Indestructible, Incorruptible, Invincible. Those are the three 'I's of the Fat Bob 114.
The day had finally arrived when Fat Max would meet Fat Bob, and this review had 'chonk' written all over it from the get-go. Yours truly had been looking forward to this moment for a couple of years now, and here it was.
Having already reviewed the Softail Standard last year, the opportunity to cruise the highways again with a Milwaukee V-twin burbling away in the nether regions was definitely worth the wait.
Fat Bob is Harley-Davidson's take on what a modern-day heavy but sporty cruiser should be like. Although its name sounds very similar to Fat Boy, the latter is more for relaxed, classic cruising while the former sports a more athletic performance-slanted riding experience.
Rotund Robert
Good news for the lanky and/or gravitationally less-challenged folks, for the seat height sits nicely at 710mm. Unlike the Softail, there were no hip and thigh cramps to overcome, and I became one with the bike in record time.
More petite-sized riders need not fret, for Fat Bob's riding position is wonderfully engineered to where balancing at a standstill is pretty easy. That the rear of the rider's seat kicks upward means support for one's coccyx, and comes in handy on longer rides.
Next up are the foot pegs. Where Softail had them mid-mounted, Fat Bob has them pleasantly forward-mounted, and for this rider, felt much more natural, ergonomic and easy to use.
Lean angle left and right increases to 32- and 31-degrees respectively compared to the aforementioned Softail's 28.5-degrees on either side. What this means is that one can put their knee further down with Fat Bob and handle bends and corners like a champ.
Both gear and rear brake controls are chonktastic and simple and easy to use, but Neutral seemed to be a little tricky to engage, especially at a standstill.
Chonkalicious 150/80-16 and 180/70B16 Harley-Davidson branded Dunlop blackwall tyres are where the rubber meets the road. Featuring a chunky adventure bike-like tread pattern, they grip well in the twisties and remain stable on the straights.
The handlebars are positioned such that they simply fall naturally to hand for this rider. Others may find themselves leaning slightly forward, but this should not be much of a pain at all. Think of naked bikes' riding position and it will all make more sense.
Keyless start features here on Fat Bob, and it's a welcome feature. Simply approach the bike with the key in your pocket, mount up, turn the kill switch on, wait for the fuel pump to finish priming, start the engine and Bob's your uncle - enjoy that lovely growl.
And what a muscular engine this is, all 114 cubic inches of it.
The Milwaukee 114 1,868cc V-Twin puts down 93hp and 155Nm of torque to the road via a six-speed manual gearbox. While this may not sound like much, it's a different story on the move.
That gearbox too has its own aural character and sounds like a steroid-addled pigeon loudly "pruu-pruuing" away at idle and low revs. Drive is primarily sent via an enclosed chain to a secondary belt drive that goes to the rear wheel.
Anchoring duties fall to twin floating rotors clamped down by two four-piston fixed callipers in front, while the rear sports a solitary rotor and two-pot floating calliper. They're strong, and never once did I feel wanting for additional stopping power.
'Nuff gum-flappage. Let's ride.
Thiccc Cruisin' n' Bruisin'
Remember Sammo Hung? The man may be chonktastically thiccc but boy can he move swiftly and deftly. It's pretty much the same story with Fat Bob.
Sure, it's no KTM Duke 390, but learn its ways and it will dance to your heart's content. Remember, Fat Bob is hefty at just over 300kg and has a longer 1,615mm wheelbase, and that means turn-ins need to be orchestrated more purposefully.
The trick here is to consciously use the countersteer technique. Wanna turn left? Countersteer right first and let the bike naturally lean left. Running wide in a bend? Countersteer, lean further into the bend and sharpen your line.
Do this and Fat Bob will sail through highway-speed bends and slow-speed tight corners like a champion, and put a massive grin on your face while doing it in the same way Sammo Hung enthrals audiences with his swift, deft martial arts moves despite his size.
The centrepiece of Fat Bob is the Milwaukee 114 V-Twin. Start-up sees a throaty shout from the dual 2-into-2 shorty pipes before settling down into a lumpy, burbling idle. At low revs, the burble changes slightly into a thrumming throb, somewhat reminiscent of a Huey helicopter.
Twist the right wrist and let the revs rise, and Huey gives way to the 19th-century Gatling gun at a quicker cadence. The whole experience is so visceral that one feels 'encouraged' to shift up and do it all over again. Just wish the exhaust note was louder though. (wink wink nudge nudge!)
Where Fat Bob is the happiest, however, is cruising at a relaxed 2,000rpm. Standard cruise control takes care of any potential wrist fatigue on longer rides and I found myself using it more than I thought I would.
What about lane filtering? Just keep in mind that Fat Bob ain't no Slim Jim, allow for a slightly wider gap and you'll be slicing through traffic right along with slimmer bikes like kapchais.
After collection, and on the same night, a round-island highway cruise was undertaken. Never once had I come home after a test ride and said, "I want this bike," until Fat Bob came along.
However, the defining moment of this review ride was yet to come. Before returning the bike, I decided to go on another round-island cruise early on a public holiday morning with cruise control set to 85km/h on the quieter highways. Y'know, because one round-island ride wasn't enough.
Heading westward brought Fat Max and Fat Bob right into not just one, but two heavy downpours. Without rain gear and clad in a dri-fit long-sleeved top usually means uncomfortable skin pricks from the large raindrops which are more akin to sharp tiny stones being flung at the rider.
Not this time though.
Neither Fat Bob nor I could give a flying f**k about the pelting thunderstorms, with the steroid-addled-pigeon sounding gearbox down below flipping the proverbial bird at the heavens above as we sailed right through the downpours with cruise control still engaged.
Right at that defining moment, Fat Bob made Fat Max feel indestructible, incorruptible, invincible. Cue a certain Fat Penguin (you know who you are) chuckling in the background.
This song pretty much sums up that feeling.
Some time ago, I was someone who scoffed at Harley-Davidson motorcycles, buying into the stereotypes promulgated by the internet. Not anymore. Now I get it, and ne'er will I scoff at Harleys again, thanks primarily to Fat Bob and also Softail.
You've gotta ride 'em to know what the Harley-Davidson feeling is really like.
Once again, after returning Fat Bob and while riding my Duke 390 home, the first lingering thought was “How come the gear shift lever so smol wan aaaah?”
Photo Credits: Sean Loo (@auto.driven)
Check out our Harley-Davidson Fat Bob TikTok video.
Technical Specifications
2024 Harley-Davidson Fat Bob 114
Engine: Milwaukee Eight 114 1,868cc V-Twin
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Driveline: Chain-driven primary, belt-driven secondary
Power: 93hp @ 5,020rpm
Torque: 155Nm @ 3,500rpm
Fuel Economy (combined): 5.5-litres/100km or 18.18km/litre (claimed)
Fuel Tank Capacity: 13.2 litres
Weight (in running order): 306.17kg
Length: 2,340mm
Wheelbase: 1,615mm
Unladen Seat Height: 710mm
Ground Clearance: 120mm
Lean Angle (left): 32-degrees
Lean Angle (right): 31-degrees
Price: from $68,900 (with COE, accurate at the time of this article)
Contact: Harley-Davidson Singapore