Dyna glide vs Softails?
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Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 162
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From: West... It's better out here!
Dyna glide vs Softails?
Hey all, I'm new here and will be purchasing a HD later this summer.
This would be my first cruiser and also first bike in ~10yrs...
The Fat Bob first caught my attention, then the Wide Glide... Then a Softtail caught my eye...
I'm curious what the differences are between Dyna Glides and Soft Tail models are....
After a brief look, it seems the visable rear shocks (Dyna) and hidden suspension (softtail)
I'd mostly be riding around town and taking it up in to to the Foothills of Colorado's front range but also some trips over to Cali and up to Montana as well...
Any thoughts would be good...
Thanks!
Junior
This would be my first cruiser and also first bike in ~10yrs...
The Fat Bob first caught my attention, then the Wide Glide... Then a Softtail caught my eye...
I'm curious what the differences are between Dyna Glides and Soft Tail models are....
After a brief look, it seems the visable rear shocks (Dyna) and hidden suspension (softtail)
I'd mostly be riding around town and taking it up in to to the Foothills of Colorado's front range but also some trips over to Cali and up to Montana as well...
Any thoughts would be good...
Thanks!
Junior
Tourer
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 385
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From: Where Uncle Sam tells me to live!
well... not to (intentionally) be biased here but you're going to get more bang for your buck if you buy a Dyna. Softails are nice BUT... they are heavier, dont lean as much, and cost more. plus... with softails there is no vibration so they dont seem to have as much of a personality as Dynas do (IMO). EFI adds to its emotionlessness. Dynas will talk to you.... in a manner of speaking.
just my two cents
just my two cents
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 73
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From: Bay Area, California
I think most of us will naturally be a bit biased in this section of the forum. I of course concur, the Dyna is the way to go. It is my understanding that the Dyna fam is one of the best handling of the big Harley families. They are lighter, more responsive, and still have that big engine that hauls a$$. I have not ridden a softail and thus cannot give you a more objective opinion, but I love my Fatbob. Good luck with your decision and ride safe.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 2,250
Likes: 36
From: Montana
I just traded in my heritage softail for a 2011 Street bob (Dyna). I can tell you from experience its all in what you want. for a bike that you can load up and take the kitchen sink and haul to the horizon again and again the heritage softail cant be beat. I rode mine back and forth from montana to oregon to arizona , new mexico, oklahoma etc. That being said . I LOVE my new dyna. Its more fun to ride , handles way way better and I put 450 miles on it I was tired but not that bad . The same ride on the heritage would have kicked my ***. I love the 96 ci motor on a dyna it is perfect. I had to cam and hop up the softail for it to feel right to me. My softail was a great long haul bike , but my dyna is way more fun and can haul *** just as far , faster with a bigger smile on my face. It will not haul nearly as much gear as easily as a heritage but then im not caring i am loving the dyna. My two cents.
Love my Wide Glide! Some may say the soft tail is supposed to be a better ride due to the rear suspension. I feel as of my wide glide runs and feels like a Cadillac. So
Smooth, fast, nimble, etc. And down the road if I ever feel as if I'm not getting as much comfort out of a long ride then I will put air shocks on it. For price and feel I would def go Dyna. You might want to wait a month and see what the new Dyna Switchback bike is all about. Apparently it is gonna be a wide glide that u can easily convert to a touring bike. Supposed to be one of the two new models Harley is releasing for 2012.
Smooth, fast, nimble, etc. And down the road if I ever feel as if I'm not getting as much comfort out of a long ride then I will put air shocks on it. For price and feel I would def go Dyna. You might want to wait a month and see what the new Dyna Switchback bike is all about. Apparently it is gonna be a wide glide that u can easily convert to a touring bike. Supposed to be one of the two new models Harley is releasing for 2012.
Tourer
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 385
Likes: 0
From: Where Uncle Sam tells me to live!
Love my Wide Glide! Some may say the soft tail is supposed to be a better ride due to the rear suspension. I feel as of my wide glide runs and feels like a Cadillac. So
Smooth, fast, nimble, etc. And down the road if I ever feel as if I'm not getting as much comfort out of a long ride then I will put air shocks on it. For price and feel I would def go Dyna. You might want to wait a month and see what the new Dyna Switchback bike is all about. Apparently it is gonna be a wide glide that u can easily convert to a touring bike. Supposed to be one of the two new models Harley is releasing for 2012.
Smooth, fast, nimble, etc. And down the road if I ever feel as if I'm not getting as much comfort out of a long ride then I will put air shocks on it. For price and feel I would def go Dyna. You might want to wait a month and see what the new Dyna Switchback bike is all about. Apparently it is gonna be a wide glide that u can easily convert to a touring bike. Supposed to be one of the two new models Harley is releasing for 2012.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 12,566
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From: Calgary
A Dyna handles like a car (not a Porsche) and a Softail handles like a pickup truck.
The Dyna shakes at a light, the Softail does'nt. The Dyna smooths out when you get to highway speed, the Softail vibrates at highway speed.
The Softail looses power to keep the counter balancer working, the Dyna has rubber motor mounts and no power loss.
The Dyna shakes at a light, the Softail does'nt. The Dyna smooths out when you get to highway speed, the Softail vibrates at highway speed.
The Softail looses power to keep the counter balancer working, the Dyna has rubber motor mounts and no power loss.
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+1 on the "it at first sight". That speaks volumes when choosing anything. I flirted with the Fat Bob but realized I would spend more on mods if I went Fat Bob than wide glide and at the end of the day the wide glide did have me at hello!
