[realnapster]

First of all, I would like to thank the moderator who approved my membership request. I have been trying to be a member from 2009 and if there is ever an award for the most desperate member then you will see me at the top.

Now I would like to thank @dkaile, @josepeter and @shubz for posting ownership reviews. Double thanks to @dkaile and @shubz for upgrading their Harley's and clearing the confusion for me.

I have been a Royal Enfield guy from 2009-2014 and sold it after getting married. I have very fond memories of my darling. It was a hard decision but I thought I was done with my riding career and moved on to become a full-time car owner. I drive Scorpio S10 now.

My friend aka business partner was thinking of upgrading his car and he decided to buy a Toyota Fortuner. He enquired at various dealerships and got to know that new registrations were not happening for cars heavier than 2000cc. Deep down inside I was planning to buy a Harley from last few years and every trip out of India made the feeling more intense. I tossed the idea to him and said Why don't you buy a Harley? This made him think and 2hrs later he finalized on Street Bob.

We cancelled rest of the plans for the day and immediately went to Capital Harley on 30th Jan 2016. I did a test ride on Fatboy and my buddy drove Street Bob. We had a couple of hours of discussion and finally we decided that both of us will be buying Fatboy 2016 model. Pictures below.


That's me


That's Amit

We were promised a delivery sometime in March and we kept bothering the dealer every single day. Finally, the D-day arrived much earlier and we got the delivery on 16th Feb 2016. I didn't sleep well over the weekend because of obvious reasons. Delivery pictures below


Congratulations


I like that color :-)


That's all of us


Chain cutting ceremony


The last picture before we ride


En-route to home. Just before Akshardham

Booking and delivery experience:
The staff was very polite and helpful. We didn't expect delivery in 2 weeks because they promised us 2 months. Many thanks to the guys who made it happen.

On-road price & discounts
Ex Showroom : Rs.15,15,000
Registration : Rs. 1,58,860
Insurance : Rs. 39,034

Accessories

1. FXRG Dual-Homologated Helmet with Integrated Sun Shield : Rs. 35000

We considered other options as well which were half the price but finally went this one. It's expensive.

2. ENGINE GUARD : Rs. 16,973

IMHO this is must have for new bikes.

3. Mid-Frame Air Deflector : Rs. 5428. Picture below.


They do shield you from heat generated from the engine up to an extent.

4. Indoor/Outdoor Motorcycle Cover: Rs. 10,179

I live in a group-housing society and I know kids will be messing with the bike so I had to purchase it.

Extended warranties & service packages

We didn't buy anything on the first day but we will be considering this after the first service. They have an offer where you can extend warranty for 2 more years by paying 30K or so.

Number of km at the time of writing your review
250KM

Usage Pattern
20 Kms every day to and from office. Long rides will start on weekends

Styling & design
Who am I to comment on Fatboy? Well, I love the look and road presence. We manage to get 20-30 good reactions on road every single day :-)

Engine performance & driveability in the city
This engine is roughly 1700cc and it has a lot of power. The debut drive was a bit of challenge because the engine was generating a lot of heat and Delhi traffic made the matter worse. Maybe it was because of first use or long distance with a lot of red lights but the last couple of days have been smooth and I haven't felt any extra heat. I will be updating my experience after few long rides.

It's an air-cooled engine so expect it to generate heat if it's not moving.

Ground Clearance
This model has a ground clearance of 130mm which is just 5mm less than Royal Enfield. But still I do stay conscious on bigger speed breakers. The thumb rule is to go slow on speed breakers and you will be fine. I learnt it after getting minor bumps couple of times.


Why no lock mate?


Black beauty


Ground Clearance 130mm


Fuel meter


The 200mm wheel


Just a side pose


The Key to Freedom


Parked at home


The joy of first rain


Ignition Control
This picture shows the closed lid.


Ignition Control
The same key works for locking and unlocking it. This picture shows the open lid.


Engine Guard and Heat Deflectors
Heat deflector is installed just below the driver seat. Engine guards (Leg-guards) are one the mandatory accessory.


Handle Lock
Locking the bike is a good amount of work in itself. You gotta move the handle couple of times to get it right.


Fuel Tank
The iconic Harley-Davidson logo


Head light
This is the default light that comes with the bike. It's switched on all the time.


Front Wheel
I love these "Mirror Chrome Bullet Hole Disc wheels".


Controls on the left-hand side.
Top Left is for checking values on display like Kms, Gear etc
Horn button is obvious
The buttons on the right side are for low-beam and high-beam. The light is always on.
The bottom most button is for the left indicator. Turns off automatically.


Controls on the right-hand side
Top Left is for turning on all 4 indicators. Just like in cars.
The Button below is for starting the bike.
Buttons on the right are engine-off and engine-ready.
The bottom most button is for the right-side indicator. Turns off automatically.

Driving position, ergonomics, controls & MID
The driving position is one of the best you can get in a cruiser. It's comfortable in city conditions. I will update my experience after a long ride. I had issues with the clutch because it was very hard but now I am getting used to it. Looking forward to solid forearms now.

Visibility & size of mirrors
They are not like Royal Enfield but they do the job. If they would have been bit bigger then it would have been easy for the rider to check the traffic situation. I am not a big fan of the current design but my thoughts may change with time.

Suspension
The rear shocks are hidden but they work very well. Fatboy has touched the ground couple of times. The thumb rule is to go slow on speed breakers. The GC is 130mm which is good enough for most situations. You just got to be careful with deep potholes.

Riding experience
My driving experience so far has been great. I drive 20 - 30kms every day in traffic conditions and sometimes I do get 500m - 1KM stretch with no traffic. I am not going above 70-80kmph till the first service. I do notice heat issue once in a while. (it's an air-cooled engine)

Power & Performance
It comes with "High Output Twin Cam 103B™ engine" which has a displacement of 1690cc. When my father-in-law heard the engine sound for the first team he was like "Did you buy a new tractor?". It's hard for my family to digest the fact that you can have 1700cc engine on a bike.

Driveability
During the test ride, I had second thoughts about riding this heavy bike and I was so wrong. I respect the fact that it's a powerful bike and I have to be careful and it makes me feel at home now.

On a side note, Last evening I was taking it out from office in engine-off mode and I lost balance and then only I realized that it's around 350KG and I can't just pull it back like Royal Enfield. I got to be careful again. I watched

this video

last night and I am of the opinion now that I will be better off to stick to the roads with Fatboy. There is no point in treating this like Enfield.

Gear shifts
Gear shifting is smooth and 3rd gear onwards the Fatboy goes like a fish in the ocean. I am yet to hit the 5th/6th gear. I read the manual and it mentioned that till first service I should go easy and that's what I have been doing. I have learned how to bring the bike back to neutral mode now. It took some time to learn. You have to apply very little force with your heel to bring it to neutral mode, most of the time we end up hitting it too hard and it goes straight to the second gear.

Clutch
I had a tough experience with clutch during first few days. The first day was hardest, my left hand was not feeling good at all. I was feeling consistent pain in my forearm within 15 - 20 mins of driving. I have gotten used to it now. I was extra cautious while using clutch because HD guys mentioned that there is no warranty for clutch plates and if we burn them then it's gonna cost 30K- 50K to get them replaced. I don't drive with the half clutch at all and it's always in the back of my mind that I have to be careful with it.

Brake
I was advised by HD guys that I should be using both brakes simultaneously and I have been doing that only. This bike comes with ABS (Anti-lock braking system) which makes sure that the bike doesn't slide on the surface. I had to make few immediate stops because my dear auto-wallahs love to break signals and jump in the middle of the road. Thank god the bike has been stable so far.

Likes

• Extremely Comfortable. You need to ride it to know the difference

• Amazing road presence

• The ride is very stable.

• Inbuilt security system

• Keyless entry. If you are near the bike with the key it will detect itself

DisLikes or Concerns

• The horn is a joke. It sounds like Hero Puch.

• No lock on the petrol tank lid. This makes me worry. Picture attached

• Fuel display could have been made better. Picture attached

• Expensive accessories. This is my Indian mentality talking

I will be updating this thread in few weeks after the first service. I gotta go and ride now.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Motorcycle Section. Thanks for sharing!

[Turbanator]

Congrats for the bike and welcome to Team-BHP family.

We didn't buy anything on the first day but we will be considering this after the first service. They have an offer where you can extend warranty for 2 more years by paying 30K or so.

Check if RSA is also included or that is separately part of Insurance , will be worth given the way spares are priced. Not that anything will go wrong by my experience.

The horn is a joke. It sounds like Hero Puch

Don't worry , there are enough options at your Dealership to keep you busy for some time, they used to have Air horns in past but looks they have discontinued now.

No lock on the petrol tank lid. This makes me worry. Picture attached

Most of the time this is not required, but if you don't have a secured parking you can buy an optional extra ( heard someone actually adding sugar in someone's bike in past - neighbours envy!)

Expensive accessories

True but they are worth every penny and are far better in quality than what they give as standard on Bike. Perhaps that's the way they earn and ensure dealership profits.

will suggest you ride for longer whenever you get a chance in the evening or preferably early morning, that way you can run your engine / bike better than stop-go city traffic

Have safe ride

[troika]

Congratulations realnapster. The fatboy is a beauty. Are these the only colours available in the 2016 fatboy range? I had also mailed a query to Capital Harley as am also planning to buy the Fatty, and was told that only Black and Red are available in the 2016 Fatboy. Ride Safe!

