Harley-Davidson Softail Fat Boy Lo: Detailed Specs, Background, Performance, and More

Harley-Davidson is probably the most well-known name that defined the cruisers. The company has been around since 1903 and has gone through a number of changes since its beginning. It will be difficult for you if you find a more loyal following than Harley fans, which makes it the largest and most popular motorcycle company around the globe.

Irrespective of age, Harley bikes are almost always the choice for everyone who prefers riding on the highway or cruising around the town. This company has always designed its bikes for that very purpose. As a part of the motorcycle community for years, the king of cruisers has branched out into a variety of genres.

It has a variety of motorcycles ranging from the Sportster to Softail. All the Harley motorcycles and models are classified based on the differences in their engine, suspension, and looks. In this article, we will be discussing all about the Harley Softail Fat Boy Lo.

The Softail was designed in the early 1980s. This is the beginning when Harley-Davidson acquired a motorcycle concept prepared by a mechanical engineer. The name of the engineer was Bill Davis, he had been experimenting with the design to make a bike with hidden rear shocks absorbers on a large frame and a V-twin engine. In 1982, Harley-Davidson bought the design and unite Davis with company engineers to make the design perfect.

Harley-Davidson first released the Fat Boy in 1990, this machine gained popularity in a very short time and became one of the brand's most well-known and successful motorcycles. The Fat Boy frame is extracted from the 1984 “Softail” which has the rigid hardtail chassis and swinging arm with concealed springs.

The first sample of the Fat Boy was designed by Louie Netz and Willie G. Davidson. They define its characteristic look with solid cast disc wheels in the front and rear. The fenders are designed with gentle flare and it made wonderful use of shotgun exhausts. This feature was totally new to this brand. In 1990, the bike was introduced as a production model that could be purchased by the general public.

The Fat Boy was presented to the World with a solid paint scheme of silver. The frame of this bike was silver powder-coated. This bike gave a handcrafted look with its lacing detailed fuel tank and seat. Yellow detailing was also used to add remarkably attractive contrast. This bike came up with a unique logo that was designed to create a sensation of nostalgia and patriotism. Afterward, this logo has been presented on every version of Fat Boy produced.

The Fat Boy was produced from 1990 through 2017 with a Twin cam V Twin engine in a1340ccc and 1584cc. Later the Milwaukee-Eight engine was introduced in 2018 in 1746cc and a 1868cc.

The changes were made years after years. In 1994, the exhaust was the first part that was changed on the new edition of Fat Boy. The 1994 edition was equipped with a new seamless exhaust that gave it a cleaner appearance. This was the only change which was made for the year.

In 1996, Harley engineers revised the switchgear and master cylinder. This was the only revision made since 1994 to this motorcycle, this would be the condition until 1999 when the team would be at it again. It wasn't until 1999 that the Fat Boy received a new 1,450cc twin-cam engine.

In the modern age of 2002, a few changes were made to Fat Boy by keeping the nostalgia of the past. The changes include an alarm, immobilizer, and bullet-style indicators. These minor changes pleased everyone until 2005.

In 2005, the special edition came out and it was the 15th anniversary of Fat Boy. This edition came up with a new engine called a “Screamin Eagle” along with special paint and custom wheels.

The Fat Boy got an upgrade in 2006 with a new engine again. It was a 1584cc twin-cam engine that was more powerful and had a six-speed gearbox.

2010 was the year of Fat Boy Lo. The only thing of a major change in the year was the addition of the Lo which presented the lowest seat height that the company had ever produced.

The Fat Boy has appeared in many popular films like Terminator Genisys and Wild Hogs.

Fat Boy Lo is a perfect combination of classic style and a strong engine. Harley-Davidson Softail Fat Boy Lo is powered by a 1688cc V2, four-stroke engine that features black powder-coated heads and cylinders. This bike comes with Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection and delivers a peak torque of 136Nm. A new 6-speed Cruise Drive mechanism keeps all of this power under control. This bike has a fuel tank capacity of 19 liters and weighs 333kg (dry).

This bike recalls the chopper of the ‘60s and ‘70s and keeps the heritage alive more than forty years later. If we look at the tank of the bike, there is a leather tank strap, satin chrome side badges, speedometer, and ignition switch control. The bold display of the odometer and additional display for gear and rpm gives you all the information at your first glance while flying on road.

The enormous motorcycle parts give the Fat Boy Lo a gigantic look. For example, the 17-inch wheels of black, bullet-hole disc cast aluminum give an impression of grip and power, especially with rubber 140mm wide in front and 200mm in the rear. There is a fat front fork behind the big gorgeous headlamp. The handlebars are giant and wide, made of stainless steel with bare-knuckle satin chrome risers.

This bike is designed for extreme comfort with its full-length rider footboards. These footboards give you a range of positions for your taste and comfort. Its rubber vibration isolation is for a comfortable ride and heel-toe shifting for confident shifting all the time. After a few rides, a rider gets used to its smooth heel-toe rhythm and then never gives it up.

Fat Boy Lo has low-profile handlebars which give you the feel of freedom. The low-height design of this bike gives confidence to the rider and a feeling of being close to the ground which helps in providing better control and an easy comfortable ride. This is the only thing that a beginner needs to start his/her journey.

Fat Boy Lo has the classic and unique look you see on all Softail lineup frames, it is designed on a lighter and stiffer structure. The difference between Fat Boy Lo and Fat Boy is the seat height. The Fat Boy Lo has a low suspension, it is 1.15 inches lower than the Standard Fat Boy which has a seat height of only 24.25 inches.

The answer is no. Harley-Davidson produced the Fat Boys from 1990 to 2017.

Since the company has discontinued the production of Fat Boy Lo, so it is difficult to mention the exact price for this bike. Estimated the Fat Boy Lo price starts at $17,499 MSRP.

Harley Fat Boy Lo is one of the most popular beginner bikes due to its easy handling and attractive pricing. Many beginners and young buyers may not like the classic styling of their bikes and want to modify them according to their own taste. You can customize your Fat Boy Lo with a lot of aftermarket parts easily available and make it more catchy among your community.

Whether you are using your bike for urban riding or long trips you can always attach some premium quality saddlebags to carry your things along with you. You can give a sporty look to your bike and can add a sissy bar for the comfort of your riding companion or passenger.

This bike gives you plenty of options, you just need to sit and look for the parts you need to modify or replace. Since the bike is low, it is advised not to put extra large luggage bags, because they won't suit this bike.