HARLEY-DAVIDSON FAT BOB FXFB (2018 - on) Review

Sporty feel for a Harley. Brakes are okay for the weight.

Plenty of power and torque, traction control would make this a safer bike.

No real issues, noisy engine, they told me was normal. But mine is louder than any others.

I do regular maintenance, Harley cost is way to high.

Aftermarket anything, Harley is to expensive.

Live the the Fat Bob, can ride to North Queensferry, in Scotland, and back to Yorkshire in day with no problem 👍

Tyres are poor, and paintwork not brilliant

Original tyres are too noisy and are poor☹️

It's a big heavy bike and ride it as such and it can be fun. The front brake is good enough with decent feel, but you need to give it a handful to stop in a hurry. Rear brake is a bit wooden though. OE Dunlop tyres are utterly lethal in the wet and shouldn't be on the bike. Change them! I'm six foot three and long legged and I'm ok for a tank of petrol, around 120 miles, before needing a break. No worse than any other bike for my skinny backside! Pillion comfort with the wider seat is ok too. Longest ride I've done is 250 miles on a mix of A and twisty B roads. I've got a HD screen on mine, which I'd recommend.

Engine is good. Plenty of pulling power for heavy bike and 15 stone rider. Luggage or pillion isn't a problem either. If you want a missile look elsewhere though, or be up for spending up to around four grand on performance mods.

I clean it with Muc-off after every ride and garage it, and it's off the road over winter but still some of the engine fasteners have corroded. Why they have some in stainless and some in cheap alloy crap I don't know. Speedo mists up, same problem as my previous HD, a 2000 year Dyna Lowrider. The paint on the tank is crap, so if you buy one make sure to get some Turtlewax scratch removal polish.

Usual expensive HD hourly rate. At Edinburgh HD you're well looked after though.

ABS, that's about it for standard kit, although there is a usb socket and a lead for a battery maintainer, which you need as the standard alarm is a real drain. The HD seat £350 and screen £370 I've fitted are premium priced but are good quality to be fair. As already mentioned the OE tyres are extermely bad in the wet. I take my other bike out if there's a hint of rain for that reason. Next service I'll be getting Metzeler Cruisetecs fitted. I had those on my last HD and they were superb.

Stock tyres are shocking. Change them as soon as you can, changes the bike massively and its a joy to ride after. Go for the 200 rear as well as it fits straight on.

Very torque and fast enough. Add a nose fairing helps deflect the wind a bit.

Paint came off mirror within a week. Indicator lense just fell off. Speedo glass fogs over when damp and you can't see the info.

Great for country ride outs

no sign of corrosion unfortunately the speedo mists up ( a common fault ) which HD doesn't accept responsibility for ??

HD prices are high but as a uncomplicated machine running costs are reasonable

riding position is great, standard tyres not great in wet . a screen is well worth it

comfortable to ride brakes are good not great

Servicing is fine , insurance however is not

the engine is why I bought it , great up to legalish motorway speed's its not a race bike

After 1 hour of continued riding I need a rest especially for my bum lol

Does what it should pulls like a train even two up you wouldn't notice a passenger on the back

For a Harley this is superb, it is vastly improved by ditching the original Teflon Dunlop tyres and fitting something that actually sticks!

Nice and grunty, sounds superb with a set of cans and a Vance and Hines FP3 sorts out all the issues.

The downside with this bike is the paint. I have made plastic models with better quality of paint than this. It has Lancia quality finish, definitely bio degradable!

Service costs depends on mileage. I like to use my bikes so it does soon add up. It is not bad on petrol hitting high 40's if you don't drive it like you stole it.

ABS...............that it!

takes a while to embed in but strong performance

lazy and lumpy :)

no issues after 2 years

awesome servicing at reading

Clearer dispalys would be good

Early days no issues as yet. Rides nice and smooth with no vibration. Front a little soft.

