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k, so it’s been nearly six months since HarleyDavidson ditched the Dyna line and shifted gears with an entirely new platform based on the Softail frame. In that line, there were eight new models at the time of the launch and each one configured with different riders in mind, different engine configurations as far as cubic inches, and different stance and accessories for rider’s preferences. This would be the earmark in the Motor Company’s history book where Harley-Davidson started to reach outside of the core, in a super aggressive way, to gain new riders from all walks of life both in and out of the motorcycle consumer base. When it comes to the bike we’re are writing about today, this bike is a prime example of that outreach, and one I saw the effects of first hand.
It All Starts With The Milwaukee-Eight: While the curb appeal alone of the Fat Bob gives you the feeling that there’s gonna be trouble, the two engine options that you can get with it will back that up. Available in both the 107 and 114 engine displacements, this thing roared through the California canyons we rode them on. While still retaining the iconic 45-degree V-Twin design, the Fat Bob is anything but a continuation from the Twin Cam. The MilwaukeeEight 107 comes in at 100 mm bore and 4.375-inch stroke with 10.0:1 compression ratio. It achieves 0-60 with ten percent quicker acceleration than the High Output Twin Cam 103. The Milwaukee-Eight 114 has a 102 mm bore and 4.5-inch stroke with 10.5:1 compression ratio. It achieves 0-60 with nine percent quicker acceleration than the Milwaukee-Eight 107. That’s a full 19 percent more than the 103 Twin Cams. When you put all that power with a frame that’s more rigid and 21.9lb lighter than its predecessor, it rides like no other factory Harley you’ve been on before. The Milwaukee-Eight has been well documented, so we aren’t going to waste a lot of time here going over the tech on it, but I will say that it’s been on the
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March ‘18 - CYCLE SOURCE MAGAZINE
market for a year and a half already and it seems hat it’s had a much smoother transition that when we came into the Twin Came era. I for one, am a big fan and think that a four-valve head has been long overdue. Now that it’s starting to be utilized like this, I can hardly wait to see what’s next. It’s The Bones That Make It Tough: For anyone who lived through the original inception of the Softail, it was never meant to be an improvement on suspension and handling, regardless of what anyone wrote at the time. Those things rode like trucks but, they gave the rider the look of a traditional hardtail frame, kind of, while having some suspension. At the time it was a huge hit. I can remember a period where there wasn’t another bike I wanted to look at other than a Softail. As new generations of riders come into the market and things change, those traditional styling needs have come and gone. Some have their place and always will, but more than ever we have a base of riders who are as concerned with function as they are form. That’s where this new chassis comes into play. It is the best of all worlds. First off, it’s lighter and to anyone who has played the horsepower game that’s like free power. It’s more rigid as far as flexion is concerned. Where that plays out is in matching it with true performance suspension. When you know your frame is going to preserve its rigid nature under a load, then you can let the suspension do more of the work it’s supposed to. The new dual-bending valve inverted front forks are similar to a cartridge fork but with improved, more responsive dampening characteristics. In laymen’s terms, that is most notable when you’re hard in the corner and hit a bump. What I got from this thing was complete absorption of the obstacle and then almost unnoticeable rebound. It let me stay on the throttle and not have to readjust to compensate for a sloppy front end. A very welcome change indeed. The rear suspension is no slouch either. A mono-shock rear suspension is easily adjustable and enables a 240-pound range of payload
