2018 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy review

The 2018 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy was recently launched as part of a wholesale revamp of the Softail range – a strategic move which also saw the demise of the Dyna family.

The Fat Boy is joined in the Softail line-up by the Street Bob, Fat Bob, Low Rider, Breakout, Softail Slim, Deluxe, Heritage Classic, and the Sport Glide.

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2018 Harley-Davidson Softail range launch review

It’s hard to believe the Fat Boy is nearly 30 years old. A perennial favourite in the Softail line-up, the Fat Boy has endured since 1990 when it hit the market with its distinctive solid wheels and wide, muscular look.

The bike was originally released with an 80ci mill, before moving onto 88ci, then 96ci, 103ci and now there’s a choice of two Milwaukee-Eight engines: the 107ci or 114ci.

We’ve already written a lot about the new engines from Harley-Davidson, so we won’t go too deep into them here. Suffice to say that they are certainly the best things to come out of the H-D factory, ever.

Other changes to the Fat Boy for the 2018 model include the suspension, wheels and tyres, while a new and stiffer steel tubular frame is common to the entire Softail range.

The new dual-bending valve front suspension – first introduced on the 2017 Touring models – is also now fitted to the Fat Boy. It’s claimed to deliver damping performance similar to a cartridge fork but with improved, more responsive damping characteristics.

The new adjustable monoshock rear suspension has been revamped to "improve ride quality, traction and control" and it’s now adjustable via a knob on the right-hand side of the bike just behind the rider’s leg.

The new frame is said to be 65 per cent stiffer than the old design, and the chassis is 5.89kg (15 per cent) lighter. Overall, the Fat Boy is 15kg lighter than the bike it’s replacing.

The wheels are 18-inch Lakester solid discs with a fat 160/60 on the front – the largest front tyre ever offered from the Harley-Davidson factory – and a super-fat 240/40 on the rear.

On the road
When I first set eyes on the Fat Boy, I was surprised at how small it seemed for a big bike… if you get my drift. It’s low (seat height is just 675mm) and, probably because the last Harley I rode was the Ultra Limited with all its panniers and fairings, it seemed quite sleek and narrow.

The handlebar width is quite narrow, too, which also adds to its svelte appearance. Throwing a leg over it, the feeling continues and Fat Boy really feels quite light for its claimed kerb weight of 317kg.

The centre of gravity is low and with the low seat, you really don’t feel like you’re sitting on a bike with an engine capacity that’s not a lot short of 1900cc.

Hitting the starter, and the Milwaukee-Eight fires up with the customary Harley rumble. It slips into gear nicely too, and the clutch feels lighter than on the 103s as well. But it’s the power delivery that really sets this bike apart from its predecessors.

The 114, with its 155Nm of torque, really gets the Fat Boy going. Flick it up through first and second and you’re changing into third beyond most speed limits. Maximum torque is made at 3000rpm.

With the big, fat tyres, it’s not a bike that lends itself to tight, twisty riding. In fact, I found I had to ‘encourage’ it to lean into some corners when first got on board. Its forte is more the boulevards and highways of the world with some nice long sweepers thrown in.

It’s comfortable on a run. The seat is built for the larger of us, and it’s well-padded and supportive. I can’t speak for the pillion seat which looks a bit on the small side as my other half didn’t get on. The riding position is comfortable with plenty of room on the footboards to get comfortable and you don’t have to reach for the bars.

There’s not a lot of tech on the Fat Boy. There is a screen integrated into the bottom of the speedo that gives you an odometer, two trips, time, fuel and range, gear position and a tacho. There’s no cruise control like on the Heritage Classic which would be handy on those longer freeway rides, but hey, we can live without it.

It’s interesting to note that the Fat Boy gets only a single front disc, whereas the new Fat Bob gets twins. It works well enough though and the rear brake is great.

The fuel tank is 18.9 litres, which is way more than the Street Bob and the Fat Bob that only get 13.2 litres!

Summing up
Over the time I had the Fat Boy, I used it for a couple of pleasurable rides in the country and I really enjoyed it. It’s easy to ride, has oodles of grunt and once you get used to the fat tyres, it’ll handle the odd twisty bit. At highway speed in sixth gear it’s revving at about 2250rpm which is largely academic because with all that torque you can wind on the throttle from virtually anywhere in the rev range and get a positive result.

I also used the Fat Boy as my daily commuter and it performed that task admirably too. It’s thin enough for lane splitting, comfortable enough for the 100km round trip and certainly powerful enough to get out in front of the traffic.

The 114 model you see here comes in at $33,995 plus on-road costs. Of course, you can get the 107 for three grand less – and that’s no slouch with only 10Nm less than the 114.

Could I live with one? I reckon I could. It’d need some mods though. A set of Screamin Eagle slip-ons would be high on the list to give it a bit more of a rumble, and perhaps a sissy bar so I could strap a swag on the back for going away and a set of throw-overs to pack some gear in…

SPECS: HARLEY-DAVIDSON FAT BOY
ENGINE
Type: Twin-Cooled Milwaukee-Eight 114
Capacity: 1868cc
Bore x stroke: 102mm x 114.3mm
Compression ratio: 10:01
Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: Not given
Claimed maximum torque: 155Nm at 3000rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six speed, including overdrive
Final drive: belt
Clutch: Wet

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Front suspension: 49mm Dual Bending Valve telescopic fork, 117mm travel
Rear suspension: Shock with adjustable preload
Front brakes: Single disc with four-piston caliper
Rear brake: Single disc with twin-piston floating caliper
Tyres: Front 160/60-18, rear 240/40 18

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Rake: 30 degrees
Claimed wet weight: 317kg
Seat height: 675mm
Wheelbase: 1665mm
Fuel capacity: 18.9 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $33,995 (with 114 engine), $30,995 (with 107 engine)
Colours: Vivid Black, Black Tempest, Legend Blue Denim, Legend Blue/Vivid Black, Industrial Grey, Bonneville Salt Pearl, Wicked Red/Twisted Cherry
Test bike supplied by: Harley-Davidson Australia & New Zealand
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres