Harley-Davidson expanded their Softail family by launching three new motorcycles. The 2018 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Anniversary has been priced at Rs 19.79 lakh while the Harley-Davidson Low Rider and Deluxe will retail for Rs 12.99 lakh and Rs 17.99 lakh, respectively (all prices, ex-showroom, Delhi). The Harley-Davidson Fat Boy was launched in our country last year, the new Fat Boy 114 – Anniversary Edition, as the nomenclature conveys, is powered by the higher displacement Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine as opposed to the Milwaukee-Eight 107 motor. Apart from the new motor, the new Fat Boy Anniversary Edition looks similar to its smaller-displacement sibling – the regular Fat Boy – and that’s not a bad thing at all.
Harley designers have maintained the silhouette of the original (first-generation) bike but, like the standard Fat Boy, the new motorcycle comes with an all-LED headlight, chunky tyres and the drool-worthy solid disc wheels, which Harley calls ‘Lakester’. Powering the Fat Boy Anniversary Edition is a 1,868cc V-twin motor churning out an earth-moving 161.3Nm of torque. The Milwaukee-Eight 107 engine, just for reference, pumps out 144Nm of torque. If H-D is to be believed, the Fat Boy 114 can accelerate from 0-100kph 9 percent faster (go figure!), and 100-130kph roll-on times in fifth gear are quicker by 13 percent, in comparison to the 107. The Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Anniversary Edition competes against the Triumph Thunderbird Storm and the Indian Chief Classic in our two-wheeler space.
The Harley-Davidson Deluxe is a more traditional take on the Heritage Classic, featuring chrome in abundance. Unlike the Heritage Classic, the Deluxe features chrome wire-spoke wheels (as opposed to blacked-out units) and whitewall tyres as well. It also misses out on a windscreen and features a shorter, swept-back handlebar unlike the Heritage’s typical ape hangers. The Deluxe features a single seat, although a pillion seat is available as an accessory.
Sharing the stage with the Deluxe is the Low Rider, a popular motorcycle among customisers, and it’s the first time the model has been offered in India. The styling of the Low Rider is clean, with simple and flowing lines, and a new design element is the 2-into-2 shotgun exhaust that replaces the previous model’s 2-into-1 muffler. Also standard are 16-inch alloys wheels with disc brakes and ABS.
Powering the Low Rider is a Milwaukee-Eight 107 which replaces the High Output Twin Cam 103 engine used previously on this model. The 1,746cc V-twin, oil-cooled engine produces 149Nm of peak torque at 3,000rpm and is mated to a six-speed gearbox. Harley engineers have also stiffened up the mild-steel tubular frame by 34 percent over the older model and weight has been reduced by 14.5kg. The new motorcycle gets a monoshock unit, which replaces the twin shocks as seen on its predecessor, and it also features a Showa Dual Bending Valve (SDBV) telescopic front fork. Want Fat Boy character while burning a smaller hole in your wallet? Try this!