Dyna Throwback: Aggressively Styled FXDF Fat Bob
Daily Slideshow: The Dyna Fat Bob became a blacked-out street brawler with attitude.
Mean Makeover
New for 2008, the Dyna Fat Bob was a retro bobber with a modern finish. The Fat Bob styling cues made it distinct from other Harley-Davidson offerings. In 2014, the Fat Bob got a bit of a make-over, before being phased out with the rest of the Dyna lineup in late 2017. The makeover gave the beefy Fat Bob an aggressive edge and a touch more attitude than before.
Striking Fat Bob
Some really liked the Fat Bob — others did not. Like a strange love child between the Fat Boy and the Street Bob, the Fat Bob got a take it or leave it sort of response. The Fat Bob's most dominant feature was the frontend with its dual headlights and 'fat' front tire. Rounding out the hefty design was a siamese 'Tommy-Gun' 2-into-1 exhaust and a bobbed rear fender.
>>Join the conversation about the Fat Bob right here in Harley-Davidson Forums.
Form and Function
The Fat Bob was not just about looks. While the blacked-out engine and slash-cut mufflers did give it a street brawler attitude, the Fat Bob was also a performer. Pinched between thick 49mm forks, the chubby 130/90 x 16" Dunlop could soak-up the worst of urban potholes. Stopping the rotating mass was a set of dual floating disc brakes with optional ABS.
>>Join the conversation about the Fat Bob right here in Harley-Davidson Forums.
A Twin Cam Motor
The tried and true Twin Cam 103 cubic-inch 'A' engine powered the Fat Bob. The powerplant got the full 'Dark Custom' treatment in 2014, which included the air cleaner. In 2016, the factory installed the 'High Output' version of the 103. A six-speed, constant-mesh transmission worked the ratios and powered the rear wheel via the standard belt drive assembly.
>>Join the conversation about the Fat Bob right here in Harley-Davidson Forums.
Race Position
The Fat Bob was not your typical laid-back ride. Coupled with the forward controls, the 1 1/4-inch internally wired drag-style bars on tall risers meant a more leaned-over riding position. Keeping the backend stable was a wide 180/70 x 16" Dunlop on a laser engraved cast rim. The clean, minimal approach worked well and gave it the look of quarter-mile drag racing motorcycles.
>>Join the conversation about the Fat Bob right here in Harley-Davidson Forums.
Legal Rearend
Harley-Davidson designers were happy to announce that the Fat Bob had the “minimum amount of rear fender required by law.” For 2014, the Wide Glide style rear fender was replaced with a smoother, more contemporary-looking design. The dual-LED taillight gave a nod to modern muscle car aesthetics and echoed the twin headlight arrangement at the front.
>>Join the conversation about the Fat Bob right here in Harley-Davidson Forums.
Slant Look
The diagonal tank graphics were a departure for their day. There was nothing else on the showroom floor that quite rivaled the Fat Bob's design. The minimal tank graphics highlighted the no-nonsense nature of the Fat Bob, but looked good at the same time. Somewhere between racing stripes and a sleeve patch, the graphics added to the eye-catching appeal of these bikes.
>>Join the conversation about the Fat Bob right here in Harley-Davidson Forums.
Paint Surprise
The 2014 Fat Bob was introduced with a new palette of colors. The default Vivid Black was balanced by Black Denim, a hot-rod staple matte black. Amber Whiskey splashed-out an intoxicating round of burnt glitter-orange, only to be countered by the sober Sand Cammo Denim. Like urban camouflage Humvee paint, the matte beige was an odd, but striking choice that and accentuated the Fat Bob's lines.
>>Join the conversation about the Fat Bob right here in Harley-Davidson Forums.
Split Personality
One cannot help but see a mischievous character lurking in the front twin beams. The Fat Bob was a cool looking character that brought variety and a bit of muscle to the Dyna lineup. As Tony Pink, Harley-Davidson's Styling Manager said, “We wanted to take the Fat Bob further into the Dark Custom realm, and one of our inspirational thoughts was Mad Max meets NASCAR.”
>>Join the conversation about the Fat Bob right here in Harley-Davidson Forums.
For help with your maintenance and repair projects, please visit our how-to section in the forum.
