2016–2017 Harley-Davidson FXDLS Dyna Low Rider S — First-Year Twin Cam 110 Dyna Performance Cruiser

The 2016 Harley-Davidson FXDLS Dyna Low Rider S was the sharpest factory Dyna of its moment: a blacked-out, big-motor Low Rider built around the rubber-mounted Dyna chassis and the Screamin' Eagle Twin Cam 110. It arrived as the Dyna line was nearing the end of its separate-frame existence, and that timing has given the first-year FXDLS a significance beyond its specification sheet. It was not a touring bike stripped down for attitude, nor merely a Low Rider with darker paint; it was a short-production factory hot rod aimed squarely at riders who had already been building performance Dynas in garages and independent shops.

Best Known For: the first-year Dyna Low Rider S is best known as the factory-built, Twin Cam 110, club-style Dyna that compressed Harley-Davidson's big-inch Screamin' Eagle performance hardware into the Low Rider platform before the Dyna family disappeared after 2017.

Quick Facts

The FXDLS is best understood as a specific, high-output variant within the late Dyna family rather than as a broad model line. The following table summarizes the enthusiast-relevant facts without wandering into unsupported performance claims.

Those facts explain the motorcycle's appeal better than broad claims about rarity. The FXDLS was a factory response to a rider-built movement: black paint, useful suspension upgrades, serious braking for a Dyna, gold wheels, a solo stance, and the largest regular-production Twin Cam package then associated with Harley's Screamin' Eagle and CVO vocabulary.

Why the 2016 FXDLS Low Rider S Matters

The Low Rider name had already carried weight inside Harley-Davidson history. The original FXS Low Rider of 1977 gave the factory a credible custom-flavored production model at a time when the aftermarket was teaching Milwaukee what riders wanted. The 2016 FXDLS did something similar for a different generation: it acknowledged the high-bar, mid-control, big-twin Dyna street-performance scene without turning the motorcycle into a touring derivative or a Softail styling exercise.

The important point is the combination. Harley-Davidson had offered strong engines, black trim, and Dyna models before, but the FXDLS packaged the Screamin' Eagle Twin Cam 110 in a Dyna Low Rider chassis with performance-oriented hardware and a deliberately spare visual attitude. It was not the fastest motorcycle in the broader market, and it was never meant to be. Its importance is that it was one of the last and most focused factory expressions of the Dyna formula before Harley-Davidson consolidated the Dyna and Softail lines for 2018.

Historical Context and Development Background

By 2016, Harley-Davidson was operating in a market where cruiser buyers were no longer satisfied with chrome alone. A visible segment of riders wanted brakes, suspension, torque, and an aggressive riding position, often borrowing cues from West Coast club-style Dynas and FXRs. The aftermarket had already normalized taller rear shocks, mid controls, T-bars or drag bars, quarter fairings, black finishes, and engine work. Harley's answer was not a race replica, but a factory-built Dyna with enough genuine hardware to be taken seriously.

The Dyna platform itself had deep roots in Harley-Davidson's post-FXR big-twin strategy. Introduced in the early 1990s and developed across numerous FXD variants, the Dyna used a rubber-mounted big twin in a visible twin-shock chassis. It never had the same rear-frame stiffness reputation as the FXR, and that comparison still follows the Dyna in serious circles, but it offered a particular mix of engine character, accessibility, and modification potential that became culturally potent.

The FXDLS appeared alongside Harley-Davidson's broader S-series push, which also included Softail models using 110-cubic-inch engines. The Low Rider S differed because the Dyna engine was rubber-mounted and not the counterbalanced Twin Cam B used in Softails. That distinction matters mechanically and experientially: the FXDLS retained the familiar Dyna pulse at idle while smoothing out once underway, a character that many riders consider central to the appeal.

