Posted: 4/3/2015 11:40:01 PM EDT
| Hello all, I'm looking for a little input on the Harley Switchback. Does anyone on here own one of these bikes, or know someone that does, as I'm looking for a little firsthand feedback. Thanks guys. |
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Hello all, I'm looking for a little input on the Harley Switchback. Does anyone on here own one of these bikes, or know someone that does, as I'm looking for a little firsthand feedback. Thanks guys. Just picked one up for the Wife doesn't have many miles on it yet but she gets along with it rather well. It is getting around 52 mpg, with her 125 lb weight she doesn't need to shift gears much and its pretty strong in the power area. It feels small to me but I ride an FLHTK. The quality, attn to detail, fit and finish are typical of HD. |
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Just picked one up for the Wife doesn't have many miles on it yet but she gets along with it rather well. It is getting around 52 mpg, with her 125 lb weight she doesn't need to shift gears much and its pretty strong in the power area. It feels small to me but I ride an FLHTK. The quality, attn to detail, fit and finish are typical of HD. Quoted:
Quoted:
Hello all, I'm looking for a little input on the Harley Switchback. Does anyone on here own one of these bikes, or know someone that does, as I'm looking for a little firsthand feedback. Thanks guys. Just picked one up for the Wife doesn't have many miles on it yet but she gets along with it rather well. It is getting around 52 mpg, with her 125 lb weight she doesn't need to shift gears much and its pretty strong in the power area. It feels small to me but I ride an FLHTK. The quality, attn to detail, fit and finish are typical of HD. That's why I asked, as I thought it seemed a little small as well, but with that new 103 motor in that small frame it's gotta fly. Would I be better off with a FatBob and just throw on some detachable bags? For what it's worth, I'm 5' 9" with a slim build, and weigh in at about 171 lbs. |
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That's why I asked, as I thought it seemed a little small as well, but with that new 103 motor in that small frame it's gotta fly. Would I be better off with a FatBob and just throw on some detachable bags? For what it's worth, I'm 5' 9" with a slim build, and weigh in at about 171 lbs. Quoted:
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Hello all, I'm looking for a little input on the Harley Switchback. Does anyone on here own one of these bikes, or know someone that does, as I'm looking for a little firsthand feedback. Thanks guys. Just picked one up for the Wife doesn't have many miles on it yet but she gets along with it rather well. It is getting around 52 mpg, with her 125 lb weight she doesn't need to shift gears much and its pretty strong in the power area. It feels small to me but I ride an FLHTK. The quality, attn to detail, fit and finish are typical of HD. That's why I asked, as I thought it seemed a little small as well, but with that new 103 motor in that small frame it's gotta fly. Would I be better off with a FatBob and just throw on some detachable bags? For what it's worth, I'm 5' 9" with a slim build, and weigh in at about 171 lbs. No, the frame size is not an issue the Fat Bob is also a Dyna so the frames are one and the same. The FLD (Switchback) uses the Dyna frame with the FL (Touring) forks and front end, for all intended purposes it a slightly scaled down Road King. It feels small to me because I am used to an Electra Glide. 
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| So you think my slender 5'9" 170lbs frame would be a good fit for me when it comes to the switchback? I just hope it isn't too small or uncomfortable for long distance 2 up riding from time to time. But then again all I'm use to in the Harley lineup are Sporty 1200 Customs. |
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So you think my slender 5'9" 170lbs frame would be a good fit for me when it comes to the switchback? I just hope it isn't too small or uncomfortable for long distance 2 up riding from time to time. But then again all I'm use to in the Harley lineup are Sporty 1200 Customs. I think the Switch Back will fit most well, I am 6'0" and weigh 160 it fits me fine, my Wife is 5'4" and weighs around 125 and it fits her fine also. Can't answer on the 2 up touring as a 25 year old Girl and a 65 year old Woman will probably have a very different view as to whats acceptable for passenger accommodations . Why not take her down to the Dealer and take a test run with her 2 up ?
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Op - ill try to cover everything you asked me here in case others are curious.
