Sorry no practical experience but this may help a bit
just a followup incase someone else is interested,
Hi guys,
a shinko 170 rear will fit on your bike without any modification
Some info on what I did with a fat bob rear rim and a shinko 180mm 777 tyre on my Forty Eight in this thread mate.
Hi,
I would not recommend removing belt Gard if you do a lot of riding as lets stones get between the belt and the drive teeth, does a lot of damage & will break a belt. wide tyres just for show. the bike won't feel better.
Each to their own. Put 80 thousand km on my sporty with no belt guard and rode all over WA without ever having an issue. I suppose all it takes is that one bastard stone though.
Yeh , can be lucky, I've seen them snap!! when the rev's go up & u see a black snake in your mirror's, your in trouble!!