I gotta tell ya. I wasn't sure what I'd think. Since the only other bikes I've ridden have been purdy small in comparison (nothing near the 96" Twin Cam) I wondered if I wasn't being a little overly ambitious. Thing is, the dealership (Orlando H-D, hats off to the crew there for their time) didn't have any Sportsters available for rental, won't until a little further into the year. The Sporty has been what I've been drooling over, sweet features at a less intimidating price. After riding the Dyna, I almost wish I had ended up with a Sportster, 'cuz now I've got a major Jones for a Dyna, or bigger. This post is going to end up being a review of the new Dyna, so read on if you're interested. Hope I can pull this off convincingly.

So I ended up with an '07 Dyna Low Rider as my rental sled. Windshield, saddle bags, highway pegs, everything else stock. Fire Red Pearl finish. Purdy. Would like to have taken off the windshield, was too low to really do anything for me, the top edge of the shield was getting annoying. Plus I'm 6' tall, so the Low Rider won't be my first choice anymore; mid-controls and low seat don't work for long-legged me. Used the highway pegs a lot. Saddle bags were a nice touch and very convenient, Harley's Synthetic Leather bags. Was able to do some post-Christmas shopping at Victoria's Secret for the wife without worrying where I was going to put the cargo. Blah blah blah, okay okay, on to the ride and my impressions of the Twin Cam 96" and the new tranny...

Holy cow. This Dyna's throttle is tight! Hardly any roll at all brought lots of power. Felt like a really tightly-wound hair trigger, not stiff but very in tune with the engine, smooth but sensitive. Clutch was way easier than I thought it'd be, no fatigue at all, let me feel the friction zone without killing my hand. Brakes were the same, very responsive and non-fatiguing. Bike's big, but not overbearing. Didn't even come close to tipping or laying the bike down, not once. Having fuel injection was nice, I enjoyed not having to worry about fuel flow or the choke control. Lots of vibration. Lots. Sitting at traffic lights or in traffic jams got a little annoying. But, made me feel more in tune with everything the bike was doing. Rode my father-in-law's Heritage Softail, rode smooth as silk compared to the Dyna, but I didn't feel quite as connected to the Softail as I did to the Dyna. The 96" sounds absolutely huge, even through the stock pipes. More midrange bark than dad's Softail, more beefy. LOUD. Certainly got my share of turned heads from cagers. 'Course that may also have been due to the fact that my riding jacket and helmet aren't very typical of Harley riders, but I can't really afford leather and I like my full-face Fulmer. Anyhoo. Handling was sweet, scraped the footpegs a couple times around some tight turns, never felt like grip was letting go. Lots of torque! The new six-speed tranny is quite a system! I did feel like the gaps between gear ratios were kinda small, but it did make me all the more grateful for the 6th gear. Used it whenever I cruised at 55-60 or higher. Took a 100-some-odd mile ride with dad on Saturday and we found a stretch of road with no traffic. He opened up the taps on his Softail and I decided I had to nail it if I was going to keep up with him at all. What acceleration. Nearly topped 100mph (don't tell my wife, good thing she doesn't read this Forum, and if you're a cop, well, forgive me), never felt out of control. Won't do that again for a long time, though, was a little surreal and freaky, but DANG it was cool! So much power, but reasonably easy to control, never too much to handle.

Overall I'm thoroughly impressed. Aside from the size problems (definitely going to stay away from the Low Riders, doesn't let me stretch out) I really liked the Dyna! Was more than I expected, but not more than I felt I could handle. Kinda sad that s

 

If a Dyna with mid controls is a bit too "small" for you, the Softail Standard, & Custom, as well as the Dyna Wide Glide sound like just the ticket. Just remember that none of them will handle the same as the Low Rider you had or nearly any of theSportsters. They are more for cruising than cutting the twisties. Not sayiny they "can't" do it,they just won't do it as well.
But that's just MY OPINION as aSoftail Custom owner, others may and often do differ.
Good luck saving up for it.

