2012 Harley-Davidson FXDF Fat Bob.

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...