Three and a half engines, five frames, five ranges and three styles comprise the Harley-Davidson factory output: modular engineering at its best. It's all the more impressive when you consider that one range has unique access to one of the engines and frames in the form of the upcoming V-Rod which will become the foundation of a range of its own in the fullness of time.

It wasn't always so. Since the mid-fifties, the Motor Company built two basic bikes: a big one and a little one: a Big Twin and a Sportster. A bike for the highways and one for the city. The Big Twin was big, the Sportster was little and there were those - and there still are - who will make their little bike bigger to be better for long distances, and their bigger bike smaller for easier handling on shorter journeys. And then there are the customs.

Harley kept well away from customs in their early years: they didn't need to do anything to accommodate that section of the market 'cos such riders would always do their own thing anyway - and it compromised the image they were selling, but they did build big little bikes by putting headlamp nacelles, and even panniers and deep valanced mudguards on Sportsters. And then they built the FX Super Glide in 1970: a little big bike. Nothing more than a big twin with Sportster cycle parts: forks, "eyelid" headlamp, mudguards and seat. It was the beginning of a line of "Street" bikes that is alive and kicking today in the Dyna Glides. They've had their ups and down, but generally they have been well received even if they didn't have the classic line of the Knuckleheads and Panheads that is so beloved of the custom fraternity.

A brief sortie into a more modern looking frame with the FXR in the mid-eighties brought a more enthusiastic sporting rider to the family, and the FXD Dynas have further built on that while returning to a familiar shape borrowed from the 1970s 4-speed versions.

The bog-standard FXD Super Glide is the bottom of the tree. It is the cheapest way in which you can park your arse on a brand new big twin and, it has to be said, the way that will least confuse the modern rider with its reassuring road manners. It is also very definitely a little big bike. It will haul you round the towns and cities on weekdays but be as much at home on the highways at weekends, and compromises little to meet both roles in the way that, say, a Road King's cross-town bulk or Sportster Custom's long distance vibration would.

It's also an anonymous little soul. It is every inch a Harley-Davidson but it is a shrinking violet: it has no "image" to speak of, out of the box, and this particular example is as good an example as you could hope to get. Almost monochromatic in its silver paint, it attracts little attention as it bimbles through life: an ideal bike for the self-effacing Harley rider … and yes, there are some.

It is all-too easy to see the FXD as the budget option of the range, and while it is true that is the cheapest, it also has a distinct place in the food chain. Of the three streetbikes it has a better two-up seat than the Sport, and lacks the screen and panniers of the T-Sport that are very much a matter of personal taste, and as such is not likely to be purchased by someone who can't quite afford either of the other two. If you were to include the rest of the Dyna range, it is the plain Jane sister to the stunning Low Rider and a blank canvas on which to build your own version of that bike, while the Wide Glide is very much a Dyna version of the Softail's custom genre. If it were to have a role thrust upon it, it would be the off-road flat-tracker of the range, emphasised by the broader than standard bars fitted to our test bike, but it'd be a braver man than I to throw one of these round a track, having manhandled it round the photo location.

It is strange to say that it is as close to being the big twin version of the discontinued XLH1200 Sportster, but it is … well, it's close. A no frills, honest motorbike with the only major difference being the ground clearance … and the price tag.

The model on test had been treated to a Stage One kit, which endowed it with more bark and bite than its innocent outward appearance suggested, which confused people who looked round expecting to see something completely making the noise, and as a solid, dependable workaday bike I personally could ask for no more. I loved it, but then I've always loved them. I always expect them to be cheap, budget versions of their more expensive siblings and I'm always proved wrong. … but then I'm still queuing for a spin on the Low Rider (last year's fleet model had its underslung oil tank clobbered and fractured by previous roadtesters - and is the first time I've heard of it happening), and that's the only one I can think would replace it in my affections. But even that's not a foregone conclusion.

Taking a look at it, you've got a rubber-mounted Twin Cam 88 motor mated to a five speed gearbox as used in all Dyna frames and carburetted Tourers. It isn't painted or plated but I don't see that as a bad thing … in fact, I'd prefer it once I'd blacked out the union between engine and gearbox. It is in a frame that isn't radical, but feels taut and surefooted, combining quite moderate European steering geometry with an easy power delivery. Being a straight TwinCam88 motor without balance shafts, it gets the rubber-mounted engine which gives a nice sensory feedback at tickover and round town, which becomes smoother at higher, highway speeds - when vibrations can become intrusive. It has dual rate springs up front and a single front disk which, while it could be improved upon by the addition of a second rotor and 4-pot caliper, isn't going to give you any real problems - or it didn't with me and I was really enjoying using it. It skimps on instrumentation, with just a speedo and fuel gauge to keep you entertained, but then this is a bike that doesn't need to be thrashed to press your happy button: it's all in the roll-on, effortless power rather than precisely timed gearchanges, and that is what motorcycling entertainment is about to me: I can watch dials at work. That isn't to say it couldn't use a tacho, and by way of a confession I'd advocate a rev counter primarily to show you that the easy revving motor is about the bury the needle in the bloodline and hit the rev-limiter because once it starts spinning up, it gathers pace remarkably quickly.

