Why do they call it a Fatboy ?
Tourer
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 331
Likes: 0
From:
Here is an interesting article on tires. http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars...unked-10031440
Two points relative to this thread. The person writing the article (for whatever that is worth) says to set the tires according to the manufacturer of the vehicle's specification. However, he also says he would rather see them 3 to 5 psi high than even one pound low. Also, of note, "the "max press" and "max load" numbers indicate the pressure at which the tire will carry the maximum amount of weight." So, if you aren't carrying heavy loads, you probably don't need the absolute maximum.
My son is a mechanic and he never sets it right at max. To me, the problem is they don't include a min pressure on tires or in the book, do they?
Two points relative to this thread. The person writing the article (for whatever that is worth) says to set the tires according to the manufacturer of the vehicle's specification. However, he also says he would rather see them 3 to 5 psi high than even one pound low. Also, of note, "the "max press" and "max load" numbers indicate the pressure at which the tire will carry the maximum amount of weight." So, if you aren't carrying heavy loads, you probably don't need the absolute maximum.
My son is a mechanic and he never sets it right at max. To me, the problem is they don't include a min pressure on tires or in the book, do they?
Road Master
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 784
Likes: 10
From: SE Pennsylvania
Not sure how this got so diverted from the history of the name "Fatboy", to an entire thread on tire pressure, but here is a quote from Harley's history:
Harley-Davidson, an American motorcycle company, has a history of paying homage to the American Armed Forces. According to Kevin Lang, parts manager at New Roc Harley-Davidson in New Rochelle, New York, and life-long Harley-Davidson enthusiast, the company named the Fat Boy after Little Boy and Fat Man, the two atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively
Harley-Davidson, an American motorcycle company, has a history of paying homage to the American Armed Forces. According to Kevin Lang, parts manager at New Roc Harley-Davidson in New Rochelle, New York, and life-long Harley-Davidson enthusiast, the company named the Fat Boy after Little Boy and Fat Man, the two atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 1,086
Likes: 5
From: London, UK
Not sure how this got so diverted from the history of the name "Fatboy", to an entire thread on tire pressure, but here is a quote from Harley's history:
Harley-Davidson, an American motorcycle company, has a history of paying homage to the American Armed Forces. According to Kevin Lang, parts manager at New Roc Harley-Davidson in New Rochelle, New York, and life-long Harley-Davidson enthusiast, the company named the Fat Boy after Little Boy and Fat Man, the two atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively
Harley-Davidson, an American motorcycle company, has a history of paying homage to the American Armed Forces. According to Kevin Lang, parts manager at New Roc Harley-Davidson in New Rochelle, New York, and life-long Harley-Davidson enthusiast, the company named the Fat Boy after Little Boy and Fat Man, the two atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively
Road Master
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 784
Likes: 10
From: SE Pennsylvania
Of course I did....I then checked a reference on the History of Harley and various models, and it also appeared there. So, who knows?
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 4,501
Likes: 26
From: Sheboygan,Wi
From Snopes.com
http://www.snopes.com/business/market/fatboy.asp
Could there be a more macabre marketing decision than naming a consumable confectionary treat after a dead little girl? How about designing a recreational product to represent the instruments of war that obliterated tens of thousands of human beings? Who would do such a thing? Nobody, we hope, but such a claim has dogged motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson for years, in the form of a rumor that their 1990 FLSTF "Fat Boy" bike was created as a "tribute" to the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan at the end of World War II.
Read more at http://www.snopes.com/business/marke...udrA631pgh8.99
Why? The answer to why Harley-Davidson would supposedly do such a thing is as a form of symbolic revenge on the Japanese motorcycle companies who eroded the sales of good ol' American Harley-Davidson bikes during the 1970s and 1980s. The answer to why people would believe such a thing is a tale spun from a collection of manufactured coincidences:
The "Fat Boy" is silver, just like the Enola Gay and Bock's Car, the two B-29s used to drop atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
The bike has disc wheels which look similar to the type used on airplanes such as the B-29.
Seven gold rings can be found on the motorcycle, the same markings that were allegedly present on the two atomic bombs.
