FAT BOY 3OTH ANNIVERSARY HARLEY-DAVIDSON MODEL

Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Anniversary Model 2020

Harleysite
Feb, Mon, 2020
Latest news , Cruiser , Harley-Davidson models

WITH THE NEW FAT BOY 3OTH ANNIVERSARY
HARLEY-DAVIDSON HONORS A STYLE ICON

The anniversary model appears in a limited edition

MILWAUKEE (03.02.2020) - The introduction of the Fat Boy 30th Anniversary pays tribute to a rolling legend. The anniversary bike is wrapped in deep dark paint with bronze-colored accents and is powered by a black-coated „Milwaukee-Eight 114“ engine. Only 2,500 units of this limited edition will be produced and each machine bears a numbered plaque on the tank console.

„Fat Boy“ was an unusual name for a motorcycle that caused quite a stir when it was launched in 1990. „Back then, we interpreted the look, proportions and silhouette of a 1949 Hydra Glide in a modern way for a new generation of riders,“ explains Brad Richards, Harley-Davidson Vice President of Styling and Design.

„Fat Boy buyers liked our post-war design DNA, but were also attracted by the clean lines of contemporary industrial design. We have taken up both elements in the current look of the Fat Boy, which the bike has carried since the 2018 model year. However, we wanted to create something very special for the 30th birthday of our style icon. That's why we gave the anniversary bike a completely dark finish and strictly limited the edition to make this bike even more extraordinary and exclusive.“

The Fat Boy 30th Anniversary

The limited edition Fat Boy 30th Anniversary celebrates three decades of powerful and fascinating design and combines its fascinating reinterpretation with a classic Harley paint finish in Vivid Black.

Its Lakester full-disc alloy wheels are finished in Satin Black with milled edges and the black „Milwaukee-Eight 114“ drivetrain is fitted with Gloss Black covers, while the bronze-colored lower rocker covers and the lettering on the timer cover set strong accents. Harley-Davidson coated the exhaust system in Black Onyx, a robust finish created by vapor deposition that reveals the underlying chrome layer depending on the light. Headlight housings, handlebars and foot controls in Vivid Black and new, bronze-colored tank logos complete the dark look that sets this machine apart from the conventional „Fat Boy“ series models.

Fat Boy 3Oth Anniversary Harley-Davidson model

The Fat Boy is one of the members of the Softail family and since the introduction of the new Softail platform in model year 2018, the latest generation of the Fat Boy makes the powerful presence of the original 1990 model even more noticeable. Its massive front end is crowned by an LED headlight in a newly shaped housing. The Lakester alloy full-disc wheels are also reminiscent of the very first Fat Boy and accentuate its style at the same time. A 160 at the front and a 240 at the rear underline the cool factory-custom look.

The Softail frame and suspension components form a stiff and lightweight chassis that contributes to handling and performance that will impress even the most demanding cruiser fans. Thanks to the triangular swingarm and the central shock absorber concealed under the seat, a classic line reminiscent of a rigid frame is achieved. The spring base of the monoshock can be adjusted hydraulically by hand depending on the load.

A Milwaukee-Eight 114, the most powerful engine that Harley-Davidson offers in the Softail model family, guarantees powerful propulsion on the Fat Boy 30th Anniversary. The V-Twin has a decisive influence on the look, sound and feel of a Softail. As it is rigidly connected to the frame, it also increases the chassis rigidity. Two balancer shafts reduce its vibrations to the level that Softail fans appreciate.

The birth of an icon

In 1989, Harley-Davidson presented the first Fat Boy, a machine for the 1990 model year. Its look came from the pen of designers Willie G. Davidson and Louie Netz, who combined classic Harley-Davidson style elements with a look that was as clean as it was contemporary. To give the impression that the machine had been carved out of solid metal, the Fat Boy was given a monochrome paint finish in Fine Silver Metallic and a frame coated in a matching light color. The bike rolled on light alloy full disk wheels, which were to become a characteristic feature of the „Fat Boy“ models, and the rear wheel was perfectly staged thanks to the Softail frame. The look was decidedly massive and powerful, from the fat front tire under the trimmed fender to the wide handlebars and the seven-inch, chrome-plated FL-style headlight. Willie G. Davidson also designed the winged tank logo, which has since been reserved for the „Fat Boy“ models.

In 1991, the Fat Boy conquered Hollywood when Arnold Schwarzenegger swung himself onto its saddle for spectacular scenes including a dramatic car chase in the blockbuster „Terminator 2 - Day of Reckoning“. The film became a global success and cemented the Fat Boy's reputation as the most powerful statement of the Harley-Davidson brand in markets around the world.

The name Fat Boy

Only Harley-Davidson could have come up with the idea of naming a motorcycle Fat Boy. Willie G. Davidson describes how it came about in his book „100 Years of Harley-Davidson“:

You may be wondering how we came up with the name „Fat Boy“. I've heard many stories about it, and they're almost all wrong. Here's the real story: It's not easy to come up with a name for a motorcycle that will be known and loved by our fans. So the first question we always have to ask ourselves is: „What will the fans out there on the street call the bike?“ We were looking for something unusual and perhaps even slightly irreverent, because after all, your own work should make you smile from time to time. For me and for several other insiders we showed the bike to in the run-up to the presentation, the bike had a massive, almost „fat“ look. So the marketing people came up with the name „Fat Boy“ - and the fans liked it.

Like the entire Softail series, the „Fat Boy“ models were repeatedly updated over time and adapted to the requirements of the times. The third generation appeared in model year 2018 - with a completely new chassis and a new engine, the Milwaukee-Eight. Stylistically, the current Fat Boy remains true to its predecessors, from the wide tires to the disc wheels and the huge headlight, and yet it takes their look to the extreme. A Fat Boy is still one of the most impressive motorcycles in the Harley-Davidson portfolio.