The Street Bob features exposed rear suspension.
The Harley-Davidson FXDB is a member of the company's Dyna family. The Dyna family is known for its distinctive styling; exposed dual rear shocks, "Fat Bob" fuel tank, under-seat battery and console mounted on the gas tank. Harley-Davidson introduced the Dyna family in 1991 with the first FXDB, dubbed the Sturgis. Since 2006, the FXDB has been called the Street Bob.
Bobber Heritage
During the 1940s, most Harley-Davidson motorcycles were manufactured for the U.S. military and its allies. After World War II, returning servicemen and civilians bought up surplus military Harleys. Most of the military models had been equipped with items such as ammo boxes and rifle mounts. The new owners removed these no longer needed accessories, and anything else that didn't add to performance. Many cut or "bobbed" the fenders, and these types of customized bikes began being called bobbers.
Introduction of the FXDB Street Bob
For the 2006 model year, Harley-Davidson made major revisions to the entire Dyna line. Peter-Michael Keppler, Harley-Davidson's Marketing and Product Planning Director at the time, said, "We re-engineered the complete platform from the ground up."
The changes included new chassis with stiffer frames and swingarms. All of the Dyna models received electronic fuel injection systems. Also, the 2006 Dynas were the first Harleys with six-speed transmissions.
Amidst the changes to the Dyna family, Harley-Davidson introduced a new Dyna model for 2006, the FXDB Street Bob. The Street Bob included all the upgrades the rest of the Dynas got, and a mini ape-hanger handlebar, mid-mount foot controls, and solo seat. The Street Bob had the same 1442 cc engine as the rest of the Dyna family.
FXDB Street Bob Revisions
Harley-Davidson increased the engine size on the Street Bob for 2007, taking it to 1584 cc. Harley made more changes to the Dyna family, and specifically the Street Bob, for the 2009 model year. All the Dynas got a new speedometer with fuel range readout, and a low-profile front fender. In addition to those revisions, the Street Bob got a new LED taillight, exposed fender supports and a 19-inch front wheel.
Limited Edition FXDB Models
Harley-Davidson launched the Dyna line for the 1991 model year with the limited production FXDB Sturgis, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Only 1,546 units of the Sturgis were manufactured. For the 1992 model year, Harley-Davidson commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Daytona Bike Week in a similar fashion, with the limited edition FXDB Daytona.
Tags: Dyna family, model year, FXDB Street, 2006 FXDB, 50th anniversary, changes Dyna
