Softtail improved, Dyna discontinued (or softtail & dyna merged)

J

Junkie

gone for now
I've never been much of a fan of softtails.

If you want a hardtail, grow a pair and ride a hardtail.

If you want a bike with rear suspension, don't try to make it look like a hardtail.
 
TheRobSJ

TheRobSJ

Großer Mechaniker
Was just about to start a new thread about all this. Watched a video someone took of the H-D dealer convention keynote earlier tonight.

I'm sure a whole lot of Harley fans will be pissed that the Dyna is gone. The much ballyhooed FXR with the Erik Buell designed frame, widely considered to be the best handling Harley ever made, is pretty much what made the Dyna series what it is today. It doesn't take too much fiddling to get a modern Dyna to handle pretty well.

Personally I have no problem with H-D consolidating the two lines. They had the Softail, which to me makes for a better looking bike with its hidden mono shock. But it was a boat anchor heavy frame that is a disaster through the twisters. Then they had the Dyna, which was lighter and handled better. So getting the Dyna's lighter weight and better handling while keeping the Softail's cleaner aesthetic seems like a win win.

While we're at it, let's wave bye bye to the Twin Cam and stick the new Milwaukee 8 in that new frame. So there truly is a bunch of all new models for 2018.

Some other changes here and there. A redonkulous 21" front wheel is available on one of the Road Glides. A lot more use of LED lighting. There is a lot more variation in even the same models. Standard Street Glide with all the chrome, sure. But now the Street Glide Special gets lots of changes going for the low and murdered out look.
 
Jalopyshoppe

Jalopyshoppe

idiot
Well, HD just shot itself in the foot. So much wrong here. As if used Dynas and FXR's weren't overpriced already.

The Softail has always been and always will be a joke. Making it monoshock is fine, except that swingarm is still a dumb design sacrificing weight for fashion.

HD is bitching about an aging market and then they discontinued the only bike that had a younger market appeal. Way to go. They better hurry up and drop the Sportster too, especially before the aftermarket embraces the Street series.

Between this garbage and the barcalungers Indian produces, it's clear that American manufacturers are not particularly observant.
 
a1scoot

a1scoot

Hardcore
Guess I'll keep my 2011 Dyna Wide Glide forever...
a1scoot:afm199
 

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redtail

redtail

only ones and zeroes
I dunno, I'm with Rob, I appreciate the look and function of the softtail, and they may have solved some of the issues with the old softtail.

Looks like Harley has a good lineup, going to make some people happy, some people not so much. That's progress I suppose...
 
Surj

Surj

Uneasy Rider
Junkie said:
I've never been much of a fan of softtails.

If you want a hardtail, grow a pair and ride a hardtail.

If you want a bike with rear suspension, don't try to make it look like a hardtail.
Click to expand...

Does anyone really want a hardtail?

Maybe people just like the cleaner look of invisible suspension? Like single-sided swingarms, for example. Or is it, "If you want a bike with a swingarm, don't try to make it look like there's not a swingarm from on side?"
 
VicTim

VicTim

VMCSF
I think this is just more proof of the changing motorcycle market. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next few years. It also looks like HD took some fashion tips from Victory.:laughing
 
SeaClassExpert

SeaClassExpert

Active member
I'd like to personally thank Harley Davidson for guaranteeing that my 2003 Super Glide will appreciate for the next couple of years lol
 
Blankpage

Blankpage

alien
Looked through the link and thought the FatBob looked interesting, exhaust reminded me of a Ducati Monster. Then I thought why the hell would I buy that instead of the Monster. There's always a better bike out there for a given task than the Harley.
Although I am digging the Breakout.
 
TheRobSJ

TheRobSJ

Großer Mechaniker
The new Fat Bob looks awesome to me. That upswept, Monster looking exhaust. That new LED headlight. Beautiful looking engine. I see that model bringing in the buyer's H-D is looking to get.

The new Fat Boy is also a winner. They took the solid disc wheel which I thought was always kinda lame and very 90's faddish and put a modern style to it so it looks pretty cool now.

And while the touring line pretty much got its big change last year, for the obnoxiously expensive CVO bikes, they've gone ahead and added a 117" (that's over 1900cc's to you metric folks) that makes probably over 100hp now. Yes I know the V-Rod certainly did, but that bike is all gone.
 
N

NeverSayDie

Well-known member
Can someone fill me on on why people are butthurt about Hardly putting a real suspension on their nostalgic noisemakers?
 
N

NeverSayDie

Well-known member
Oh jesus for 2018 they took away the V-rod and put a factory Trike in it's place. First Trump as president, and now this. SAD!
 
J

Junkie

gone for now
Surj said:
Does anyone really want a hardtail?

Maybe people just like the cleaner look of invisible suspension? Like single-sided swingarms, for example. Or is it, "If you want a bike with a swingarm, don't try to make it look like there's not a swingarm from on side?"
Click to expand...
SSSAs make sense for endurance racing, as they allow significantly faster rear tire changes.

I'm not sure what softails make sense for.
 
Surj

Surj

Uneasy Rider
Junkie said:
SSSAs make sense for endurance racing, as they allow significantly faster rear tire changes.

I'm not sure what softails make sense for.
Click to expand...

Sure. But for street bikes? I could hate on that just as easily as you're hating on the supposed hardtail posing of Softails.

Softails make sense for clean-looking rear ends.
 
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aminalmutha

aminalmutha

Well-known member
Gag.

Street = suck
Sportster = WTF... no actual regular Sportster, tho that has been true for a few years.
Dyna = RIP :(
FrankenDyna = Blech
Softail... Slim is ok, front fender sucks, Deluxe is still a bit froofy, Heritage... SRSLY, WTF.
Touring bikes = cool except for the "Specials". Again, SRSLY WTF.

Ugh. HD is a touring bike company with some doofy filler bikes now. Meh.
 
Strigoi

Strigoi

Banned
I believe they also stopped making the V-Rod in the middle of the 2017 MY. It going away wasn't really news.
 
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