Looks like starting a thread is the thing to do, although I'm a little late in doing it. Had my bike for just over a month now. Just took it for a 150-mile ride today; it's going in for its 1K service and Stage II upgrade tomorrow.

I don't have a decent photo of it now, as it's filthy (it was raining today, so it's all muddy and dirty). The dealer should wash it and clean it up as part of the 1K, so hopefully I'll be able to post pictures of it soon wearing its new S&S Grand National slip-ons.

Until then, here's what it looks like right now (pic from the Harley website):


Now, that's not exactly my bike, as mine's a 114, but other than the air cleaner that's pretty much it -- a Denim Black 2018 Fat Bob.

I gotta say -- I had no intention of buying this thing. I had my mind set on a touring bike next year, either an Ultra Limited or a new Gold Wing or the new BMW K1600 Grand America. But, like a fool, I read the reviews on the Fat Bob, and the reviews were stellar, so I thought "what can it hurt just to look?" and ... yeah, you know how that turned out. I couldn't look away from it. I know there are those who hate the styling, but I absolutely dig the Mad Max / Steampunk vibe of the Fat Bob. The power's outstanding, the handling is superb, and it's actually pretty comfortable (more on that later). So... I made an offer on the spot, which the dealer turned down, since this was the first 2018 FB they had and they thought I was too cheap. Three days later they called me back and said "okay, we'll take your offer." I may still end up with a touring bike next year, or maybe not, as I'm having a total blast with the Fat Bob. It's so nimble and tossable and fun, I don't know that I really need an 850-pound behemoth anymore...

I'm doing a number of practical/utility and comfort mods for it, but in general I want to keep it looking pretty much exactly as it does. The only thing that really stands out to me as an oddball is the silver mufflers; those've gotta go, so they're going to be replaced with the black S&S Grand Nationals. While I'm at it, I'm having the dealer put in the Torque cam and tuning it with the SEPST for Stage II. It's already plenty potent, but ... more is more, right? I decided against Stage III at this time as it costs a lot more, it's only 50cc more displacement, the charts in the Harley catalog don't really show much if anything gained, and it seems like Stage III and IV make the engine more susceptible to sumping. Don't want any of that, so Stage II is the plan.

I'm already so enthralled with this bike that I ordered a 4-year extension to my warranty from Boardtracker, as I plan to keep this thing a long, long time.

I know this isn't a touring bike, so my plan is insane, I recognize that... but then again, so am I. So my goal is to take this bike on some of the great roads in this country, like the Twisted Sisters in Austin, or the Tail of the Dragon, up to Sturgis or down to the Lone Star Rally... so I'm looking at comfort mods to make it more practical to travel with. I mean, what's the fun in loading your bike up in a trailer and hauling it to those roads? Conversely, you can take a big touring bike there and enjoy the trip, but once you get there you're stuck with a big touring bike. I'd much rather ride those roads on the Fat Bob than on a 920-lb Ultra, so... after spending 150 miles on it today and feeling like I could have easily gone another 350 miles, I'm going to be adding some things to make the bike more comfortable, tame its rough edges, and make it more practical for longer distance rides. But, I want it all removable so that when I get there, I can easily strip that stuff off and leave it in the hotel room, and hit the streets on a nimble, fierce, growling 114ci Stage II beast. Sort of like the idea behind the Sport Glide, except -- I didn't like the Sport Glide. I loved the Fat Bob. It already stings like a bee; now I'm going to see if I can get it to float like a butterfly too.

I've taken the first step already; I installed the Kuryakyn ISO grips with bar end weights and a throttle boss. Huge upgrade; this mod totally absorbs the annoying handlebar vibrations that were causing my hands to go numb. Now it's totally smooth, plus I hated the rubber stock grips; these big fat grips look more in place with the oversized handlebar and are a lot more comfortable. Second mod was to replace the mirrors with the Harley Tapered Long Stem mirrors, and mount them on some $11 mirror extenders from banggood.com. This upgrade is outstanding. On the stock bike, I could barely see anything in the mirrors other than my elbows. With the long-stem mirrors on the mirror extenders, I now have a full 360-degree field of view with no blind spots. I can see cars directly behind me, and in the next lanes, on each side. Such a small upgrade but it's a major safety thing. Here's a pic of the grips and mirrors:

(did I mention the bike's filthy right now?)

Future upgrades planned include Stage II this week, and a Sundowner seat, the luggage rack/sissy bar, and a windshield.

Thanks to everyone who's put up with all my questions and given me excellent advice so far!

 

Congratulations on the bike - enjoy it!

Sounds like you are thinking along exactly the same lines that I am. My bike already has the S&S mufflers and is scheduled in for the Stage 2 Torque Cam.

Like you, I have changed out the grips and mirrors.

I am also going to get the Sundowner seat, sissy bar and rack for comfort and luggage handling. I plan on the large HD rolling tour back to keep my stuff in when touring.