The good - Dynas are some of the best handling bikes in the HD lineup, i went from a sportster to a dyna (not this one but a street bob) and they are very similar. The sportster has a bit more "tossability" being lighter but the dynas are very capable of handling curves with some zest. Weight - heavier than a sportster but much much lighter than a softtail and even more so vs. a road king or street glide. dynas are very well balanced, backing one up a slight incline is doable if you have the leg strength. power to weight - they have the same 103" the bigger touring bikes use with a few hundred pounds less weight. the saddle bags for me are a must have. having the ability to carry rain gear/ cold gear and a first aid kit is nice. the bags are smaller than the bags on the bigger bikes but can hold a good amount of stuff if you pack them right, i carry a first aid kit and full rain suit and spare glasses, gloves and a small tool kit all in one bag, the other i usually keep a jacket and light sweat shirt in. that leaves me enough room to stuff a pistol in there if i have to disarm due to going somehwere not allowed to carry. the bags and windshield can be removed in 10 minutes and look/feel like a different bike. the bad - in stock form they have a pretty bad vibration from the exhaust, there is a simple fix for it that only costs $5 and 15min to fix. aftermarket support is small, but slowly growing, the switchback is a bastard child of a dyna and a road king. some things from each line up fit and others wont. some people complain of helmet buffeting issues with the windshield. i think it is a height issue as it seems taller people dont have it and shorter do, it trys to be a "touring" bike and a "barhopper" but doesnt fully fit into either 100%. can you go on a ling distance trip comfortably? yes. as comfortable as street glide? no. more comfortable than a sportster or softtail slim? yes. the clearcoat on the fork legs and primary and other "polished" bits will eventually wear away, its the same for every HD that has this finish. i powder coated mine. the brakes are decent but right on that edge of not being enough for the weight of the bike. i do not have abs on mine so i cant comment if that helps or not. 12 and 13 are the only years you can get non-abs. 14-15 are all abs only. on to your height and concerns on comfort. bone stock it should fit you, but like any other bike you will need to tailor it to you. i am 6' 165lbs 32" inseam and can flat foot it with the stock seat, although the stock one is much taller than my solo or lepara seats. they sit me down "into" it vs. sitting "on top" the floor boards are nice but coming from pegs can be a little odd to get used to, give them time before writing them off. if it comes down to not likeing them you can swap them for forward controls but those are not for everyone also. i like the stock handlebars, others hate them. i added 1.5" to my risers to get them a little higher. you can put any bars you want but if you go over a certain height you will need to extend wires and swap cables and brake lines, that gets pricey fast. heritage bars are a popular swap without needing all that if want taller/wider. about my bike - i run a cobra speedster extra long. they are a 2-2 with a crossover to help mimic 2-1 performance. 2-1 is always better for performance but not everyone likes the look or sound. any pipes for a dyna will fit although many may require shimming the right floorboard out for clearance. mine are switchback specific. i have a S&S intake - changing the intake will require a tuner or stage 1 download i run the vance and hines fuel pack 3 tuner. i like it and its a good tuner for the money. there are cheaper ones and there are better/ more features ones. it depends of what future plans you have. the fp3 has an autotune feature and can bluetooth live sensor data to your phone or tablet. i have a brightasslights tail light and custom dynamics led rings on the front and led rear turns. i did a tank lift, and have extensive powdercoating. i made a shift linkage and extended the risers. when i got my bike i was lusting after a FLHX street glide. they just look awesome to me. alas at the time it was just out of my price range so i went with the FLD since it had the hard bags and i was used to the dyna platform. a few months later i got a chance to ride a flhx and i will be honest. i am glad i got my bike instead. the bigger bike are so much heavier and you can feel it in the turns. plus i love old shovelheads and the fld is a carbon copy of the old FLH. some pics of my bike from other angles 
riser mod 
tablet mount and FP3 tuner data 
compared to a 1975 FLH (before most of my mods) 
if you have any other questions just ask i would suggest hopping over to http://switchbackowners.proboards.com/ . its a group of switchback owners and have a wealth of info. |
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Now that's a Harley I could get excited about! What is it? |
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Now that's a Harley I could get excited about! What is it? Quoted:
Now that's a Harley I could get excited about! What is it? https://projectlivewire.harley-davidson.com/ |
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http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_US/Motorcycles/dyna.html?Source_cd=SEM_Retention_PPC&_cr=ppc|Google|Retention_Dyna|Dyna|{harley%20davidson%20dyna}&gclid=CK6oxsiV3cQCFSYV7AodPE4AaA Quoted:
