2018 Harley DynaSofts

[Muzz]

The funny thing is that I HATE FORWARD CONTROLS.

I'm with you on that one Kev.

Not only do I think they give you less control but my lower back screams after a very short time.

[Kev m]

I would love to have seen what Eric Buell would have done with the Fat Bob!
And as for that nice baby blue HD Deluxe it makes my heart sing.
You mistake my criticism of HOG financials  and my criticisms of some of their bikes as well lack of their bikes (300cc-500cc) as being a Harley Basher.
Not so. I'll wait for the reviews on the handling of the Fat Bob and some of the rest.  As for the 3.5 gallon Fat Bob gas tank it is stupid to put it on that bike that offers both the 107 and 144cc motors. And the seat down right sucks. Of course it would suck cause my 6'5" frame would never fit it.
 The soft tail low rider essentially weighs as much as the Fat Bob and it gets a 5 gallon tank and has more ground clearance @ 5.1"  Go figure. Besides it reminds me of the Guzzi Indiana. By the way doesn't the huge Cali 1400 have a full 6.5" of ground clearance. It will be interesting to see the lean angles on the new Harleys.

You're right I did mistake that. Mea-culpa.

The F Bob handles very well. It's still no sport bike but it felt light and nimble. I liked the Dyna Fat Bob and considered buying one, but this one is definitely an improvement.

Interestingly enough the ground clearance spec is misleading as the new F Bob has less ground clearance but more lean angle than the Low Rider.

Here's a post I made elsewhere last week when starting my research that includes some more dimensional specs:

Comparison new 2018 Softails/Dynatails vs old 2017 Dynas and Softails
Ground Clearance / Wheelbase / Weight / Lean Angles

Street Bob 4.9 / 64.2 / 653# / 28.5-28.5 VS 4.7 / 64.2 / 670# / 30-31

Fat Bob 4.7 / 63.6 / 673# / 31-32 VS 4.9 / 63.8 / 706# / 30-31

Low Rider 5.1 / 64.2 / 661# / 29.6-29.6 VS4.1 / 64.2 / 666# / 29.5-30.5

Breakout 4.5 / 66.7 / 672# / 26.8-26.8 VS 4.3 / 67.3 / 707# / 23.4-23.4

Slim 4.7 / 64.2 / 671# / 27.4-27.4 VS 4.9 / 64.4 / 706# / 24-24.9

Fat Boy 4.5/ 65.6 / 699# / 25.6-25.6 VS 5.1 / 64.4 / 730# / 26.2-27

Deluxe 4.5 / 64.2 / 697# / 28-28 VS 4.3 / 64.4 / 730# / 25.8-26.7

Heritage 4.7 / 64.2 / 723# / 27.3-28.5 VS4.7 / 64.4 / 755# / 24.4-25.9



OK, so I let my OCD run a little for a comparative spec search.

[redrider90]

This is a photo of my 2nd HD bought new in 72.




I called the Super Glide my Ralph Nader bike, as it was truly unsafe at any speed. This was Willie G's lazy, very lazy attempt to copy the Easy Rider look and put the HD badge on it. AMF in its glory days trying their best to take down the Motor Company.
It was virtually a stripped down "74" dresser with a sportster front end and that is all it was. It looked good but did nothing else,  even mediocre. Ground clearance was non existent, the rear brake locked up immediately and the front brake couldn't handle the weight of the bike much less the rider. It would fade at 50 MPH.  At speed above 85 MPH the front end literally could not stay on the ground. The forks pulsed up and down rapidly but thankfully no dreaded weave. I finally mixed STP and ATF at about a 60/40 ratio that made it thick enough to keep the front wheel/forks from pulsing up and down.
The back fender cracked on it, the oil tank cracked, the license plate cracked. Other things broke that I do not remember. One year and 13,000 miles and it was ready to go.  But hey that was the AMF days and it took how many years before Harley was bought out and saved from extinction?
So I wanted a bike that cornered and stopped and found it.  I consumed Motor Cycle rags for information and found an early model new Ducati GT that had been languishing in a small town Berliner showroom. Traded straight up for the FX (the dealer knew he could sell the Harley but the Duck was collecting dust) and I was in love with all things Italian on the first test ride. 

