| | | | Road Test : 2008 Harley-Davidson Fat Bob-Fat Bob returns |  Written: 26/07/2007 : 15:06. Read 62663 times (66/day). | In 1978 Harley-Davidson launched the short-lived FXE/F Fat Bob. The first Fat Bob was dropped from production already in 1981. In 2008 a lot has changed in the Motor Company and the new FXDF Dyna Fat Bob has taken inspiration from the European custom scene with a set of double headlights and a fat 130mm front tyre.
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The 2008 Fat Bob follows in the footsteps of the highly successful Street Bob launched in 2006. Add super fat tyres with bobbed fenders for maximum visual impact, a drag-style handlebar and new headlights and the Street Bob has been transformed to the Fat Bob.
The size of the front wheel is the same as on the Softail Fat Boy, but with the bobbed fender it looks even fatter than the Boy from the front. The rear tyre is a more moderate 180/70-16. Then the wide bulbous fuel tank is taken from the Dyna Wide Glide design.
Riding the Fat Bob gives that plush Fat Boy feeling due to the brilliant extra suspension action the fat tyres give. The rear suspension is a double full metal jacket affair whilst a fat 49mm fork prides the front. Coupled with the fat tyres I suddenly worried less about potholes and bumps in the road. The Fat Bob seems to vibrate less, kick my butt less and behave civilised in the traction department. Fat Bob lends itself to some active riding in comfort must be the suspension conclusion.
Then accelerate and there’s plenty of push further into the power band than the other new Big Twin I have ridden today, the Rocker. I am just holding on tight to the drag bars and enjoying the feel of extra push for a little longer than the Rocker. This version of the new Twin Cam 96 (1534cc) is my favourite when I can finally open the throttle on the motorways out of New York City. Any ride in the US seems to be quite leisurely compared to what I’m used to in Europe so I kicked down the six speed gearbox to have some fun at lower speeds. I chose to do a full acceleration from third and up into fourth to get a better feeling of the engine. The Twin Cam 96 in Fat Bob trim really encouraged me to continue riding like this, but there will be more vibrations and poorer fuel consumption than cruising in overdrive of course.
Even though I am in New York City, it creeps into my mind that the fat Bob is better suited to European roads that some places are just a slight improvement on old animal tracks. -Better suited than bikes such as the new Rocker that is. On route to Harley’s new assembly plant in York we encountered some heavy rain whilst I was on the Fat Bob. I was really happy that I was on the bike with more patterns on the tyres than the rest in the rain. The tyres have been specially designed for the Harley Fat Bob but looks like a pair of super sized supermoto tyres really. They suit the overall look of the newest member to the Dyna family.
Menacing looks and brute force is what the Fat Bob is all about and riding in front of one I noticed how bright that new twin headlight is too. I did not get to ride the Fat Bob at night, but I feel confident that the twin headlight provides more than enough light.
Conclusion
There are things that I really like about the Fat Bob such as the extra comfortable suspension action, mean twin headlights, fat wheels and that Tommy Gun exhaust design. But then there are parts that I like more from the Street Bob such as the rear fender. I can’t help but thinking that the Fat Bob looks completely different from the rear than from the front. It’s a matter of taste of course. With the option of forward or mid mounted footpegs I’d go for the forward mounted such as on our test bike. It gives some of that cool Nightrod Special cam shell riding position. The best thing really is that the Fat Bob is comfortable despite the rough attitude.
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Understated paintjob doesn’t hide the fact that the Fat Bob carries some attitude and street cred!
Suspension gets a lot of free help from those fat tyres
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Is it just me or does that rear fender look like a mismatch to the menacing front?
Do you really want a Euro influenced cruiser from Harley-Davidson?
Words: Tor Sagen/Photography: Paul Barshon
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