[Shubz]

Woohoo!! Congratulations on The Machine!!

Wise choice and thanks for all the acknowledgements!

This machine suits you well, man!

So one question - what is the difference between 2015 & 2016 models?

Horn : I personally felt it was loud enough on city roads. Can you get that checked again?

Accessories: I would recommend ride for about 5000 KMS, get a hang of it all. Check out others on their choices. Arrive at a theme. and then go about it. Don't go for accessories in a "Oh he got it, I got to have it too" mode.

Pushing back: Never try to do it unless assisted. Its a humungous machine! either park in a way that you can start and move. or have someone assist OR park in a way that there is a slight slope, so pushing it backwards becomes easier. just my 2 cents!


Ride Safe!!

[Tushar]

Congratulations on the new ride and thanks for a nice and informative report. Friends getting their FatBoys together; what a moment that must have been! Would definitely recommend you get the fuel cap lock at the soonest. Lot of miscreants who are looking to harm these high end bikes. Also, have you got a Harley owners group membership? You may find yourself going berserk with accessories soon and the people you meet in your H.O.G. chapter usually know where you can get good gear without facing the exorbitant charges HD will ask for.

[VW2010]

Lets just be open and honest and say this is by far the most favorite bike for 99% of us. THe rest 1 % want a Yamaha R1.I wish they manufacture and build it locally and price the bike around 10-13 L . And everytime i see that price you posted i keep saying to myself, thats 8 KTM for me to trash and yet i want to buy one Beautiful bikes and please take care. The attraction it gathers is enormous and so does it gather miscreants waiting to do something.

Wonderful and keep your rides and posts coming. Good luck for a long ownership.

Visibility & size of mirrors
They are not like Royal Enfield but they do the job. If they would have been bit bigger then it would have been easy for the rider to check the traffic situation. I am not a big fan of the current design but my thoughts may change with time

I think it was never meant to be a functional item in the bike. Hey thats a fat boy. Let others keep gawking at you and give way, make way and do whatever it takes to keep you safe in road. Thats my angle to it.

[P.S.]

Congratulations on the bike, and nice pics put up.

Waiting on your feedback about engine heat in Delhi summers.

[dkaile]

Many congratulations realnapster for getting THE 'iconic' Harley and that too in a pair. You just can't do wrong with a Softail. Yes, it will take getting used to, but I had forewarned that in all my Harley threads. The first ride of my Heritage Softail from Gurgaon to Noida had me nearly getting 'tangri kababs' made of my thighs. All this will settle down with time and you will get used to giving the Harley due respect for its weight and power.

I would suggest you upgrade immediately to a the classic chrome 'cowbell' horn from Harley at around 7k which is the only immediate requirement for you right now. It looks as classy as it sounds and gives the bike's left profile a needed lift.

Second would come the exhausts to get the 'proppah' Harley sound as the stock exhausts do mute things a bit. But that upgrade should be at least after the 1st service or 2~3k kms so that the engine gets proper time to bed in. My bike's engine smoothened a lot after 6~7k kms. Do take a look at my thread for good deals I got. I imported the Performance Cobra slip-ons at just 28k compared to a minimum of 50k to 1L that is required here for a exhaust upgrade.

Always wear proper gear, though I think that Harley helmet is quite a overkill. You get much better helmets outside at a fraction of the cost. You would have been better off with their Black Harley Leather Jacket instead and a good Shark rated/MT Full Face helmet from outside. Anyways, contact me anytime for any information.

Cheers and Ride Safe...

PS - BTW that crash video posted by you is NOT of a Harley. It involved my friend who is also incidentally a Fat Boy owner but at the time of the crash when that video was made, he was riding a BMW 1200GT, one of the best Super Tourers in the world, that he had just purchased. That bike was a total loss afaik but his life was saved due to the proper gear he was wearing. So always ride safe and anticipate the road because it is very easy to get lost in the beautiful scenery that Leh presents.

[anandpkumar]

congratulations on the fat boy! that is one mean bike - definitely befitting of the Harley image!

Love those 'bullet hole disc wheels'. Wishing you miles of riding joy.

Ride safe.

[realnapster]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Congrats for the bike and welcome to Team-BHP family....

Most of the time this is not required, but if you don't have a secured parking you can buy an optional extra ( heard someone actually adding sugar in someone's bike in past - neighbours envy!)

Thanks man. I think I am going to buy one on first service.

Originally Posted by troika

Congratulations realnapster. The fatboy is a beauty. Are these the only colours available in the 2016 fatboy range? I had also mailed a query to Capital Harley as am also planning to buy the Fatty, and was told that only Black and Red are available in the 2016 Fatboy. Ride Safe!

