2018 Harley-Davidson Softail Fat Boy

There’s one in every crowd, a brassy Chris Farley or John Belushi wreaking havoc at every turn. If you can relate to—or maybe even resemble!—that upon occasion, you might be just the guy (or girl) for the Fat Boy. And hey, in our brave new gender-neutral pronoun world, Harley’s contributing valuable stability by keeping the Fat Boy in the reimagined Softail lineup. It’s also adhering to federal truth-in-advertising laws, as the Fat Boy does, in fact, weigh 699 pounds ready to ride.

With much credit due its unique 18-inch cast-aluminum “Lakester” solid-disc wheels (wrapped in huge 160/60 front and 240/40 rear radials), there’s no mistaking the Fat Boy for any other machine. Powering this big lug is a choice of 107ci or 114ci Milwaukee-Eight mills, both utilizing four-valve cylinder heads, air/oil-cooling, and H-D’s new counterbalancer. Satin chrome tones down the overall look to match the sheen of the alloy wheels, creating a well-balanced, “all-of-a-piece” appearance. A flatter-and-wider-than-Kansas rear fender and side-mounted license plate bracket finish off the Fat Boy’s blustery look.

Likes: Although not a first for Harley, the solid-disc wheels are rare in the motorcycle universe.

Dislikes: Fat Boy. Fat Bob. Street Bob. They're all brothers, but how are non-kinfolk supposed to tell them apart?

Verdict: A bold and decisive addition to the revised Softail lineup.

This Is The New 2018 Harley-Davidson Softail Heritage Classic