Hey all, been a member of this forum since 2007, but I've been out of the motorcycle scene for the past couple of years. I sold my '09 FXDL and my 1950 FL Panhead in the summer of 2013 and purchased a 2014 Mustang GT500. Been ripping around and having fun, but recently got the itch to get back on 2 wheels.

I've always loved dynas, had both a 2002 and 2009 FXDL, so of course my sites first focus on the dyna model.

Has there been any significant upgrades or improvements to the Dyna frame, since the 2009 model year.

Thanks
Mat

 

The main frame change was 2006 and all they did was make it heavier so the bike vibrated less.

It will be interesting to see if they try to fit the M8 motor in a Dyna frame.. Frame will have to change if they use the current cases it has a counterbalancer occupies where the current Dyna rubber mount is.. I would expect that they will keep the balancer as you can look here and see all the issues with vibes on the current bikes.

 

They made it heavier....No improvements.

 

Yeah, From what I've seen the later models didn't vibrate much less..

 

H-D is developing a unified frame. The information came up in a magazine interview of the two H-D executives in charge of the M8 project. There was no detail but a unified frame would suggest that the different families of bikes would share the same frame so that the M8 could be used.

They gave no time frame or other specifics.

My past 10 Super Glide and current 13 Street Bob were smooth at speed. The 14 and 16 Lowrider and Lowrider S mirrors are useless at speed because of vibration as is the 15 Fat Bob. I adjusted the front motor mount to specs and made sure the upper engine stabilizer was set correctly also. Two were pushing the engine to the right and one pulling to the left. I centered them and it helped but they still just vibrate too much at highway speeds. Next I will check tire balance.

 

Lighter is better when it comes to handling. Had my 01 FXDXT down to 608lbs and it was like power steering compared to a stock 01. Currently have an FXDF; I wouldn't rave about the handling (700+ pounds) but it is very stable

 

I'm not sure about less vibration, my wife owned a '13 FXDC for a couple years and it vibrated like crazy for the first 2-3k miles and still did at higher speeds. My new '16 doesn't vibrate at all, so I would assume they went with a better front and rear motor mount.

 

Vibration with Dynas is luck of the draw. my 2009 is dead smooth once its rolling. Some are shakers some are not.

: Mike

 

I found the EVO's from the 1990's like that also. The one's that thrashed around in their frames, were the smoothest...

 

Hi Norty,
What's interesting is other than rubber compound and a few minor details, the front engine mount is dimensionally the same from 1991 to present, and rear engine mounts are dimensionally the same from 1999 to present. So not a lot of development money has been spent.
Just thinking out loud here... It might be fun to build a set of solid aluminum engine mounts as an experiment to see just how bad the vibration would be, and to see what the chassis would handle like with no flex from the rubber. That being said I find it odd no one is making a polyurethane or other stiff elastomer engine mount that would be a performance/vibration compromise for weekend warriors that actually race a Dyna Glide or do serious canyon work.
End of really random chassis thoughts, you may return to your regularly scheduled forum.

: Mike