Fat Bob: The spectacular Harley with a twist

Welcome the latest addition to the Harley family -- the super sexy Fat Bob

It's party time for Harley fans across India. Not just any party, but a very special welcome party for a very special member that has joined their beloved bike family on November 22. Fat Bob, the latest beast out of the stables of the America-based, but world-embraced, motorcycle-giant is the third in the Harley-Davidson Dyna bloodline after the smashing generations of Street Bob and Super Glide Custom.

A true cruiser at heart, this brawny ride comes to India as yet another reason for the leisure bikers to get out on the road and get going because that's what Harley Davidson is all about -- celebrating and preserving the true spirit of biking. And that is exactly what Fat Bob is about.

Stepping forward as a part of the Dyna range, this scintillating dash of power is the sixth completely knocked down (CKD) unit to have enrolled with Harley India, and that, as per the general understanding, should have placed this cruiser within a fairly reasonable price bracket. But something seems to have definitely gone wrong with the entire mathematics of it all because, far from being priced at the universally anticipated, not to mention quite extravagant in itself, sum of Rs 10 lakh, Harley Davidson Fat Bob has been tagged with an overly flashy price ticket of Rs 12.8 lakh.

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That said, it is pretty pointless to mention that while this fresh launch has come as a splendid surprise for some, for others it has taken the shape of nothing but a disheartening shock.

While the price tag of Fat Bob has received an incredibly variable range of responses from enthusiasts across the nation, its design and specifications are the ones that have gotten themselves nothing but awestruck looks, dropped jaws and eyes glittering with excitement and amazement.

Fuelled by an air-cooled, Twin Cam 103TM, 1585cc engine that holds the capacity to churn out a maximum of 126Nm at 3000rpm, the latest cruise-machine from Harley Davidson India gets a 6-speed Cruise Drive transmission system to work in synchronisation with its power-house.

But what truly instigates the flare and exclusivity of a Harley in this bike is its specially designed 18.8 litre fuel-tank that does not get thrown out of giant mechanical mouths but get hand-crafted selectively for every motorcycle that steps out of the factory.

Even the fuel-system that puts the contents of this tank to work employs electronic sequential port fuel injection (ESPFI) technology which is no ordinary technology either.

As far as looks are concerned, you won't take a minute in recognising Fat Bob as a Harley bike because that is practically impossible, to be honest. Another thing that stands in the category of impossible is that you would fail to notice why it has been titled as 'Fat' Bob because that is what distinguishes this newbie from the rest of its family.

A beefy mound of muscle forms the front facade of the motorbike that redefines the whole concept of prominence for the legendary line of American bikes. A flagrant pair of thickset front forks rushing down from right above the headlamps to the centre of that magnificently-styled wheel around which wraps a chunky flab of rubber forming the 130-section front tyre -- that's what gives Fat Bob its 'Fat' fame.

The headlamps, too, have received a complete overhaul for this fresh entrant and they now sport a distinct twin round appearance. Apart from these unique traits, what's left just highlights the bond of this latest H-D with its long line of celebrity fathers and forefathers. Be it the expansive length of 2330mm, the low saddle height of 690mm, the long wheelbase of 1620mm or the almost-marginal ground clearance of 125mm, every dimension, as it establishes with the mind, paints the picture of a perfect Harley Davidson bike.

As for the tyres that impart such a distinct character to this motorcycle, they belong to the Dunlop Harley-Davidson Series of bias blackwall tyres. Coded as D427F 130/90B16 67H for the front end and D427 180/70B16 77H for the rear, these tyres come fitted in machined aluminium slotted disc wheels measuring 406 mm x 76 mm at the front and 406 mm x 127 mm at the rear.

Venturing from the technicalities to the areas that practically affect the quality of a ride, we take a look at the convenience and comfort factors of Fat Bob. The seat, first and foremost, has a sufficiently wide but single-piece style combining together the areas for the driver and the pillion rider into one which might make the seating feel a bit crowded.

But that's about all there is on the downside for this bike. Other than that, whether it is the drag-style handlebar that makes for a suitable riding position for riders of short and tall stance alike, or the Tommy Gun exhaust from which emanates the Harley-characteristic note of thunder, or the optional feature of anti-lock braking system, or the fake fuel cap mounted at the side of the fuel-tank that actually serves the purpose of a fuel gauge -- everything just echoes the excellence of a Harley Davidson.