Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/949296
2018 Harley-Davidson Softail Fat Bob 114 you can imagine how surprised I was to learn that that bike came in the form of a thundering 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 Milwaukee and has enough power to keep me entertained, but performance 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 rectangular/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. Person- ally, I think they're nuts. It looks wild and the LEDs in that thing are bright as hell, something 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 replaces 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 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. CYCLE NEWS CRUISER BUYERS GUIDE