The larger-than-life icon remains one of the most identifiable Harleys of all
Words by: Phil West
Published on 25 June 2026 | 0 min read
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The Autotrader expert verdict:
4
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Bikes simply don’t get more distinctive and iconic than Harley-Davidson’s legendary Fat Boy. The pet project of Harley design boss Willie G. Davidson, the Fat Boy was created in 1990 as a retro-inspired, solid-wheeled, fat-tyred cruiser, gained global fame as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ride in Terminator 2: Judgement Day, has been a big seller ever since and lives on to this day in successively updated form. The biggest, most recent evolution came in 2018 when it gained Harley’s new twin-shock Softail chassis along with even fatter wheels and tyres, riding modes, traction control and more jaw-dropping style than ever. The ride suffers a little as a result and underneath the excess it’s seemingly just another big twin Harley cruiser but if you can live with all that it brings huge smiles to every ride.
“The Fat Boy is also iconic, striking, beautifully built and so much fun you’ll forgive almost anything”
Design sometimes means function as well as form, but the Fat Boy is so bold and brilliant we’re largely overlooking that here. Originally designed as a retro, ‘50s-inspired cruiser, the big and bold Harley has always been visually stunning, and it became even more so in 2018 with new, even bigger and fatter wheels and tyres. Indeed, the 160-section front hoop is broader than many bike’s REAR tyres, while the 240 at the back is simply bonkers. That, as you’d expect, compromises handling and the Fat Boy is also largely impractical and expensive – the more straightforward and far more dynamic Harley Street Bob is a lot cheaper to buy, too. But the Fat Boy is also iconic, striking, beautifully built and so much fun you’ll forgive almost anything.
Expert rating: 5/5
Riding position
“The retro-style riding position has you upright on a plush seat with feet easily finding the broad footboards”
For a big, heavy, extreme bike with bonkers wheels, you might expect the Fat Boy to have the extreme riding position to match. Not so. Although long (its wheelbase is a whopping 1,650mm), and heavy (315kg without fuel), the Fat Boy is also relatively low thanks to a 675mm seat height and surprisingly narrow. All of which helps it feel very stable. The retro-style riding position has you upright on a plush seat with feet easily finding the broad footboards and the ‘beach’ bars, although wide, are also low and comfortable. Sure, there’s no screen or other weather protection while the length, width, weight and awkward steering make wiggling through city traffic a daunting prospect. Nor is there much room for pillions, either. But for what the Fat Boy was designed to do – gentle and relaxing cruising and looking good – it fulfils its brief admirably.
Expert rating: 5/5
Practicality
“Harley’s brilliance at accessories means the Fat Boy can also be made to be more practical”
No matter how hard you may try, the Fat Boy can in no way be described as practical. It’s expensive, heavy, cumbersome, has virtually no luggage-carrying or pillion ability and little equipment. And all of that is completely missing the point. But this is not the end of the story. Harley’s brilliance at accessories means the Fat Boy can also be made to be more practical, via optional screens, seats and luggage. And if all that sounds too much effort, don’t forget Harley also offers more usable variations on the same theme, whether it be the Heritage Classic, Low Rider ST, Road King or best-selling Street Glide.
Expert rating: 2/5
Performance & braking
“Even with the updates it’s the familiar and authentic Harley riding experience”
Powering the Fat Boy is the latest generation version of Harley’s air-cooled, push-rod Milwaukee-Eight V-twin, featuring (gasp!) fuel-injection, four valves per cylinder and Road, Rain and Sport riding modes. The Fat Boy gets the 117 cubic inch Custom version, equating to 1,923cc and with a custom air filter contributing to a peak 103 horsepower at 4,800rpm and 171Nm at 3,000rpm driving through a belt and suitably industrial feeling six-speed gearbox. Even with the updates it’s the familiar and authentic Harley riding experience, combining that signature lumpiness with some entertaining shove when you want it and amiable cruising if you prefer to just kick back. Road mode suits it best, given the handling’s not sufficiently dynamic to really warrant the edgier Sport mode. Braking is a little compromised by the Fat Boy’s style. The overriding desire for clean looks means the massive, solid front wheel only carries the one 300mm disc and four-piston caliper, this and the Fat Boy’s weight meaning you’ll be leaning hard on the rear brake as well. You can work with that and we’d argue even here style comes first! Cornering ABS is standard.
