Harley-Davidson Softail Fat Bob 2020 — Specifications

The Fat Bob has always been the pirate of the Harley range. A rebel, a law-bending troublemaker, a Talisker disruptor for those fond of provocation. A character trait that now extends to the entire model, from the bottom of the connecting rods to the end of the frame. Because everything changes: engine, chassis, silhouette! The Fat Bob is no longer what it was; it expresses more, and silences the detractors.

Let's start with the biggest shock of this new Bob. It’s no longer a Dyna, but a Softail. We are therefore dealing with a whole new generation, exchanging its dual rear shock frame for the new faux-rigid frame. Does it betray its culture? Not really, because its surly spirit remains. And by inheriting the new Softail structure, it benefits from a seriously increased rigidity. Not to mention another significant improvement in damping. Like the entire Softail range, it welcomes a new shock absorber located under the seat, more efficient and equipped with a practical adjustment knob just behind the right calf. From the front, the Softail Fat Bob threatens, and quite a bit. Courage seems required to grab its front forks. The inverted fork promises efficiency and rigor, holding a nice front rim shod with a 150 mm wide tire. With a beautiful set of brake discs and a mudguard trimmed to the maximum, the wheel seems like a single block, ready to crush cinder blocks and sneakers. This major evolution is accompanied by a drastic weight loss. 15 kilos have flown off in the mutation.

Threatening, yes. Nothing seems better to qualify this new chapter of the Fat Bob. Its design is completely redesigned. More compact, even stockier, it seems to have returned from a wrestling match... with sociopathic bears. Since the previous model, the rear mudguard has been cut in half, the seat has gained a fuller shape, the tank has tightened, the exhaust line becomes ostentatious, and the offensive gaze pivots into a robotic thrust. A beautiful array of LEDs, almost terrifying in its audacity for a MoCO model. To the point that you would think it was borrowed from a Japanese bike. The Fat Bob is no longer the playful bike in the range, it's a savage looking for a fight, with one of the most impactful designs in the modern history of the brand. It shakes things up, and they will love it for that.

A face, strong, tense, must have the muscle flexed and worthy of its rank. The Milwaukee Eight will respond perfectly. In our opinion, the 114 version is the one that would best suit it. Because the Fat Bob is available with two versions of the big twin. As standard with the 107 and its 1745 cm3, offering nearly 14.8 mkg of torque; or as an option with 123 cm3 and 1 mkg more. Full of grunt, calming its vibrations at idle and tinted with modernism with its 2 spark plugs and 4 valves per cylinder, the M8 engine has not forgotten its fundamentals with a very American depth of operation, dug in the fever of Wisconsin.

What an entrance! For its conversion to Softail format and the appropriation of the Big Bloc M8, the Fat Bob has pulverized its identity into an authentic demonstration of force. A grizzly of the road, for lovers of spicy dishes and mechanical subtraction.

M.B - Manufacturer photos