H-D Fat Bob

A Great Bob — No Bull

Dave has fun with the FXFBS Fat Bob.

When I look at the latest version of the venerable Fat Bob, it takes me back to 2006 and the very same question I asked myself about the 96-cube Dyna version back then.

That is, ‘how does a bike with this big fat front tyre handle as well as it does?’

It seems to fly in the face of conventional wisdom or logic that a machine with a normal-size 180/70B16, 77H rear tyre, married with its wide 150/80-16, 71H front, should arguably be the best handling of all the Milwaukee-Eight-powered Harley-Davidsons.

It still doesn’t add up.

For what Harley describes as a muscle cruiser, this bike is remarkably nimble. It is well balanced and very stable on the road.

It’s a real joy to throw into a tight hairpin or a long, sweeping left-hander, and the soles of my boots are well worn from dragging the outer edges that overhang the forward controls.

H-D claims 31/32-degree lean angles and it’s easy to use all of them.

Those forward controls, married with the wide, flat bars that sit on stylish risers, and the generously padded seat with its big rear bolster, all contribute to what I found to be a very comfortable and efficient riding position — even for a tall rider.

Add the great handling and the performance of the now-familiar 114-cube Milwaukee-Eight engine, and it’s a package that is an absolute joy to be aboard.

It’s also a great-looking motorcycle that drew praise for its stance, even from the non-Harley folks, and the Redline Red paint — add $365 — is stunning.

There is so much to like about this bike, but there are still a few things that I would change.

Aesthetically, the silver mufflers seem a little out of place, and they are very restrictive.

Like all the stockers we’ve tested lately, the standard tune and breathing is all about torque and it’s a short-shifter’s delight — so much so that it almost makes first gear redundant.

When launching, I found I was only leaving it in first for a very short burst, then changing up through the cogs quickly to keep it in its torque zone.

Click-click-click, and then tap it out some.

It’s not a bad thing, and still quite rewarding, but a Stage One kit would make a huge difference.

While on dislikes, the tank-mounted instruments are incongruous with the bike’s overall performance.

It has a medium-size analogue tacho with a small inset digital speedo and trip computers at the base of the dial.

It’s hard to read, particularly when on the gas, and there are times with the sun or reflections overhead where it’s almost illegible.

It’s the same gripe as we had with the earlier Low Rider S.

A bike with this sort of chutzpah needs bar-mounted instruments. Even something like the Breakout’s small digital display would be an improvement.

The mirrors also aren’t as good as on other Softails I’ve tested lately. I had to tilt my head slightly to get past my elbows.

Another thing, appearance-wise, that seemed a little out of place is the polished derby cover against the all-black engine.

In overseas markets — and on the Harley website — the bike is fitted with a side-mounted number plate, but for Australian compliance it has the ‘tow bar’ plate holder and small mudguard in lieu.

A tail tidy would be on my agenda there too.

But all that is beginning to sound like I didn’t like the Fat Bob — and that is entirely not the case, because I thoroughly enjoyed this bike every time I threw a leg over.

None of the above would be a deal breaker.

In fact, it may have even supplanted the Road King as my favourite Harley-Davidson now.

It’s a delight in the city, and I spent many evenings cruising around the late-spring Brizzy boulevards.

It’s narrow and compliant in traffic, very comfortable on the motorway, where the ergonomics and bars had me leaning into the wind slightly with no need for a windscreen.

Then, when you do get amongst it on a mountain climb, with nothing between you and the breeze, and with the way it handles … well, it made my days.

When trying to work out why it flies in the face of conventional wide-tyre wisdom and handles as it does, I asked several pundits for their theory.

‘Matched rubber and tyre profiles’ was a common answer.

I also suspect that the answer lies in the relatively steep 28-degree rake and shorter wheelbase of 1615 mm.

Whatever the dark magic is, it works.

So too does the pairing of its single-cartridge 43 mm inverted forks with triple-rate springs and the Softail’s familiar coil-over monoshock, with 56 mm of travel available.

I wish all of the Softails had the convenient remote preload adjuster like the Fat Bob.

The brakes are well suited to the performance package too.

It has four-piston fixed front and two-piston floating rear calipers with Split Seven-Spoke floating rotors all round, and they are strong, fade-free brakes requiring minimal lever effort.

And that’s a nice segue into a description of the Fat Bob.

It’s a bike that requires minimal effort overall.

It’s very easy to be aboard and enhanced by a number of nice touches.

The headlight performs exactly how it looks, with a wide, flat beam.

The easy-to-use electronic cruise control is a welcome addition, particularly considering the speedo location.

The 13.2-litre fuel tank gave a reasonable range and H-D claims 5.5 litres per 100 kilometres.

It’s not touring-model range, but it will do around 300 kilometres between stops, depending on wrist work.

The full Harley spiel describes it as the bike where ‘muscle meets performance’, and in the context of older-type muscle cruisers it’s an apt claim.

Weighing in at under 300 kg dry, with 93 horsepower at 5020 rpm and 155 Nm of torque at 3000 rpm on tap, there’s no need to ‘ride around’ a huge rear tyre, compensate for weird geometry or poor clearances.

This one is a tight-handling machine that’s as at home on a twisty road as it is on a leisurely bar cruise.

It’s not perfect, but it’s a real beauty — and that’s no bull.

Things I Liked

Handling
Looks
Comfort

Things I Didn’t

Instruments
Exhaust
Mirrors

Things I’d Change

Fit a Stage One kit
Wider mirror stalks
Add a tail tidy
Black derby cover

Harley-Davidson FXFBS Fat Bob 114

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Performance

Power93 hp / 69 kW at 5020 rpm

Torque155 Nm at 3500 rpm

TransmissionSix-speed

Primary driveChain

Final driveBelt

Lean angle31 / 32 degrees

Engine

TypeMilwaukee-Eight 114

Bore102 mm

Stroke114.3 mm

Compression ratio10.5:1

ExhaustTwo-into-two shorty dual; catalyst in muffler

Chassis

SwingarmSoftail

Front suspensionSingle-cartridge 43 mm inverted fork with triple-rate spring

Rear suspensionHidden free-piston coil-over monoshock with hydraulic preload

Rear travel56 mm stroke

Front brakeFour-piston fixed caliper

Rear brakeTwo-piston floating caliper

Dimensions

Length2340 mm

Seat height710 mm

Rake28 degrees

Trail132 mm

Ground clearance120 mm

Wheelbase1615 mm

Fuel capacity13.2 litres

Dry weight296 kg