I guess that fuel injection is the only real deciding factor. In my 4 years riding I have put 27K miles on my KZ1100 and 13k on the xs650 before it, now I am ready for a harley.......... I like long rides up and down the west coast and occasionally the desert. I/we do ride 2 up 1/2 the time too...... SO all this in mid do I get a bone stock 07 1200 Custom, or a 99 Wide glide with 5k miles and upgrades, (pipes, seats, bags, clip on windshield) I am asking the seasond riders that know these machines and do ride them. To me dependability is way important, but I love the big bike, but I want new, but I cant afford a new big twin, but I want injected, but I want a big bike, and on and on and on. I am posting this on the Dyna board too, I want well rounded opinions. THANK YOU!!!

 

this won't be the most popular answer, but this is my opinion.

for what your looking for, i don't think the sportster would be the best choice. and since you want new i would look into a metric bike. Boulevard, Nomad, Roadstar, Shadow, etc....

 

99 WG's got a TC motor so no worries about any Evo issues; though Evo's are still solid bikes.

I have a Sportster and a Softail. The Wide Glide and Softail are similar enough for me to give you some idea of the trade-offs.

Sportster - Wiked fun to ride solo. Very agile, nimble, and fast. Accessories are not as expensive as those for big twins. Rides 2-up without an issue. I have no problem keeping up with the bigger bikes on group rides.

Softail - A lot of fun to ride. Not quite as fast, agile, or nimble as the Sportster, though still a blast to ride. But, don't take that as a negative. The Sportser in my opinion is just that good. Accessories for big twins appear to be priced as such. But deals are everywhere so its not too bad. Hands down the Softail is more comfortable for 2-up. There is a lot more space for both of us on the bigger bike.

I'm guessing these are priced fairly close together? Think about accessories though. If you ride 2-up 50% of the time, factor in the cost of all the 2-up stuff for the Sportser when considering this decision. The Dyna is a package deal. You are ready to ride 2-up immediately. With the Sporty you will have to make the investment first.

Are they both dealer purchases? To me, dealer purchase might feel like a better way to go. I assume a dealer went over everything on any used bike they sell. Private seller might not have or could even hide something known to be an issue.

I used to think the warranty was a selling point but I have yet to experience a failure of anything that would have been a warranty repair.

Carb versus EFI. That's somewhat subjective. If I weren't a motorhead the only way I would have a clue there was a difference is by noting that one starts easier when cold. My Sporty is carb and the Softail is EFI. I do like the start and go aspect of the Softail but there isn't that much more to do to get the Sporty going. Unless you have a definite desire or specific plans that require EFI, go with whatever is on the bike you buy.

Aha...I have not given you my choice. In my opinion you have a hard decision to make. I really like both bikes. No way you can buy both?

Given the miles you are going to ride and that 50% will be 2-up, I'd recommend going with the Dyna. Its ready to go, has way low miles, and will sustain a greater resale value if you decide to trade on a newer model down the road. (But I have to admit that to me, resale is the absolute last thing I factor in when looking at a vehicle purchase. I am buying a vehicle to drive/ride. I don't care what its worth to the next guy. I only care about what its worth to me.)

Not really a deciding factor to buy but.....allegedly the DWG will be taken out of the Dyna line-up next year. There is speculation whether or not they will return but suffice to say that void will send people looking for them on the used market. That could drive the prices up some if you wait.

Good luck either way and post pics.

 

For 2-up the dyna will be better than the sportster. Also, the dyna comes with a lot of goodies that are great for touring and long rides such as a windshield and bags. The sportster will be the faster bike though and the sportster motor will be more reliable. The twin cams have problems with the chain tensioners wearing out and the early bikes like the 99 had cam bearing issues as well.

 

I havea 2001 Dyna Wideglide. I have owned a 1200 Sporty (and loved it), but not the EFI 1200. As far as starting...my Dyna is carbureted and never misses a beat even when cold (Reno in the winter = cold!) it starts right up. My Sportsterhad a solid mount moter (as do thebig twin Softtails), the Dyna's and the touring bikes have a rubber mounted motor. Much less vibration at freeway speed. For me, if I was going to do much longdistance riding the Dyna would be the choice. As far as problems with the cams goes, I have gear driven cams in mine so I haven't had any problems at all. I have freinds with other 88 and 96"motors with out the gear driven set in them and they haven't had any trouble, but I have read of other people that did, so...? As far as the power of the Sporty vs the Dyna...mine isn't stock so again I can't say much there. My Dynastill hasonly a 88" motor, butnow it registers 78 hp and 89 Ft Lbs at the rear tire on the dyno. It handles great and feels fast enough for me (for now anyway).One more thing about riding on long trips on a Dyna...when I had myRoad King, it was better on long trips, but not by much.On the Road King, the foot boads with highway pegs made it more comfortable that the forword controls on the Dyna, and the eight spoke aluminum rims let me run tubeless tires (easier to fix punctures on the side on the road). But the Dyna handles much better and is almost as comforable. In my opinion, the Dyna Wideglide is one of the best bikes for both touring and riding around town made. But that's just my two cents...

 

P.S. I should have used spell check!

 

You guys ROCK! thank you for your help.... I thought the 99 had an EVO a TC makes it a cinch.... WHOO HOO thank you!!!!!!

 

1999 was the first year for the twin cam. Although, I think the 1999 softails still had an evolution engine (not sure of that).

 

Pretty sure that's right. Dynas seem to push upgrades a year prior to the other models. This and the six speed trans are both examples.