Sportster Wheel, Rotor, Sprocket Installation
1. The entire setup included: Harley-Davidson Revolver Ten-Spoke Custom front and rear wheels.
Harley-Davidson matching front and rear Revolver floating rotors with Revolver sprocket and all installation hardware, including the Wheel Installation Bearing Kits and the Sprocket Bolt Cover Kit.
Harley-Davidson Chrome Upper and Lower Belt Guards.
2. Once the Sporty was on the lift and secured on a center jack stand, shop tech Kazoo removed the saddlebags to gain access to the rear caliper.
3. After the rear caliper was removed, Kazoo loosened the rear wheel adjuster and the axle nut, and then slid the axle (arrow) out from the swingarm, followed by removing the lower shock bolt so that the swingarm would drop to help remove the wheel.
4. Once everything was unbolted, the wheel/tire were easily removed from the bike.
5. Moving to the front of the Sporty, Kazoo removed the caliper from the lower leg.
6. After loosening the pinch bolts and sliding the axle out, the front wheel/tire was removed from the bike.
7. We went to Wheel Works in Garden Grove, California, to have the tires installed on the new wheels. Since the tires were still in good condition with low mileage on them, there was no need to put new rubber on. Shop tech Adam started by installing H-D’s Wheel Installation Bearing Kits on each wheel.
8. After the stock tires were installed on each wheel, Adam mounted and balanced the wheels, then filled them with Nitrogen to about 35 psi.
9. Back at Freedom Cycles with the newly mounted and balanced wheels, Kazoo got started installing the new H-D matching front Revolver rotor. After each bolt was treated to some Loctite, the front floating rotor was installed to the wheel, and then torqued to factory specs.
10. Since we’re not running a dual-disc system, we utilized the hub cover and bolts to keep it clean looking. Here, Kazoo slid the front wheel back in place.
11. After installing the front axle and tightening the pinch bolts, Kazoo slipped a new set of pads into the front caliper before re-installing the caliper back on to the bike.
12. Moving to the rear of the bike, Kazoo fit the matching H-D Revolver sprocket to the rear wheel, and then he installed the rear H-D Revolver rotor and was ready to mount the wheel.
13. The rear wheel slid easily into place. After Kazoo reconnected the lower shock bolts, he then slid the rear axle through the wheel.
14. After placing the belt on the sprocket, a new set of pads was slipped into the rear caliper before Kazoo re-installed the caliper.
15. To match the new chrome wheels and add a bit more bling, the plastic stock lower and upper belt guards were removed and replaced with H-D’s Chrome Lower Belt Guard, followed by the Chrome Upper Belt Guard.
16. The installation of the wheels and front and rear brakes-rotors, sprocket, and pads-added to the Sportster’s look and spruced it up. It also helped that when choosing the parts to enhance the bike’s appearance, we selected parts that looked good together, like the matching wheels and sprocket; everything came together nicely.
Part of the excitement of having a long-term test bike is being able to change out some of the stock parts to spruce it up or improve its performance. In our case, we wanted to add to the looks of our ’06 Sportster XL 1200L, and one of the most dramatic ways to enhance its style was to upgrade the wheels. We perused H-D’s P&A; catalog for new wheels, rotors, and a sprocket that would complement each other and have the most immediate impact on the Sporty’s appearance.
Harley’s Revolver Ten-Spoke Custom Wheels caught our attention as great replacements for the stock 13-spoke cast aluminum wheels. We contacted H-D and discussed the upgrade with them, and two Revolvers were shipped out (a 16×3 rear, MSRP: $1,235; and a 19×2.5 front, MSRP: $1,199). As for the wheels appearance, the 10 slim spokes radiate from the revolver cylinder-shaped hub, and blend with the smooth rim for a light, open look. We wanted to complete the custom look by adding matching Revolver Brake Rotors (MSRP: $189.95). The floating rotors feature a steel inner carrier that is shaped to accent the wheel, and the polished and drilled stainless steel outer disc is precision-riveted in place. Designed to complement the wheel’s styling, a Revolver billet sprocket (MSRP: $349) was also picked for the rear wheel. Since the new wheels required separate model-specific kits, we also received Wheel Installation Kits (MSRP: $69), as well as a Sprocket Bolt Cover Kit (MSRP: $38.95). Finally, to go with the chrome wheels, we went with an H-D Chrome Upper Belt Guard (MSRP: $89.95) and a Chrome Lower Belt Guard (MSRP: $79.95).
With all the parts in hand, we called Freedom Cycles in Orange, California, and talked to shop owner Devon about the installation. Follow along as Devon and shop tech Kazoo did the install while we snapped some photos.
