The time comes to us all when age and experience send us looking for a change, something less hard-edged and more focused on comfort and a laid-back riding style. For a lot of riders that means boning up on Harleys to see why so many of their peers eventually end up aboard Milwaukee iron. The lucky ones find the FXDF Fat Bob. With a torquey engine, decent if not outstanding suspension and brakes, and a more basic look than some of the brand’s gaudier models, it’s one of the smoothest transitions into the Harley world from outside.
Introduced in 2008, the Fat Bob came with a Twin Cam 96 engine, and in 2012 got an upgrade to the TC103. Both iterations of the archetypal Harley V-twin put out enough low-end power to launch the big Bob from stoplights with ease, and although neither is a match for high-revving Japanese and European bikes in the upper reaches of the rev range, the Harley is no slouch for a bike its size. The engine’s 45-degree cylinder spread, a holdover from the company’s early days, is practically a prescription for vision-blurring vibration, but the worst of it is held in check by rubber engine mounts that isolate you from all but the most pleasant mechanical sensations. Harley’s maintenance-free belt final drive gives you more time to enjoy the ride, too.
We featured the Fat Bob on the cover of our June 2012 issue.
If the Fat Bob has a signature styling lick, it’s the slotted disc wheels and fat, wide tires. They take some getting used to if you’re accustomed to the sizes used on most other bikes, but they don’t take away much from the bike’s handling, as long as you accept that you’re not on a sportbike or an adventure tourer. With that in mind you’ll find braking and cornering clearance sufficient to enjoy a brisk ride down a twisty road. Rougher surfaces, though, highlight the twin rear shocks’ dismally short travel, and make you wish as much attention had been lavished on the inside of the front fork as the outside. Still, riders who’ve sampled both the Fat Bob and other Harley baggers and touring models say the FXDF is probably the best all-day ride in Harley’s cruiser fleet, and that with some soft luggage and a quick-detach windscreen it makes a versatile touring mount.
Rubber engine mounts, decent suspension, belt final drive and strong midrange power delivery made the TC96 and TC103 Fat Bob a versatile choice among Harley’s 2008-2013 cruiser lineup.
Shopping for a used Fat Bob takes patience, especially if you’re looking for a stock(ish) one. The biggest obstacles are “performance” mods that add little to the otherwise bulletproof Twin Cam engine apart from more noise, worse gas mileage and decreased reliability. The FXDF’s big draw is its tractability, and you’re not likely to improve much on that. Two areas of the chassis–the drive belt and the rubber engine mounts–warrant close inspection. You can inspect the belt visually for holes, tears or other damage, and see if the sides of the belt or the rear pulley are worn, indicating an alignment problem with the rear wheel. But the only way to check the engine mounts is to ride the bike. The rowdy vibes should smooth out just above idle and stay that way until redline.
The market for used Harleys seems to be cooling lately, but you should still expect to see Fat Bobs ranging from $10,000 for an early model with the TC96 engine to $12,500 for the later TC103. Beware the seller who thinks every accessory added to the bike is still worth its retail value on top of the asking price. Service records are nice to have, but a valid title is a must–accept no excuses on this point.
2012 Harley-Davidson FXDF Fat Bob.
PROS
Strong engine, decent chassis and good reliability, plus a huge dealer network for parts and service.
CONS
Big and heavy with short-travel suspension. Endless “fat” jokes, especially if your name is Bob.
Engine: Air-cooled 45-degree V-twin, 1,570cc (TC96), 1,690cc (TC103) Final drive: Belt Weight: 706 lbs. Fuel capacity: 5.0 gals. Seat height: 27 in.
Harley-Davidson has announced a stripped-down, fundamental version of its Electra Glide touring bagger dubbed the Electra Glide Standard. Powered by the Milwaukee-Eight 107, the new Electra Glide Standard is aimed at the rider looking for a simpler experience: no screens, no infotainment, just a motorcycle.