My plan is a lot of touring on some of the best roads in Europe this coming year.

 

Chunky bike man !

 

Congrats! I traded my Street Glide in for one. I love it so far. I am 6-1 and it is very comfortable. I put some new pegs and a Harley windshield on it and it works very well. I also put a frame bag on mine. I would like to get the S&S Grand Nationals slip on's once my warranty is up. I have my HD Deluxe if I feel like cruising.

 

Great to see the love for the Fatbob!

I’ve added a QD backrest/luggage rack and windscreen, and cruise control to mine. I can use a T bag and carry a rain suit to the backrest/rack, that’s all I need for most trips. The windscreen does a good job, I went out yesterday, temps in low 50s and I was comfortable. The cruise works great. I haven’t gone on a long run with it yet, but I really like it so far.

 

We're actually thinking closer than you may have thought -- that was my plan too.

When thinking about a touring bike, luggage is obviously a big question, and the immediate answer is "saddlebags and/or a top case". But saddlebags don't really fit the Fat Bob's vibe, and just a top case would look pretty goofy, I think. So I went the route you are discussing, and ordered the large HD rolling tour pack. It's here, and it's gigantic. It's as large as the top case on the last Gold Wing, it's about 50 liters. Easily could swallow two full-face helmets with lots of space left over.

It's really rather wide, so I'm a little concerned with how it will be when on the bike. I have to get the Sundowner installed and the luggage rack on before I try it, but it looks like a very high quality piece and I'm optimistic about it.

FYI, I ordered the taller sissy bar option specifically because I figured it would work better with the Sundowner, it would work better with the luggage, and it would provide better/higher support for my wife. The short sissy bar seems really, really short.

Sundowner seat arrived, but the box was open and the strap was gone. The Sundowner includes a new grab strap, and it seems like a very prudent safety measure to have that strap on there. Otherwise, the only thing holding the seat on is a 1/4-20 screw, and if that were to come loose, the seat would slide right off. Surdyke has ordered a new strap for me, should be here in a week.

 

It really is. I know that's not everybody's thing, but I really like it -- the huge front tire, the big fat bars, everything about it is beefy. Makes it quite different from everything else out there.

One thing though, is that it feels like a featherweight. Even though it's supposedly 675 pounds, and the new BMW K1600B is supposedly 741, so only about 10% more, just trying to lift that thing off the sidestand is a workout as compared to how featherweight the Fat Bob feels. So it looks chunky, but it doesn't feel that way, it feels like a nimble streetfighter.

 

Jealous! So since we're building identical bikes (except yours is white and mine's black) we'll have to set up an exchange; you can come to America and I'll go to Europe and we'll trade bikes and get to tour each other's best roads...

 

Well, that's very interesting to hear. I love the Street Glide, and was looking at adding an Ultra Limited next year if my modifications leave the Fat Bob's touring capability still lacking, so you've given me some hope that maybe I'm not entirely insane...

I also ordered a swingarm bag for carrying everyday stuff even when the bike is stripped down to its "bobber" roots. Seems like the perfect soft luggage system for a Fat Bob as it gives you some storage, doesn't conflict with the upswept exhaust, and dresses up the "plain" side of the bike.

I understand the concern; I'd just like to point out that unlike many other alternatives on the market, the S&S Grand Nationals are actually 50-state legal and EPA-approved as a compliant replacement part. It is my understanding from reading the Harley warranty and consulting with my dealer that these particular slip-ons won't void the warranty. It's a little bit of a risk, I guess; theoretically Harley could still void the warranty but I'd have to think they'd face a hellstorm of backlash if they voided a warrantly over a 50-state street-legal, EPA-compliant muffler. I guess the only way to be guaranteed they won't void it is to go with the Street Cannons, but I'm confident enough that I'm going with the S&S even though I have an extended warranty from DiscountESP too.

One thing I really like about the Grand Nationals is that they have a quickly-removable dB-reducing baffle. Leave the baffle in for around-town cruising and on the highway so you don't have to get worn out listening to the loud drone on a long trip, but then pop 'em out and go tear up the roads at your destination. It fits with the rest of the theme I'm planning around the bike.

The other thing is that they're 50-state legal, and I plan on visiting a lot of those states and don't care to run into any problems with any overenthusiastic law enforcement. I'm not looking for ear-splitting loudness anyway, I don't want the bike obnoxiously loud, just a deeper throatier growl is all it needs. The sound clips that fdh161 played sold me on the S&S; even with the baffles in they sounded pretty good.

 

Hear, hear. It's a brilliant bike.

What type of cruise control did you go with? I've got the Kuryakyn Throttle Boss, which isn't a cruise control per se but it does help reduce hand fatigue because you can hold your speed without having to actually be actively gripping the throttle. Interested to hear how other folks are approaching the issue.