[Kev m]

If I'd started riding in the 70's or even 80's I'd likely have never stuck with Harley.

I was fortunate to buy my first house and first new bike in the same year 1993 (my early 20's).

It was a new 1200 Sportster and it was not trouble free, but it was reliable and fun, and probably hooked me for life.

I've owned BMWs and Guzzis, and I appreciate both. Hopefully I'll always have at least a Guzzi in the garage too.

But there's always at least one Moco product that speaks to me too. So it's nice to have options.

[keener]

If I'd started riding in the 70's or even 80's I'd likely have never stuck with Harley.

  ya hit the nail on the head .......never cared a lick for them and probably never will , back then say in 1972 they built crap and myself and others at the time had other ideas as to what a motorcycle should be.... now i respect them in the fact that they are brilliant at marketing  and staying in business , as for their bikes i still say meh.

[lorazepam]

Holy smokes, that red oxide primer bike is ugly. Maybe it is just my bias, but it looks like they forgot to paint it.

This one reminds me of a Yamaha Virago with a custom headlight from an old KLR.

[Kev m]

Holy smokes, that red oxide primer bike is ugly. Maybe it is just my bias, but it looks like they forgot to paint it.

This one reminds me of a Yamaha Virago with a custom headlight from an old KLR.

It can't really remind one of a Virago unless the jugs are offset and the seat is heavily stepped, the tank is awkwardly raked upward, the bars are buckhorns..

Hell everyone knows a Nevada is what reminds you of a Virago! [emoji23]

. Just saying ...

[lorazepam]

When I saw the exhaust, I thought Virago. The seat has a pretty big step, just needs button tuck.  The headlight also reminded me of bender the robot's eyes.
I have a dearer nearby, guess I will go have a look. The V7 usually gets some comments, and questions when I stop.

[Kev m]

Meh, the rear pipe doesn't go under the motor, the motor isn't a stressed member of the frame...I could go on.


The V7 always gets love at Harley dealers. A few years back I stopped by the York factory for an open house and some employees approached me to ask about it!

[LowRyter]

Joking aside, I have no doubt that Harley has upped it's game. 

All my bikes are air cooled but I know that water pumps and radiators have been responsible for more performance than turbos were 30 years ago. 

[lorazepam]

I know there are many differences between the two bikes. The styling cues, first impressions for me is what I meant Kev. I will go see it in person. Sometimes, like you said, pictures do not do the bike justice.

[redrider90]

I got Ducati Indiana name transposed with Guzzi Nevada but then I put all the 4 bikes side by side and realized the softail lowrider looked a bit out of place with the other 3 look alikes. 

[Kev m]

I know there are many differences between the two bikes. The styling cues, first impressions for me is what I meant Kev. I will go see it in person. Sometimes, like you said, pictures do not do the bike justice.

I'm just giving you guff, nothing serious...

[lorazepam]

I'm just giving you guff, nothing serious...

I figured that.  The bender comment was as well. 

[blackcat]

I can't look twice at any bike with that f*&$# ridiculous peg placement, how are you supposed to ride like that

I really don't like any brand bike with floorboards or foot forward controls and in this case it would probably require the redesigning of the exhaust system and that won't happen. Anyway, I'm probably the demographic who would buy this bike, but it just isn't my cup of tea and I'm not a HD hater. From the fat front wheel,forward foot pegs,risers on the handlebars to the seat/wheat harvester chute rear fender. But I do like the looks of the engine.

[Kev m]

They do have mid-mounts on the Street Bob with the same frame. The question is whether or not you could fit them with the stock Fat Bob exhaust. To my naked eye it looks like the F Bob exhaust sits lower and might interfere. But I'm sure someone could figure that out. Certainly that would be a want for my book too.