Harley Davidson Dyna Glide: General Information and Recommended Maintenance Schedule

This article applies to Harley Davidson Dyna Glide models (1991-2016).

The Harley Davidson Dyna Glide is unlike any other motorcycle on the road. It is the quintessential Harley Davidson. The 45 degree V-twin delivers power and sound that pleases even the toughest critics. The first Dyna Glide was the FXDB Sturgis released in 1991. A rubber mounted engine provided an extremely smooth ride at speed. Since the 2000 model year, the rubber mounting allows Harley Davidson engineers to avoid putting a counterbalancer in the engine, which left the Dyna with more power than the Softail. The Dyna suspension and chassis geometry offer exceptional handling. This was one of the primary goals when developing it because the Dyna chassis was designed to replace the FXR, which many regard as the best handling Harley of all time. From good handling cruiser to its touring ability, the Dyna Glide series of bikes are the most versatile Harley Davidson models available.

Rubber Engine Mount

The rubber engine mount is designed to absorb engine vibration and prevent the motor from disturbing and annoying the rider at speeds. The rubber mount is part of what makes the Dyna bikes such great long distance machines. Another advantage of the rubber mount is no energy is lost spinning a counterbalancer, like the Harley Softail models use to provide a smoother motor. Because these mounts are rubber, they tend to break down and degrade over time. Symptoms of mounts that need replacing are a noticeable harsh vibration and increased noise, especially under heavy throttle.

Rear Suspension

The Dyna Glide offers increased rear suspension performance over the rest of the big twin Harley lineup. The beefy twin shocks are laid forward for better damping and a good ride, without sacrificing handling. The added benefit of the twin shocks is the classic look. The stout swing arm allows the shocks to absorb and rebound properly and get the power to the wheels more efficiently. This also makes the Dyna Glide an absolute blast in the twisties and a capable long distance tourer. If your shocks are improperly sprung for your weight or in need of replacement, you will often feel them bottom out on a bump or bounce up and down while riding on smooth roads. You can also inspect them for signs of oil leaking out past the seals on the shafts.

Scheduled Maintenance

The main issue on a Dyna Glide is a the rubber engine mount system. These do not go bad often, but they do go bad. These rubber mounts are easy enough to replace and they should be visually inspected regularly.

There is also a big issue with the cam chain tensioners on certain models of Twin Cam equipped Dynas. On these Twin Cam equipped bikes, the cams are driven by a chain. The chain is located in the bottom end of the engine. On the tensioner for the cam chain, there are small, orange teflon shoes that the chains slide across. Over time, these tensioners will break down and eventually they will fail. When this happens, there will be metal-on-meal contact and shavings will cause all sorts of damage to vital engine parts. This problem is mostly with the 1999 to 2006 bikes, and these teflon shoes on the cam chain tensioner should be inspected every 15,000 miles. Bike from 2006 onward use a slightly different hydraulic tensioner system, but often the shoes still need replacing before you reach 50,000 miles. An alternative to these teflon shoes is a gear driven cam system. The gear drive replaces the cam chains and lasts much longer. It also provides much better throttle response.

Common Questions

Is the Dyna Glide the right Harley Davidson for me?

The Dyna Glide is the Muscle Car of the Harley Davidson lineup. It is performance oriented, yet more than capable of long distance touring. It's as exciting of a motorcycle as Harley Davidson offers. If that sounds like something you are interested it, I highly suggest a Dyna Glide.

What are the differences in the Dyna Glide models?

Harley offers the Dyna in many styles and for many purposes, from light duty touring, to factory choppers and bobbers, and all around good handling cruisers. Some, like the Wide Glide, feature raked out front ends with a 21" chopper front wheel. Some feature classic minimal looks, like the stripped down Street Bob. Also, the Dyna Switchback features quickly removable touring accessories that allow you to have hard bags and a windscreen when you need it, and a naked cruiser when you don't. You can find a complete list of all the different features at the Harley Davidson website, but in order to fully understand the differences, I suggest going to your local Harley Davidson dealership and checking out the entire Dyna lineup.

Related Discussions

• Cam Chain Tensioner Issues - HDForums.com
• Rubber Engine Mount Replacement - HDForums.com
• Life Expectancy of Stock Shocks - HDForums.com