 

I'm 5'11". Low Rider felt cramped to me at first also. I put a HD Tallboy seat on and it is very comfortable. I actually got used to the stock seat after a few weeks but the stock seat is not very comfortable for reasons other than leg length. The Tallboy is wider and cushier.
I love the handling of my Low Rider.
I use my forward pegs a lot also and am thinking about forward controls. That would probably solve your leg length comfort, also.
If you are still uncomfortable, try the Superglide or Superglide Custom. In my opinion, these are Low Riders with 1 inch taller shocks and a taller seat, or vice versa. Try the forward controls on these.
I sat on a 2007 Sportster and it was a totally different feel and riding position from the Low Rider. I can't believe you will be more comfortable on a Sportster if your leg room is limited on a Low Rider.
If you get the Sportster, you will definitely need the forward controls.
$0.02.

 

I put forward controls on my lowrider and it was a huge differance. Much more comfortable and roomy. I can ride all day now without feeling cramped up.

 

Thanks for the review guitarman. Reminded me it was a Low Rider rental years ago hooking me to the Milwaukee product. Agree, the '07's with the 96" and six speed tranny are quite the bike, and that includes the stock exhaust note.

 

Cito: I don't necessarily need something fantastic for cutting the twisties. Granted where I live right now in Tallahassee, it would probably be better to have something that is good for twisties, but we may not be living here much longer. Honestly, I found my father-in-law's Heritage Softail to respond a little quicker when going into turns and curves. I figure that's due to the smaller front wheel on the Softail. Come to think of it, the Softails I like have the larger front wheel... I may just have to do some test driving. Oh darn. [sm=lildevil.gif]

tbone: I didn't mind the stock saddle too much. Heck, I'm used to tiny bicycle seats for 250-mile trips, so the saddle wasn't so bad. I might want something a little more comfy, and the upward slope at the back of the seat got on my nerves as well. Again, I primarily blame the mid-controls, but I also think the seat forced me a little too close to the handlebars for my taste. I did sit on a Wideglide at the dealership while I was waiting for my wife to come pick me up, and I really liked it! Seat felt much better, didn't feel cramped, right distance from the bars and the forward controls were perfect. I'll have to try a Superglide. As far as the Sportster, I like the Custom. Period. It's got the more classic styling that I prefer, and with the forward controls I feel pretty darn comfy on it. I'm more interested in what I think about the Evo vs. the 96".

dynamac: I did end up using the highway pegs quite a bit. A little lower and they would have been almost the perfect location for forward controls.

sfarson: No problem! I figure that only a small portion of riders here have '07 bikes, and since the 96" is essentially brand new I just wanted to share some thoughts. Glad you enjoyed it. I'm still blown away by the stock exhaust note. Way to go, Harley.

 

You would have loved a Low Rider with forward controls.

Sammi

 

I got fwds on my 'Bob and it is near perfect position. The mids were too cramped.

 

Gman, ya felt cramped on a Lowrider but you're saving up for a Sporty?


Don't get me wrong, Sporty's are a blast, alot of fun especially in the twisties. I miss the heck out of mine, but they don't hold a candle to a LR for the long hauls.

Those mids are junk on a LR, takes a while to get use to itbut ya should have tried folding those things up, putting your feet up on the highway pegs and shifting with your heel. It's the best alternative until the forwards can be put $ on. Tim

 

Point well made, Timmer, but I sat on a Sporty Custom and really liked it. Felt good, not cramped. Felt compact without feeling small. But long hauls I'm sure would be tougher on a Sporty.

Shift from the highway peg? Seems a bit far to me, and I gots some big 'ole pontoons for feet. Dunno... Anyhoo, the main reason for looking at the Sporty is my wife is more likely to let me purchase something in that kind of price range. However, by the time I can get a sled of my own, I may be able to find a used '07 Wide- or Super Glide, or maybe even a Softail Standard that's somewhat within my price range. In any case, the jones is there. Such a great ride, sad it's over...