| Author | Message | ||
     Gentleman_jon |
If one owns a Buell, It certainly makes a lot of sense to own a touring Harley. On the other hand............. Some guys, such as myself, have reached a point in life where they prefer to put the bike on the trailer for long jaunts, but still enjoy riding around on a Big Twin. The Dyna series, which I believe may have started with the FXR, which was designed, at least in part, by Erik Buell, is widely regarded as the best handling of all Harleys. And in the Superglide series, the FXDX with its sport suspension, greater ground clearance, dual front disk brakes, speedo and tach, has been considered to be the sportiest of the Big Twins. Thus they have a special attraction for Buell riders who normally appreciate a good handling motorcycle. Never very popular, the model was discontinued when the 88" series ended. Many of these bikes were lowered, or used as donor bikes for choppers. I was wondering how many of them ended up in the hands of Bad Webbers, how they are ridden, and how they might have been modified. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
that FXDX was the best kept secret in the Harley arsenal. Apparently too well kept. I have had the chance to ride on around the track and it is an amazing sledge hammer for getting the job done. You might want to give the new FXDF a ride, get the one with mid controls and pop your feet back to the passenger pegs for the twisties. Its like a hippo in ballet, but damn the big girl is fun to push in the corners.  | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
Hello Brian, Your black and orange Sportster looks very nice. I like the look of the Fat Bob with the two headlights, and mat paint . I am thinking that some Uly forks, maybe a total Ulysses front end, wheel and all might be cool on my bike too. Do you know if the Uly triple clamp will fit on the 2001 Dyna frame? | ||
| Cityxslicker |
I dont know about the technical aspects of a change like that, that is way over my head. But of course Stortz does make an inverted blacked out front end that would look killer on that bike. I would keep the Harley set up of the twin brakes, wide meats and 16 inchers, but that is just me. Holding my breath to see if Harley brings out the XR1200 (in orange of course) they are kind of addictive lil bikes. Thanks for the nod on the classic Retro 57 that I have in the works. Next big mod will be laced wheels. In black of course | ||
| Dynasport |
I ride an FXDX, as I have posted many times. To me it is a great compromise bike. It is not as comfortable to tour on as a bagger and it is not as good on the twisties as a Buell, but I smile every time I ride it. I have done an Iron Butt Saddle Sore 1000 on it and have more long rides planned. I also take it to North Carolina every year to ride in the mountains. Last year's trip to NC got me wanting something sportier, but as I have said in other threads I now think at least part of my problem is my riding skills not my bike when it comes to keeping up with others in the twisties. I still think I will end up with a Buell at some point, but I can't see parting with my FXDX. THE FXDX IS THE LEAST LOVED BEST HARLEY EVER! | ||
| Jackbequick |
I was looking for a FXDX when I bought my FXD, there just weren't many of them on the market at the time. My having no bike and pocket full of cash ended the hunt with the Dyna but I have no regrets about it all. Let us know if the FXDX has to go away, maybe we can keep it in the BadWeb family. Jack | ||
| Leftcoastal |
If "Vintage" Buells were worth what they should be worth, I'd trade my turbo'd S2'd RS for an FXDX in a hot second. I've always admired that bike, due to it's adjustable suspension and "no silly chrome" demeaner! AL | ||
| Sarodude |
I've got an 02 FXD - and all the FXDX suspension & brakes ready to bolt on. My FXD with its lazy suspension has surprised MANY folks on seemingly more capable steeds. I can't wait to run down my roads here with better suspenders. I honestly prefer the aesthetic of the FXD to the FXDX. Not exactly chrome - a lot of bare or polished aluminum. If I knew more about bikes & riding when I bought the FXD, I may have lobbied for the FXDX. No matter. I TOTALLY love my FXD. -Saro | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
Hello Saro, I am sure you are going to TOTALLY love your FXD even more with the FXDX suspenders on her. Since it seems that you enjoy going fast in the corners, I hope you, and the other members, won't mind if I repost some hard learned lessons about improving the handling of an FXDX that I posted elsewhere on the board, if only because there isn't much information on this subject available anywhere that I know of. I found with my 2001 FXDX that the factory recommendations for suspension set up were very far from useful. I made the following changes which completely altered the way the bike handled, allowing me to hang with my sport bike buddies until they really got going, to our mutual surprise. 1. Fitted Metzler ME 880 tires, going one size up in the rear. My particular bike has a 17" Deuce wheel so I was able to fit a 160/70b/17, but a 150 on a 16" wheel works great too, if I correctly recall what I had on my FXD. I consider the stock Dunlops to be positively dangerous. 2. Inflated the tires to Metzler's, not Harley's recommended tire pressures. Front 38 lb. Rear 44 lb. 3. Set up the sag, or what Harley calls squat, by measurement, instead of the recommended settings. Harley normally sets the bikes up MUCH to soft for sport riding. I weight 220 in my stocking feet, so I set up as follows: Front: Preload: no lines showing total sag 1.25" Compression: 8 clicks out Rebound: 6 clicks out Rear: Preload 4th position. rebound, (top screw) one click out. 4. I fitted a Police seat to raise the rider height. Surprisingly, this gave me much better control of the bike, as well as a more comfortable seat. 5. I fitted a side mounted Ohlins steering damper. Had to make the mounts myself. Storz has some that might work, but ever helpful, they won't sell them without their own, rather inadequate damper. 6. I fitted a custom billet fork brace. The Harley one works fine too, sort of ugly.( My old one is for sale cheap.) 7. And this is the critical one. I fitted a Buell XB front fender. This handles any Karmic infelicities, and lets the bike and everyone else know you are there to do the business, noam saying? Looks like this:  | ||
| Dalton_gang |
My 1st Harley was a `99 fxdx. I bought it new in Nov of `98 and was one of the first twin cam 88" bikes to hit the streets of St. Louis. It was a lot of fun and for a while was very unique. I got a lot of comments about it being blacked out instead of being chromed. People seemed to either extremely hate it or they absolutely loved it. I loved it for about 9,000 miles then got a `03 road glide when I thought that I needed more of a touring bike (almost got the s3t) then I got tired of the fat, heavy, slow, expensive, bla bla bla............... Now I`m on the 1125r and couldn`t be any happier. I`ve been fortunate to come from a large family of bike owners and have ridden nearly every Harley model from about 1980 on up. The xr1000, the fxdx, and the 1125r are my favorite American bikes. If I ever get another cruiser I think that I will be looking for a low mileage unmolested fxdx | ||
| Sarodude |
Jon- I agree that HD's recommended settings are too soft. Not that I have experience with the FXDX stuff, but just knowing how I feel about the way the bikes come shocked / damped.... Did you happen to run the stock weight oil in the forks or did you go up any? Also, why do you feel the Dun(s)lops to be dangerous? I don't really have a decent frame of reference, but I'm curious as to why you feel they're no good. My bike's got around 42k (didn't get ridden for like 2 years....) and has been through a few sets of tires - and I've at least not crashed the Dunlops..... FWIW, I've been running the Dunlops at pressures similar to how you run the Metzlers. Anyway, I'm just glad there are some folks out there who appreciate one of the cooler bikes HD made - and I don't mean just 'cause it'd chrome-free. Kills me to see these get molested, lowered, etc. -Saro | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
Saro, I am still running the stock fork oil. I still have the heavier fork oil that I bought for my old FXD, but I haven't changed it because I do not have any information on the subject. In addition, I was able to improve the damping on the FXDX forks with the adjustment screws provided. Changing the oil on the FXDX forks is a job that requires tools and experience that I do not have. I wouldn't be surprised if the fork action could be improved by replacing the springs, and modifying the damping, but I am not sure that it would be cost effective on this bike, especially since I have a perfectly good Buell for corner carving. I have also dreamed about just grafting a Buell Ulysses front end on the bike. The reason that I am so against the Dunlops is simply my experience riding on them. The FXDX had the K591 "performance" tires on it when I got it. In a spirited, perhaps foolish, ride with a friend of mine who was ridding an Aprilia Mille, the bike went into the biggest, lock to lock tank slapper I have ever encountered, and I crashed. Fortunately neither horse nor rider were seriously hurt. Perhaps blaming the entire incident entirely on the Dunlops is not correct, but after adjusting the suspension, fitting a steering damper and fork brace, and most importantly. putting on new Metzlers ME 880's, 160/70b/17.( this bike has a 17" Deuce rear wheel), and a 100/90/19 front, the handling on the bike has been completely transformed for the better. I also found that the Metzlers, ME880's, greatly improved the handling of my former Harley, a 2000 FXD. I have a real love/hate relationship with Dunlop. They are capable of building the best and worst tires. On my Buell, I found the stock 207's to be awful, (an opinion shared by many), whereas their Qualifiers have been widely praised, and I have been using them on my Buell for a couple of years now. Perhaps the tires built for Harley, formerly on an exclusive contract, are built to a price, and designed for wear instead of cornering performance. I agree with you that it is a shame to see how little the FXDX is appreciated, and to see so many of them get altered for the worse, at least in my eyes. I have frequently wondered just how many FXDX's were ever made. Anyone know? | ||
| Onahog |
I just sold my 2001 FXDP...Great bike... Hankb. | ||
| Jackbequick |
Saro, I had the OEM Dunlops on my M2 and they have a vaguely imprecise feeling to them as far as tracking through turns and going where I wanted to go. I'd often have to adjust lines as I rode. A change to a set of Metzler Z6's changed that and made me very happy. From inputs here, there are a number of brands that I would have been just as happy with, but that did not include any of the Dunlops. Then I sold the M2 and got a Dyna FXD. That had the Harley branded Dunlops (D401/D402?) on it. And it had something similar in its handling. A general lack of precision and not confidence inspiring. It almost encouraged turn fixation at times. And it was distracting at times. I think those are the kinds of things that Jon alludes to as dangerous. On the Dyna I attributed it to the nature of the bike at first but as time went on I wondered if it might be the tires. I asked here and a BadWebber said he had used several sets of ME-880's on a FX or FL and liked them. So I decided to try them (the Dunlops were about due for replacement). Wow! What a difference. The Dunlops have a pattern that has sort of radial grooves or sipes that run circumferentially around the tire. The ME-880 sipes are more acute to the direction of travel and also look to have less open area in the contact patch. And they also have a more rounded shape and are just a little wider than the Dunlops. I sort of wondered if the difference in the shape of the tire and the tread pattern is not what is making the difference but am not sure. But I definitely will not buy another set of Dunlops. I think Jon and I "discovered" the ME-880's about the same time and both came away with the same impressions. We liked them very much. Someone else mentioned an Avon here in Critical Mass since it started so that might be another option a better tire for these bikes. I hate to stereotype anyone or unfairly criticize dealers, but I think many people put the Harley branded tires on simply because they are branded and their dealers recommend them. I asked about better tires for a Dyna at my dealer and got a funny look and a suggestion that I should buy another pair of Dunlops. No Way! I look forward to reading more inputs from this forum because I think we are going to get more objective inputs from riders that have experience on many different bikes and with different brands of tires. Some of the details on the suspension and the experiences we're sharing there is the kind of stuff that will keep me here forever. I love it! Jack | ||
| Adrian_8 |
Just saw this thread....I have a Ulysses and.... a 99 FXDX...Black with Boss Bags...95" jugs, ported, polished , flowed heads Andrews gear drive 37G cam, lightened valves, 10.2 High compression pistons with a Black Thunderheader...440 Progressive Gas shocks and fork springs...Love my Black Beast...she makes beautiful music and has surprised a few riders of the "German Brand"..You know "Harleys are slow and just make noise types".... | ||
| Towjam |
Never very popular, the model was discontinued when the 88" series ended Actually, '05 was the last year for the FXDX. The TC88 wasn't replaced with the TC96 until the '07 model year. My first Harley was this '04 FXDX.  It is by far and away the best handling Harley I've owned. | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
Jam, Thanks for the correction. My FXDX is only my second Harley, and I have a lot to learn about the Motor Company, and their products. | ||
| Sarodude |
I'm about to finish my 2002 FXD's suspension & brake upgrade to FXDX components. If anyone can snap some photos of how the from brake lines route and where they're supported, clamped, or otherwise secured. Also, I'm curious about what to expect in terms of front brake feel. I changed over to the the FXDX's larger diameter master, so I'm not really sure what to expect. I do know that the going from a 9/16" to 11/16" master LESS than doubles area - so hopefully my Popeye / Adam Carolla forarm may shrink a bit. Thanks in advance... -Saro (Message edited by sarodude on June 02, 2008) | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
Hello Saro, There is a brake line kit for the FXDX and even though you could make your own, the factory one is pretty sanitary, even though the brake lines are mostly rubber, instead of braided stainless. Here is how the factory kit looks on my bike.  As you can see, the brake line starts out as a metal tube, then converts to a rubber tube, about 6" from the front brake master cylinder.  Then the rubber tube is fixed to the top triple, and converts back to metal tubing which leads to a circular metal distribution fitting, at the bottom end of the steering stem, which outputs to two metal tubes, one for the right and for for the left calipers. The metal tubes are only about 3" long, and then they connect to long rubber tubes which lead unsupported to the brake calipers. I hope you can understand this from the photos and description. I recommend this kit unless you are real handy with making brake lines. | ||
| Sarodude |
Jon- Thanks for the pic. My parts came with the hoseage, actually. Problem was that the fittings were all messed with and not lining up in any way that made sense. I set mine up how you've got it on yours with one exception: The FXD hose clamp on the top triple is MUY big for the FXDX hose / line. No biggie. Thanks! -Saro | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
That's great, Sarp! Now ...................... How about the floating rotors?  | ||
| Sarodude |
Jon- Believe me, they're on the christmas list. I haven't taken home a real paycheck in about six months and this project is only happening 'cause I've had the parts around for a while.... I think I've had the rears for 3 or 4 years, the front for about one and change. What rotors are recommended, anyway? -Saro | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
Saro - I have Sunstar floating rotors on my FXDX, they seem good to me, and they have black centers which look good with my blacked out motor. Russell also sells floating rotors for Big Twins. I can't find a source for the Sunstars, they are imported by Sudco, maybe one of our sponsors can get them. The Russells are in the J&P catalogue, and again, one of our Harley Dealer sponsors, like Liberty, Hals, Appleton, Revolution should be able to help, although Harley dealers are usually more interested in "show and go" than the "Whoa"! | ||
| Sarodude |
Well, it's been a couple of weeks since I've got the FXDX forks, shocks, & brakes on my 02 FXD. * Brakes: Disappointing. Yes, they take a little less effort, but the larger master cylinder for the FXDX un-does a bunch of the hydraulic advantage the 2nd caliper would have brought with the stock master. I MAY try the stock smaller master from the FXD. * Steering: Definitely heavier. Dunno if I'm feeling that 2nd rotor or what... * Everything else: WOW. It's a different bike. Seriously, I rode my FXD kinda hard and I eventually got used to that vague squishiness and squirmyness. Well, the new suspenders took care of that. Yeah, my front tire says I've got a bit more lean angle availble, but at least as significant is that the bike is incomparably more solid and predicatble. I'd guess that it's a little better behaved trailbraking as well. The rear suspension is still marginal though. I've got the FXDX shocks cranked up all the way on the damping - and it's JUST enough - barely. Rear preload is also set to max. I'm on the stock Dun(s)lops - which I honestly have no problem with. Overall - worth it. I know a lotta guys like the black-ness of the FXDX - but I think Harley made a mistake combining the flat black stylistic components of the FXDX with the better functional parts. Seems to me like most FXDX people just wanted a cross between a FXDL and a Night Train - and went about tossing all the factory goodness in the quest. To me, the bike looks good with the non-chrome shock, the black spring... Only real expensive fashion issue is the noodly looking narrow & skinny fork. I think the FXD with FXDX suspenders has a nice balance of chrome, aluminum, and black. Looks like a motorcycle. It's still eerie laying the bike over as far as it's going. I suspect that if it was my goal, I could scrape up my overpants dropping my knee to the pavement. Fun stuff. -Saro | ||
| Dwardo |
So how much luggage can you put on one of those things? I'm thinking about getting a big twin next, but I don't know enough about them to make a good choice. The Buell and Norton don't make good long distance bikes (IMO) so I'd like to add a bagger. I don't think I want anything like a Road King. I'd like to keep some sporting performance. | ||
| Sarodude |
If you like what people are saying about the FXDX, look into an FXDXT. Came standard with bags and a small fairing - and has the nice suspension to boot. -Saro | ||
| Dwardo |
I've been looking into FXDXT, like Sarodude said. That might be just the thing. Are there big differences between the various years? Would there be a big advantage in buying a later model if an earlier model with equal miles/condition presented itself? I think I would restrict my search to 2001-2003. | ||
| Dynasport |
I've got a 2000 and I can't think of any reason to avoid one. Mine has been great. | ||
| Dwardo |
Does it have the same fancy suspension and brakes etc. as the later ones? | ||
| Dynasport |
Yes, the suspension and brakes are the same. Dual front brakes. Fully adjustable forks. I would buy the best maintained example I could find, regardless of the year. They weren't very popular, so I don't see them very often. Good luck. |
