2005 · Cruiser · Buyer's Guide
Factory Chopper, Zero Compromises
This is the Dyna that stopped pretending to be a standard cruiser. The frame is stretched and raked out front, the fork legs sit wide, and a skinny MH90-21 laced wheel leads the way under a bobtail rear fender and mini-ape bars. Underneath sits the air-cooled 45° V-twin, 1449 cc, rubber-mounted in a steel tubular frame, making 67 hp and 78 lb-ft through a 5-speed box and a belt. It is a chopper you buy finished, off a showroom floor, with a factory warranty instead of a custom shop invoice.
The numbers tell you what it is not. At 661 lb (300 kg) wet with 67 hp, this bike does not chase anything. What it does is hold a line: the low 25.2 in (640 mm) seat and the long wheelbase make it planted and calm once you are up to highway speed, and the belt keeps the drivetrain quiet as the miles pile on. It is for the rider who wants the look and the sound first and is honest about that. The caveat is maintenance: the Twin Cam 88's cam chain tensioners wear, and ignoring them gets expensive fast.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 67 hp (50 kW) |
|---|---|
| Torque | 78 lb-ft (106 Nm) |
| Displacement | 1449 cc |
| Engine | 45° V-twin |
| Cooling | Air-cooled |
| Gearbox | 5-speed |
| Final drive | Belt |
| Front tire | MH90-21 |
| Rear tire | 160/70-17 |
| Seat height | 25.2 in (640 mm) |
| Wet weight | 661 lb (300 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 5.0 gal (18.9 L) |
Premature cam chain tensioner wear
The spring-loaded cam chain tensioners on the Twin Cam 88 engine can wear prematurely, leading to chain slap and potentially catastrophic engine damage if not inspected regularly.
Where this Harley-Davidson Dyna Wide Glide FXDWG 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 Wide Glide FXDWG is actually built for.
This is your bike. The stance, the sound, and the parts catalog all point at rally week, and it earns its spot on Main Street without you touching a thing. Budget for the tensioner service and ride it.
Made for A1A — Florida Atlantic Coast · Black Hills / Sturgis Rally Hub · Daytona Main Street / Bike Week
It fits the pace you want: unhurried, loud in the right way, and honest metal all the way through. Just plan around the 5.0 gal (18.9 L) tank and the forward-control stretch on longer days.
Made for Acadia National Park · Austin / Handbuilt Motorcycle Show · Blue Ridge Parkway
Stable enough at highway speed to eat interstate, but this is a bare chopper: no cruise, no luggage, no wind protection, and a 5.0 gal (18.9 L) tank. Solo and self-aware, fine. Two-up and loaded, look elsewhere.
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.
