The most striking conversion measure on this Sportster can be found at the rear end, as Rick’s implanted a fat 240 tire into the small Sportster, however, the stock version doesn’t allow for such an XXL dimension. For this problem Rick’s Motorcycles widens the swingarm to increase the box swingarm to the necessary width. At the same time the converted stock part gets a beam, which ensures increased torsional stiffness when changing load quickly. But, as so often with customizing, one change immediately starts a chain reaction. The belt drive has to be relocated to the outside since otherwise it would touch the tire, but Rick’s also has a solution for this problem. The offset kit for Sportster models, including a matching cover, is not only useful, but also an optical highlight.

Now that the swingarm is widened, the tire would fit, the belt drive is right…but now the tire no longer fits into the stock rim. Rick’s has a wide portfolio of different wheel designs, which all also fit the Sportsters. For this conversion, 3-piece screwed together raven black coated wheels named “Apollo” were chosen, and with a brake disc in matching design, the XL gets a completely new look.

But that’s not the end of it, because the former stock fender of the Forty Eight doesn’t fit the new dimensions any longer either. Needless to say that also for this there is a solution in the program. Rick’s offers numerous designs which were especially developed for the Sportsters. A real bestseller is the round steel fender, which is mainly being handmade in Baden-Baden with great care. The best about Rick’s wide tire Sportsters is that they are TÜV approved, and as so often with Rick’s parts, a lot of effort was made so that also these components comply with the strict rules of the German TÜV testers.