Biker Check: The Dyna Switchback from Harley-Davidson

Lose weight quickly! Buy one get one! Just some of the successful marketing terminology we think Harley could have easily incorporated into the promo material for its newest model, the Switchback.

It appears to be most people as well as their physical trainer are always searching for the newest craze to quickly lose weight. Why not, losing a few pounds can help you feel and look better and you'll move quicker and are more agile. Well, imagine if we said there was a weight loss program making it possible to reduce almost 100 pounds without reducing your Big Mac eating or jogging a single mile? It is possible. Simply just go into your local Harley dealer and trade that 812* pound Road King for a 718* pound Dyna Switchback. And best of all, with a selling price that rings in fifteen hundred dollars less expensive than a King, picking the Switchback you're simply scoring yourself a BOGO deal, seeing that the Switchback is basically two bikes in one.

Not surprisingly the idea of two bikes in one isn't a brand new idea from Harley-Davidson by far; the factory has provided convertibles in the FXR, Dyna, and Softail product lines. What's distinctive and different with regards to the Switchback is the fact that having its 41.3mm front-end, chrome front lights nacelle, 130mm front wheel, floorboards, durable saddle bags, and full swept FL-style fenders; it looks like from the Touring models and not just a Dyna with hard bags and a windscreen. Once you detach the windscreen and saddle bags, well, still it appears part of the Touring product line, just undressed, simplified and sexier.

The moment you throw a leg across the saddle and hit the streets it clearly shows this motorcycle isn't the offspring of some plump sofa glide. It's agile and strong. I used a bit of time on the Switchback and everything from its looks and handling to the performance, storage capacity, and variety satisfied me.

The Harley-Davidson planners really invested so much time when it came to setting up the steering and suspension to be sure the motorcycle got the comfy and lush drive of a touring bike, yet the maneuverability and play of the Dyna. The front-end geometry, tire features, and suspension were all designed to work together to provide acurate and lightweight steering.

Inside the big fork is a 20mm cartridge which will help provide enhanced damping, and at the rear end is a set of Nitrogen-charged mono tube rear end shock absorber together with dual rate springs. The back end shocks can be adjusted, which make it an easy task to set up the rear suspension for solo, two-up, or fully loaded riding. Back to the front, a 130mm Dunlop delivers a nice consistent footprint and bombing down the road, but the low profile design of the tire helps to get the motorcycle over and in and out of sharp turns easily.

Something I definitely noticed was that unlike the members in the Touring product line that can occasionally bring undesired feedback in the form of trembling when ticked-off by inconsistencies on the road at high speeds and high speed turns, the Switchback was sturdy from front to rear at over the top speeds, tight sudden curves, and once filled up and leaned in high-speed sweepers. Even tough I brought the mini ape handlebars a good shove while cruising along the streets, the motorcycle continuously held its line without worrying about back end being squirrelly or needing time for it to quiet down.

Powered through the 103ci motor and backed by the six-speed transmission, the Switchback gets to the spot where you want it, in front of that big rig, with ease. Granted it will not break any speed records, but with the saddle bags totally stuffed plus a touring bag banded to a baggage holder, I'm able to comfortably slip through heavy traffic on inclines without needing to lower it to the fifth. Coming in 43 pounds less heavy versus the Heritage Softail Classic (761* pounds), and only 12 pounds more heavy in comparison to the next heaviest Dyna, the Fat Bob (706* pounds), the Switchback is simple to fold back kickstand but is not so heavy that it slows down the efficiency or potential of its triple digit displacement engine. Bolted to the right side of its rubber secured motor is a chrome 2-into-1 straight cut tailpipe that offers a respectable note and provides the motorcycle more of performance look rather than the dual vintage look found on many touring models. And unlike the Touring models that have tailpipe system fixed to the rear end of the saddle bag sustains, Harley engineers created the rear end exhaust hanger bracket to attach the back of the drive train and to actually move while using drive train. With over-all weight a principal concern, Harley went for an aluminum rear end hanger bracket instead of metal.

Slowing the Switchback down or coming to a quick halt is assisted with a four piston fixed front caliper and 300mm uniform expansion floating rotor, along with a double-piston torque-free back end caliper getting upon a 292mm rotor. The bike I tested had the Security Package Option that bundles the Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) with the Smart Security System.

The motorcycle looks like it could be the Road King's younger brother, which is certainly great considering that King has been a favorite among Motorcycle aficionados. Dimensions of the motorcycle are basically perfect with the saddle bags weighing about 25 percent smaller than an average FLT saddle bag and a 4.7-gallon gas tank instead of the 6-gallon gas tank found on the King. While the bags are smaller, I was able to stuff into them a coat, a couple shirts, a roll of toiletries, and a camcorder in one bag alone, by installing a sissy bar possibly a baggage rack and putting a big travel bag and hooked up my motorcycle helmet on the side, I was able to carry just enough gear along with me for a week long road trip.