part number on the inside near the valve stem hole.
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Re: 19” rear wheel

Postby kingsey » Thu Dec 06, 2018 5:55 pm

First Post 0n this site. Years ago I bought 6 Borrani wheels at a swap meet in the late 70s, 2 sets and 2 rears at great prices I used the sets on a 74xlh and a77xlh I cleaned up in the early 80s. After reading this post I checked the size of the two rears I have in my cellar, one has a 425-18 tire and the other has a 400-18. they are both laced with hubs and drums.
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