This might be a no brainer for some but I am new to the Dyna family. I had a 04 Sporster but now have a 1997 Super Glide. My question is..what is the difference if there is one from a FXD and a FXR? The dealer had my bike lised as both and I think it was a typo.
Thanks guy and love my new ride.
Tim

 

biggest diff is the frame. and of course how the trans is mounted

 

So how would I tell about my bike?
Thanks

 

The FXD has a long primary like on a Softail. The FXR has the shorter primary like on the baggers. They quit making the FXR in 1994 except the FXR2 version they did in the late 90s.

 

The FXR and the FXD have totally different frames. The biggest difference is the Y shaped section near the rear of the frame on the FXR. They say this made the FXR the most rigid Harley frame ever made. I've also heard that the rubber mounting system on the FXR is superior. Rumor has it that Harley dropped the FXR because loyalists felt it looked too metric. They designed the Dyna to look more like the old 4-speed FX's.


The FXR




The FXD

 

Thanks guys...that explains alot.
Ride safe
Tim

 

The rubber mounting system on the FXR is superior from the standpoint of having two stabilizers vs one on the Dyna. This is why the FXR has superior handling to a stock Dyna right out of the box. The FXR frame was the most rigid until the Dyna frame was redesigned in 2006. Alan Sputhe theorizes that Harley was trying to improve the handling of the Dyna by beefing up the frame and adding 49 mm forks, when in fact all it really would have taken was a front stabilizer like the FXR had.

As for why the FXR was dropped, keep in mind that both the FXR and FXD models were produced and sold at the same time for many years. The FXR was more expensive to produce, and if the FXD was outselling it, Harley had little incentive to keep the FXR in production.