Harley-Davidson 1800 SOFTAIL FAT BOY S FLSTFBS 2016 — Specifications

What happens when Milwaukee decides to unleash the horses on one of its most massive icons? You get the Fat Boy S, 2016 vintage, a muscled-up and blacked-out version of the most recognizable cruiser on the planet. Harley-Davidson dipped into its most noble reserve, the Twin Cam 110 displacing 1801 cc, a 45° V-twin that was previously the exclusive privilege of CVO models. It now sits in the steel double cradle frame of a Softail available in the standard catalog. With 91 hp at 5010 rpm and, more importantly, 145 Nm of torque available from just 4000 rpm, the gain over the 1690 cc unit in the standard Fat Boy is felt with every twist of the right grip. It's no missile — top speed caps out at 160 km/h — but nobody buys a Fat Boy to chase lap times. What you ask of it is to push hard and low in the rev range, and on that front, the contract is fulfilled with almost insolent generosity.

Visually, the S version breaks with Milwaukee's chromed tradition. Here, nearly everything is black. Engine, Shotgun exhausts, covers, fenders. Only a few metallic details pierce through this deliberate darkness. The aluminum wheels, inherited from the Fat Boy Special, display their characteristic circle of perforations, while the Screamin' Eagle-stamped air filter serves as a reminder of the machine's mechanical lineage. The dark-painted cylinders reveal raw-machined fins, a nod to mechanical enthusiasts who will spend long minutes examining every corner of the powerplant. The result is a machine with a boldly assertive visual temperament, more radical than the standard Fat Boy, built for those who find chrome too tame.

Beneath this dark attire, the engineering has progressed. ABS comes standard, cruise control takes its place on the handlebars, and the braking system has been revised to reduce lever effort. The 300 mm front disc clamped by a four-piston caliper and the 292 mm rear disc deliver adequate braking for a machine that weighs 333 kg wet. Electronic throttle control replaces the cable, and the H-D Smart Security system rounds out the equipment. Up front, a 41 mm telescopic fork provides 130 mm of travel, while two shock absorbers hidden beneath the engine handle the rear, faithful to the Softail philosophy of concealing the suspension to maintain a clean line. The 86 mm of rear travel does, however, require choosing your pavement with a minimum of attention.

The proportions don't lie. With its massive tires — a 140/75-17 up front and a 200/55-17 at the rear — the Fat Boy S commands considerable physical presence. That width of rubber flatters the eye but penalizes cornering agility. The low seat, perched just 670 mm off the ground, reassures shorter riders and plants the pilot at the heart of the machine. The 22.7-liter tank, wrapped with its leather strap, offers decent range for a twin of this displacement. The belt drive and six-speed gearbox ensure quiet, low-maintenance operation — a genuine asset for daily riding.

At €22,890, the Fat Boy S positions itself between a boulevard custom and a full-fledged power cruiser. It doesn't play in the same league as a Ducati Diavel when it comes to dynamism, nor in that of a Victory Hammer for price-to-performance ratio. Its territory is raw emotion, generous low-end torque, and a presence that few motorcycles can claim. It targets a rider who wants to cruise cool but not unnoticed, who values character over versatility. A cruiser built to devour asphalt straight ahead, with enough personality to never go unnoticed in a parking lot.