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What is the largest dyna that they make? Street Bob? Wide Glide? http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_US/Motorcycles/dyna.html?Source_cd=SEM_Retention_PPC&_cr=ppc|Google|Retention_Dyna|Dyna|{harley%20davidson%20dyna}&gclid=CK6oxsiV3cQCFSYV7AodPE4AaA Your link has the AIDS. Anyway, it looks like the wide glide is the longest, but it has the smallest front tire. That difficult to change to a fatter tire? |
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Your link has the AIDS. Anyway, it looks like the wide glide is the longest, but it has the smallest front tire. That difficult to change to a fatter tire? Quoted:
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What is the largest dyna that they make? Street Bob? Wide Glide? http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_US/Motorcycles/dyna.html?Source_cd=SEM_Retention_PPC&_cr=ppc|Google|Retention_Dyna|Dyna|{harley%20davidson%20dyna}&gclid=CK6oxsiV3cQCFSYV7AodPE4AaA Your link has the AIDS. Anyway, it looks like the wide glide is the longest, but it has the smallest front tire. That difficult to change to a fatter tire? You can go to a 90/90 up front with no issues on the stock 21" x 2.15" wheel, anything bigger such as a 120 or 130 tire requires a new 21" x 3.5" wheel and a possible front fender mod. After owning several Wide Glides I'm firmly in the camp of not going past a 90/90 front on a 2.15" wheel, a larger 120 or 130 tire isn't going to give you anything in handling you didn't have before with the stock wheel/tire, the ability of the rider has more to do with handling and it starts to look like ass and blows the point of a Wide Glide which is that front end with the narrow 21" x 2.15" wheel... but, YMMV... |
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Perfect writeup, many thanks. I was given a pretty sweet deal today on a 2014 Whiskey Amber switchback, only downside is that it's a 2.5 hour ride each way. My '14 Sportster is Amber Whiskey, absolutely love that color. Well done, that bike will make you happy. |
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My '14 Sportster is Amber Whiskey, absolutely love that color. Well done, that bike will make you happy. Quoted:
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Perfect writeup, many thanks. I was given a pretty sweet deal today on a 2014 Whiskey Amber switchback, only downside is that it's a 2.5 hour ride each way. My '14 Sportster is Amber Whiskey, absolutely love that color. Well done, that bike will make you happy. did you A- get those parts i sent ya? B- get you bike back from the motor work? C- post pics yet? |
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did you A- get those parts i sent ya? B- get you bike back from the motor work? C- post pics yet? Quoted:
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Perfect writeup, many thanks. I was given a pretty sweet deal today on a 2014 Whiskey Amber switchback, only downside is that it's a 2.5 hour ride each way. My '14 Sportster is Amber Whiskey, absolutely love that color. Well done, that bike will make you happy. did you A- get those parts i sent ya? B- get you bike back from the motor work? C- post pics yet? A&B are yes, C is a negative the weather has been rough on my few days off. I'll post em when I can actually get her out in the sun again. I appreciate it 
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| kept mine for about 3-4 weeks before selling and buying a yamaha star. it was the second HD ive bought and quickly sold tranny shifting sucks compared to most of the jap built bikes and maintinance is higher on the HD bikes after putting. 190,000 on a v star 1300 (prior to buying the switchback) with only changing oil and adjusting valves every 30k i will stick to the jap bikes in the future. i ride 40-60k a year. |
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have you gotten a ride in yet with the motor done? i sooo wanted to hop up my 883 before i traded it in. i have heard they are fun. Yeah I've put some miles on her, just not for extended periods of time and I've kept the RPM's below 4k per Hammer's break in procedure. First gear isn't much different, which was disappointing. However. Second gear. Holy shit. Even just up to about 3800 RPM (if I'm not just riding casually, I usually don't take it up that high, shift around 3300 or so) she moves, it's awesome. Third is the same, VERY quick acceleration. I'm mostly happy with it, a couple weird issues have come up, but for additional acceleration I'm happy with it. And I'll be way more comfortable if I put passenger pegs on it, I know it'll fly while 2-up if I need to get past a semi or something on the interstate. |
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I was able to ride the Wife's Switchback (Solo) in pretty stiff winds and fairly heavy rain. I had put the engine guards and Elephant ears on as I knew it would need them for this area (Coastal Alaska). I was very surprised with the weather protection and the handling on wet roads, the bike tracks well and doesn't get pushed around in the wind much and has a very secure feel to it. I like it.
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