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
to it, and a seat that for once doesn't put me in that damn cruiser-slouch position. Why the hell do cruiser manufac- turers 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 aforementioned 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 Man- chego 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 would 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 dol- lops 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 polite motor with the fact the fueling is by far the best I've experienced (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 man- ners. 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. 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 rectify—hopefully whatever louder mufflers go on will look as sweet as the stockers. The go from the 114 has a worthy partner in the new six-speed gearbox. CYCLE NEWS CRUISER BUYERS GUIDE