Greetings,

Does anyone have first hand experience with putting a Wide Glide front end on a Dyna Glide?

My questions are:
Will the subjective "handling" of the bike be changed...if so, for better or worse?
Other than changing the entire front end, is it possible to remove the stock headlight and install a WG light further down the forks on the stock front end of my 2005 Dyna FXDI?
The bike handles like a dream now...but I like the look of the WG front end.
Thanks,
LRMars

 

If you go with a stock OEM WG front end it will lower the front end, due to the 2* rake, a 2" over set of tubes will correct that.
I run 2* and 2" over on my WG and it handles like a dream, so no, you should not suffer from the swap at all.

As far as mounting the light, just a matter of mount placement, should bolt right up.

 

I did the conversion last winter, i used a Night Train front end, it all bolted up nice, also gave it a little more rake, but with the stock tubes it raised the front about 1 inch with a 21 inch wheel.As far as handling there was no difference for me, My bike is a 2002 FXD and i found it looks much better with the wider forks. My sig pic shows the front end installed.This winter i will be installing a lowering kit to lower it 1inch.

 

If you are not an aggressive rider it's fine. Personally I think the 21" wheels are junk, secondly you gain rake, therefore wheelbase, so handling is affected.

 

I have priced front ends online...some say "zero rake", "2 degree rake" etc. Isn't the rake a function of the angle of the front end collar that is welded to the frame?
LRMars

 

You can have rake in both the frame and the trees. Wide glides pre-06 had 32 degrees in the frame and 2 in the trees, post 06 is 34 in the frame and 2 in the trees.
Most other Dynas have 0 in the trees.

 

If your wanting to maintain your slow speed handling stick with the 0 degree trees. The more rake you put into the trees the more you will wobble at slow speeds.

 

While a big difference would make noticeable changes, A degree difference does not harm the handling, I run 2 over with 2" over tubes and it actually feels like an improvement.

 

That may be true but the stock combination on my 07 Wide Glide makes it the worst low speed handler I have ridden in my entire life.

 

why couldnt you just convert what you have with wider trees ? thats what we did with the wifes FXR and it turned out great and handling was not changed