There is no debating that the Heritage would be a more economical bike base to work with. It's lighter, narrower, cheaper tires, and comes with a windshield built in with passing lamps.
But the Fat Boy is more aggressive, more modern looking, more style versatile, different looking, fatter and rides smoother, and its not a hunk of hodgepodge blacked out and chrome contrasting mess.
If you're willing to make modifications, the Fat Boy has wheels large enough that give it access to a 15inch front brake rotor kit form Arlen Ness, which means it can have more braking power.

Heritage is the screaming image of "ye old dad jeans" bike that is tried and true and says "I don't take risks, 65mph is good enough for me!" The Fat Boy screams "I don't give a **** what you think and I won't make an apology for anything that I am"
As you can see scrolling through this thread, you can see that the variety of styling of the Fat Boy is staggering between just the people here, where as the Heritage isn't inviting that level of creativity.

The M8 Fat Boy is like the Dodge Challenger to me. A strange looking bike/car that might bite you if you get too close, but you cant help but want to get close and take a look because it's a striking looking machine.
There is something about the bike that inspires aggression, and a want to break away from typical expectations but doesn't forget where it came from.
It's not yet another TBar equipped fairing equipped LRS, and its not yet another WLA in modern clothes either. It's all together something different from the same family.
To me there's something about the M8 Fat Boy that says to the rest of the Harley crowd "I'm not like you, and I don't need to be like you."

If you want to get a bike that fits the purchase price, keeps some extra dollars in the bank, and is a nice safe, blend in with the rest, the Heritage is your best bet.
But if you want something that's different, that sits apart from the endless repetition of black leather jacket and chaps wearing harley rider typical bikes, while still keeping what you remember that made a harley a harley, get the Fat Boy.

BTW, I do realize this is entirely more poetic than a practical comparison, and that its embellished, as is more personal than anything else.
But I think that's part of what makes the Fat Boy so appealing in the end, It's the only bike in the Softail range(that's still being made) that stands alone. Even the Fat Bob still invites the typical dynabro "put some Tbars and a roadwarrior on it," crowd.

 

Thanks for the input. I just find the too agressive seating position (even though I have mini floorboards and a saddlemen seat) not that relaxing on my FXLRS. The floorboards on the fatboy/heritage and the way you sit on it, appeals more to it and I don't want to keep modding my FXLRS since that would cost a lot too. The Fatboy and Heritage are the same price over here (in fact, the FB is a bit cheaper but it's very close). I just want a ride that allows me to sit comfortably on the bike, I want to drive the country lanes (not highways) with my mate (has a Breakout) and just don't feel like a folded-up monkey after riding my bike. I just wonder if the Fatboy is still comfortable enough with those big tires. The FXLRS is pretty ok in the back (I think the FB has the same shock) but the front can be pretty nervous. Maybe that's the 19" wheel. I have done a very short ride on a FatBoy last year but can't quite say that gave me a good idea how it rides. Unfortunately, there's no way for me to test one out. But as far as comfort goes, is the Fatboy a nice ride? I just want to sit comfortably on my bike without feeling every bump in the road, I don't really need to go fast or agressive (have my BMW roadster for that). The Heritage will probably be even more comfy, but I really doubt that I will like the very classic look over time.

 

Apparently Arnold disagree’s about the leather!

 

The only thing the M8 fat boy carries in common with the twinkie and evo fat boy is the name really. And the 5gallon tank.
The new fat boy is a far cry from looking like the previous versions.
Infact Im willing to bet the bike wouldnt be popular and probably would have had maybe a 1 or 2 year run if it was named anything else.

 

I'm not sure sure about that. In fact, I don't care 0 about what it used to be, where it came from etc. I just like the looks of if with the wide tires and the beefy front-end. Same with my LRS, it's only after buying one that I learned about the california-style etc... When I bought it, it just appeared to me as a cool looking, agressive cruiser. It's just after riding it for a year that I understand I need something else in my 'cruiser'. I don't need a real tourer to do hundreds of highway miles, and I don't really need the agresssive (and tucked up seating of the) LRS. Just a nice, big bike for cruising around the small roads here in Belgium, feeling (and in my mind looking) cool. So I came to a fatboy and heritage, making my choice between these two.

 

I disagree, I think the fat boy stayed true to it’s roots as a tribute to are military, that is a great thing. It still obviously looks like a fat boy.You do know how Harley arrived to the name fat boy? Probably a stupid question. You think it’s different and different is what you want so that is a great thing also.