Its competitor landscape was unusual. On paper, the FXDLS did not chase sport standards, naked bikes, or European roadsters by horsepower or chassis numbers. Its real competition was often internal and cultural: modified FXDLs, FXDB Street Bobs, FXRs, Fat Bobs, and later Softail Low Rider S models. Many buyers were not asking whether it beat a sportbike; they were asking whether it was the right factory base for a serious Dyna build.

Engine and Drivetrain

The heart of the 2016 FXDLS is the Screamin' Eagle Twin Cam 110, an air-cooled, pushrod, 45-degree V-twin displacing 110 cubic inches, or 1801 cc. Harley-Davidson factory literature emphasized torque rather than horsepower, and the company did not consistently publish factory horsepower ratings for these models. The commonly listed factory torque figure for the 2016 Low Rider S is 115 lb-ft at 3500 rpm.

The 110 used Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection and was paired with the conspicuous Screamin' Eagle Heavy Breather intake, a major visual identifier on the right side of the motorcycle. The valve train follows Harley-Davidson's Twin Cam architecture: camshafts operating pushrods and overhead valves, with hydraulic lifters and the familiar external pushrod tubes that make the engine's architecture visually legible. Lubrication is by dry-sump system, as on contemporary big-twin Harleys.

Power is carried through a chain primary in the primary case to a wet multi-plate clutch, then through the 6-speed Cruise Drive gearbox and a belt final drive. This is a modern Harley drivetrain in practical use: electric start, EFI, no carburetor ritual, and long-legged sixth gear, but with enough mechanical mass in the primary, clutch, and flywheel assembly to feel unmistakably like a large-displacement Twin Cam.

Engine and Drivetrain Specifications

The table below keeps to factory-type mechanical data and widely documented specifications. Horsepower is omitted because Harley-Davidson did not use it as the principal published rating for this model.

For collectors, the important point is not simply the displacement. The FXDLS was delivered with the 110 as part of its identity, not as an aftermarket big-bore conversion. A documented original FXDLS engine, correct intake, correct calibration history, and unmolested emissions equipment carry more weight than a modified standard Dyna with a larger dyno sheet.

Chassis, Suspension, and Braking

The Low Rider S used the Dyna steel frame with a rubber-mounted engine and exposed twin rear shocks. The Dyna chassis is visually honest: engine, frame rails, shocks, primary case, and belt line are all part of the motorcycle's appearance. Unlike a Softail, it does not hide its rear suspension; unlike a touring chassis, it does not visually bury the engine in bodywork.

For the FXDLS, Harley-Davidson gave the chassis more serious equipment than a basic cruiser fitment. The front end used a 49 mm conventional fork with cartridge-style internals, while the rear used premium emulsion shocks. Braking was upgraded by the presence of dual front discs, a meaningful distinction in Dyna-world because many related models carried a single front disc.

The visual package is inseparable from the hardware. The blacked-out engine and chassis, gold cast wheels, solo seat, compact front fender, and drag-style handlebar arrangement give the FXDLS its factory custom profile. It reads as a restrained performance Dyna, not a chrome boulevard cruiser.

Chassis and Equipment

These details are especially useful when comparing a first-year FXDLS with a standard FXDL Low Rider or with a modified Dyna that has been made to resemble one.

The chassis is still a Dyna, and informed buyers should not confuse the FXDLS with a sport-standard motorcycle. Its strength is the muscular, communicative feel of a big rubber-mounted V-twin in a simple chassis with enough suspension and brake improvement to make spirited street riding more credible than on softer cruiser variants.

Riding Experience and Mechanical Character

Starting a stock 2016 FXDLS is modern Harley rather than vintage ceremony: ignition on, run switch, thumb the starter, and the EFI manages the cold start without a choke or enrichener. The Heavy Breather gives the right side of the motorcycle a purposeful look and contributes to the sense that the engine is the dominant feature. At idle, the rubber-mounted Twin Cam 110 moves with the familiar big-twin tremor; once rolling, the isolation system smooths the worst of it while leaving enough pulse to define the ride.

