LR lost a front rotor so it probably isn't considered the "sporty" model of the bunch. It's at the bottom of the price scale with the street bob. The Fat Bob has twin disc front brakes and adds an inverted fork making it more LRS comparable. The FB isn't my fav of the bunch but I have a feeling a lot of folks are going to like it. Oddjack you might be right, I guess we will see. One thing is for sure, it will stick out in a pack, if owners leave that headlight alone.

 

Not, necessarily true. I'm very interested in both of these models because they're the most performance-oriented bikes that Harley makes at the moment.

I had a Fat Bob a few years ago and I liked it. I sort of liked that it was thought of as the "ugly duckling" of the lineup, but could generally outperform any other stock bike. The new 18 introduces some interesting elements, especially the forks.

That said, the small tank, lack of cruise control, and horrid exhaust sort of bring it down a bit.

I like the fat tire look of the Fat Bob, but the Low Rider S has an old-school muscle car vibe to it which is attractive to me as the starting point for a custom build. It's a hard thought.

Overall performance of these two bikes appears to be fairly comparable, though the new Fat Bob appears to have better brakes and forks.

Just thinking out loud.

 

talking out school again? it's selling like crazy. at least research before jumping to conclusions. folks are buying those and the the upper end bikes. the street bob (because there is a 107 FB so close in price) and vanilla lr are going largely ignored. sad fate for the low rider... not sure what hd was thinking there but, they did it.

as far as harley feel... have you ridden a 17+ geezerglide or touring bike? accept change, they aren't going to go backwards. sound wise... EPA bro... deal with it. want sound... new pipes so far two brothers and bassani are bringing it. the rest are coming. pretty soon you'll have no legit beefs. just butthurt. ��

it's perfectly ok to say "i just don't like the fat bob" but, the hate has to stop. the 107 and 114 fat bob are driving the innovation and acceptance of the new line. it's sick and basically the "48" of the 2018 softail line.

 

I know that black everything is "cool" as ever but I sure hope the future low rider S comes in colors and has some chrome. If you can't give me chrome then at least in gunship grey please. How bout it's own battery cover and rear fender strut that has some low rider panache? Optional bikini fairing, some like, some don't. 5 gallon tank, even though that 3.5 has a nice shape. FB front fork, sans the balloon tire. 180 rear tire is fine.

Just thinking out loud.

 

Where did you get that info? Show me where "its selling like crazy"?? My dealer has one and its still there for 3 weeks now



Accept change? What nonsense is that?? We must change for what? so HD can move forward with their sales? No buddy, youre very cute but I am not gonna change my riding style or what I like and dont like, you can accept change or kiss anybody's *** or quit riding altogether, I dont care, but I live for myself and right now I dont feel like I need to change anything, thanks.

This "accept change" thing you've been repeating like babies learn to say mummy for the first time. Get over this nonsense. Consumers dont change according to the products, its the other way around actually. Hello? It's like someone enjoys owning and driving old American muscle cars and then they start making Teslas, and guess what cvaria shows up and says, hey change now, get into Tesla, its the new technology!!!!'

F****k that, I enjoy what I enjoy. So please, dont tell people to change, you change, go buy the FB or whatever, nobody will ask you why

 

All I hear since the day 18 model was introduced, "better" this , better that

For me, "better" is when and only when it's required by necessity.

If you ride a bike for a whole year and never needed to lean more than 35 degrees and then see the next model that lets you lean 50 degrees, what the 15 degrees more mean to you? Nothing.

Yet, everyone will say the second bike is "better"

Intel Processor i7 is better than my intel i5 that I have on my laptop.
But guess what, I never run a program on my laptop that requires i7 speeds.
yet i7 is "better"

Some people worry about "better" too much.

 

I think the Street Bob will sell. It's been getting some excellent reviews and it's a sweet looking bike. People who've ridden it say it handles great, it's very flickable and is a **** load of fun to ride. I also think it would be a fun bike to mod. I bet we'll see some real nice mods sometime in the future. The 107 is more than enough but if they every put a 114 on the Street Bob, holy crap! And it weighs 20 lbs less than the Fat Bob.

I like the Low Rider and I may buy one someday after I retire my Softail Custom. I'm not a touring bike/windshield type guy and I use my Softail Custom to tour. I easily do consecutive 500 miles days on it....it's super comfortable. I think the new Low Rider could do the same. Big 5 gal tank @47 mpg will give 235 mile range (more realistically a little less) and I think it'll be just as comfortable.

The Fat Bob is getting most of the attention now, it's got mine too, but in time people will warm up to some of the softail's that don't seem to be selling as well right now.

 

I did a review today actually. Here you go

Today I got to take the 114ci Fatbob for an extended test ride. I was only planning to have a look at them in the flesh and maybe have a sit on one for something to do today. Instead I was thrown the keys and told take as long as you like.... and that's exactly what I did.

A bit of preface, I ride a 2017 Low Rider S with Bassani RR3 2-1, intake and a good tune, bike makes 95hp/114 ft lb. I've been riding various HD's for approx 7 years now. I'm one "of those guys" who does wheelies/stupid **** on Dyna's, so I really wanted to dislike this bike as it meant the death of my beloved Dyna's. But alas, everything deserves a fair trial.