The Electra Glide Standard features chrome trim pieces and polished rocker, cam and derby covers, along with selected blacked-out components for a blend of timeless and traditional. It’s also equipped with many of the ride and handling technology of the rest of Harley’s Touring line, such as electronic cruise control, hand-adjustable emulsion-technology rear shock absorbers, a 49mm front fork with Showa dual bending valve suspension, and Brembo brakes with optional Reflex Linked and ABS features.
Behind the classic batwing fairing, a glovebox takes the place of an audio system, and a single scooped touring seat is standard (a pillion seat is available as an accessory).
The Electra Glide Standard is available in dealerships now, in Vivid Black, starting at $18,999.
For more information, visit harley-davidson.com. Scroll down for more photos.
Bigger doesn’t always mean better, and fortunately for those of us looking for a fun, affordable motorcycle there are more choices than ever. Nearly every manufacturer now offers at least one model that will fit just about any rider’s size and/or budget.
Scroll down for Rider’s 2019 list of Best Bikes for Smaller Riders and Budgets. When possible we’ve included a link to our review, making it easy for you to get a real ride evaluation. We’ve also included the 2019 model year’s U.S. base MSRP (as of publication), seat height and claimed wet weight (when a wet weight was not available from the manufacturer, the claimed dry weight is listed). For more details, you can read our review, which includes comprehensive specs, or click on the bike’s name to be taken directly to the manufacturer’s page.
BMW F 750 GS
2019 BMW F 750 GS (Photo by Kevin Wing)
BMW F 750 GS
$10,395
32.1-inch seat w/ optional 31.1-inch seat or 30.3-inch seat
493 lbs.
2020 Harley-Davidson LiveWire electric motorcycle.
Harley-Davidson today announced pricing for the 2020 LiveWire, its first electric motorcycle, which is now available for U.S. dealer preorder. MSRP on the LiveWire is $29,799.
The LiveWire, which Harley says represents the next chapter in the 116-year-old company’s history, offers the benefits and performance of an electric motorcycle, with signature Harley attitude and style. Its H-D Revelation electric powertrain promises 0-to-60 acceleration in less than 3.5 seconds, with no clutch and no gear shifting, and an urban range of about 110 miles.
The powertrain sits low in the LiveWire’s chassis to lower the center of gravity and helps the motorcycle handle well at all speeds and make it easier to balance when stopped. The motorcycle also sports standard cornering ABS and traction control.
It also features H-D Connect, which pairs motorcycle riders with their bikes through an LTE-enabled Telematics Control Unit coupled with connectivity and cloud services using the latest version of the Harley-Davidson app. With H-D Connect, data is collected and transferred to the app to provide information to the rider’s smartphone about:
Motorcycle Status: Information available through H-D Connect includes battery charge status and available range from any location where a sufficient cellular signal is available. This allows the rider to remotely check the charge status including charge level and time to completion. Riders will be able to locate a charging station with ease thanks to an integrated location finder built into the H-D app.
Tamper Alerts and Vehicle Location: H-D Connect indicates the location of the parked LiveWire motorcycle and alerts can be sent to the rider’s smartphone if the bike is tampered with or moved. GPS-enabled stolen-vehicle tracking provides peace of mind that the motorcycle’s location can be tracked (requires law enforcement assistance; available in select markets).
Service Reminders and Notifications: Reminders about upcoming vehicle service requirements, automated service reminders and other vehicle care notifications.
Interestingly, while the electric LiveWire will of course produce minimal vibration, Harley says it’s designed a new “signature Harley-Davidson sound” that “represents the smooth, electric power” of the motorcycle. Whether or not that will be enough to satisfy riders looking for the classic “potato-potato” rumble remains to be seen.
To find a LiveWire dealer or place a preorder, visit h-d.com/LiveWire.
We crossed the Land of 10,000 Lakes then stormed across Wisconsin aboard Harley’s apex touring machine, the 2019 CVO Limited. Photos by Brian J. Nelson and Kevin Wing.
