Well, I haven't been on here in a while....busy with work, family **** & riding as much as possible.
Anyway, I am in the process of trading my '12 Super Glide Custom in for a new Fat Bob. I'm sure I will get a lot of "Why trade a Dyna for another Dyna?" comments, but I have reasons..

Dealer doesn't have what I want on their showroom, so they're trying to work out a dealer trade with another dealer 5 hours away to get me an Amber Whiskey one....hope to get a phone call today saying they got it.

Long story short, when I bought my FXDC I really wanted a Fat Bob at the time, but my dealer didn't have one on the showroom & I kept going to the Super Glide Custom, and at the end of the day I was trying to save some $ for accessories so I went that route because it was cheaper. I could have had them find me a Fat Bob, but I decided not to.

I've rode several Fat Bobs over the last 3-4 years, and I just love the way they feel and handle better than anything. The fat tires and dual disks just make it such a nimble bike. I also love the drag bars. I know there are a lot of mixed feelings on the new fender setup, but after looking in person I fell in love with it & the LED tail lights....I just dig it. The new fender, blacked out engine & trim & black wheels just do it for me. I've always had & loved black bikes, but decided I wanted something different this time if they can get one. I didn't like the Amber Whiskey when they first came out with it, but love it now & since '14 was the only year for that color on the Fat Bob, it will make it unique to me.

I have loved my FXDC & it's a great bike, I just have always had a thing for Fat Bobs. One thing I have decided over time is that I'm just not a fan of a lot of chrome. It's harder to take care of & if you scratch it, that's it there's no fixing it. Also I just like the blacked out look now better. A little chrome is good, I just want much less than I have now on the FXDC. I've also never been a fan of spokes either, which is one thing I don't like about my FXDC...the chrome spoke wheels are just a pain in the *** to keep looking nice aside from looks. I love the new Fat Bob wheels.

I hope they can secure this deal, but if not I'll have them get me a black one. Basically I traded my '12 FXDC with 9k on the clock for a new '14 FXDF for $4,500. Since the FXDF is almost $2,000 more of a bike than my FXDC was new in '12, really bike for bike the cost to me was about $2,500 to have what I really wanted to begin with.

When they get it there, I'm going to have a bunch of stuff done to it before I ever take possession....D&D bobcat (black), open round breather, SEPST, QD windscreen, QD sissy bar, Wood 5-6 cams, & SE clutch spring, then going to have the engine builder there break it in on the dyno & tune it. Also going to change out the chrome belt guard for a black one & different derby cover. Also going to change out some other minor meaningless small details when I get it home. Dealer giving me 20% off parts, accessories & labor on anything I want to do so now is the time.

When I pick it up it will be ready to rock & roll & hopefully just in time to get a couple good riding months in before the polar vortex hits IL..

I'll keep you all posted as this deal develops. Will post pics when I get the bike with all the stuff done to it...will be a week+ at best for pics.

 

Hope all goes as planned for you and looking forward to some pics.

 

Dude, you don't have to explain a thing. You need to get what YOU want.

Hope it all works out for you.

 

Sounds like a well reasoned and thought out approach to what you really wanted.

I had a very similar journey to owning my '12 Super Glide custom. Also had my heart set on a Fat Bob, but it was sold just hours before I arrived at the dealership........

Enjoy the new ride.

Robert

 

Congrats! If I got a really good deal I wouldn't mind doing the same thing. I like the look with the fatter tires and the dual headlights.

 

Congrats. I've always been curious about how the Fat Bob handled. I just traded a 13 FXDC for a new FXDL. Because I wanted to. I work hard, help my family and can afford it. Life's too short to worry about what other people think. Besides, I can think of all kinds of things that are worse to spend money on. Be safe and enjoy it.

 

Love my Fat Bob for sure, you will have a blast especially with all those nice upgrades. Don't hear much about those Woods 5-6 cams but they seem to be a nice fit for what you are doing.

Why the Bob Cats over the Fat Cats? Kinda curious because I am considering both.

 

I hear ya.... wife and I both work hard, & both have very good jobs & take care of our kids & necessities first. We have nice stuff because we work hard for it. Besides my wife and kids obviously, my bike is the next most important thing in my life...can't imagine not having one.

Oh, and as far as handling.. the Fat Bob is the best handling bike HD makes...hands down. All Dynas handle well, but the Fat Bob steps it up a notch. Mostly due to the fat front tire, dual disks & drag bar IMO.

 

I figured as much. I wonder how a 21" 120 would affect the handling on a Dyna? Just thinking out loud. I'll try and snoop out some threads on the forum. Have a good one.

 

Well, I currently have Wood TW-222 cams & D&D Fatcat on my FXDC.... great cams & great exhaust. I'm super happy with both.

Reason I am going with the 5-6 cams this time is that they have a little more lift and little more duration than the 222, but are still a great low-mid cam. They will make slightly more hp & tq than the 222s but come & still come on great on low end, but about 100-150 rpms higher. Had a 30 minute conversation with the guy doing my engine work yesterday & he said he gets a little more out of the 5-6 than the 222 on the dyno. Similar characteristics, but the 5-6 is more friendly to future engine work. It's his favorite cam choice. Actually, he is building a stage 4 engine for a guy who just bought a new Road Glide, and this is the cam he chose for the build..

As far as the Fatcat vs the Bobcat...only reason is that I wanted a little bit shorter pipe on my new bike. D&D makes top notch pipes...I'll never run anything else. The Fatcat & Bobcat will make similar hp/tq gains, but the Bobcat is a different look and shorter, which will fit the look I am going for with the new bike better. The advantage of the Fatcat is (being longer), the exhaust comes out behind the rear axle so it's fairly tame cruising down the highway, whereas the Bobcat is shorter so it's going to be a little louder for the rider. Performance wise...very similar, just more of an appearance choice for me. Both are great pipes.

My builder/tuner & I are thinking he'll get get about 95hp/105tq out of the 103 w/D&D Bobcat, Wood 5-6 cams & him tuning on the dyno with SEPST.
I got 86hp/96tq with my 96" FXDC with 222s & Fatcat & it's a beast...can't wait to see how this one turns out. adding +9hp/+9tq over what I have now is going to be a blast to ride if he gets that much out of it.
On my current bike I'm running the stock clutch with stock spring & never slipped....he's recommended at a minimum I do the SE spring on this one 'cause it's going to be making considerably more. His recommendation is anything over 90hp or 100tq at least go with a heavier spring, and anything over 95/105 consider a clutch....gonna try just the spring first & see if it will hold on the dyno.