im looking for a fxr or a dyna,
what i want to know is , what is the newest bike i can buy and still have it with an evo engine? and what year and model is the better one thinking of reliability? and what has to be done to put a evo engine in 82 fxr?


a lot of questions, but its difficult to choose your first harley

 

I am sure somebody will give you a more precise answer than I can, but since nobody has answered yet, I will tell you my understanding.


It is my understanding that the Twin Cams began production in 1999 and were fully phased-in in 2000. I believe EVOs came out in 1984. Therefore, I believe you can be confident that any 1985-1998 or will be an EVO. There may have been a phase-in in 1984. I believe some 1999s were EVOs and some Twin Cams. There may have been some EVOs made in 2000. I am not sure about that.


I have a 1992 and have considered something newer, but I like the EVO so I generally search for 1998 or earlier. Any later than that and you have to make sure you know what your are getting.


Generally, the air filter on the right side of the engine is round for the EVOs and oblong for the Twin Cams so you can tell based on the picture. Of course, that assumes the air filter is OEM.


Somebody else will chime in soon and provide a more precise answer and correct anything I have said that it is not exactly correct.

 

The 1999 Softails were built with the Evo the rest had the twin cam. In 2000 all big twins were TCa or TCb in the Softails

 

I believe the very last Evo was the 2002 FXR4..... Good luck trying to find one...

 

Last year of EVO's in baggers - 1998
Last year of EVO's in softails - 1999
Last year of EVO's in FXR's - 2000
Not sure what the last year of EVO's in the Dynas.

 

Hey Tex, I believe the Last Evo Dyna was 1998! All Rubber mount 1999 Harleys were Twin Cams! There could be some more Exceptions, like the 2000 FXR ? The FXR is basically a Tweaked Dyna?

 

Thanks for the info on the Dynas.

FXR's predated Dynas.
I have heard FXR's referred to as Sportsters on steroids.
The Dyna is just a more sedate form of FXR from what I understand.

 

Dyna replaced FXR. Dyna was cheaper and easier to mass produce and had a two point mounting system whereas the FXR had three. Dynas overall feel taller than FXR's but later revisions to the Dyna framed improved that.

The first dynas were limited production in 1991.

After Evo production ceased, the FXR was returned in limited production as CVO / Screamin Eagle models using leftover Evo's, making them very desirable at the time.

To the OP, it's hard to go wrong with any Evo, but I would avoid the first year or two due some leftover shivelhead stuff still finding their way into the bikes. I would also shy away from fuel injection for simplicity's sake as early fuels injection was MM which was not as good as the Delphi systems that replaced them in the twin cams. I would center a search on the mid 90's but there are plenty of good bikes in the late 80's as well. With the age of these bikes, you have to look at them on an individual basis and how they were maintained or abused.

 

A 2000 FXR4 WAS LAST BIKE WITH An Evo motor.

 

the time before evos is called...

the land before time

LOL!