It’s easy to get carried away in this new wave of ultra-sophisticated motorcycles that are becoming increasingly easier to ride. The new breed of motorcycles is obviously toeing the line that once separated the boys from the men, the actual hardcore motorcyclists from the ‘woke’ compulsive talkers. Long, lonesome hours with just you, your motorcycle, and the open road, are almost becoming a thing of the past. It’s reached a point where you can take a break from swilling a dainty little coffee (that has more syllables than coffee beans), swing a leg over almost any new age motorcycle, pin the throttle, hit every apex in sight, slam on the brakes, and still be alive with completely unsoiled pants. Gone are the days when motorcycles were the ones revered as sacred beings. Gone are the days when each machine had its own distinct character that took months to understand before you could master it. But, every once in a while, there comes along a proper hellion that will bend you to its will, or kick you squarely in the face. Enter the 2021 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy 114.
A Proper Badass Motorcycle If There Ever Was One
It’s an honest reminder of what real, raw motorcycling is about in all its unfiltered glory. This is a motorcycle that does things the old way, the way a motorcycle should. You’ve got to spend time with it, study it, respect it, and only then will you slowly understand how to really ride it. And I don’t mean be like one of those leather-clad, bandana-wearing pseudo-bikers that are slowly drowning in badges, accessories, and the sound of their own voices (proclaiming how much those accessories cost, of course). No, I mean to be the actual badass that the legendary motorcyclists of yesteryear were; some still are. Endless hours in the saddle, muscles bulging from the twisting of wrenches and bare metal. And consequently, wrestling these behemoths into maneuvers that would make their mothers request the intervention of God himself.
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Lo and behold, the Fat Boy is a legend in its own right. Spawned in 1990 and immortalized by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Hollywood movie ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’, the Fat Boy has a bit of a clandestine theory behind its naming. Harley-Davidson claims the bike just looks ‘fat’. But there were two very historically controversial pieces of cargo carried by two Boeing B-29 Superfortress aircraft, namely Fat Man and Little Boy. Those were the names of the cargo pieces, of course. The aircraft had your more everyday names, Bockscar and Enola Gay to be precise. Now while you ponder over the ingenuity of Harley’s nomenclature, it appears that the Fat Boy does have one design element that’s quite similar to the B-29 aircraft. Those solid-disc Lakester wheels give the bike a real wholesome look. It looks like it’d probably go right through a wall, or two.
LED Headlight Nacelle More Blinged Out Than Before
If you lived through the 90s, you will still think this bike is the epitome of cool. Once you actually get a glimpse of it in all its satin chrome glory, you will definitely want more. More of just sitting back and admiring the legacy that has sculpted this beast into what it is. The solid-looking headlight and new, chromed fork covers look like they’re carved from a single block of metal. The circular LED layout simply draws you with almost a robotic sort of hypnosis. The Fat Boy sits with an air of authority that will only magnify once you get into the saddle. It’s no wonder why overcompensating, middle-aged men used to be drawn towards it like flies to manure.
New Chrome Bits On The Milwaukee-Eight 114 V-twin Engine
Powering the monster is none other than Harley’s torquey Milwaukee-Eight 114 cubic-inch V-twin engine. The 6-speed gearbox churns out a claimed 119 ft-lb of torque at just 3,000 rpm. It’s got a newly chromed 2-into-2 offset shotgun exhaust that will belt out the soundtrack aboard the Fat Boy. The chrome Ventilator air cleaner flaunts the 114 badge with pride. Chrome or polished engine covers and rockers covers are also new for this year, replacing the previous Fat Boy’s satin chrome finishes.
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As usual with H-D, the price varies according to color. At the bottom of the list is the Vivid Black model with its $19,999 sticker. BlackJack Metallic and Deadwood Green roll for $20,399, and if you want that two-tone Gauntlet Gray Metallic/Vivid Black package, you’ll have to shell out a total of $20,749.
The Fat Boy isn’t just a motorcycle. Sure, if you bought it only so you can boast about it with your Harley support group, then it will be just that. Give it the respect and attention that it deserves and it will become so much more. Anyone’s bucket list would be a poorer place without this on it. Now, all we can do is pray that the next generation of motorcyclists still has that inexplicable thirst to experience motorcycling in its raw, unadulterated form. It’s the only way this legacy will continue to survive. If not, well you can still use the Fat Boy to scare the living daylights out of them.