The torque delivery is the central experience. The 110 does not need to be spun hard to make sense, and the factory torque peak at 3500 rpm tells you how the motorcycle wants to be used. It pulls from low and middle engine speeds with the heavy, deliberate character that made big-inch Dynas attractive to riders who cared more about exit drive and roll-on force than peak horsepower.

The clutch and gearbox feel like late Twin Cam Harley components: substantial rather than delicate, with the 6-speed Cruise Drive giving the motorcycle a relaxed top gear. The primary drive and gear engagement add mechanical presence, but a well-set-up example should not feel crude or reluctant. Excessive compensator noise, clutch drag, or sloppy shifting is a condition issue, not a defining feature.

Handling is best judged within its class. The mid controls and handlebar position place the rider in a more assertive stance than a feet-forward boulevard cruiser, and the upgraded suspension gives the FXDLS better discipline than a basic Dyna. It remains a long, heavy, air-cooled big twin, so braking distances, cornering clearance, and rapid direction changes belong to the cruiser world. On real roads, the appeal is the combination of torque, stability, and a chassis that lets the rider work the motorcycle rather than simply sit behind it.

Identification and Originality

Correct identification begins with the model code: FXDLS. The motorcycle is a Dyna Low Rider S, not simply an FXDL Low Rider with black paint and a modified engine. Serious buyers should verify the VIN on the frame neck, title documents, service records, and engine identification details through Harley-Davidson documentation or a qualified marque specialist rather than relying on appearance alone.

Visually, a correct first-year FXDLS should present as a blacked-out Dyna with the Screamin' Eagle Twin Cam 110, Heavy Breather intake, gold cast wheels, dual front discs, solo seat, and the Low Rider S performance-cruiser stance. The model's factory look is restrained but specific. A standard Low Rider can be dressed to resemble one, and many Dynas have been heavily modified, so the paperwork and model-code confirmation matter.

The most common originality issues involve exhaust systems, air cleaners, engine tuners, handlebars, seats, shocks, fairings, lighting, and control placement. These modifications are culturally normal for FXDLS ownership, but they affect collector evaluation. A bike with its stock exhaust, intake hardware, emissions-related parts, original wheels, original bodywork, manuals, keys or fobs, and dated purchase documentation is materially different from a bike built into a club-style custom and later partially returned to standard.

Paint and finish deserve close attention. The 2016 FXDLS is strongly associated with Vivid Black, black engine finishes, black exhaust treatment, and gold wheels. Refinished wheels, powder-coated parts, repainted tins, or swapped tanks should be disclosed and documented. Factory-correct presentation does not require the motorcycle to be untouched, but undocumented cosmetic reconstruction can blur the line between a genuine first-year FXDLS and a lookalike Dyna.

Model Code and Variant Breakdown

The FXDLS has a narrow factory identity, but enthusiasts often compare it with adjacent Harley-Davidson models that share the Low Rider name, Dyna chassis, or S-model performance theme. The table below separates the key models most often confused in buying and research.

For a collector, the first row is the one that matters. The surrounding models explain why confusion happens, but an FXDLS should stand on model-code verification and original specification, not on a seller's description of a modified FXDL as a Low Rider S-style build.

Performance and Dimensional Specifications

Harley-Davidson commonly listed the 2016 FXDLS with 115 lb-ft of torque at 3500 rpm and a running order weight of 674 lb. Factory literature emphasized torque, displacement, chassis equipment, and styling rather than acceleration figures. Reliable factory 0–60 mph, quarter-mile, and top-speed figures were not central published specifications for the model, and enthusiast or magazine test numbers should not be treated as universal factory data.

Dimensional figures commonly associated with the model include a 4.7-gallon fuel capacity, 19-inch front wheel, 17-inch rear wheel, and the late-Dyna long-wheelbase cruiser stance. As always with used examples, actual weight and dimensions can be affected by exhausts, bars, fairings, luggage, suspension changes, wheel swaps, and tire choices.

