Thug Style / Club Style Dyna pic's
Daily Slideshow: Outlaw is the new black, even if it is all just attitude.
Defining Build
Club Style, Thug Style, Outlaw, all define 'cool' Dyna builds. Like its many names, interpretations of Club Style varies so much it is almost a genre — a loose category that has guiding principles. To complicate matters, the style's origins are also ambiguous. So what made it such a go-to build for the last decade or so?
Inspirational Drama
Part of the Club Style's popularity is the existing build examples and the huge supply of aftermarket parts. The other quick answer was the massively popular television drama Sons of Anarchy (SOA) that reintroduced the 'bad boy' image to the mainstream American psyche. Instant 'badass' status was only one Club Style build away. This is no detractor — whatever the inspiration, Club Style builds are cool.
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FXR Mystique
While cool today might be as relevant as Arthur Fonzarelli, image is still everything. The attitude-laden Club Style Dynas of today owe a debt to the FXRs of the 1980s. As Harley-Davidson's first performance motorcycle, the FXR quickly became the perennial choice of 'individualistic' motorcycle clubs. Like the imaginary SOA, the mystique of outlaw became a copied commodity.
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Dyna Days
While not required, Club Style tends to favor the Harley-Davidson Dyna platform. Introduced almost 30 years ago, the now-defunct Dyna was always about performance. The Dyna first appeared in 1991 as the limited-production FXDB Sturgis, and then, bearing the namesake, the FXDC Dyna Glide Custom was introduced in 1992.
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Build Sheet
Some will argue that a 'build' must include at least a 100-horsepower motor. Dyno numbers aside, there is some consensus about the Club Style look. Cosmetically the style tends to include a recipe of 2-into-1 exhaust, taller rear shocks, risers or T-Bars, a small fairing, and blacked-out paint and parts — although this last color trend is changing.
>>Join the conversation about Club Style Dynas right here in Harley-Davidson Forums.
Company Bike
As Club Style matures the emphasis has shifted even further to performance and handling. Inverted frontends, improved brakes, and suspension upgrades are not uncommon on all-out Club Style builds. Once the domain of the aftermarket, the spin-off effects of modified Dynas have started to appear as Motor Company staples on their new Softail line.
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Custom Genealogy
Poaching from customizers is nothing new for Harley-Davidson. The 1971 FX Super Glide was the result of the private sector mixing FL touring and XL Sportster parts to make a better handling machine. If anything, the 1971 Super Glide is the progenitor or ancestor of all Club Style bikes. Like its predecessors, Club Style builds focus on improving rideability, while upgrading the functionality of existing parts.
>>Join the conversation about Club Style Dynas right here in Harley-Davidson Forums.
I See a Red Door
Matte black replaced glitter, color, and chrome. It is difficult to gauge whether or not Harley Davidson's 'Dark Custom' style was the originator, or if it was based on existing trends, but at some point painting everything black was the new 'cool.' Also known as 'murdered-out,' the post-millennium hangover of the early 2010s brought with it a dark and existential aesthetic.
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Reckless Progress
From Royal Signals Motorcycle Display Team to Evel Knievel, stunts have been an integral part of motorcycle culture since their inception. Driven by social media approval, the current stunting phenomena routinely tests bikes beyond their factory limits. Appreciate or not the antics of stunt crews on public roads, the torturous mechanical thrashing has steered the progress of Club Style and added to its renegade attitude.
>>Join the conversation about Club Style Dynas right here in Harley-Davidson Forums.
Skirt the Law
Club Style bikes are not bobbers or choppers. Part of the emergence of Club Style builds was the need for legally compliant machines. Increased levels of vehicle bi-law enforcement meant that factory standard equipment had to be retained. The anti-social chopper and speed hungry bobber of the past has now morphed into a stealthier machine.
>>Join the conversation about Club Style Dynas right here in Harley-Davidson Forums.
Today's Look
As an entirely contemporary phenomenon, Club Style pulls from past examples and seeks to marry stability, functionality, and most importantly performance in one package. In the process, an entirely new look has been created and an industry has been steered. With some relief, color and chrome have started to peek through the black-out curtain of the past.
To chime in on Club Style Dynas just head over to this 1300+ page thread started almost a decade ago: Thug Style / Club Style Dyna pics.
>>Join the conversation about Club Style Dynas right here in Harley-Davidson Forums.
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