Softail vs. Dyna.

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Sep 17, 2012 | 11:51 AM

#11

CB1

Tourer

Joined: Jan 2011

Posts: 455

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From: Oklahoma

Quote:

Originally Posted by JayOhh

Since Im posting this here, I'm pretty sure what the outcome is gonna be.

The thing is. I live in a small town, in a small expensive country, with a short ridingseason, so here's not much Harleys around.

I'm very happy with my Crossbones, and I really don't care that it handles like crap compared to "modern" bikes. But I guess the Dyna handles a bit better, and you sit more upright (?).

So a friend of mine who recently got his licence is looking for a first bike. He likes the Nightrain, but there's not many of them for sale. He found a new StreetBob for a good price, but it's on the other side of the country. He tried my bike and loved it. So if he buys ( get it shipped over here ) the StreetBob, is that gonna be a huge difference? Is he gonna be dissapointed/impressed? He's looking for a cruiser, I highly doubt he's gonna be riding it very hard anyways...

Any pointers?

I've had both (dyna super glide/Heritage softail both w/ 96") and both have better qualities than the other. My dyna handled much better in corners and twisties and was quicker, but was not nearly as comfotable as my heritage when it comes to just cruising. The Heriatge stock suspension blew the Dyna out of the water and I had air shocks on my Dyna. I've put in long days on the Dyna and they are twice as nice on the Heritage. My Dyna was like a sportster on steriods. If I only rode around town, I would have kept the Dyna, but since I preferr to take long rides, the Heriatge wins by a mile! The wife preferrs the Heritage as well.

Sep 17, 2012 | 12:04 PM

#12

STLFLSTF_Mike

Road Master

Joined: Feb 2011

Posts: 1,120

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Quote:

Originally Posted by bobg03

Some men like fat girls, some like redheads, some like physcos, some like dynas some like soft-tails....geezus it's not about what others like it's about what YOU like....LOL

I happen to like fat, redheaded psychos that ride softails! Got to love this forum!

Sep 17, 2012 | 01:19 PM

#13

Village Idiot™

Stellar HDF Member

Joined: Aug 2011

Posts: 3,158

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From: Martinsburg, WV

The dyna is going to have a lot more vibration when the engine speeds are lower since it's rubber mounted and not balanced like the softail motors.

Sep 17, 2012 | 01:39 PM

#14

JayOhh

Thread Starter

Tourer

Joined: Sep 2010

Posts: 436

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From: Norway

Abouth the handling of the softail. When I said it handles like crap compared to modern bikes, I didn't mean a 2012 dyna. I ment bikes like my last bike, a ZX-R. Or bikes with proper suspension, brakes and "half" the weight of my bones.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobg03

Some men like fat girls, some like redheads, some like physcos, some like dynas some like soft-tails....geezus it's not about what others like it's about what YOU like....LOL

If you red the first post. It's not even what I like. It's for a friend of mine. And I'm asking about the handling/riding position, since none of us have tried a dyna, and probably won't either, before he buys a bike. The Street Bob he's looking at is a 2 hour flight away. That's why I asked for YOUR opinions.

So far it looks like I was right, apart from some comments about the stock dyna-shocks.

City, short rides, twisties = Dyna.

Comfort, relaxed, touring = softail.

And yeah. I know you can ride twisties with the softail too, and I scrape my footboards as much as any other, but lets face it, that's not what the softail-frame was designed to do. It was designed too look cool, but with more comfort than a rigid....

Sep 17, 2012 | 01:45 PM

#15

08Nighttrain

Road Master

Joined: Dec 2011

Posts: 1,122

Likes: 4

From: Florida

Street bob is a great bike can be very fast and handle well but I love a softail and went with a Nighttrain. One big thing I didnt like on the Street Bob is they started making them with the lower bar clamps as part of the upper triple so this make risers out of the question and limits bar choices unless you replace the upper triple tree clamp. Also you have to get over the whole exposed shocks thing....like a throw back to 70's motorcross, before they came up with the monoshock.

Sep 17, 2012 | 02:14 PM

#16

Julesx

Intermediate

Joined: Apr 2012

Posts: 40

Likes: 0

From: England

Quote:

Originally Posted by 08Nighttrain

One big thing I didnt like on the Street Bob is they started making them with the lower bar clamps as part of the upper triple so this make risers out of the question and limits bar choices unless you replace the upper triple tree clamp. Also you have to get over the whole exposed shocks thing....like a throw back to 70's motorcross, before they came up with the monoshock.

I had a 2010 Street Bob and whilst I liked many things about it I also looked to change the bars and found the above to be true. I didn't like the expense that would have entailed and I think I wanted an excuse to change my bike!

I have changed it for a Heritage.

SB - handled a bit better and seemed a little more lively (possibly weight?) of the throttle. Cool looking bike. Engine vibes were a little annoying but you get used to them and it seemed to be getting smoother with more miles covered. Very smooth over about 45 - 50 mph. Put a screen on it and it was OK as a distance machine.

The Heritage has a much smoother engine but with the B motor the counter balances in the engine are mildly irritating (a constant rustling noise) - easlily sorted with a louder set of pipes. It's a much comfier bike for distance riding and comes with all the touring bits as standard. I like it! Also a cool looking bike!

Jules

Sep 18, 2012 | 04:33 AM

#17

TooManyToys

Advanced

Joined: Apr 2007

Posts: 55

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From: Southwest Florida

Agreed with others re: vibes- went from a softail (Deuce) to a dyna (Fat Bob) and found the low rpm vibrations so annoying that I went back to a softail after only 2000 miles. Although the dyna shook a lot a idle it was the low rpm vibes when riding that drove me crazy.

Maybe I had a bad dyna? The dealer was not too helpful in trying to resolve my issue- the classic response was "they all do that!"

Had a Road King for a while, which was not counterbalanced and although it shook at idle as soon as you started moving it was very smooth.

Last edited by TooManyToys; Sep 18, 2012 at 04:41 AM.

Sep 18, 2012 | 05:58 AM

#18

Dingobob

Tourer

Joined: Jul 2008

Posts: 267

Likes: 4

From: Western Australia

If he likes the night train but will "settle" for a streetbob, he's better of getting a night train.
I ride a dyna and ride with softtails, both seem to be able to do the same things.