To the nonbutthurt folks here is the new frame design straight from HD engineer.

 

Imagine the anguish when Harley came out with the OHV and dropped the flathead. All that bitching to do and no internet to vent on.

 

Well if a salesman said that, then I guess that must be the case.

 

Possibly because they kept flatties around for 37 years after the first Knuckle. On the other hand, the carrier pigeons were flying when they did away with hand pumped oil.

 

Hmmm, maybe they'll be more willing to deal on one, come winter. It's funny, I think the "blacked out" Heritage looks even more "old school". Chrome wasn't very common in the '30's, and disappeared entirely during the war, and was slow to come back. To me, the blacked out look reminds me of old police bikes.


Personally, as much as I like chrome, I've always felt the Heritage "overdid it" with things like the chrome oil tank, belt guard, brake pedal and other chrome bits.

 

I'm 60. What's wrong with more power and better handling? Didn't the FXR & Dyna make as much such noise back in the 80's? Everyone said it was the end of the HD world as me know it. Now look, FXR damn near has a cult following.

I've owned Iron Heads (2), Shovel (1), Evo (1), Twin Cam (3), and now an M8. Oh, and Japanese, Italian, and British. Liked all of them.

I'll still say that my 17 Ultra, bone stock, sounds like a f***ing honda. Don't care. I happen to like Honda's too. (And before you argue, I don't care whether or not YOU think it sounds like a Honda)

I also like that new Fat Bob. I think it should be called something else, but that's just semantics. I'd like to flog that thing through the mountains west of Denver. That is, if I weren't so damn old that I can't throw a leg over it, or stop to pee after every curve. Hell, us old guys need to be put out to pasture and restricted from fun. We've already had our share I suppose.

Quit bitching. Buy one or don't. Is anyone on here over 115 years old? Think you'll get that far?? Harley has managed to. I don't think these 8 bikes will sink them.

 

I sat on a new Fatboy and a Fat Bob today. My observations:

1.The Fatboy felt noticeably lighter than my 1994. The salesman said that it's only about 30 pounds lighter. I was really surprised and commented that it must be super well-balanced now. He agreed.

2. For some reason, when I sat on it the gearbox cover seemed to be pushing against my left ankle. The salesman said that was weird because they've actually reduced it in size.

3. The Fat Bob didn't feel so great to me. Honestly, it felt like a Sportster 1200.

The salesman said that all of the Softails are now about an inch taller than last year, supposedly for better cornering. I commented that if I'm scraping a floorboard, that's a sharp enough turn for me.

EDIT: He also showed me the monoshock adjustment on the Fatboy. I think that's a great feature. I also really like the brushed metal look on the Fatboy.

 

After I bought my new 2004 Electra Glide w/EFI, the first time I rode it to work it was still stock. A guy came into the office and said my new Harley sounded like a Kawasaki....where was that potato-potato Harley sound. Of course I did the stage 1 and it sounded better, but even after doing a stage 2 it still doesn't sound as good as a carburetor Shovel or Evo. So yes Harley has changed over the years.

 

Well, even if I were to get a new Harley, I'll still keep my Evo, so if I need to hear that sound I can fire up the other bike.


Then again, the Evo doesn't sound as good as a Shovelhead, so, I suppose that's progress.

 

I wonder what people would have thought of the 2018 lineup if it was introduced in the 70's.