The name "Fat Boy" was supposedly formed from the nicknames "Fat Man" and "Little Boy," the designations given to the two atomic bombs dropped on Japan.
All of
this is just the fanciful product of someone's imagination, however. The FLSTF is silver simply because it's a nifty color for a motorcycle, the disc wheels were chosen for their look, the "gold rings" are merely styling touches added to accent certain parts of the bike, and the name "Fat Boy" comes from the observation that the motorcycle is rather wide when viewed head-on. But, as usual, an elaborate story about secret meanings is so much more interesting than plain old reality.
http://www.snopes.com/business/market/fatboy.asp
Could there be a more macabre marketing decision than naming a consumable confectionary treat after a dead little girl? How about designing a recreational product to represent the instruments of war that obliterated tens of thousands of human beings? Who would do such a thing? Nobody, we hope, but such a claim has dogged motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson for years, in the form of a rumor that their 1990 FLSTF "Fat Boy" bike was created as a "tribute" to the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan at the end of World War II.
Read more at http://www.snopes.com/business/marke...udrA631pgh8.99
Why? The answer to why Harley-Davidson would supposedly do such a thing is as a form of symbolic revenge on the Japanese motorcycle companies who eroded the sales of good ol' American Harley-Davidson bikes during the 1970s and 1980s. The answer to why people would believe such a thing is a tale spun from a collection of manufactured coincidences:
The "Fat Boy" is silver, just like the Enola Gay and Bock's Car, the two B-29s used to drop atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
The bike has disc wheels which look similar to the type used on airplanes such as the B-29.
Seven gold rings can be found on the motorcycle, the same markings that were allegedly present on the two atomic bombs.
The name "Fat Boy" was supposedly formed from the nicknames "Fat Man" and "Little Boy," the designations given to the two atomic bombs dropped on Japan.
All of
this is just the fanciful product of someone's imagination, however. The FLSTF is silver simply because it's a nifty color for a motorcycle, the disc wheels were chosen for their look, the "gold rings" are merely styling touches added to accent certain parts of the bike, and the name "Fat Boy" comes from the observation that the motorcycle is rather wide when viewed head-on. But, as usual, an elaborate story about secret meanings is so much more interesting than plain old reality.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 2,710
Likes: 528
From: Lethbridge, Alberta Canada
Well, although the manual might call for those numbers, both of my sidewalls call for 42 lbs max cold. Harley makes the bike, not the tires, so I go with the tire manufacturer on this one and run 40-42 depending on what kind of riding I plan on doing at the time. Usually closer to 40. Makes the bike a little more nimble IMO and I don't worry the mileage for that trade-off. But that's just me.
NO vehicle manufacturer that I know of ever intentionally puts a tire on a vehicle when that specific tire's maxium rated capacity is barely enough to carry that vehicle when the vehicle is fully loaded. That's because a vehicle manufacturer's lawyer would advise it that to do so is very risky, as buyers rather often DO exceed the maximum capacity of the vehicle, by adding a heavier than average rider, plus either or both of a passenger or luggage.
The vehicle manufacturer normally does testing to find the correct psi for each tire, that results in an ideally sized contact patch with the pavement. THAT is what the psi should be set to, and that is ALWAYS contained in BOTH (a) the owner's manual and (b) on a special tag on the vehicle.
In the case of the Breakout, the correct numbers per Harley are 36 front and 38 to 42 rear (without or with passenger respectively).
Yeah, the bike might "feel" better to an individual rider at some other settings, but those other settings are going to run the tire under conditions that are less than ideal. That could mean lower miles before it wears out, too sloppy or too firm ride, impaired handling, or in extreme cases (low psi coupled with high speed and high loading) catastrophic failure of the tire.
Unless you are either a featherweight or a hugely heavy person, straying far from the manufacturer's recommendations is taking a risk.
Note that changing to a different model of tire, or to a different brand of tire, can make the manufacturer's recommendations inaccurate for the new tire. In those cases, consult the website of the tire manufacturer who made the new tire, to get usable guidance.
Jim G
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