Great performance and torque. Takes a while to get the hang of which gear when slow cornering. I found first a little harsh and better to keep it in second and slip the clutch slightly otherwise your hands are removed from the bars.

Great no keys and better view of cluster

Surprisingly usable motorcycle. Not for two up touring but pillion seat OK for my daughter on short trips. All day comfy ride below motorway speeds so best suited for A/B road cruising. The bike handles surprisingly well for it's size and the suspension is pretty good. Only adjustable for preload at the rear and at 80kg I need the shock wound right out or it's too harsh. The brakes are excellent.

It's a Harley and a unique experience. Cruising along a favourite road on a sunny day and it makes a lot of sense. Try and push on and you'll soon find it's limitations.

How long have you got? Battery drain overnight. Faulty fuel cap. Faulty preload adjuster. Condensation in clock. Wonky handlebar and clock. Thin paint easily scratched on both matt and lacquered finishes. Paint rubbing off. Corrosion issues and paint flaking off all over the bike i.e. Forks, regulator, indicators, bolts and fixings, etc. I'm too scared to look underneath now. Some issues fixed but most blamed on "poor maintenance and environmental issues."

Considering the bike cost over £16k I expect better so it's overpriced. Most H-D dealerships are around £100ph now. £300 for the annual oil change. Parts are ludicrously expensive. However, the engines are basic so If you can service it yourself or know a decent independent mechanic then they are relatively cheap to run. High insurance cost though.

ABS is your lot in terms of rider aids. It has keyless ignition and a factory fitted alarm which I can't help thinking will cause me issues in the future. OE tyres look the part and are fine in the warm but hopeless in the cold and/or wet. S&S slip ons improve the sound without being obnoxious.

First off the brakes are excellent, some of the best I've used recently. The bike is comfortable and the stock suspension is pretty good for UK B roads, just make sure that you adjust the shock with the remote pre-load adjuster. Handling is good as long as you remember what you are riding, it takes a good old push of counter steer to turn in the front wheel but it holds a very stable line. I personally don't find it particularly comfortable on the motorway above 70 but that may be the fact that I don't exclusively ride in the cruiser position, I would rather travel distances on my XSR, but cruising on the back roads at 60 it's all day comfy. The pillion seat is fine for my 7 yo daughter, but not a grown up size.

I have to love the engine. Yes it's under powered for it's size but it is a nice place to be with it thrumming away. The sheer weight of the motorcycle means that you're never going to win many races but it's nice riding the torque out of corners. Very smooth for the capacity too. I was specifically looking for a bike to cruise on as I own other sports bikes so in this market with the likes of the V7, Speedmaster, CB1100 etc, the Harley engine just has a lot more of the 'C' word than all of those other bikes so it's the one I'm happier to potter along on and not be frustrated by the traffic or get impatient.

After less than a year with 2500 dry miles the cracks are showing. Excessively vibrating (non locking) fuel cap replaced, pre-load adjuster stiff and a software patch after an overnight battery drain. However, the condensation in the clock and all the paint peeling off the regulator has been blamed on 'cosmetic and environmental issues'. Harley have not been empathic about these issues despite my assurances that I haven't taken it green laning... I'll admit that I don't have high expectations for the long term reliability of the bike and with hindsight I probably wouldn't have bought it. I expect better on a £16k+ bike.

Considering the apparent lack of build quality then the purchase price seems more than excessive. Palatable if you want the 'lifestyle' though which appeals to some. Harley dealers by me tend to be around £100-110 per hour but thankfully there are some very good independents locally. Parts and accessories are as expensive as you would expect.

Some slip-on's make it sound just right, not too obnoxious. The stock tyres look the part but they are terrible in the winter and only slightly better in the wet, I may swap them for some Cruisetecs. Non-locking fuel cap and a ridiculously placed speedo are impractical and the keyless ignition/alarm comes standard but I would rather not have them. I would recommend putting on an oil cooler guard ASAP.