I really hadn't ridden a Harley in a long time. I owned one 20 years ago and have found that they had progressed very little with the newer ones that I had ridden. With the Dyna frame that was introduced some time ago, Harley made an improvement in quelling some vibration. The Twin Cam 88 motor was slightly more powerful and smoother than the Evo it replaced. Suspension and brakes still left a lot to be desired.
The 2010 Dyna Wide Glide that I had the opportunity to sample at Arizona Bike Week was a pleasant surprise!
The 2010 first of all felt more balanced than the previous versions I've ridden. Past Wide Glides have had the tendency to "fall" into a turn at slow to moderate speeds because of the long, very raked fork. On the 2010, this trait has just about disappeared. Handlingwise, this bike feels like it has been engineered as a whole unit instead of feeling like a modified version of another model. The motor was typical Harley, a good amount of torque and vibration. With the stock pipes, it's not very noisy and mechanically quieter than Harley's of the past.
Overall, I feel that Harleys are a bit overpriced for the amount of performance and standard features given by the factory. The Dyna Wide Glide is a good solid bike for it's intended use, but there are so many other choices that have more bells and whistles that offer more performance. But if you must join the black T-shirt, bar and shield brigade, you won't go wrong with this one!
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