Harley ‘Fat Bob’ a comfortable ride

Harley ‘Fat Bob’ a comfortable ride

2008 Harley-Davidson Dyna FXDF Fat Bob
By: Rob Beintema

All good things must come to an end. At least, temporarily. Especially when it comes to motorcycles in the face of an approaching Canadian winter.

Hmm, so what to end the riding season with?

A cruiser? A sport bike? A Thanksgiving weekend spent on a touring bike?

“How about that one” my wife suggested, pointing at the computer screen. “It suits you perfectly.”

A Fat Bob.

“Very funny,” I said.

First off, it’s Rob, not Bob and secondly, as for fat . . .

The new FXDF Fat Bob joins the Dyna family for 2008, one of a half dozen or so new Harleys inserted across the brand lineup. And, I must admit, despite protestations, the picture on the screen did look intriguing in a chunky, friendly kind of way.

“The Fat Bob is taking the Dyna platform in a bold, new direction,” according to Bill Davidson, director of motorcycle product development.  

I was lucky enough to take the Fat Bob in a new direction myself, its first test ride in Canada, and this new 2008 factory custom bruiser looked even better in the flesh, so to speak, boldly blacked-out with just enough elements of chrome and brushed aluminum bolt heads in the mix to strike a note of contrast. The bike takes it design direction from the famous 19.3 L (5.1-gallon U.S) Fat Bob fuel tank, in this case dipped in a matte black that matched the leather bib perfectly. The tank has been tarted up ever so slightly with a new medallion and chrome, a low profile fuel tank console, a fuel gauge on the left to balance the fuel cap on the right and with a simple speedo, one-gauge layout dead centre.

So, who needs a tach, anyway?

Other styling elements include funky four-inch dual headlamps and a fat 130 mm front tire on a 16-inch by 3.5-inch slotted cast aluminum wheel to match up with the even fatter back wheel. With a shorty, bobbed front fender and Bobtail rear, well, okay, that’s enough Bob references for now.

The Fat Bob can be ordered from the factory with a choice of mid-mount or forward foot controls that, along with the drag bars, put you into a position that Harley refers to as “nonchalant cool”. The forward positioning worked well for my long legs.

With a seat height just over 26”, your butt rests low on a wide firm cushion that’s in keeping with the bike’s “body image”. You sit “in” the bike rather than on top of it. There’s a little leftover pillowing for a passenger but the question was moot anyway with no rear pegs on my test bike.

Serves her right anyway.

The Fat Bob is powered by Harley’s Twin Cam 96 engine, boasting about 92 lb-ft of torque through a 6-speed Cruise Drive transmission. The V-Twin whomps forth in typical Harley harmony, pulling lustily to an even-pitched roar, the smoothness falling apart as you decelerate into that trademarked, paint-shaker vibration that buzzes up through your feet. Always reminds me of those gimmicky machines at the Exhibition that mothers would drop a dime into to “vibrate the tired feeling right out of your legs!”

Now I’m really dating myself.

I was probably picking up some of that vibration from my right heel against the new Tommy Gun exhaust system, a particularly sexy, 2-1-2 configuration that curves the rear pipe forward and around the engine timing cover to merge with the front pipe. The pipes then split and dump into staggered dual mufflers. It’s pretty in profile and the exhaust system supposedly takes its name from the slotted exhaust shield. But while I’ve never seen a Thompson machine gun with a slotted heat shield, why let the facts get in the way of a catchy name?

I took the Fat Bob on a weekend run, winding up at one of those midway cafés where HOG members always seem to spend more time talking than riding. I parked the bike and waited.

No reaction. I was surprised. Hmm, maybe it was the matte black. Maybe the lack of screaming eagle graphics to attract attention and a custom shape that is not exactly the cruiser configuration most boomers recognize.

Certainly seemed handsome to me.

A little chunky maybe. More rhino than gazelle, But individualized without ostentation. Clean-lined, sturdy, stylish and strong.

Yeah, quite like me, after all.

Hmmph! Fat Bob indeed.



2008 Harley-Davidson Dyna FXDF Fat Bob

Specifications:

Engine: Air-cooled, Twin Cam 96, 1584cc

Fuel Delivery: Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI)

Length: 2329.9mm

Wheelbase: 1619.8mm

Seat Height: 687.8mm

Fuel Capacity: 19.3 L

MSRP: $ 17,239

Website: harley-davidson.com

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