What is the difference between dyna and softail

There is a significant weight difference between the two bikes. The standard Softail weighs pounds dry, while the Wide Glide only weighs The distinctive stretched rear fender on the Softail contributes to its iconic look and is absent on the Wide Glide.

The defining characteristics of the Wide Glide are the substantial looking triple clamps and raked forks. The engine in both bikes is a cubic-inch V-Twin engine. And the FXR is far mpre performance orientedcthan either the softail or dyna. Name required. Email required. Please note: comment moderation is enabled and may delay your comment. There is no need to resubmit your comment. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. Written by : Emelda M. User assumes all risk of use, damage, or injury.

You agree that we have no liability for any damages. It offers several beautiful classic designs such as: Sportster which are produced since and are powered by V-twin engines, have five speeds, rubber isolation mounts to reduce vibration, and hydraulic shock absorbers on both wheels. Summary: 1. Author Recent Posts. Emelda M. One is for narrower tires and one is for wider rear rubber.

I'm still not sure if I'm a Softail customer, just based on the attempt to mimic a hardtail frame, but the fact that the suspension has real rear-wheel travel numbers sure pushes me in that direction. Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I think suspension is cool, and sacrifices shouldn't be made to hide it. The frames alone lost weight: 13 pounds disappeared on the wide chassis and the narrow chassis shed The cuts did not stop at the frame, though.

Most of the bikes lost at least 30 pounds. Models based on the old Softails lost quite a bit of weight. Harley-Davidson had a little show-and-tell session for us to show us how and where they stripped weight. On the left are two fender struts. The old ones are steel, but the new ones are aluminum. Next to those are some handlebars — same deal, steel was replaced by aluminum.

Ditto for the triple trees and jiffy stands you can see there, as well. Harley-Davidson trimming weight. You don't see that every day. Cast and forged aluminum pieces were used in many places on the new Softails. Remember, weight loss helps not just speed, but also improves braking and handling, too.

Lean angle has been increased across the board. The hot rod of the group, the Fat Bob, picked up a degree of lean angle on each side now 32 left and 31 right , and the Softail Slim, for instance, changed from Better suspension yields better cornering on bikes like the Harley-Davidson Fat Bob. H-D let a few of us bike writers ride and models back-to-back around Blackhawk Farms, a test track in Illinois that is very flat and narrow.

I rode the new Harleys as hard as I felt anyone who bought one of these bikes would want to. I could get the new bikes to scrape parts, but I had to beat the tar out of them to do it; well past what the average street rider would normally be doing. The bikes are now fun to ride. Good job, Harley.

Part of the improvement has to do with the primary. It was actually rotated five degrees upwards at the rear to lift the primary, allowing more cornering clearance. Racers have been lifting their transmissions since before World War II to achieve the same effect. Here's the underseat hydro preload adjuster. This model is adjustable with a small wrench, which is included with the bike.

This is one of two upmarket preload adjusters. This unit is seen on the more traditional-appearing motorcyles, whereas a remote tool-less knob style adjuster is seen on the higher-performance bikes.

The other part of this lean angle increase is due to suspension. That new monoshock actually comes in two different heights, depending on model. The Heritage and Fat Bob offer 4. Those people like the vibration at stop lights, the more confident handling in the dual-shock rear suspension.

Now the Dyna fans need to either downgrade to a Sportster, settle for a Softail, or spend more money on a bigger, less-sporty touring bike. While they all might look similar, none of these bikes capture the same magic as the Dyna.