Compared With Related Harley-Davidson Models

FXDLS Low Rider S vs. FXDL Low Rider

The standard FXDL Low Rider is the closest source of confusion because it shares the Low Rider name and late-Dyna architecture. The FXDLS, however, was delivered with the 110-cubic-inch Screamin' Eagle engine, blacked-out treatment, gold wheels, upgraded suspension, and dual front discs. A modified FXDL may be a better motorcycle for a particular rider, but it is not the same thing for identification or collector purposes.

FXDLS Low Rider S vs. FXDB Street Bob

The Street Bob was a beloved blank canvas, particularly for riders building stripped Dynas with taller bars and darker finishes. The FXDLS had a more focused factory performance identity. It arrived with the big engine and equipment many Street Bob owners added later, which is precisely why original FXDLS examples are now separated in collector discussion from ordinary modified Dynas.

FXDLS Dyna Low Rider S vs. Softail Low Rider S

The later Softail Low Rider S revived the name and performance-cruiser idea, but it is not a continuation of the Dyna chassis. The Softail uses a different frame concept and the Milwaukee-Eight engine family, giving it a different feel, different modification path, and different collector logic. Buyers who specifically want the last-generation rubber-mounted Twin Cam Dyna should not treat the later Softail as an interchangeable substitute.

FXDLS vs. FXR Performance Builds

FXR comparisons are unavoidable because the FXR established a handling reputation that later Dynas have always had to answer for. The FXDLS does not erase that distinction, but it represents a different chapter: a factory big-inch Dyna built in the image of the performance custom scene rather than a hand-built FXR project. The FXR remains the chassis purist's reference point; the FXDLS is the factory's late answer to what Dyna riders were already doing.

Restoration and Ownership Notes

The 2016 FXDLS is recent enough that restoration usually means careful de-modification rather than archaeology. Parts support is generally far better than for older Harley-Davidsons, and the aftermarket around Dynas is enormous. The challenge is not finding parts; it is finding the right parts if factory originality is the goal.

Engine inspection should focus on documentation, maintenance history, tuning history, and evidence of heat or detonation caused by poor calibration after intake or exhaust changes. The Twin Cam 110 is a large-displacement air-cooled engine, and examples that have been run hard with aggressive tunes, loud exhausts, or inadequate service records deserve careful mechanical evaluation. A compression and leak-down test, oil inspection, charging-system check, and review of any tuner or ECU history are sensible steps.

Chassis inspection should include the usual Dyna concerns: swingarm and engine-mount condition, steering-head bearings, wheel bearings, belt and pulley wear, fork seal condition, shock condition, brake rotor wear, ABS function, and evidence of crash repair. Because the FXDLS was often customized, inspect wiring harnesses and accessory wiring with suspicion. Poorly installed bars, risers, lighting, audio equipment, fairings, or relocation brackets can create problems that are more annoying than expensive but damaging to originality.

Originality has a particular premium on this model because many were immediately modified. Stock exhausts, original Heavy Breather components, correct gold wheels, correct tins, factory seat, factory suspension, owner's manual, service records, and sales paperwork all matter. A tasteful performance build may be more appealing to a rider, but a collector-grade first-year FXDLS is judged by evidence as much as by appearance.

Buyer and Restoration Inspection Points

The following checklist is written for someone evaluating a first-year FXDLS as either a rider, a preservation candidate, or a return-to-stock project.

Collector and Market Relevance

The 2016 FXDLS has a clear collector argument: first-year model, two-year Dyna production run, factory Twin Cam 110, and direct connection to the performance Dyna movement. Exact production numbers are not consistently documented in widely available factory sources, so the smarter way to discuss desirability is by specification and survival condition rather than unsupported rarity claims.

Collectors typically value original paint, correct gold wheels, stock engine configuration, factory intake and exhaust components, documented service history, low owner count, and the presence of take-off parts if the bike was modified. The strongest examples are not necessarily the loudest or most powerful; they are the ones that prove they are genuine FXDLS machines and have not been diluted by irreversible customization.