 

If you're referring to the atomic bomb myth, well it is what it is... a myth. Infact one of the people behind the name and creation of the fatboy was actually kinda of shocked that people think that's what it was named after. Instead the name of the bike is actually far less creative.
There weren't exactly many bikes with notiably wide tires at the time of the Fat Boy's creation and well... the fat boy had wider tires, and a notable presence, and simply was named fat boy because it looked wide.
In 2015 Scott Miller at Vice president of HD's styling and product development at the time confirmed that the name was merely a simple description.
Infact the Fat Boy had nothing to do with a name being inspired by military hardware until actually 2017 when the 2018 Model year M8 Fat Boy was actually revealed because of... all things.. it's new wheels: The Lakester wheels of the new Fat Boy are named after the Lakester cars, of which Lakester cars were a streamlined racing car often built out of, here it is what you're waiting for, military aircraft drop tanks.

https://itstillruns.com/harley-calle...y-5167584.html

Many people would still argue and say "Well it was styled after the B29!" on account of the first year being silver and yellow like Enola Gay's color logo, and that the B29 had solid wheels which the motorcycle also had.
Except that... The B29 didn't actually have solid disc wheels at all. Rather the front wheels have guitar pick shaped cut outs making up the cut structure of the wheel. And the solid wheel caps people see on a a few B29s today were actually retrofit wheels that were never used on Enola Gay. Almost all B29s in production for WW2 were equipped with the 8 spoke dished mag wheel in the front, and the rear wheels that some point out are not actually the wheels themselves but part of the brake system on the aircraft.
And Enola Gay didnt even have any yellow in its logos at all. Infact it was Bockscar and Dina Night that had Yellow in it their paint schemes, Enola Gay's only color was the red vertical stabilizer tip paint. Of which, the paint scheme was only carried for a short time.
The only place at which Enola Gay had yellow was it's prop tips, like most military aircraft at the time had.
The reality is that the Fat Boy's name and color was far less creative than what the myth details.

As for the modern one, it actually carries very little from its FLSTF pre-cursor.
The most similar details being the front fender, and ofc the big wide tank which isn't unique to the Fat Boy.
The headlight is dramatically different, from not just the previous generation, but Harley's motorcycle history as a whole.
The rear fender is chopped short, instead of a long skirt fender.
The exhaust is lifted and staggered, with the crossover hidden, where as the FLSTF has a very visible crossover of which the FLSL and FXLR's exhaust have.
Gone is the triple tail light system in favor of a pair of 1157s in standard bullet housings.
Gone are the bullet holes in the wheels instead replaced with scallops, and which the 2022's having slots as part of the scallops. The only bullet holes on the whole bike are now on the tank trim, and they're of different sizes so they hardly carry on the style mark of the 2017 and earlier. Infact previous year fat boys had a wide black tankstrap trim instead of a metal trim.

All in all, with the exception of being the widest bike of it's generation, the FLFBS, it doesnt really carry all that much over from the FLSTF.

 

I don’t care if it’s a myth, that’s my story and I am sticking to it! 😂. I stand corrected. Good job!

 

Interesting discussion, guess it's important to some more than others what the 'heritage' is. Just got word back from my own dealer, swapping my FXLRS for the FB would cost me about 500 euro more over there but they are getting a new one in black next week already! When I order from other dealer (an hour further away from home) it's 500 less but delivery around july. Really need to convince myself not to pull the trigger There really is no way to test one out, let alone in the short term. I just hope it'll be more comfortable than my FXLRS. Always wanted one though. I got the FXLRS because it's equally cool but couldn't justify spending +5000 euro extra for the FB at the time but should've followed my heart I guess. Again, nothing against the FXLRS, it's pretty cool too but I don't think it's "the" cruiser for me.

Gotta say I'm a bit on the fence about the new wheels and the missing left (fake) gas cap. Two changes that were unnecessary I think and look a bit strange. The wheels might grow on me, they don't look that bad and I guess cleaning would be as bad as spokes on a heritage. I know it's controversial them having opened up the wheels, especially since there's no need. But it is what it is.

 

Sorry. I’m in NY. Also sold the bars to a friend. Not sure if they still have them. I got them from Richard Newport. Owner and operator of Fortress motorcycles. I believe in the UK.