THE FAT BOY ® MOTORCYCLE - 25 YEARS OF AN AMERICAN ICON
Designed by Willie G. Davidson and Louie Netz in 1990, the Harley-
Davidson ® Fat Boy ® motorcycle is one of the company's most iconic
and popular models. It is nicknamed 'The Legend', due to it being a
timeless, dependable and powerful motorcycle.
The name Fat Boy ® motorcycle gave a nod to the motorcycle's pre-
decessor, the Fat Bob ® motorcycle and its large personality. With a
V-twin Softail ® cruiser, what characterizes the Fat Boy ® motorcycle is
its solid-cast front and rear disc wheels, shotgun exhausts and gently
flared fenders. The original model from 1990 sported monochrome
silver paint and a silver frame with yellow detailing, which together
with the lacing on the seat and fuel tank gave the motorcycle a
handcrafted look. The Fat Boy's logo was also an iconic design,
evoking good-willed patriotism and nostalgia, and can still be found
on Fat Boy ® model designs today.
But it wasn't just a one and done design. The Fat Boy ® motorcycle un-
derwent rigorous testing and customer feedback for two years before
it was deemed ready to ride. In fact, Willie G. rode a prototype of the
Fat Boy ® motorcycle to Daytona in 1988 and 1989, both trips helping
him to improve the bike's design.
In 2010, the Fat Boy ® Lo motorcycle was introduced, featuring the
lowest seat height on any Harley-Davidson ® motorcycle, and adver-
tised as a "darker, lower, meaner" version of the original.
Since its release, the Fat Boy ® motorcycle has experienced some
changes, particularly in the Softail ® model redesign in 2017. However,
even with these changes, Harley-Davidson has retained iconic design
elements from the original 1990 Fat Boy ® motorcycle.
