Im a Sporty owner but I really like the looks of the Fatboy. Its my perfect dream bike. Probably gonna be a couple of years befor I can get one though. I was wondering if anyone else who owns a fatboy had a sportster befor they upgraded to the fatty and how they liked it. What was the major differences in the ride and power, comfortability of long rides and etc from the Sport. Just curious.

 

I just picked up my first fatboy earlier this week. The only other bike I can compare it to is a duece. I think the fatboy is way up there is the comfort level. The large floorboards and wide seat are nice. The other thing to take into account is the size of the tires. Sportys usually have that skinny front tire, doesnt do a good job of absorbing the little bumps. deuce had the same problem. The fatboys front tire rolls the little stuff over much more smoothly. I also prefer the more upright position of the fatboy. Little bit better on my low back. I have only ridden for two hours at a time so I cant give to much info on this but the above is my intial impression.

Dont under estimate how nice it is to have a larger front tire.
Hope this answers some of your questions.
GBH

 

Thanks greenbayhog. This helps alot. I would rent one and try it out but nearest dealer is about 2 hours away. Thanks for the info.

 

My wife started out on a 1997 Lowrider, and went to a 2001 Heritage. She is happier with the Heritage.

If you are going to do a lot of traveling, the Heritage is one you might want to consider. It is basically the same bike as the Fatboy and about the same price, but it has a lot more features, ie, windshield, saddle bags, backrest.

Regards,

Bill

 

Thanks Billnourse. I will definately check it out. I've got plenty of time to decide and research but all the help I get from you guys here is most appreciated!! [:-]

 

I own a fatboy and it is my second harley. My first was a sportster custom. The fat boy is a much smoother ride and is more comfortable for two up riding. The wider tires absorb alot of the small bumps on the road. My sportster was not rubbermounted and i was a little worried that the fatboys smoother ride was going to be too soft and i would not like the ride but i love it. The motor pulls great too! You may want to look into the softail deluxe too it looks sharp. Good luck!

 

You know, I really dont mind the ride so much. I got a pretty comfortable seat and my handle bars are rubber mounted. Its an 86' sport so I dont have the rubber motor mounts. Speaking of rough ride though:
Was crossing some railroad tracks today. Hit them at about 30 mph. I heard a loud "CRACK" sorta sound and looked back in time to see a piece of plastic about the size of my hand flying off to the side of the road. Had traffic behind me so I had to find a spot to pull over a mile or two down the road. What I found was on the front bottom of my fender where it is made of plasic, had hit the swing arm on the bump and busted a big chunk out of it. Talk about pissed. My speedo cable broke and lost a lower piece of fender today! [:@][:@]

 

That sucks...

Here is a pic of my former ride.
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Howdy Dom, I like the looks of your former ride. Did you do any long runs on it and how did it handle and feel? Thanks

 

To my knowledge all softtails are rigged mounted. If you want rubber you have to go up to the touring line. If you are really interested in long rides but want the cool street look I would think about the road king line. The rk custom has that fatboy look but you get the rubber mounts and a adjustable rear susp. for two up riding. PLus the rk standard and classic models have detachtable windshields that take about 10 seconds on and off. The price difference between a road king and fatboy is minimal. I have a fatty with a detach windshield. Huge difference on the highway. If you go the fatboy route a windshiled is a must in my opinion for long rides at highway speed. The heritage is an awsome bike as well. The tough thing about the softail line is with the staggered or shotgun exhaust you room for saddle bags is limited.
Here is a pic of my fatboy with saddles and windshiled.
Best of luck, as I ride the fatty more I can give you a better feel for it. I am new to this so if anything I posted is inaccurate I apologize.
GBH

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