Absolutely not, but that is just my opinion.

 

I reckon a fat tire would look cool. 18” with a 180 tire.

 

Big front wheels are a passing fad. It's beautiful just like it is. My opinion only.

 

Big wheel is a fad just like the fat rear tire was. Fads all come and go.

 

Don't know why you would want to do that.

 

No.

 

It’s just a 21” I think you should do it. It’s not a 30”


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That is not an adjustment........ it is a modification and one I wouldn't `do !

 

Although I do not like the big front wheel, it is a style, and a personal preference. I wonder how it handles. Anyone?
Indian/Polaris probably has it set up for optimal handling and performance with that rake and trail configuration.

 

They pay engineers big $$ to develope the BEST product and we want to start altering it as soon as we get it home!! I remember in 1989 working in a Lincoln mercury store, the 1990 town car was released, a very aerodynamic sleek car for the times, big $$$ spent by Ford mtr co in wind tunnel testing to quiet it down and make it better than the dinosaur 1989 model it replaced. And as soon as they hit the showroom floor we sent them out and put faux carriage roofs (fiberglass shell with fabric cover and faux crossbars) on them to help bump the profit margin and iINDIVIDUALIZE them and in the process INCREASED the interior noise substantially....BUT we still sold them!!!
In my opinion the larger the sidewall on the tire the better the ride...the front tire has to take up all the impact of road way imperfections (Chuck holes tar strips expansion joints etc) when you increase the wheel diameter and shorten the sidewall area more is transmitted to the handle bars and ultimately your arms! I love the big wheel look! But I'm not willing to make that trade off! So I think the bike is killer as it sits!! Spend that $$$ on something else to INDIVIDUALIZE it if you must!

 

I have never ridden a bagger with a 21" front wheel.i have ridden all my life with dirt bikes. They all had 21" front wheels.i bought 2 Adventure bikes last year and sold them both within the first 6 months. Both brands had a model with a 19" front wheel and one with a 21". The ones my girlfriend and I test road had 19" fro t wheel, but with my dirt bike background had me thinking the 21" wheels would give us more confidence in the dirt. Big mistake. Bikes were too heavy for anything but rough fire roads. The demo bikes were both great with the 19" at up to 100 mph. With the 21" they both sucked. Smaller wider tire was more stable at high speeds. I'm curious how a big cruiser handles on the hwy? They definitely look cool, but looks don't make the ride when a short ride is 200 miles.

 

The handling of this bike is so good.
Why would you want to change the geometry.
Changing the geometry changes handling.
I would not.

 

Coming from a Cross Country, I knew several other Cross Country owners that did the 21" front tire mod. The 18" always looked small on the XCs. You know how it rides, so I would assume the Challenger will ride differently as well (as others have pointed out). My opinion is that it's your bike and you should do whatever the heck you want. Obviously a 21" is not a "big" tire compared to the fad that has been going on (and is probably gone)...to me it fits the look better.

Post pics if you do it!

 

just my 2c but I changed my Chief classic spoked wheel with a custom made Renegade 19”.
Handling stayed the same because the new wheel was a lot lighter than the old steel wheel.

 

 

I have a 21 inch wheel on my Chieftain and it handles just fine. Is it different than stock? Yes but not to an extreme where it really makes much of a difference for touring riding or even getting after it a little harder than normal. That being said, it might change the Challengers geometry more because that bike is meant as a high performance bagger and is set up for just that, performance! That being said though, I honestly don't think it'll change it enough to be worried about unless you ride ridiculously hard. Normal riding would be just fine

 

I have a 21 inch wheel on my Chieftain and it handles just fine. Is it different than stock? Yes but not to an extreme where it really makes much of a difference for touring riding or even getting after it a little harder than normal. That being said, he might change the Challengers geometry more because that bike is meant as a high performance bagger and is set up for just that, performance! That being said though, I honestly don't think it'll change it enough to be worried about unless you ride ridiculously hard. Normal riding would be just fine

Yeah, I never rode an XC with the 21". The guys I knew that had them said at low speeds you could feel it just a bit...they said it was a little harder to handle at parking lot speeds, but just a little. At highway speeds they're fine. All depends on the geometry, like you said. It will affect different bikes differently.

Of course, towards the end Victory came out with the Magnum which came stock with the 21", but the geometry was changed a bit to accommodate it.

 

My 2004 Victory Vegas came stock with a 21". I switched it out with this 21" rim and matching rotor. Big mistake. It looks cool and even though it is the same size. The stopping distance sucks compared to the stock rim. I even feel the handling is not as good. It is a heavier rim. Also the matching rotor is Not a free floating rotor. I do see now that a matching free floating rotor is available, i do Not remember seeing one available at the time i bought the rim. I believe The rim was $1500 the tire was $175 and the brake rotor was around $300... With shipping and tax about $2000. I feel i spent so much money, just live with it now. Plus it looks cool too.... Good Luck. If i could done anything different, I would NOT have changed the rim.

 

I have only ridden one bike with a 21" front wheel....it was a HD deluxe and we were rolling along @ 60-65 and ran upon one of those bridges that are metal grates!!!! You couldn't have driven a nail up my arse with a 10 pound hammer!!

 

.I like my fat front tires thank-you. Less trouble with tar snakes, bridge grates, and angling railroad crossings etc.

 

Thank you for all the feedback. I plan to wait for a pro to come up with an option (hope you are reading this Witch Doctors) and then I will decide. The bike is amazing, but I think it would stand out from the crowd more with a big wheel. I do not want to give up any handling, and I did not on the Vic. The fact that this bike handles like my CC is why I bought it. Love the ride and comfort, so I don’t want to lose anything for looks.
Stay safe, and enjoy the passing lanes!!!

 

Just my two cents. I had a Vic Cross Country and demoed a couple Magnums at the time. The steering response, quickness of steering inputs whatever were markedly slower on the Magnums. I liked the standard wheel/tire combination better but that's just my two cents.

 

You shouldn't feel much of a difference.i build choppers for friends,if the front end is long with a raked neck,you need a small wheel,as they want to flop over.hard to come out of a corner that way.so it's ape hangers with 21 inch wheel,(for leverage);or drag bars and 19 inch wheel and small tire.everything else is just preference for looks.

 

I'd never sacrifice form for function. Good handling is what separates the Challenger from most bikes. I haven't ridden one but I believe it will handle a lot like my XC.

 

I'm guessing quite a bit similar.

 

If you would like a slower turn in, than Ya, Go for it. But I I've always wondered why people would want to "unperformance" something designed for a certain level of performance.... we are a curious species...

 

I don't own a Challenger (I own a 2016 Chieftain), but I certainly would not upset the geometry and handling of the motorcycle and slow down steering inputs, the 21" wheel will most likely reduce the size of the tire contact patch on the pavement thereby compounding the issue. I am a 'form follows function' guy when it comes to motorcycles, I love performance. Custom motorcycles are a different story.

 

I own a 2017 Vintage and are in the process of putting on a 21” 48 fat spoke chrome front wheel more for looks so you can see the spokes. With the rake of the Vintage it actually supposed to be a nicer ride with the 21”. I agree with the other comments that with a more upright bike a 21” may not handle as well. But I do remember I think the chieftains a few years ago had the 21” option if not mistaken.

 

Chieftains never had a 21" wheel. Victory had a Magnum with a 21 inch wheel which was pretty much a cross country with a 21 inch set up

 

I don't understand the "Stand out from the crowd" comment.

 

Love the photo from Doc. At least impart to your feedback, I have elected to hold off any big mods until the first season is under my belt. The bike will plenty of “standout“ on its own, and it would likely impact the ride. i may have a tendency to go with the trend, as I had a Jackpot, Slingshot, and a “big wheel“ (Magnum size) on my CCT. I think I figure the set up was similar enough, it may work.