Hello, I am planning on buying a new harley in the next week or so and just thought I would pose a question about my purchase to some experts. I like either the fat boy or the night train. first off I am 6' 3 and when I sit on the fat boy I actually feel to big for it where as if I sit on the night train not so much. On the fat boy I feel like I am sitting on top of it where as on the night train I am more sitting in it. If that makes any sense. I guess my question is, can I modify the fat boy to feel as if I were sitting on the NT by maybe changing the seat or something or is that just the way it is. I like both just some things about eachI would change.

Thanks

Dan

 

Yes you can. The stock seat on a fat boy sucks ***. You can buy an aftermarket seat that sits lower with a better feel than the stock seat. You can also take the floorboards off and put on foward controls but that is an undertaking. The first thing I did on my 08 fatboy is get rid of the stock seat and put on a corbin gun fighter seat. I just got back from a 3000 mile ride and never had a problem. Good luck.

 

Go for the NT, ye won't regret it!!!

 

You can change both the seat & forward controls very easily - Couple of hundered dollars each will buy youa Le Pera Barebones seat & some Harley forward controls.

The seat can be changed in a matter of minutes & the forwards will take no more than half an hour.

This will completely change the feel of the Fatboy which I think makes a better bike than the Train. (no offence to the Night Train owners).

 

TA-DA, you just entered the wonderful, and expensive, world of the Harley aftermarket. EVERYONE who has a Harley finds things they like and dislike about their bike and changes them. Its probably the single greatest virtue of owning one, outside of the fact that it is a Harley. There is NOTHING on the bike that isn't changeable. You can findat least a half a dozen alternative pieces available to replace nearly any part on the bikefrom God only knows how many different makers.
On a Fatboy most tall riders find it feels 'cramped' becausethe placement of the brake and shifter doesn't lend itself to stretching out much. This can beeasily fixed by either getting floorboard extensions and or putting on parts from EZ-Brake that move the controls to a more comfortable, or natural position.
With the Train simple (3" for a guy your size) peg extensions usually are all that's needed to do the trick.
Just remember that there are other parts that have an enormouseffect on the riding comfort like the seat and handlebars, especially when you start thinking about going on long rides.
Its my own personal opinion (and remember everyone has one and they all stink) that of thetwo the Fatboy might be the better bikeout of the box if your looking for something to go the distance. While the Train will feel better ontwisted roads. Just remember neither is acrotch rocket, their Softailsand contrary to popular beliefwill never be able to seriously compete with any kind of sportbike when the road starts to get tight. But who cares, its a hell of a lot easier to make or modify into something that will fit you and at the same timebe uniquely yours.
Besides have you ever tried to stay on a Sport bike for a couple of hours going cross country? Them suckers are death on your back if yourover 21 or 6' high.

In the end first of all pick the bike you like best or you'llregret it till you trade it for the one you really like. Then take your time getting to know it, eventually you'll know exactly what you need to make it better, for you. Then you can start hunting through the parts catalogs, and there are a lot of them, to find the bits and pieces that will both make it more comfortable (and fun) for you and make it look the way you want it to.

Try that on one of those Sport bikes or Goldwings. For every dress up or comfort aftermarket part you can find for one of them, you'll find at least a hundred for a Harley. And a lot of the time you don't have to go farther than the Harley Accessories catalog to find them.

Good Luck and whichever bike you pick, we wanna see pics!!

 

Sounds like you like the NT more than the Fatboy, but if you really want the Fatboy and want to feel like you're in it try changing out the seat to something a little more low profile. Plus what I did on my Fatboy was to add Apes. It gives me the feeling of being part of the bike as opposed to being on top of it.

 

Both are great bikes, and only you can decide which will be better for your needs.

At 6' 2" I find that the FatBoy fits me perfectly (after adding 4" pullback risers and extended cruise arms), but I'm sure I'd be just as happy with a slightly modded Night Train.

I'm sure you will be happy with either bike..

 

I know what you mean.... I chose the FatBoy over everyting else - then set out to make it "fit" me better. I swapped seats with one that not only lowers me about 1 1/2 inchesbut shoved me back almost 2 inches. then I changed the floorboards to the touring extended ones, installed anE-Z Brake pedal and an extended shifter lever. those sutle changes to the controls and floorboards moved my feet forward about 2 inches also.

my sig picture shows the results pretty well.

 

ditto on the seat change.

Also be ready to pay for a stage one fuel management system.


if anyone knows of a solo seat that will work with the stock passenger pinion seat let me know.

 

FATBOY ALL THE WAY.