Black, Red and "Charcoal Pearl" are three color options available in India. They are going to produce limited quantities of "Charcoal Pearl" that's what I was told by HD guys.

Originally Posted by Shubz

Woohoo!! Congratulations on The Machine!!

Wise choice and thanks for all the acknowledgements!

This machine suits you well, man!

So one question - what is the difference between 2015 & 2016 models?

Horn : I personally felt it was loud enough on city roads. Can you get that checked again?

Accessories: I would recommend ride for about 5000 KMS, get a hang of it all. Check out others on their choices. Arrive at a theme. and then go about it. Don't go for accessories in a "Oh he got it, I got to have it too" mode.

Pushing back: Never try to do it unless assisted. Its a humungous machine! either park in a way that you can start and move. or have someone assist OR park in a way that there is a slight slope, so pushing it backwards becomes easier. just my 2 cents!


Ride Safe!!

Thanks Shubz. Please pardon my ignorance on the topic. I haven't done much comparison between 2015 and 2016 model.

Originally Posted by Tushar

Also, have you got a Harley owners group membership? You may find yourself going berserk with accessories soon and the people you meet in your H.O.G. chapter usually know where you can get good gear without facing the exorbitant charges HD will ask for.

Thanks for the tip Tushar. Do I have to apply for HOG membership somewhere?

Originally Posted by VW2010

Lets just be open and honest and say this is by far the most favorite bike for 99% of us. THe rest 1 % want a Yamaha R1.I wish they manufacture and build it locally and price the bike around 10-13 L . And everytime i see that price you posted i keep saying to myself, thats 8 KTM for me to trash and yet i want to buy one Beautiful bikes and please take care. The attraction it gathers is enormous and so does it gather miscreants waiting to do something.

Thou shall get thy HD soon.

Originally Posted by dkaile

I would suggest you upgrade immediately to a the classic chrome 'cowbell' horn from Harley at around 7k which is the only immediate requirement for you right now. It looks as classy as it sounds and gives the bike's left profile a needed lift.

Always wear proper gear, though I think that Harley helmet is quite a overkill. You get much better helmets outside at a fraction of the cost. You would have been better off with their Black Harley Leather Jacket instead and a good Shark rated/MT Full Face helmet from outside. Anyways, contact me anytime for any information.

Cheers and Ride Safe...

PS - BTW that crash video posted by you is NOT of a Harley. It involved my friend who is also incidentally a Fat Boy owner but at the time of the crash when that video was made, he was riding a BMW 1200GT, one of the best Super Tourers in the world, that he had just purchased. That bike was a total loss afaik but his life was saved due to the proper gear he was wearing. So always ride safe and anticipate the road because it is very easy to get lost in the beautiful scenery that Leh presents.

There is a lot to learn from you. We almost finalized that jacket as well but decided to purchase it later.

Thanks for providing actual facts about that crash. I am glad to know that rider was safe. I had high hopes from BMW as a touring bike but now I am having second thoughts.

[Turbanator]

Do I have to apply for HOG membership somewhere?

First Year should be free , thereafter they charge.

[jkdas]

Congrats on the bike! This is also my favorite Harley! The air deflector is a very useful addon.

About the horn...its an absolute waste of money. They have cover 'one' root windtone and labeled it 8k! Just add a pair of roots which will help you better.

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by jkdas

About the horn...its an absolute waste of money. They have cover 'one' root windtone and labeled it 8k! Just add a pair of roots which will help you better.

You are quite mistaken here. The difference is chalk and cheese. I had installed a pair of Windtones on my Harley Superlow. The original clamp gave way twice leaving the horns hanging in the wind. Finally water entered one of those horns and rendered them useless. Was on my second pair when I sold off the bike. Installed this Original Cowbell on my Heritage and have been living happily ever after...lolz. It's a good 7k investment. I learnt the hard way that Harley quality is hard to replicate and that is why they charge exorbitantly for their accessories. The sound is quite unique making people give way as the windtones sound quite familiar on our roads. IMHO it's better to invest once, as for that matter you are riding a premium 17L bike and not a Pulsar, no offence to any owners.





Cheers...

[Shubz]

Originally Posted by jkdas

Congrats on the bike! This is also my favorite Harley! The air deflector is a very useful addon.

About the horn...its an absolute waste of money. They have cover 'one' root windtone and labeled it 8k! Just add a pair of roots which will help you better.

Dhiraj -- no offense here but JK is so right! Total waste of 8k for that. I've have heard how good (or bad) this sounds amidst the exhaust din.

Regarding Wind deflectors -- I'd say its a VERY useful add-on. Gets you cleaner air for the A/f, helping the engine run better.