H-D Forums Marketplace Bike of the Week: 2013 Dyna Fat Bob

By Cameron Vanderhorst - August 16, 2019

Simple and stylish, this Street Bob makes us miss the Dyna more than ever.

All of us are familiar with the K.I.S.S. method – Keep It Simple, Stupid! That’s what this week’s H-D Forums Marketplace Bike of the Week is all about: beautiful simplicity.

One of our favorite Harley-Davidsons of all time is the gone, but not forgotten Dyna Fat Bob. While the Fat Bob lives on as a Softail, the original Dyna-based model has a special place in our hearts. It laid the groundwork for the clean, simple look that has become a Harley-Davidson styling staple in recent years: minimal chrome, matte “denim” paint, and a paucity of accessory add-ons.

HDForums member ncmoto from New Canaan, Connecticut bought this 2013 Dyna Fat Bob new, and immediately began simplifying it. The end result is subtly different from a stock bike, but, to our eyes, more attractive. In fact, it looks like something Harley-Davidson themselves could – and should – have created.

He started things off by having the dealership swap the twin headlight for a classic single headlight setup. Using the gentle power of steam, he then removed all of the adhesive-backed reflectors and tank emblems. For the latter, he replaced them with a more classic-style logo.

The front turn signals were relocated from the bars to the front forks, while the rear turn signals were swapped with low-profile units from Arlen Ness, who also supplied the low-profile mirrors. Lastly, a small leather bag was attached to the battery cover for some extra storage.

All in all, these clean, simple mods took an already great bike and made it just about perfect to our eyes. Despite Harley-Davidson’s discontinuation of the Dyna lineup, there are still many admirers for Harley’s dynamic middleweight. We’re certain that this bike will find a great new home with one of them.

With just 5,900 miles on the clock and a fresh battery, this bike is priced reasonably at $8,900. We love its clean, simple look, and we wish that this is the way every Dyna Fat Bob had come from the factory. No fluff, no nonsense, just an honest-to-goodness motorcycle.

Photos: H-D Forums

Author’s Note: When this article was originally published, I had mistakenly referred to the bike as a Street Bob. Even though it was a colossally stupid mistake on my part, John R. and Kai L. were both polite and gracious in informing me of my error. Sorry, guys – I must have gotten hold of some bad carburetor cleaner or something. -CV