There’s a reason Harley’s top-shelf touring machine has been a staple of its CVO line since 2006. There are thousands of them. Go to Sturgis and try and count how many you see. Your head will spin. It’s a huge revenue generator for The Motor Company. But it’s also proven itself as a legitimate cross-country tourer. So offering one as a dream machine straight from the factory makes perfect sense.
Powering the 2019 CVO Limited is the Twin-Cooled Milwaukee-Eight 117, The Motor Company’s largest production engine, a CVO-exclusive powerplant that made its debut across the line last year. That’s 1,923cc at the disposal of your right hand along with a high-performance camshaft, intake and bumped-up compression ratio.
Rejoice, all CVOs run the Milwaukee-Eight 117, the 1,923cc powerplant the biggest to date on a Harley coming straight out of the factory.
The motorcycle’s electronic throttle control is dialed and the hit off idle is immediate. But stump-pulling bottom-end torque is standard fare on Harley tourers. What benefits most is top end in the middle gears as the 117 continues to give where its predecessors sign off.
The 2019 CVO Limited hits its claimed peak of 125 lb-ft at 3,500 rpm but the standard Ultra Limited with the 114 maxes out at 3,000 rpm. It gets you up to highway speed quicker and has plenty of passing power on tap. While it didn’t skip a beat rowing through gears, engagement continues to be harsh and abrupt.
Between its Batwing fairing and Tour-Pak top trunk, the CVO Limited’s presence can be intimidating. It looks like a whole lot of bike to handle. But as I climb aboard, the rider’s triangle feels compact for a six-foot-tall rider.
With a seat height of 30.1 inches, it’s easy to place both feet firmly on the ground, a good thing when you’re balancing a bike that tips the scales at more than 900 pounds. The bars fall naturally at hand, my legs have plenty of room to stretch and my back is straight. The relaxed riding position made my 260-mile test ride a cinch. I could have easily done 260 more without feeling beat down. You’d be hard pressed to find a bike with a cushier seat and friendlier all-day ergonomics.
Who knew such a big bike would be so much fun at lean? Turn-in is surprisingly light on the CVO Limited, and it transitions more fluidly than expected.
Hustling through the hinterlands between Lacrosse and Madison, Wisconsin, we chanced upon a rural road of sweepers, one flowing into the next. The CVO Limited shines on this stretch as turn-in is light, even with its big fork-mounted fairing. It’s solid at lean and has no problem staying on the designated line.
Even with the Tour-Pak, its center of gravity feels low and it transitions with surprising agility. You’d think for a bike with such a Herculean physique it’d be a handful to toss around but, like a heavyweight boxer, it’s deceptively light on its feet.
Reining in all that weight and power requires a solid set of binders, and Harley’s triple-disc Brembos and ABS-equipped Reflex Linked Brakes handle the job. When squeezing the front lever, initial bite into the two 300mm discs is strong but not grabby and doesn’t fade as the system administers a bit of squeeze to the rear as well.
Harley CVO wheels are always custom quality, and for 2019 the 19-inch Tomahawk on the CVO Limited is the torchbearer of tradition.
Using solely the rear it takes a pretty good stomp on the pedal to get the ABS to engage, and overall the ABS is well modulated. Using the front and rear brakes simultaneously, the setup does a bang-up job of bringing the bike to a stop.
Bells and whistles. Check all the boxes. Gorgeous paint set off by the proper blend of shiny chrome, custom-quality wheels, a fresh assortment of bits and pieces from Harley’s new Kahuna collection and the upgraded Boom! Box GTS infotainment system, which boots up faster, is easier to see in direct sunlight and functions more like a smartphone.
The bike has a bounty of storage space, everything locks tight at the push of a button and a factory security system to protect your almost $44,000 investment comes standard. Harley offers three combinations of powertrain finishes and paint options to tailor your CVO Limited like a fine suit. Granted, its price tag puts it out of range for many of us, but those few who pony up will undoubtedly be pleased because despite its movie star good looks, the 2019 CVO Limited is ready to go coast-to-coast at a moment’s notice.