Almost to prove that it isn't the budget option, the £1000 extra that you'd spend on the Sport would give you cartridge type forks with much more adjustment, a rev counter, a second disk and a prettier (but less comfortable) seat, black and chrome engine and a great deal more attitude. If you bought those items separately, they'd add up to significantly more than the price saved - a rev counter would be about a third of that by itself - so if you want the extra anchor and clock you'd be better off buying a Sport and a comfier seat which would probably cost the same as the upgraded stocker.

But we're not talking about the Sport, we're talking about the straightforward standard model. The Tiger, not the Bonneville; the Gold Flash, not the Rocket Gold Star … but that analogy doesn't work because in the case of old bikes - and even new models with "common" engines, the state of tune differed between sports and cooking models whereas here the engine is internally identical … until you determine your own preferred level of tuning from a massive range of off-the-shelf options, which really separates out the big twin Harley from just about any other bike on the planet - and that includes the Sportster and the V-Rod.

I mentioned attitude earlier, and briefly, and it is this where the big differences are for me between the standard and the Sport: the Sport brings out the competitive spirit, in the same way that the Night Train brings out the mean streak. The happy-go-lucky SuperGlide just is. How the hell a seat and a pair of bars can do that is beyond me, but it's true: it brings no baggage of its own to the relationship between rider and machine, and is the most accommodating of the range for that. You don't take a look at it and expect anything of it: you don't expect it to be quick, to be a gazed upon with impure thoughts, or to make mothers drag their offspring over the road in case it bites them. It's almost cuddly, and it is certainly cute … nurse, the screens!

Okay, so cuddly and cute aren't expressions to use in the context of a motorcycle, generally, but inoffensive does it no favours and that's the next most likely description I can come up with … except the "blank canvas" handle that always springs to mind when thinking of an FXD. It will easily stand a paint job, and the very plain finish isn't going to give you any problems in ruining a well-thought out scheme. And it will support any number of roles: you could make a Sport out of it so easily, but your Sport rather than H-D's American-inspired interpretation; it could be a tricked out Low Rider either with a tighter steering head or a pair of raked yokes to give the look of that model's 32-degree rake; you could make your European-styled streetbike, or even a very British version of the same. You could even make a sixties / seventies-style Electra Glide out of it if you had the time and inclination - and that would make an interesting comparison for a Road King on short-run work. It could be used for them all, and it could do them without a massive amount of structural work: it has all the right components in place already.

But then why change it?

If you are looking for the big American V-Twin experience but don't necessarily want to stand out in the crowd, the Super Glide is potentially the ideal bike for you - likewise if your a first time Harley owner because it has all of the strengths and none of the aesthetic compromises of more targetted models. If you find you like what you experience and want to change it to suit your own sense of style, you're still sitting on the right bike … unless you determine that you want a laid-back Knuckle or Pan-based chop, but even then you'll have something that hasn't really depreciated while you've had it.

It is also the bike that I'd point towards for anyone who is disillusioned with their existing bike's practicality, and there are those out there who have bought the wrong bike for a variety of different reasons. All Harley-Davidsons have some basic stylingstick pointed in their direction before they leave the factory and only by having the opportunity to ride all of them over a protracted period can you accurately place them in their ideal roles - and that is also very subjective, which is why we try to do everything from two viewpoints - but the FXD SuperGlide has slipped through the net. This is just the legendary engine and a good, safe, competent frame and just about nothing else: minimalist engineering that we only see nowadays on the XLH883 with which there is absolutely no comparison.

A bike for all seasons, and - cards on the table - the one that I covet most out of all of them.

Second Opinion:
Words: Rich

The entry level Dyna, the FXD Dyna Super Glide, was yet another of Harley's offerings that had previously failed to float my personal boat. I'd never really given it a second glance, a plain Jane, low spec, fat Sportster. But as has happened so many times before, I should have known better. SuperGlides, in one form or another have been around for donkey's years. Ever since Willie G grafted a set of Sportster forks onto a 1200 Shovel motored Big Twin, dubbed it the FX and pushed them out of the door with an attractive (ahem) boat tail in 1971, they must have something going for them. What the hell did I know?

The 2001 model FXD we picked up from Wayside Harley-Davidson was particularly plain at first sight, a sort of silver-grey, which further contributed to its anonymity. However, knowing I was to living with the motorcycle for at least one of the two weeks we were allowed to have it for, made me look at it closer. I began to appreciate the FXD's workman-like, purposeful stance - this was a bike for riders, not posers. The chunky spoked Sportster 19-inch front wheel caught my eye, as did a rather more comfy looking seat than I could remember. However the one thing that did more for this particular bike than anything else was the aftermarket set of wide bars - I actually began to regret my decision to ride the 'other' bike we'd borrowed up North.