Expert rating: 4/5
Ride & handling
“You learn to adapt your riding style and roll the Fat Boy through turns”
Harley’s whole Softail family was updated in 2018 with a new chassis, Fat Boy included. That meant a new tubular steel cradle frame with box-section spine and rear subframe. The characteristic ‘hidden’ twin shock rear end was updated to a new, still hidden, monoshock, with a handy remote preload adjuster. Forks are now Showa’s 49mm Dual Bending Valve telescopics, which are non-adjustable and in the Fat Boy’s case feature retro-style ‘beer can’ metal shrouds.
So far, so typically Harley. But what sets the Fat Boy apart is its signature monster wheels. Called the Lakester, they’re both 18-inch diameter cast and machined aluminium with the front wearing a massive 160-section tyre and the rear an even larger 240. This in combination with the lazy 30-degree rake and 104mm of trail takes some getting used to. Steering has to be deliberate and is ponderously slow even with the extra leverage of the wide handlebars while the ride, though largely OK, is upset by potholes due to the short suspension travel. Road noise, due to the fat tyre contact patch and big mudguards, is far more than usual and switchbacks have to be approached with caution and confidence. You learn to adapt your riding style and roll the Fat Boy through turns while straight line cruising is never a problem. But it is an unsettling experience at first, and if your pleasure in bikes is more to the dynamics than posing there are better options in the Harley line-up.
Expert rating: 3/5
Running costs
“Belt drive and a claimed official fuel consumption figure of 47mpg are positives”
Running a high-end Harley like the Fat Boy was never going to come cheap. Given how minimal it is the extra premium on the bottom-line price over others in the range looks as burly as the build. Tyres will also be expensive, although belt drive and a claimed official fuel consumption figure of 47mpg are positives, as are Harley’s generally good residual values.
Expert rating: 4/5
Reliability
“Overall, you should have no reliability concerns”
Harley’s big twin engine has been around in one form or other since the early 80s when the all-aluminium version first appeared as the Evolution. And while it has been repeatedly updated, enlarged and improved – gaining fuel-injection, liquid-cooled heads and recently even riding modes along the way – its core reliability is largely unchanged. On top of that, Harleys remain premium, quality machines, using good cycle parts, are also largely under-stressed and also remain pleasingly simple. Overall, you should have no reliability concerns.
Expert rating: 4/5
Warranty & servicing
“Like all current big twin Harleys, the Fat Boy comes new with the standard two-year unlimited mileage warranty”
There’s nothing much to write home about here. Like all current big twin Harleys, the Fat Boy comes new with the standard two-year unlimited mileage warranty covering all parts and labour from first registration. Servicing is pretty basic, too, the Fat Boy requiring its first ‘break-in’ service at 1,000 miles with regular check thereafter every year or 5,000 miles, whichever comes first. Not that great when the likes of Ducati now sometimes have service intervals of 20,000 miles or more, but probably fine given the likely use most will get.
Expert rating: 4/5
Equipment
“The Fat Boy has all the right bits in all the right places and it looks a million dollars”
The Fat Boy is a bare bones cruiser, so you shouldn’t really expect much by way of equipment no matter what the price suggests. That said, it’s all pleasingly done and there are quality touches in abundance. Clocks comprise a tank-mounted 5.0-inch analogue dial embedded with warning lights – and nothing more. It’s also, annoyingly, well out of your line of sight. There are three riding modes, cornering ABS and traction control and also cruise control. You also get Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), LED lights all round and … that’s pretty much your lot. On the plus side, the Fat Boy has all the right bits in all the right places and it looks a million dollars.
Expert rating: 4/5
Why buy?
“As a feelgood bike for posing on, they don’t come much better – or bigger”
The Fat Boy is all about making a visual statement – and it does exactly that stupendously. Within a mile you’ll imagine yourself as being as tough as Arnie, and properly king of the road. But the Fat Boy is also ponderous, awkward, expensive and impractical. If those first aspects appeal and you can live with the realities, you won’t be disappointed. As a feelgood bike for posing on, they don’t come much better – or bigger.
