2013 Harley Davidson Rumors

Some of our readers here at MD post they’d like to see a Harley-Davidson that, from their anti-cruiser perspective, not only looks good, but handles and goes well, too. Problem is, H-D doesn’t usually do very well on the sales floor with high-performance models like the V-Rod and XR1200X, which make up around a single digit percentage of total sales. If you want the mythical handling and performance these jaded readers want from Milwaukee iron, you have to spend some time modifying a stock bike, especially if it’s big Twin power and torque you crave.

2013 Harley Davidson Rumors

So imagine the surprise and hope stirred up when a certain post popped up on the XR1200 riders forum. An XR owner in Holland claimed a local dealer had just uncrated a 2013 FXDX — big news, as H-D hadn’t made an FXDX since 2005. AKA the Dyna Super Glide Sport, the 1999-2005 FXDX was the twin-shock Dyna frame with a Twin Cam 88 motor, adjustable Showa suspension and dual front disc brakes with four-piston calipers.

2013 Harley Davidson Rumors

2013 Harley Davidson Rumors

The alleged 2013 FXDX looked enough like a factory product to fool at least one blogger, if not more. Not only did the fit, finish and design of the bike resemble a freshly built H-D, but the dealership — West Coast Motors in Alkmaar, Holland — packed the bike for shipment in an actual H-D packing crate, complete with quality-assurance stickers, dunnage and VIN labels on the crate. The friendly local XR owner, Richard Van Laar, snapped photos of the bike as it was being “unpacked,” as well as additional photos of the bike on the showroom floor.

2013 Harley Davidson Rumors

2013 Harley Davidson Rumors

Photos of the bike showed us something intriguing, if imaginary. The front end is quite plainly the large-diameter inverted Showa fork from the XR1200, complete with the 292mm brake discs and four-piston calipers and steel brake lines. A snazzy chin spoiler provides subtle good looks to the bike’s underbelly. In back, what looks like Öhlins shocks — longer than stock — provide a better (and fully adjustable) ride as well as more cornering clearance, and they’re bolted to an XR1200 cast-aluminum swingarm. The stock Super Glide dual exhaust has been ditched for a two-into-one system with a sportbike-style muffler with a plain aluminum finish. If it’s a fake, it’s pretty convincing, but when MD reader Randy D. pointed it out to us on an H-D discussion forum, other forum participants noted the fact that there were two VINs on the crate (one a 2013, one older), plus a label for the 96 cubic-inch motor on the air cleaner — suspicious when H-D told us last year the 103 motor is going in all the new big Twin models (a few carryover models excepted).


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