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Picture Information
URL: http://riceornot.ricecop.com/?auto=92617
Submitted by: DiRF
Comments: 4  (Read/Post)     Favorites: 0  (View)
Submitted on: 03-01-2015
View Stats Category: Other Vehicle
Description:
Harley-Davidson FLD Switchback... what a weird road that led to this bike...

Until 1970, Harley had two types of V-twin motorcycles. The big FL "Glide" cruisers, and the smaller XL "Sportsters."

For a long time, customizers had been creating choppers by taking the big FL frame and mating it to the nimbler XL front-fork...

In 1971, Willie G. Davidson decided to create the FX... a "factory" chopper that was still an engineering hodgepodge of the FL frame and XL forks.

That was all well and good for a while, but, in 1991, Harley finally decided to do that style of bike properly, with a new ground-up design... the "Dyna", or FD. Still a large frame almost on par with the FL "Glide" bikes, but nimbler and lighter, with a set of light forks specifically engineered to balance out the design. My father's 1998 Super Glide is a Dyna.

...but now, it has come full circle. Harley decided to do a "Glide"-style Dyna, by putting the FL front forks on an FD... the Switchback. They're obviously acknoweldging this odd hodgepodge situation with the name.


   Comments

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#1
3-01-2015 @ 01:01:51 AM
Posted By : DiRF  Reply | Edit | Del
To be honest, I love the way this bike looks. If I had the money, and wanted a Harley, I would be hard pressed to decide between this and a Road King... granted, if price were indeed no concern, I'd probably go with a brand-new 111ci Indian Chief Vintage.

I guess I should acknolwedge the existence of the FXST Softail in all of this... being the *other* Harley V-Twin line, since 1984. It's always been its own separate entity in the lineup. To be honest, the Softails interest me the least in regards to all modern Harleys.

...and, then, of course, there's the left-field water-cooled models like the drag-inspired V-Rod and the Indian-designed (the country, not the company) "Street" bikes... they're interesting, certainly... but I'm more interested in the FL, XL, and FD bikes.


#2
3-01-2015 @ 06:43:34 AM
Posted By : Skid Reply | Edit | Del
If I got a Harley, I'd probably go full vintage and get a Panhead, Shovelhead, or even a Knucklehead. Smokey, rough, and breakage-prone, but holy shit that sound.

#3
3-01-2015 @ 06:54:49 AM
Posted By : DiRF  Reply | Edit | Del
#2, Well, from what I understand, there are plenty of remanufacturers that can provide you with essentially a "brand new" vintage Harley V-Twin engine.

#4
11-04-2017 @ 04:29:23 PM
Posted By : DiRF  Reply | Edit | Del
This bike is no more... Harley, as a cost-cutting measure, has discontinued the entire FXD/Dyna chassis line. A few of the models from the FXD line have been shifted to the FXST Softail line.

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