2018 Harley-Davidson Fat Bob Competition Check

The Harley-Davidson Fat Bob is completely refreshed for 2018. Launched at Rs 13.99 lakhs, it competes with the Triumph Thunderbird Storm and Indian Scout. We see how the new Fat Bob fares against its rivals.

Features

The Fat Bob is designed to look like it is ready to fight a zombie apocalypse. It now has an all new identity and it is fierce. Apart from the new Milwaukee Eight 107 engine, the bike features many changes. The 2018 Fat Bob now gets an all-LED rectangular headlamp, which plays a big role in the aesthetics of the bike. It also gets bronze coloured 2-into-1-into-2 pipes, twin disc setup up-front and a short tail that looks a bit derived from the Vmax. The bike now features 43mm Showa upside-down forks upfront and a monoshock at the rear. The Fat Bob weighs a kerb of 309kgs.

The Triumph Thunderbird Storm looks lethal too, in its all black avatar. It is based on the original Thunderbird and keeps the trademark Triumph twin-headlamp setup. The bike sure looks like a downsized version of the Triumph Rocket III and could be mistaken as one at first glance. The bike is the heaviest of the lot with a kerb of 339kgs.

The Indian Scout’s theme is completely different from the other two bikes. While those look like they’ll be ridden by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Terminator series, the Scout feels more like the Old West. It sports a modern classic design with stylish fenders and a lot of chrome and a solo seat. At 253kgs, the Scout is the lightest of the three.

So what is at the heart of these machines?

Engine

The Harley-Davidson Fat Bob uses a Milwaukee Eight 107 engine which is new for this year. The engine is a 1745cc V-Twin that produces 145Nm of torque. It is mated to a six-speed gearbox and final chain drive. Although figures are unknown, the bike’s performance is expected to have increased thanks to an overall weight reduction of 17kgs

At the heart of the Triumph Thunderbird Storm is a 1,700cc parallel-twin engine which puts out 97bhp of power and 156Nm of torque. All this power is sent to the wheel through a six-speed gearbox and final belt drive.

The Indian Scout is powered by a 1699cc V-Twin engine that produces 100bhp and 97Nm of torque. This bike is also mated to a 6-speed gearbox and final belt drive.

But how much do they cost?

Pricing

In terms of pricing, the Harley Davidson Fat Bob is the least expensive at Rs 13.99 lakhs (ex-showroom, India). The Triumph Thunderbird Storm comes in second at Rs 14.52 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi) while the Indian Scout is the most expensive at Rs 15.20 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi)