2014–2016 · Cruiser · Buyer's Guide
Factory Custom, Full Attitude
The Street Bob Special is a factory custom and never pretends otherwise. Take the stripped Dyna template, add drag bars, forward controls and machined wheels, then leave the rest of the motorcycle honest. Underneath sits the rubber-mounted 1690 cc air-cooled 45-degree V-twin, worth 77 hp and, far more to the point, 99 lb-ft at 3,000 rpm. Six speeds, belt final drive, ABS fitted as standard. Where plenty of big twins feel like furniture on wheels, this one carries itself tight and planted, and it sits near the top of the big-twin cruiser class for the way it holds a line.
It rides lighter than the scale suggests, because the mass sits low and the seat is only 26.8 inches off the ground. This is a bike for a rider who wants presence and mechanical theater on a Friday evening and a long Saturday, not for anyone chasing output figures. It also rewards owners who wrench, since almost nothing on it resists being changed. The honest caveat is maintenance. The Twin Cam 103 runs plastic shoes on its cam chain tensioners and they wear out. Ignore that and metal shavings reach the oil. Stay ahead of it and the engine goes the distance.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 77 hp (57 kW) |
|---|---|
| Torque | 99 lb-ft (134 Nm) @ 3,000 rpm |
| Displacement | 1690 cc |
| Engine | 45° V-twin |
| Cooling | Air-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Belt |
| Front tire | 100/90-19 |
| Rear tire | 160/70-17 |
| Wheelbase | 64.2 in (1631 mm) |
| Seat height | 26.8 in (680 mm) |
| Wet weight | 697 lb (316 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 4.7 gal (17.8 L) |
Equipment check
Safety
Hit the starter and the whole bike rocks on its mounts before it settles into that lopsided idle you feel through the tank as much as you hear it. The rubber mounts let the engine shake in the frame at a standstill, then everything smooths into a steady, low pulse once you're rolling, coming up through the pegs and the seat rather than the grips. Your hands sit wide and low on the drag bars, your boots stretch out front, and the whole body position is laid back without turning into a lounge chair. The seat is low enough that flat-footing at a light takes no thought. At a real road pace the exhaust note hardens into a deep bark, and the bike hums along the highway feeling of a piece: heavy, unhurried, awake.
Premature cam chain tensioner wear
The Twin Cam 103 engine uses plastic shoes on the cam chain tensioners, which are prone to wearing out. If unchecked, metal-to-metal contact causes metal shavings in the oil and eventual engine damage.
High-speed stability concerns
Some owners report a front-end wobble or vague feeling at speeds above roughly 60 mph (100 km/h), especially in sweeping corners. An aftermarket engine stabilizer is often suggested as a remedy.
Where this Harley-Davidson Dyna Street Bob Special pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Dyna Street Bob Special is actually built for.
Sturgis, Daytona, the whole ritual: this bike belongs there. Sound, stance and the freedom to build it into your own are exactly what it does best, and it earns its parking spot on the main drag.
Made for A1A — Florida Atlantic Coast · Black Hills / Sturgis Rally Hub · Daytona Main Street / Bike Week
Small towns and old highways at an unhurried pace suit it well, and it looks the part everywhere you stop. Just budget for fuel stops, because 4.7 gallons goes quickly on a big day.
Made for Acadia National Park · Austin / Handbuilt Motorcycle Show · Blue Ridge Parkway
It will cover the distance, but it asks more of you than a purpose-built tourer. Forward controls, a 4.7-gallon tank and 697 lb make big days a matter of planning rather than cruising.
Made for Beartooth Highway · Blue Ridge Parkway · Going-to-the-Sun Road
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Harley-Davidson Dyna Street Bob Special. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