Modified FXDLS examples occupy a different but still important market. The model is beloved by riders who build Dynas for aggressive street use, and many examples have T-bars, fairings, taller shocks, exhausts, cams, tuners, and upgraded brakes. That can make a bike desirable as a rider, but it complicates collector assessment. The dividing line is reversibility and documentation.

Cultural Relevance

The FXDLS belongs to the late Dyna performance culture more than to racing history, military use, police service, or commercial utility. Its vocabulary comes from street riders and independent shops: black finishes, mid controls, usable suspension, strong brakes, big torque, and a stripped visual profile. It is a factory motorcycle shaped by the habits of riders who had already been modifying Dynas in that direction.

The Low Rider S also sits at an important cultural hinge point. The Dyna had become the chosen Harley platform for a generation that wanted a big twin with visible mechanical honesty and genuine modification potential. When the Dyna line ended after 2017, the FXDLS immediately gained a sharper identity: one of the final factory-built Dynas that understood the scene around it.

FAQs About the 2016 Harley-Davidson FXDLS Dyna Low Rider S

What engine is in the 2016 Harley-Davidson FXDLS Low Rider S?

The 2016 FXDLS uses the Screamin' Eagle Twin Cam 110, an air-cooled, OHV, 45-degree V-twin displacing 110 cubic inches, or 1801 cc. Harley-Davidson commonly listed output by torque, with 115 lb-ft at 3500 rpm for this model.

Was 2016 the first year for the Dyna Low Rider S?

Yes. The FXDLS Dyna Low Rider S was introduced for the 2016 model year and continued for 2017. That makes the 2016 model the first-year Dyna Low Rider S.

How is an FXDLS different from a standard FXDL Low Rider?

The FXDLS was the S version with the Screamin' Eagle Twin Cam 110, blacked-out styling, gold cast wheels, upgraded suspension, dual front discs, Heavy Breather intake, and a more performance-oriented factory identity. A standard FXDL can be modified to look similar, so documentation and model-code verification are important.

Is the 2016 Low Rider S a Dyna or a Softail?

The 2016 FXDLS is a Dyna. Later Low Rider S models used the Softail chassis and Milwaukee-Eight engine family, but the 2016–2017 FXDLS belongs to the final Dyna generation.

Did Harley-Davidson publish horsepower for the 2016 FXDLS?

Harley-Davidson generally emphasized torque rather than horsepower for this model and commonly listed the FXDLS at 115 lb-ft at 3500 rpm. Horsepower figures found in third-party tests or dyno results vary with conditions and modifications and should not be treated as factory specification.

What should buyers look for on a used 2016 FXDLS?

Confirm that the motorcycle is a genuine FXDLS, verify service and tuning history, inspect for poor wiring from bar or fairing changes, check engine and chassis condition, and determine whether original take-off parts are included. Original equipment and documentation are especially important because many Low Rider S examples were modified early in life.

Why is the first-year FXDLS collectible?

It combines first-year status, short Dyna production, the factory Twin Cam 110 engine, and a strong connection to performance Dyna culture. Its significance is not based on nostalgia alone; it is one of the clearest factory acknowledgments of the big-inch, club-style Dyna movement before the Dyna platform disappeared.

Collector Takeaway

The 2016 Harley-Davidson FXDLS Dyna Low Rider S matters because it caught the Dyna at exactly the right moment: mature, culturally loaded, mechanically familiar, and only a short distance from extinction. Harley-Davidson did not reinvent the motorcycle here. It listened to what serious Dyna riders were already building and gave them a factory version with the right engine, stance, finish, and hardware.

For collectors, the first-year FXDLS is one of the few late Twin Cam Harleys that can be discussed in the same breath as specification, subculture, and timing. A correct, documented, unmolested example is not just another black Dyna. It is the factory's final, convincing argument that the rubber-mounted Dyna still had teeth.