Regret turned to a full-on attack of green envy exactly .25th of a second after Andy fired it up. It'd been Stage One'd hadn't it - Jammy Git.

Never mind, because a week later we swapped over, and I got it.

Remarkably easy to ride and feel comfortable with, right from the very start I knew I would be able to really throw this motorcycle around. The free breathing motor burbled and roared beautifully through its aftermarket 'Off Road' silencers, begging to be accelerated. Any initial worries that the Sportster forks wouldn't be up to the job of keeping the heavy Big Twin on the straight and narrow was quickly dispelled by the very first roundabout. The scraping right-hand side was testament to that. Yep, she goes over all right! And, hands and arms placed wide by the aggressive handlebars, a wind of the throttle tore the machine upright on a great gob of lovely torque … and no vibration!

Andy always, always, always rattled on about Dynas till he was blue in the face and all around were red in the ears. Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay. But I've got to admit - grudgingly - he does have a point. The rubber mount frame is a delight, stable, rigid but oh so comfortable too. Yes Harley's Tourers are the absolute epitome of long distance comfort, but the Dyna range isn't far behind and if you're the kind of rider that likes to throw a motorcycle around too, the Dyna's have to make sense.

The seat was indeed as comfortable as it looked and the siting of the rider pegs allowed for an upright but surprisingly sporty riding posture which could be effortlessly maintained for mile after mile. I'd recommend the wider bars, not only did they look great, but they were comfortable and the degree of control the extra leverage allowed added further to the feeling of absolute control and confidence. Hardly needs to be said, but the better brakes modern Harley's are blessed with again helped that feeling massively and for once, I didn't have any issue with the stock Dunlops. Quite amazing that … coo, so just think how secure a proper set of rubber would feel!

Had to get the dig in didn't I! Sorry.

But thinking along the lines of changing things around, like anyone does within just a few feet of a Harley, the SuperGlide starts to make a massive amount of sense. Harley-Davidson offer the 2001 FXD at just (just?) £9,495. That's a good grand cheaper than the next level up in the Dyna range, the Super Glide Sport and makes the FXD not only the entry-level Dyna but - undercutting the Softail Standard by a good £700 - also the entry-level Big Twin. That's worth thinking long and hard about if you're in the market for a brand new Big Twin. The FXD's very plain-ness becomes a blank canvas for any number of custom options and the asking price BRAND NEW, is way below the second-hand price of the vast majority of ANY other Big Twins sold in the last ten years innit.

Blimey. Why hasn't everybody got one?

Not shiny enough, are they?

On many Harley-Davidsons you're aware as you ride through town of the admiring glances of Joe public. Had it not been for the absolutely wonderful noise emanating from the silencers I don't think anyone would have noticed it and certainly, when it was silently parked up, the FXD didn't draw much attention. However the FXD is so involving for the rider, you don't actually give a toss what they do or don't think you just on with enjoying yourself and sod them.

Easily, but unjustifiably ignored, the FXD not only puts the wonderful 1450 Twin Cam within the grasp of many more people's pockets than they realise, but in itself the Super Glide is a terrific motorcycle in its own right. Just as I thought when I first gave the Super Glide a proper look, the FXD Dyna Super Glide is a motorcycle for riders, not posers. But posers could buy an awful lot of noise and shine from the change.

Specifications        

Engine:	Twin Cam 88 Air-cooled 45° V-twin.
Displacement:	1449cc (88ci)
Compression Ratio:	8.8:1
Bore & Stroke:	95.3 x 101.6mm
Torque:	106.0 @ 2900rpm
Fuel System:	Single Keihin Carburettor.
Exhaust System:	Staggered shorty duals
Oil Capacity:	2.8 litres
Fuel Capacity:	18.6 litres (includes reserve)
Primary Drive:	Double-row (duplex) chain
Final Drive:	Kevlar belt
Overall Length:	2307mm
Seat Height:	673mm
Ground clearance:	136.5mm
Rake/Trail:	28 / 104.1mm
Brakes: Front: Rear:	292 x 5.08mm with 4-pot caliper 292 x 5.84mm with 4-pot caliper
Wheels: Front: Rear:	T19 x 2.50 TLA Laced. T16 x 3.00 D DOT Laced.
Tyres: Front: Rear:	100/90-19 57H MT90 B16 74H
Wheelbase:	1603.5mm
Dry Weight:	290kg
Lean Angles:	32° left / 31° right
Instruments:	Electronic Speedo with odometer and re-settable trip meter. Fuel Guage, Oil pressure light, engine diagnotic light, security system light (optional)
Colour Options:	Vivid Black, luxury blue pearl, diamond ice pearl, real teal pearl, luxury rich red pearl.
Price:	£9,495 Prices include usual otr inc. PDI, full tank of fuel, 12-months tax, first service, 12 months membership of Harley Owners Group (HOG) including their European roadside recovery
Test bike kindly supplied by:	Harley-Davidson UK. Oxford Business Park, 6000 Garsington Road, Oxford England OX4 2DQ Tel: 0870 850 1903 (UK)