2018 HARLEY-DAVIDSON SOFTAIL FAT BOB 114
FULL TEST
P46
surprised I was to learn that that
bike came in the form of a thun-
dering American V-twin with an
army-style matte gray tank and
garish gold on the single-side
exhaust.
There's a defining meanness
to the 'Bob that is simply not
there in any other power cruiser
I can think of. Now part of the
Softail lineup after the demise
of the Dyna name, the 'Bob is
a bike anyone with a sporting
bone in their body can at least
appreciate, if not enjoy.
It carves corners better than
any bike I've ridden from Milwau-
kee and has enough power to
keep me entertained, but perfor-
mance is equal to looks for me,
because a Ducati Diavel will blitz
this thing in anything resembling
a sporting domain. However, a
Diavel doesn't look half as good
as this, or have the most famous
name in motorcycling stamped
on the engine cases.
I fell in love with the looks
the minute I laid eyes on the
'Bob purely down to one part—
the headlight—which gives it a
completely different demeanor
to the hideous bug-eyed look of
the 2017 Fat Bob. Its rectangu-
lar/oval shape is pure sportbike
and gives you somewhat of an
idea as to the kind of riding you
can do with a 2018 'Bob. Quite
a few colleagues I have spoken
to regarding this feature don't
care for it, preferring instead to
have the traditional circular unit.
Personally, I think they're nuts. It
looks wild and the LEDs in that
thing are bright as hell, some-
thing I discovered during my
many night rides while the 'Bob
and I lived together.
Once I looked a little further,
there were more and more parts
that caught my eye. Inverted
forks, a monoshock that re-
Tough as an army drill sergeant
but comfy like your favorite
couch. The rider triangle is
almost bang-on for sporty riding
but better for cruising.
