Triton Wheel Sizes...which choice?

hi i build custom bikes and a lot is down to choise but you also want the engine to sit right so it is vertical as if it slopes back then the crank wount get the lubrication it needs i sugest you lift the frame with the engine vertical then mesher the diferance of the front and back wheel spindel distsnce to the floor that will help you work out the right sizes if you have a front wheel you can try on it then mesher the back that is even beter

Hi Graham. I wouldn't worry too much aboutgetting the absolutly horizontal. If it was of any concern, your bike would have an oilproblem going up and down hills, especially those steep 1 in 4's that you occassionally get in the UK. Even with the engine sloping down towards the front, the flywheels act as an oil pump and spinsany excessoil to the rear of the crankcase where it slides down the crankcase walls to collect in the rearward lower sump area and picked up by the scavenge pump which has double thecapacity comparedto the feed sideand thuskeep things relatively dry.

As far as wheel sizes go, my opinion is that only 19" wheels look right on a Norton Featherbed and most other big British bikes.I think that changing to 18" wheels spoils the look and is not compensated by having fatter tyres, as it just makes the bike look dumpy and not so elegant. I know that late Triumphs used an 18" rear but still kept the 19" front but on the the current Bonnevilles a 17" rear rim is used and absolutely ruins the look of that bike and if I had one, would be tempted to get it rebuiltwith an 18" rim. As it is, I think it makes the rear of the bike look empty and detached and exaggerates the length of the swing arm making it look like abike set up for drag racing. Yes, choosing the right wheel size, can make a big diiference to the look of the machine, but then again, if performace is your goal thenother priorities take over.

A smaller wheel diameter wheel reduces the giroscopic forces and can make flicking the bike around much quicker which is why modern race machinery uses 16 1/2" rims, and shorter wheel bases so the angle of lean on any given bend radius is reduced compared to a long wheel base machine. However, keeping the wheel base the same as on your featherbed,fitting smaller diameter wheels could mean you willdeck down footrests and exhaust systems that muchsooner.

Apart from TT100 tyres there is not much choice in the 19" size for modern sticky rubber, so if performace is your goal then I guess 18" rims will have to be fitted. Big AMC bikes in the late 60's moved to 18" rims and all of them are less elegant or handsome, in my opinion. Although the ride is mostly compensated for by fitting fatter tyres, I think it does lessen the steering trail just a fraction and I'm not sure if AMC had to change the fork crown to compensate for this, but less trail will result in slightly less straight ahead stability. The WM2 and WM3 size combo sounds about right.

Les

Hi Graham,

If you decide to run 19"wheels, you shouldnt have too much trouble these days with many tire options, including tread pattern & compound. I ran my Atlas with 19" avons with "r" compound tires a few years back ( R=race compound, very soft). They were nice & sticky in the corners, but wore out really fast!! I personally like the bikes looks with 19" wheels, but I know some shorter folks like the 18" wheels to get the bike a bit shorter. Check with your favorite motorcycle tire vendor, and check the tire mfg. websites (Like Avon). Be cautious of the tire width as well, my "r" compoud tires would clear the swing arm when cold, but would contact the swing arm after 1/2 hour of motorway riding ( my friend behind me found pieces of rubber flying onto his helmet visor from my tire!). YIKES!!!!!

Skip Brolud