Cruisers

1997Harley-Davidson 1340 Dyna Convertible

23 fields on record

The 1997 Harley-Davidson Dyna Convertible is a touring-ready cruiser with a 1337cc air-cooled V-twin making 86 Nm. It has a five-speed gearbox.

Capacity: 1337.0 ccm
Engine: V-Twin, four-stroke
Gearbox: 5-speed
Dry weight: 281.0 kg
Seat height: Not on record
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Power: Not on record
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⇄ Compare with another bike ＋ Add to garage All model years

Other years 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998

How it rides

Editorial estimate from the spec sheet - not lab tested

Off-road & trail10%

Cornering35%

City riding55%

Daily riding60%

Touring65%

Two-up65%

Track10%

Best for: Built for cruising and boulevard riding with the versatility to swap between windshield-equipped touring runs and a stripped-down custom look.
Built for: A classic air-cooled V-twin cruiser with laid-back power delivery, deep torque, and timeless Harley styling.
Not ideal for: Not a good fit for riders seeking sharp cornering agility, high-speed touring, or any off-road capability.

Scores are derived from the spec sheet using the same model across every bike, so they compare like for like.

Reliability & safety

Bike Reliability score, safety recalls and owner complaints

Bike Reliability

How the score works →

out of 100Good

The 1997 Harley-Davidson 1340 Dyna Convertible passed its annual roadworthiness test first time 88.4% of the time, 6.4 points above expected for bikes of the same age and mileage. That beats 78% of models.

All years of this model: 84 / 100 (excellent) from 310 tests.

88.4%Passed first time

4.8%Failed outright

6.8%Fixed during test

17,000Typical miles

250Tests

Pass rate by miles ridden

0-10k

93.7%

10-20k

85.1%

20-30k

89.1%

30-40k

82.6%

All years of this model.

Against its rivals · ranks 1 of 6

#	Model (all years)	Score	Tests
1	Harley-Davidson 1340 Dyna Convertible	84 Excellent	310
2	Harley-Davidson Softail Springer	74 Good	398
3	Yamaha VMX 1200 V-Max	66 Good	14,206
4	Yamaha XV 1100 Virago	62 Good	11,113
5	Honda VT 1100 C2 Shadow ACE	59 Average	151
6	Harley-Davidson XLH Sportster 1200	36 Below average	718

Rivals are the most-viewed bikes on MotorcycleDB in the same category and engine size, from within three years of this model.

From British annual roadworthiness tests, 2005-2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (DVSA MOT test data, Great Britain). How Bike Reliability works.

Full specifications

Engine

Capacity: 1337.0 ccm
Torque: 86.0 Nm (8.8 kgf-m) @ 2400 RPM
Engine type: V-Twin, four-stroke
Bore x stroke: 88.8 x 108.0 mm
Compression: 8.5:1
Cooling system: Air
Fuel system: Carburettor
Starting: Electric
Ignition: Single-fire, non-wasted, map-controlled spark ignition
Power: Not on record - add it

Transmission

Gearbox: 5-speed
Transmission type: Manual
Final drive: Belt

Dimensions & weight

Wheelbase: 1638 mm
Dry weight: 281.0 kg
Fuel capacity: 18.50 litres
Seat height: Not on record - add it

Chassis & suspension

Front suspension: 39mm stanchions, 175mm wheel travel
Rear suspension: Dual dampers, 119.5mm wheel travel, adjustable for preload

Brakes & wheels

Front brakes: 2x 292mm discs 1 piston caliper
Front brakes diameter: 292 mm
Rear brakes: Single 292mm disc
Rear brakes diameter: 292 mm
Front tyre: 100/90-19

Specs last verified against published sources: November 2026.

Compiled from manufacturer documentation and user contributions, corrected on an ongoing basis. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.

What changed, year to year

Differences highlighted

Specification	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998
Capacity	1337 cc	1338 cc	1337 cc	1337 cc	1337 cc
Dry weight	281 kg	282 kg	281 kg	281 kg	281 kg
Seat height	—	699 mm	—	—	—
Fuel capacity	18.5 L	—	18.5 L	18.5 L	18.5 L
Bike Reliability ⓘ	Too few tests	Too few tests	Too few tests	78 Good	Too few tests