Thirty years ago, my mullet and I met the Harley-Davidson Fat Boy the same place a lot of us did: watching Terminator 2 at the movie theater. Now it turns 30 and gets a special edition to celebrate.
Seriously, though, how do you NOT want to buy this bike after watching this? Sure, if crotch rockets are your thing it’s not your poison but other than that, why wouldn’t you?
Cloaked in dark finishes with bronze highlights and powered by a blacked-out Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine, production of the 30th Anniversary Fat Boy will be limited to 2,500 examples, each serialized with a number plate affixed to the fuel tank console. (T1000 liquid metal assassin sold separately)
The Fat Boy was a perfectly outrageous name for a motorcycle that at its 1990 introduction was brilliantly bodacious.
“The Fat Boy took the look, proportions and silhouette of a 1949 Hydra-Glide motorcycle and completely modernized it for a new generation of riders,” explains Brad Richards, Harley-Davidson Vice President of Styling and Design. “Those riders appreciated our post-war design DNA but also found themselves drawn to the clean simplicity of contemporary industrial design. Each of these elements was captured in the new 2018 version of the Fat Boy model. For this 30th Anniversary model we wanted to create something very special, so we leaned into the popularity of darker finishes and a limited run/serialized strategy to make the bike truly unique and exclusive.”The Fat Boy 30th Anniversary motorcycle celebrates the three-decade impact of the original model with a bold reinterpretation executed in dark finishes paired with a single color option, Vivid Black. The cast-aluminum Lakester wheels are finished in Satin Black with machined highlights. The blacked-out Milwaukee-Eight 114 powertrain is finished with engine covers in gloss black and subtle bronze-tone lower rocker covers and timer cover script. The exhaust finished in a Black Onyx, a durable physical vapor deposition paint finish that reveals the underlying chrome in bright light.Based on the Harley-Davidson Softail platform launched in 2018, the Fat Boy motorcycle re-defines an icon with power and presence. The entire Fat Boy front end is massive and topped with an LED headlamp in a newly shaped nacelle. The Lakester disc aluminum wheels update that defining Fat Boy style point. The 160mm front tire is balanced by a signature 240mm rear tire that delivers a factory custom look.A Vivid Black headlamp nacelle, handlebar and controls complete the over-all dark look that is distinctive from the regular production model. A new bronze-tone waterslide Fat Boy tank logo complements the black finish and other bronze details that set the Fat Boy 30th Anniversary apart from the regular-production model.The Milwaukee-Eight 114 V-Twin engine, the most-powerful Softail powertrain option, delivers inspiring performance and classic Harley-Davidson look-sound-feel. The rigid-mounted powertrain further enhances chassis stiffness. Dual engine counter-balancers are tuned to reduce primary vibration at idle speed.The Softail frame and suspension combine to form a chassis that’s stiff and lightweight, for agility and performance that will exceed the expectations of the most-demanding cruiser riders. The mono-shock rear suspension preserves the signature “hard tail” lines of the Softail chassis and places a single coil-over shock absorber below the seat at the optimal angle for a smooth ride and outstanding handling. Remote hydraulic pre-load adjustment is accomplished by simply turning a knob located below the seat, making it easy to dial in the ride and handling for rider weight.
Dealer-installed Screamin’ Eagle® Performance Parts Stage Upgrades from Harley-Davidson Genuine Motor Parts & Accessories are available to boost engine performance even further.
Since 1903, Harley-Davidson Motor Company has fulfilled dreams of personal freedom with cruiser, touring and custom motorcycles, riding experiences and events, and a complete line of Harley-Davidson motorcycle parts, accessories, general merchandise, riding gear and apparel.
