Fatboy Owners Discussion

[BigSwede]

Originally Posted by dawolf

The forward controls are Vtwin Manufacturing, out of the Vtwin catalog (Most indy shops will have them on hand and alot of online distributors). They seem to be very good quality. I've only had them on for a few weeks so we'll see how they hold up.
I love the different riding position, and I have to say I do like them alot. Alot of people think that I was nuts for getting rid of the "Luxury Boards" but if your 6' or over and feel a little cramped with the Fat Boy floor boards, give them a try.

Oh BTW, I am not what you consider mechanic material, and this was one of the easier things I have done myself on the bike. The stock oil lines only had to be bent a little bit to fit, that was actually the hardest part. This is a 1 to 2 hour job, tops. A good idea is to have a Softail service manual to get all the torque specs, and important info like using Dot 5 brake fluid (Which is hard to find at auto parts stores).

Ray

Thanks Ray. This may be my ticket. 6'3" with a 34" inseam. Appreciate the info.

[Warlock]

dawolf,

Thanks man, you have a sweet ride also. I also like the forward controls and am seriously considering loosing the buck boards. I am only 5'6" so I want to make sure it's not going to be uncomfy before I do it.

I have done the pipes, Power Commander and high flow a/c. The seat is gone as it was only good for a 20 mile ride. I have done a few trinkets. I have been researching engine mods and am about to crank it up. While it's apart I am going to have the cylinder and head fins painted red to match the bike.

I LOVE this bike

Rick

[dawolf]

Man that is a sick set up man, I am loving it. I thought about the stroker but stopped at the big bore and the heads...Those pipes on your bike really set it apart. And what's with that chrome around the seat and behind it? Is there storage there? Is that chrome a harley part? And what kind of seats fit with that? I love the look. I have been looking into a new seat for mine, mainly the Corbin Stinger in gray, but that chrome thing looks killer...

More on the forwards:
My buddy, who is 5'7" and I switched up for a short ride, I rode his low rider and he the Fat boy. While I was a little cramped, he really liked the extra stretch, and now he would like to move his up a little. Best comparison to a stock harley I can give is, it has a few inches more stretch than a Dyna Wide Glide, same basic position.

[Warlock]

The seat and tail fin are harley parts, they came on the bike. They do look killer but not very comfortable for longer rides, no storage. I have changed the seat to a sundowner.

Thanks for the info on the forward controls

[kwbb]

Originally Posted by dawolf

What mods did you do? Is that some kind of design on the rims? or is that just reflection....I love the pipes, it is awesome man!


Ray

Ray - your bike looks nice!

How loud are your pipes? I like the looks of them - and I'm looking for pipes for my Aniv. 05 Fat Boy (should be here in July). How much louder over stock are they? Thanks-

Ken

[FLSTFI Dave]

Originally Posted by foddlefadel

Do Fatboys weave and wobble at higher speeds. I hear so much about the Touring bikes doing it.

I am considering trading my Fatboy for a EGC, but the wobbling scares me.

My Fatboy seems to do some weaving above 70mph, never had it wobble, but I've never run it above 75mph.

Thanks
Dave

I run my fatboy at 80 on a regular basis and have had it over 100 many times. I have never had a wobble or weave. Very stable.

[xaran]

I also run over 80 with no wobble. Last Sunday ran 160 miles on So Cal Freeways from the desert to the beach in Ventura, some strong winds. No wobble ,handled great.

Xaran

[dawolf]

Originally Posted by kwbb

Ray - your bike looks nice!

How loud are your pipes? I like the looks of them - and I'm looking for pipes for my Aniv. 05 Fat Boy (should be here in July). How much louder over stock are they? Thanks-

Ken

Ken, thanks for the compliments.
Wow, how much louder over stock? ALOT!...They sound killer, They have a deep sound and with the mods to the engine (Screamin Eagle 95 kit with Hi Compression heads, cams etc...) I love the sound.
I originally went with Screamin Eagle pipes...they were louder than stock but thats it...These give me the rumble I wanted after the engine upgrade! Hope your bike comes in soon....Mine was due in July (2003) and the dealer called me in May with a cancellation!....It can be painful waiting!

