central taillight, tiny seat, blacked-out
everything, and an old-school racing
handlebar; it may have DNA in common
with the Chrome Pony, but it sure
doesn't look it.
Perhaps it's the lowered suspension,
but handling feels very different from
the Deluxe; more planted, involving
the rider more, and also dragging parts
more. The suspension is stiffer, and the
seat is thinner, so long range comfort
is less of a thing, but not jarring like on
Harley's Sportsters. It just feels... raw.
I really like the feel of this bike, so the
only thing I'd change is the seat. Hope-
fully that doesn't lose the low-slung cool
the Slim offers, but if I want to go more
than 50 miles, it's needed. This is easily
my favorite of the floorboard-equipped
Softails, even if the boards are half the
size of the others.
I FAT BOY
Some call the Fat Boy one of H-D's
original factory customs. Battleship
Grey, with yellow rocker cover inserts
and solid wheels, the 1990 Fat Boy set
the stage for what a cruiser would look
like in the 1990s. The modern remodel
does a good job of recapturing that
magic. Unlike most of the new Softails,
which are trying to retain the look and
feel of the prior model (while building
on a new chassis), the Fat Boy does
what the original did: look like nothing
else on the road.
2018 HARLEY-DAVIDSON SOFTAILS First Test
CYCLE NEWS CRUISER BUYERS GUIDE
