If you can get an used Fat Boy Lo that would be the best route... Bones is great looking bike as well.

 

What he said ^^^.
2006 NT has a 88 / 200 tire / 5 speed.
2007 and up, has a 96 / 200 / 6 speed.
2005 and lower had a smaller tire.

Cant tell ya what year they started the EFI. One of the other train owners can chime in on that.

Both the Train and the Bones are sweet bikes man. I love my train, but I find myself liking things about the bones as well.

 

Since I don't quite know the differences between models, why is the Fat Boy Lo the best route?

I do like the low stance and the floor boards.
But I think I would like the Train or the Bones better.

 

I have never ridden a Train so I can't comment on how it rides. It is a damn good looking ride and if I had to guess I would say there are some slight advantages to a Train over a Bones. The springer front end tends to need a bit more attention than a telescopic front end such as the Train's. If you are not one who likes to do your own service then you may want to pass up on the Bones. Otherwise you will find yourself going to the service shop every 2500 miles to have your neck bearing checked.

Also, the springer front end is heavy. Everything up front is cast metal or some form of solid metal. The Train has hollow aluminum tubes with springs inside and fork oil. It may be a bit more challenging to learn to ride a Bones at lower speeds because of the added weigh up front.

One main difference between the Bones and the Train is that the Bones' seating position is rather tall. Even though they come from the factory with low profile rear suspension, the addition of the springs under the seat raise your @$$ up rather high. This could be good or bad depending on what you are most comfortable with. If you are a long legged tall guy then the Bones' seating position might just be your thing. However if you are a bit shorter and need more secure footing when you put your feet down then the Train might be a better choice. Of course you can remedy this on the Bones by changing to a non spring seat which many people do. In my opinion, doing that means you sacrifice some of the uniqueness of the Bones but function over form I think should be the priority.

All that said, the Springer models such as the Bones are such unique bikes not just among Harleys, but among any brand of motorcycle. I mean that in reference to the springer front end. I think it's an engineering beauty and it makes a motorcycle stand out from the crowd without having to do to much to the bike. The spring seat is also pretty unique and unless you are looking at an aftermarket job, you won't come across many other scoots like the Crossbones. Certainly not from any production line. Even though the Bones is a designed as a minimalist bike, it can be quite comfortable to ride. There are just enough accessories out there to dress it up or down as much as you need to.

If you do get a Bones, be prepared for a totally polarized reaction from the masses. Most people I run into love my Bones and can't help but comment on it. I think if you ask any Bones owner, they can tell you how often they get compliments on their motorcycle. On the other hand, there seems to be a general hate for the Bones among a small number of the riding community. However these are usually the vocal minority who are stuck in some sort of nostalgic (usually somewhere in between the late 70's and early 80's) limbo where they ride the same Harley clones that every other rider does and who believe that anything that isn't shiny and has full fenders is not a real Harley. It's not hard to ignore them because they all pretty much spew the same commentary so once you heard one, you've pretty much heard them all.

2008 was the first year of the Bones and as far as I can tell it was based largely on the Springer Classic which was last made in 2007. In fact, if you were to browse the parts books for both a Crossbones and a Springer Classic you would see many of the same part numbers between the two motorcycles. I own a 2008 with a stock 96B engine and 6 speed tranny.

The Fatboy Lo would be a good compromise as well. It's a good looking scoot and seems very comfortable. It has the floorboards and low suspension of the Crossbones with the lighter telescoping front end. The seat is very comfortable in my opinion and it is designed to not only help you sit lower, but it is narrower at the nose so your thighs are not so far apart which further increases your reach to the ground. Denim and Gloss black are the prominently featured colors of the Lo as was true of the Bones. The main difference being that the Bones has a gloss black finish to the frame and a raw black motor while the Lo has a satin black frame and polished fins on the motor.

I love my Crossbones but I honestly believe you can't go wrong with any of the three scoots mentioned. My order of preference would be:

1. Crossbones (Obviously!)
2. Night Train
3. Fatboy Lo

But I would happily take ANY of those any day!

 

The Lo is a great Harley for sure, but I think that if you are going to claim it to be "the best route" you should at least provide some of the advantages that it has over the other two Harleys that the OP is considering.

 

Skeez man, thanks for all of that information.

It sounds like the Train is more suited for me as I'm for one not the most mechanically inclined and tend to have all of my servicing done for me. Secondly I'm still a new rider (less than six months) and despite my riding capability still being very capable it sounds like the springer front end may pose a few new challenges.

So with the Night Train models, it sounds like one difference is the five gear or six gear. I can imagine that the six gear tranny is preferred for highway riding. With my Iron I have five gears and am told that the fifth gear is pretty useless anyway.

It seems if I set myself to looking for a 2007 or up Night Train I'd have the refined model that has all of the nicer features.

Check out this guy, put a Springer front end on a Night Train.

 

Obviously I like the LO

 

Each bike being talked about has things I like. I own a BadBoy which the Train replaced, so there are alot of things I like about the train. I also like the springer front end on the Bones because it reminds me of my BadBoy which I think is a great looking and unique bike. I also own a Lo, and I have always like the styling of the FatBoy. When I first saw the lo in Denim I was sold. It took everything I like about the standard FatBoy and improved on it IMO. The boards on my Lo are more comfortable on longer rides than the forward controls on my BadBoy. The standard front end also rides better than the springer. It comes down to personal choice. Weigh everything out and decide which one you like better.

 

If you are gonna do a train, grab an 08 on up. The 07s had tranny problems I believe. The older ones with the 88s are ok but you need to make sure the cam tensioners were upgraded or at the very least not broken apart

 

So did Eddie Murphy and he is still successful lol (sorry couldn't resist)