Highly recommended Vance and Hines...they Rock!

Ray

[dawolf]

Am planning my winter upgrade wishlist....I was originally wantingt to go all the way with the 103" stroker upgrade kit but my mechanic kind of talked me out of it and told me I would be happy with the 95" kit with heads and cam...has anyone gone from 95" to 103" and what was the difference and was it a good move, any downsides etc.

[BigSwede]

Originally Posted by dawolf

Am planning my winter upgrade wishlist....I was originally wantingt to go all the way with the 103" stroker upgrade kit but my mechanic kind of talked me out of it and told me I would be happy with the 95" kit with heads and cam...has anyone gone from 95" to 103" and what was the difference and was it a good move, any downsides etc.

So why not just go to the 103 with the heads and cam

That is bound to be a

[Jackaroo]

Here are some pictures of my '03 Fatboy which was my birthday present when I turned 64 (my first bike). In addition to the changes which are obvious in the photos, I made several engine modifications at 600 miles. These included 95" big bore Stage II kit, HTCC pistons, SE-251 cam kit, CNC ported HTCC heads, compression releases, SE lifters, JIMS valve springs, roller rocker arms, EFI Race Tuner, Feuling oil pump, HB-125 primary chain tensioner, Barnett Scorpion clutch, 24T compensating sprocket and 37T clutch shell and sprocket.

This bike has been a tremendous amount of fun to ride. It now has 8000 miles on it and has been totally reliable (although rear tires don't seem to last very long ). I only wish I had more time to ride. I have ridden my son's L1200 BMW. Its a nice bike but I won't be making a change any time soon!

[Carrie]

Nice!

[hdfat2002]

That's 160mm, not MPH.

Metzeler says a 160mm tire is OK on a stock FatBoy 3" rear wheel as a "special fitment" so I wanted to make it happen. I felt like I was riding on a temporary donut spare with the 130mm on my '02 FLSTFI.

Background: I had put Metzler 140-series tires on the rear the last two times I needed a rear tire. They ride a lot better than the factory Dunlops. But the skinny little tire bugged the crap out of me. Some research revealed that the rear wheel is offset in the swingarm .359" to the left from the factory. It was pretty obvious the tire was off to the left on every FLST I'd seen pre-2003. So I took some measurements.

There was a lot more clearance from fender to tire on the right side than on the left side. I determined moving the rear wheel .250" to the right would allow fitment of a 160-series tire in the rear. But how to do this?

I replaced my '02 FatBoy wheel with a chrome one intended for an '03 or later. Still a FatBoy whel, just chrome. These wheels come from the factory with .125" less offset than their '02-and-earlier brothers. I machined the rear brake caliper precicely .125" to move the wheel a total of .250" to the right. Some button-head screw positioned inside-out to hold the fender to the struts and, BAM! that 160 fit in there like it was meant to be.

To my surprise, the bike handles even better than before. Let go of the bars, and she goes straight as an arrow. And on the twisties the steering is more responsive and the feel is magnificent.

And finally the bike has a tire that looks like it fits the fender like it should!

Pix to follow.

-db-

[crossb]

I have been looking at all different kinds of aftermarket mirrors on the net, but havent decided what to get for my bike. I am looking for something that suits the fatboy look. I bought wild one bars so have a fatter set of bars.
Anybody really impressed with theirs? So far I kinda like the Kuryakyn, but again from the net its hard to tell. Want top quality chrome look
thanks

[nardharv]

Here's some old pics of my ride... now has S&S air cleaner and chrome swing arm.

18" wheels w/ low profile tires are next... anyone have experience switching from 16" to 18"? In particular, wheel widths and tire size to keep tire OD the same as stock.