Attachment 620901

First things first, the big one... the looks. You either love the look of this bike or hate it. I on the "hate" side of the fence until I saw it in the flesh. The 2 big detractors are the hiddeous ADR compliant licence plate brackets (think Diavel style wrap around off the swingarm) and the gaudy gold pipes. I think HD are trying to replicate heat soaked Stainless here for a bit of contrast but it just looks naff in the flesh. All black would have been a much better option. But then again who keeps the stock exhaust.

The tank is noticeably smaller, thinner and suits the bike quite well. Mileage on one of these things once tuned properly will be pretty dismal I imagine, but I digress. Switchgear is nothing really new. The dash is a mixture of analogue tach and digital speedo. It's in a better position than the FXDLS that's for sure, but I did have some issues seeing the speed in direct sunlight.

Attachment 620902

Hopping on the bike in the carpark, first thing that comes to mind is this thing is a) short and b) light! It really surprised me how compact the bike felt. You cant see the front fender/wheel from the seated position so you get a bit of a sports bike position to it. Hitting the starter you are met with what is honestly a joke for an exhaust note. I've farted louder than this thing at 1500rpm. What I can tell you though is this M8 engine is so smooth I checked numerous times at the lights to make sure it was still idling via the tacho. The bike is robbed of it's heritage and soul a bit this idle.

Attachment 620903

First impressions after leaving the dealership are quick to come to fruition, these "forward" controls are completely wrong for this bike and holy **** is this thing nimble. I also noticed the stock seat is an absolute masterpiece. You wouldn't change it even if you had sultan of Brunei type money it's that good! So far so good!

Attachment 620904

Getting out of inner Sydney traffic and onto the first bit of open space I give the right hand a twist, compared to the 110ci twin cam this engine is so refined and smooth it's amazing. Torque builds super early but dithers out just as quick, it feels strangled and begs for an exhaust and tune. After 3500rpm the torque is diminishing but snicking up another gear you get another surge of grunt. The gearbag is real nice to use. A different Clunk from my Dyna but a re-assuring "snick" every upshift I made. The clutch is also super light. I was able to "1 finger" it for a while but 2 fingers is enough. I will note I had a lot of issues getting this bike into neutral particularly at the end of the ride, I was the first person to put any serious Km's onto it so it's still probably bedding in and could do with an adjustment at the ramp.

The big question you are probably asking "is this as fast as a stage 1 low Rider S?"..... Honestly I would have to say no, but it would be VERY close in a drag race. Remember this is a 100% stock standard bike with literally 40km's on it. Give this bike a good 2-1 and Dyno tune (by someone who knows what they are doing) and it's left right goodnight for the FXDLS. Put it this way, it's still enough to make 1st gear a smokeshow if you feel the need

Handling wise this bike sets a new benchmark for big twin HD's in my opinion. I've been lucky enough to ride more or less everything from the MoCo over the last 5 years and all I could think of was sportster handling combined with Big Twin power to sum it up. I never got close to scraping pegs no matter how hard I tried. The brakes were excellent and had fantastic initial bite. Another level up from my FXDLS. Suspension was a real good effort but I found the limits of the fork a few times and it still dives under brakes with my 100kg ballast. The rear shock is very good and had a plush initial feel and excellent bottoming resistance, coming from a motocross background I could definitely appreciate the work gone into this rear shocker. My favourite adjustment was to be at full stiffness via the hand adjustable **** to the right of the rear cylinder. It was firm enough for aggressive riding but combined with the excellent seat was fine for navigating Sydney's **** house roads.

Attachment 620905

I really had to nitpick for things I found problematic with this bike. The fork is too soft for aggressive riding, or maybe I'm just too fat. The rear cylinder head hits your inner thigh when stationary at the lights. Fortunately this engine runs so cool it wont result in 3rd degree burns like a twin cam. The stock exhaust is a joke as far as giving any aural enjoyment. I'm really trying to find faults but these are all so minor.

So the big questions:

1) Is this better than your FXDLS? - Yes, without a doubt this is a better motorcycle. I do however feel like this bike has foregone a bit of it's soul and character with this engine. It's smooth..... but too damn smooth. It needs a bit of mongrel about it. For your die hard Harley guy who probably still rides his Evo powered Softail and has a beard down to his Belly button he is going to hate this bike. This bike is targeted at the next gen of HD owners without a doubt.

2) Would you trade your bike in for one? - I thought long and hard about this as I handed back the keys and debreifed with the salesmen, at that point in time I probably would have. I hopped back on my bike, hit the starter and heard that 110ci engine shake and clatter beneath me, the exhaust echoing off the surrounding building. Turning out of the dealership giving it a handful of throttle, the rear steps out in one smooth fluent motion, bang 2nd gear and the big black bitch hits jail speed before you blink an eye. Nope... the FXDLS is here to stay!

 

you dont have to change you, like the new stuff, or buy one. No one is telling you to. Like i said, its perfectly ok to say, "i just dont like it." you just insist on grand shows of defiance and wasted breath... that's cool. Hd does not care and the party is still going... change has happened. .. accept it. They aren't turning back. All that soul s*** is a wrap. Want vibes...keep your bike. You just bought it anyway....

Fatbob is a better performer... period. It's (and the rest of the line) the future ...period. There ergos on the fxdls are better. They may make a fxls... may not. We will see.




​​​​​

 

You personally don't have to accept change if you don't want to. You can stay exactly where you are.

But the world is changing around you and it's doing so at an ever increasing rate. If you don't embrace some of that, you may well find yourself left behind. Which is fine if you like that.