It's about time we got around to this motorcycle. The Super Glide is the Original Cruiser, after all. Back in 1970 it was the first example of what was possible when the factory styled a bike to reflect what customers had been demonstrating they wanted their motorcycle to look like. It's the ancestor of all Harley-Davidson's custom-style big twins.
At age 36, the Super Glide has gone through a number of iterations with a succession of engines and frames over the years. Though it retains the look and attitude of that 1971 model, the 2006 Super Glide shares virtually no parts with the original FX. For one thing, it is no longer based on the touring frame. These days the Super Glide, which started out as a converted Electra Glide, is built on the Dyna platform, which features a narrow "internal" frame and dual external shocks bracketing the rear wheel. Instead of using the counterbalancing system employed by the Softail family, the Dynas rubber-mount their engines.
For 2006, the Super Glide and the rest of the Dyna line were revised again. The old 39mm fork legs were replaced with stouter 49mm stanchions. All Dynas except the Wide Glide get 29-degree steering heads, and though some of them use offset triple clamps to change the fork angle, the Super Glide's fork is also set at 29 degrees. A wider, burlier swingarm offers a more rigid mount for the rear wheel, which like the front spins on a stiffer 1-inch axle. A 160/70B17 rear tire replaces the 150/80-16 of the 2005 model. The rear fender and battery cover were restyled to adapt to the wider rear end, and the seat was reconfigured slightly, as well. The Super Glide's standard saddle is now a solo seat, though our test bike came with a dual saddle and passenger pegs.
The big news, however, is down in the engine room, where a redesigned drivetrain has brought six speeds, a lighter clutch and a new engine/transmission interface. Peak clutch effort was reduced by a third with a new ball-and-ramp mechanism mated to a redesigned diaphragm spring. The new gearbox features a redesigned shifting mechanism that uses sliding "dog rings" instead of heavier moving gears, and beefier helical gears instead of the old unit's smaller straight-cut gear pairs. The primary ratio is taller, and the new gear ratios provide taller overall gearing in the new sixth gear than the old fifth gear, reducing engine speeds on the highway. The new tranny also gets beefed up with bigger bearings, improved seals and a stiffer housing that dispenses with external oil lines. The new primary-drive housing comes with an automatic chain tensioner, eliminating adjustments and the related inspection cover. All these improvements were supposed to offer greater durability and increased load-carrying capacity, but something didn't work out as planned because there is currently a service bulletin calling for owners to have a primary-drive bearing replaced every 15,000 miles. Harley has really stepped up in the matter and will pay not only for all the parts and labor, but also to have the bike taken to the dealer. Some owners see this as a nuisance, but others regard it as a free primary-drive service and an opportunity to get the bike to the dealer for regular service, as well.