Harley introduced the Dyna Street Bob in 2006. About a year ago I was given an '09 Street Bob to keep in the HOT BIKE long-term-test-bike stable. After throwing a leg over the bike, I was excited for the road ahead.
Its bobber aesthetic takes the less-is-more approach to motorcycles and it doesn't come with tons of doodads to clutter it up, or too much chrome, which I like. I've logged more than 12,000 miles on the Bob and I hope to log another 12,000. It's withstood some of the not-so-pleasant elements (heavy rain and high winds) to its best ability and rides like a dream in the twisties and on thehighways.
The Street Bob has also been sort of a blank canvas for me to install accessories from the Harley-Davidson P&A catalog. First up, Harley launched a Distressed Brown Leather line including a seat, saddlebags, and passenger pillion. I loved the look so I ordered all three and I think the brown leather looks great with Red Hot Denim paint scheme. The brown leather pays a well-deserved tribute to the past, and I love vintage styles. After strapping on the brown leather goods, weekend trips have been great since the saddlebags carry the necessary cargo for not just myself, but my wife too. The seat is comfy, the bags store plenty of gear, and the brown leather stands out from the rest of the black saddlebags/seats among the sea of Harleys at rallies.
The next thing I focused on was the foot and hand control department. I wanted to ditch the mid controls for forward controls to stretch my legs on longer rides, so I installed Harley's forward control relocation kit along with the company's new Silencer Collection footpegs. Obviously since I mounted a pillion pad, I needed passenger peg mounts, so I bolted those on along with another set of Silencer footpegs for the passenger. And because three's company, I ditched the stock rubber grips for Silencer grips to boot.
After that, I'd been itching to bolt on the Satin Chrome engine/trans trim (found on the '10 Fat Boy Lo) to the stock silver powdercoated drivetrain in order to make it shine a little bit more, but a different shine unlike your standard chrome. The Satin Chrome is a duller version of the chrome you're used to seeing and it adds just the right amount of flair in the right places and gels well with the raw finish of the Silencer pegs and grips, along with the rest of the chrome and black accents.
Soon I'll bolt on a set of black Screamin' Eagle mufflers with all-black heat shields for a little more get-up-and-go. To get more air to the 96ci Twin Cam, a Screamin' Eagle Pro Heavy Breather air cleaner kit will be added, too. I'm curious to see the dyno results with the muffler/air cleaner combo.
After getting the Street Bob a year ago, I knew it was going be a ton of fun to ride and do projects with. I was right. The bike is a great all-around cruiser, great for around town as well as long hauls. I'll be sad to give it up when the time comes.