I'm looking at ways to reduce the overall weight of my '96 Dyna Wide Glide. Would anyone happen to know the weight difference between the WG front end and the narrow glide assembly?
Also, I have had my swingarm off for service, and was shocked at how much it weighs. Anyone aware of an aftermarket light weight swingarm for the Dyna? I could probably take a fair amount off of the stock one, but I'm trying to keep all of the stock parts as is, in case I ever wanted to restore it to stock condition.
Any other suggestions for a weight reduction program for the bike?
Yeah, I could stand to lose 10 lbs myself...

 

Er, lose 30lbs yerself?! Cheaper, although probably no easier!

Comparing the two front ends, there is scope to lose very little weight, I would think. The fork legs are similar, so probably nothing there, the triple trees are narrower, the wheel axle shorter and that's about it. It would be a lot of effort to lose a couple of pounds.

Someone over in the Dyna forum found an alloy swingarm - made here in the UK! You need very deep pockets and again will probably save very little. Aluminium tubing has to be used in larger sections to be as strong as steel.

Motorcycle Metal sell carbon fibre wheels and brake rotors, but now the costs are truly serious! How determined are you? Have you considered a Sporty?!

 

If I could fit my Evo big twin motor in a Sporty I might consider it... The problem is that I have reached a point in the development of my engine that nearly all of the affordable power is currently being developed, and further gains will not only cost significantly more per hp, but will sacrifice street ridability, especially since I live and ride in a hot climate.
Another problem is getting the power to the ground. With the current balance of the machine, even with the largest tire (150/80/16) that I can reasonably squeeze under the back, the rear tire spins at the drop of a hat. If I add weight to the rear (such as my 125 lb wife) it will lock up, but then the front end climbs ridiculously) and acceleration is dampened by the extra weight.
The narrow glide front end uses smaller diameter fork tubes, narrower triple trees, and a narrower hub, so I thought the weight savings might be significant.

Edited to add that the less weight I have to accelerate, the lower the stress on my drivetrain as well.
If I lost 30 lbs, a good gust of wind might blow me off the bike...

Edited again to add that, depending on the alloy, equivalent strength can be achieved with approximately 2/3 the weight.

 

It's a vicious circle, this weight-losing game! Hopefully others with helpful ideas will be along soon.

 

I've wondered about that myself, my FXRS would be a bunch of fun if it were 100# lighter. Figured that was impossible so I bought a '97 XL1200 Sport. Great suspension, great little motor (puts out nearly as much HP as my stage 1 Evo) weighs in right at 500#. It won't pack two up comfortably and at 6'2" and 180# I look like a monkey on a football but ya' can't have everything... ;-)

 

Did a bit of research, found a company in the US that makes a variety of swingarms, in steel and aluminum. Prices for the Dyna version range from $700-1000 plus options. They also make what they call a dual drive swingarm for Jap bikes, it has a dual sprocket jackshaft near the front that allows the final drive chain to be moved outboard for wide tire clearance. Interesting...
They also sell racing front ends, around $1400 for a Harley. Hmmm...

 

You're not far from Motorcycle Metal, in Ft Lauderdale. Howard there is pushing the boundaries of what can be done with Harleys. Might be worth calling or visiting him?

Can you share who that firm is you found?!

 

http://www.tracdynamics.com/swingarms_custom.html

I'll look into Motorcycle Metal as well.