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My first bike was a Honda 650 Nighthawk in the early 1980's. At that time, I taught myself and rode for approximately 6 months before selling it. I'm looking to get another bike and take the safety course this time around. I am looking at a Harley FDX1 Dyna Glide, and would appreciate any comments on the suitability of this bike. My ultimate goal is to cruise the backroads of WA with my wife.

How far do you plan to travel?

The Dynas are basically just a slightly larger Sportster these days.
I can take my wife 100 or 200 on the Sportster. We haven't tried anything longer (2-up) yet.

Many local folks use a Heritage Softail for 2-up touring.......

I'm planning weekend trips of anywhere from 100 to 400 miles. I'm looking for a comfortable, yet affordable ride, which is why I've been considering the Dyna Glide.

Steve23 wrote: I'm looking for a comfortable, yet affordable ride, which is why I've been considering the Dyna Glide.

OK, first off Steve, it's been recommended numerous times - might want to think about dropping $500 on a beater motorcycle to get your bike skills up to par before droppin all that dough on a new bike. Also, make sure you really get alot of practice time in before you get your wife on the back!!!

Second - Unless you are only considering Harleys, the Dyna is NOT an affordable bike (comparatively speaking). For example, Kawasakis Mean Streak has a bigger engine, more power, better handling and liquid cooling - all for $2,000 less than a new base-model Dyna.

If you ARE limiting yourself to only Harleys, then the Dyna is an ok bike, but keep in mind that if you get a stock (base-model) Dyna, you're going to have to get some stuff from the accessories catalog (like a 2-up seat for one) and maybe a sissy bar and the like which will run you at least a few hundred dollars more - not to mention the dealer may have a markup which will jack the price over MSRP even more ... be careful out there