Review: Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Lo S

Harley-Davidson's Fat Boy Lo S was a gorgeous bike to spent an extended time with. Photos / Harley-Davidson

On the list of worst bike names, the Harley-Davidson Fat Boy is up near the top. Yes, I know I’ve put on a bit of weight over the summer, but I don’t need everyone to know it!

Apart from having a bad name the Fat Boy is actually a pretty cool bike.

This year sees some pretty wild changes for the Fat Boy, with the introduction of this bike, the Fat Boy Lo S to the range.

Channeling that iconic Harley’ silhouette there is no mistaking the Fat Boy Lo S’ lineage. The fuel tank is borrowed from the Fat Bob (another terrible name) with Fat Boy Lo tank medallion and gloss black console adorning it. Chunky 17 inch tyres wrap the solid looking wheels while the lines of the whole bike ooze with unmistakable Harley character.

One massive change, and the most important, is the 1801cc air-cooled, twin Cam Screamin’ Eagle engine. That’s up 111cc on the 1690cc on the regular Fat Boy and also includes some slick high-performance Screamin’ Eagle parts.

Twist the throttle and the Screamin’ Eagle exhaust gives off a roar, that unlike most Harley’s you tend to come across, isn’t overly loud and obnoxious

The ‘110’ engine as Harley call it, has an edge over the little ol’ 103. With a gloss black finish and chrome sparingly used to accent the pushrods and a dash of Screamin’ Eagle labeling, it looks like, and is, much more than the simple block of iron that is the 103. Pumping out a serious dollop of power at 146 Nm at its 4,000 rpm peak, the 110 engine is a great engine for hammering down the throttle and enjoying the surge of torque.

You’d think it would be a thirsty monster with an engine designed more for fun than economy, but the big 1.8-litre mill does well with a stated economy of 5.5L/100km.

Rider accommodation is comfortable with an excellent saddle to sit yourself in, while footboards meant you can relax your legs while on the highway. No straining to keep your feet on the pegs after a long day of riding on this big beauty.

Pillion accommodation is fine if you’re not expecting the luxury of say, the luxurious 398 kilogram Ultra, but it is no means uncomfortable looking.

The one aspect where the Fat Boy S falls flat on its face is handling. Simply look at a corner and due to the low 25 degree lean angle the big foot-boards touch down. While this is devilishly fun at times the sound of metal on road can become wearisome after a long ride.

If scraping up the footboards does become unbearable, Harley will sell you the kit to convert to foot pegs and gain much needed ground clearance. Talking to the team at Harley-Davidson Auckland this will set you back just shy of $620 plus labour, while replacing the footboards when they become too scraped up is a much cheaper exercise at $102.20 a side to replace.

That said, the Fat Boy S isn’t a corner carving hoon. It’s more the kind of bike you’d cruise up motorway to your favourite coastal establishment for a bacon and egg sammie. Adopt the old Porsche mantra of ‘slow in, fast out’ while riding through the twisties and it’s hilariously good fun to wind out the big motor and slam through the gears with the heal/toe shifter.

One place you’ll be saving a bit of coin on the Fat Boy S is in servicing costs. Take a quick glance at the service interval and you’ll get a nice surprise. The first time you’ll be back to the dealership, unless of course you go back to deck your Hog out with accessories, is for the first scheduled service at 1,600km, then every 8,000km after that.

Priced at $33,995 ride away you get quite a lot of bike for your money, and I’m not just talking about the 322 kg dry weight.

Equipped with Harley-Davidson’s Smart Security System2, the Fat Boy S comes with a proximity-based, hands-free security fob as standard. So there’s no key to speak of to clutter the dash up. No worries unless you go to move the bike without it, then the security system gives you a loud beep as a warning before going off full tilt if you proceed.

ABS also comes standard. A welcome aid when you have such a relatively heavy bike to pull to a halt with only a 300mm 4-piston front brake and a 292mm 2-piston unit at the rear.

Other additions include a hydraulic clutch, which makes controlling the clutch a breeze, and a refreshingly easy to use cruise control system.

With the annual Harley-Davidson Iron Run fast approaching, I’m definitely wondering if I can get my hands on this bike, or its Softail Slim S stablemate, for the long ride up to Paihia in the Bay of Islands.

Pros and Cons 2016 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Lo S

Price: $33,995

Engine: 1801cc (110cu) V-Twin

Pros: Definitely has the look, powerful engine, long service intervals, not a tiresome ride.

Cons: Low ground clearance, doesn’t corner particularly well.