2018 HARLEY-DAVIDSON SOFTAIL FAT BOB 114
FULL TEST
P48
places the twin shocker of '17, proper brake
discs, chunky dual upswept mufflers, a flatter
handlebar that gave this 'Bob a pumped-up
gym-junkie look to it, and a seat that for once
doesn't put me in that damn cruiser-slouch
position. Why the hell do cruiser manufacturers
insist on curving the rider's lower back when
they craft their seats?
The '18 'Bob is thus Harley-Davidson's
version of a Yamaha VMAX, and the afore-
mentioned Ducati Diavel. It's like someone at
Harley finally came to the realization that to get
new riders into the fold, they needed to make
a bike radically different than what they did last
year. Thankfully, they have.
Yet, as good as the 'Bob looks in the metal,
the real Manchego cheese comes when you
ride it. I haven't experienced the 107 Fat Bob,
but I already know if I were indeed to buy a 'Bob
it'd have to come with the 114 motor kit fitted.
To quote the old engine builder's line, "there's
no replacement for displacement," and the 114
cubes sitting inside the 'Bob make for one hell
of a ride.
What makes the ride so impressive are the
great big dollops of torque available and how
smooth the motor is. The 'Bob's motor comes
with dual counter-balancers that make for a near
vibration-free ride—which is a massive achieve-
ment for the H-D designers. Couple this almost
(Above) For us,
the best design
feature of the
new 'Bob is
the mean-as-
hell headlight.
(Left) The 114
is a beast but
has extremely
good manners.
What you ask
for at the grip is
what you get at
the wheel, and
what you get is
a lot when you
crank the tap
wide open on a
114 'Bob.
polite motor with the fact the
fueling is by far the best I've
experienced on a Harley to date:
it's impeccably fueled, allowing for
minute throttle changes with no
hesitation or splutter or hunt. What
you ask for at the grip is what you
get at the wheel, and what you
get is a lot when you crank the tap
wide open on a 114 'Bob.
It's too quiet, however. The
'Bob needs more lungs to match
its road presence but that's
something the aftermarket will
