All About Dyna Mid Control Swaps

Are you shopping for mids for your Dyna? You’ll have a few options to consider, but understanding the process of the swap is pretty important before purchasing any products. Quick spoiler alert: You’re reading a TC Bros. blog post. We are going to recommend some of our parts, but we’re pretty certain after you do a little research on your own, even if you don't purchase anything from us, that we have some compelling kits.

Reasons the Pro Series Mids for Dynas rule:

1. No special tools required

2. Cheaper and easier than buying banged-up or nonexistent OEM parts

3. Drastically reduced labor time

4. No down time figuring out what parts you have and what you need to buy still—one part number has all the necessary parts

We developed our original standard mid controls for the FXD back in 2018. Put yourself in that time period: most late-model Dynas were still pretty new and many were even covered by their factory warranties. Riders were modifying the Evo-based variants and some early Twin Cam bikes for the most part. Our controls were a great option for those riders. Here’s why:

In the first days of the Dyna, switching to mids was easy because all Dynas except the Wide Glide came prepped for factory mids. The brake side was a breeze: the master cylinder for forwards bikes was in the same spot as the mids bikes, making the swap on the carb side pretty dang easy.

The shift side was only slightly more difficult. When converting to forwards, The Mothership recommended dealer techs leave the shift shaft running through the primary in place. It was to be secured using P/N 34639-93, a retaining bracket (seen in the image of removed forward controls) to bolt it to the left-side engine case. 

As a result, most Dynas without forwards were pretty easy to convert back to mids duty because the inner and outer primary covers had holes, bushings, and seals designed to support the shift shaft for mids. As long as a mechanic didn’t cut that shaft out and plug everything up, it was a simple swap and our mids kits were a quick install. Most mechanics didn’t do that because it was additional work.

Remember, these bikes were fitted with forwards in droves; profiling up and down a straight stretch of pavement was popular at that time, just like Limp Bizkit. For the most part, our mids kits worked well to swap ‘em back, the same as they do now, since a lot of the Dynas from that time had mids, but they were dealer- or rider-installed, not factory. There was, however, a little exception—that FXDWG mentioned earlier.

If a rider wanted to swap to forwards on a Wide Glide, things were a bit more difficult. One needs some major components a new inspection cover that can support a shift shaft, that shaft itself, a few linkages, and drill the inner primary’s boss to allow the shaft to pass through, and there are some other piddly items like clips and seals and bushings and gaskets and plugs. Some bikes will require inner shift arms and sleeves, too. The bummer, though, is the disassembly—you can’t sneak the shift shaft into place with the primary bolted up.

Labor involves draining and removing the outer primary, pulling the clutch and compensator sprocket along with the primary chain, the stator and rotor, and then yanking the inner primary. If you’re considering this job, a new drive belt or chain conversion kit should be given consideration—you’re halfway there already. And don’t forget to replace the compensator sprocket bolt; those are one-time-use only.

It’s also worth noting here that for the non-pro, it’s likely there are going to be some steep tool costs needed. You’ll have to have a primary locking block, a clutch removal tool, a couple areal huge sockets, long hex bits, and a few other pieces. The job can be done without a lift—but it’s a heck of a lot easier with one.

Back to the Dyna and its evolution. In 2006, things began changing again with the introduction of the six-speed transmission. Depending on the year and model of the bike, swapping to a set of mids requiring even more parts and work. 

The primary chain inspection cover that supported the outboard end of the shift shaft was eliminated at some point, usually necessitating the purchase of an outer primary cover, along with the other stack of stuff needed for Wide Glides. And some bikes, like the Fat Bob, also had exhausts that were incompatible with mids, adding a big tax to the job.

We became aware of this because time rolled on. Riders calling us had started scooping up Wide Glides that were becoming cheaper due in part to this difficulty in swapping, and they wanted help. Other forwards-equipped models like the Fat Bob started showing up. 

Why? As the book values of the later bikes dropped with the passage of time, riders began modifying them since the total financial barrier to own a late-model Dyna with mids wasn’t quite so high—but the complexity of the swap sure was.

One uncomfortable truth existed: without an exact year and model, it was difficult to give a rider a comprehensive list of parts needed for the swap due to the incremental changing of models, designs, and the parts themselves. Suffice to say the only real solution we could offer was to look up the parts fiche for an identical year mids-equipped bike, buy everything ya didn’t already own and then install it. This frustrated our customers, and with good reason: this method is cost-prohibitive and leaves the bike inoperable for an indeterminate period of time, another non-monetary-but-significant-cost to making this conversion.

We knew we had to act.

We got to work, and feel we changed the game in 2026. The development of our Pro Series Mid Controls for the later FXD came to fruition. Because these controls wrap around the primary, the cost of this swap absolutely plummets. You can buy our mids kit and in the box is everything you need to swap mids in no time at all, and those brand-new parts cost less than even used items necessary for a factory-style conversion. Comparing new to new isn’t even a contest; many of those parts are no longer available and even if they are, the costs are out to lunch.

But the real savings is in the labor. An average motorcycle technician would take six hours or so to swap to mids the old way. An average motorcyclist? Doubling it would probably be fair. With our new mids, though, you don’t need special tools. You don’t even need to drain any fluids. If you’re willing to pull the exhaust down, the installation is even easier, but you don’t need to. We designed the kit to work with most OEM and popular aftermarket exhaust systems. And as an homage to the early Dynas, we include a small bracket so you —or another rider years from now—can easily switch back to OEM controls if desired.

What’s right for your bike?

As in most things in this game, the only truly correct answer is, “It depends.”

If you’re working on a budget or you’ve already gone through the pain of retrofitting our Standard controls (or OEM controls) or you want to modernize the appearance of a new-to-you Dyna that has mids, we have an intermediate solution in the form of our Pro Series brake pedal and shift lever. The option is probably best for those already running the Standard mids, because from a cost perspective, the complete Pro Series setup runs about neck-and-neck but saves labor. 

But the Standards aren’t obsolete. They offer a more traditional appearance, obviously. They also can help you get the fresh, skeletonized look that’s a hallmark of the Pro Series lineup—but you can “stage” the purchases. Let’s be honest here: mids conversion for a Dyna with any brand of parts is a pricey one.

Lean angle may also come into play. If you’re modifying your suspension height as many riders choose to do, the point is likely moot; jacking up the suspension will have a far greater impact on cornering clearance than the mids you choose. However, if you’re staying with stock or lowering the bike, the slight cornering advantage on the left side of the bike using the Standard mids may provide some riders an additional measure of clearance. 

One other item of note is the “crashability factor.” If you’re outfitting your Dyna for full stunt duty, crash protection is likely something you’re planning on, making either choice of mid controls acceptable. If, however, you want the uncluttered look that a factory bike without crash protection of any type offers, the Pro Series may put your primary at risk. While the primary structure is plenty strong for its intended purpose—supporting the weight of the rider—it likely won’t fare as well in the event of a crash as a traditional, frame-mounted cast steel foot support.

Other outfits offer good solutions to the “mids on a Dyna” problem, but at the present, we don’t think there’s anyone else with a better array of options out there, and for a premium choice, we don't think you can do better than the Pro Series Mids. After weighing your options, we won't be surprised if you agree.