1. Autos

Discuss in my forum

Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Lo Update #6: $4,208 Later...

By , About.com Guide

2 of 2

Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Lo: What I Would (and Might) Change
Harley Davidson Fat Boy Lo

A left view of the customized Fat Boy Lo.

Photo © Basem Wasef
I came away impressed with the mods made to my long term Harley Davidson Fat Boy Lo, with just a few second thoughts about the changes. On a positive note, the silver theme looks great in person, and the bits of black (like the tank pinstriping and the Willie G. skull logos) tie in to the original black components like the wheels, headlight nacelle, engine, and frame components.

But in the areas where I hesitated to go all out, I regretted. For instance, the chrome grips and hand controls worked well, but since I was trying to avoid spending too much (virtual) money on the project, I didn't go for the Chrome Clutch Bracket and Master Cylinder Reservoir Kit, which saved $329 but left distinct black spots on the otherwise chrome-slathered handgrip area. Also mismatched is the black leather strap across the tank (seen in this cockpit shot); the bike would look more cohesive with a distressed brown leather tank panel ($59) to match the saddle, or a chrome dash panel extension ($41) to blend into the silver tank. One more easy fix for the mismatched black components is the rear fender strut, which can be replaced with a chrome piece for only $44.

And finally, the last area I wonder about is the handlebar; while the stock bar certainly doesn't look out of place with this bike's current stylistic incarnation, I think straight drag bars might offer a more aggressive attitude.

Overall, I'm happy with the way my Fat Boy Lo was customized-- but as it turns out, there's always room for further tinkering.

Mileage Log

  • Total Miles Ridden: 1,379
  • Total Odometer Miles: 2,931
  • Average Fuel Economy: 38.2 mpg

©2012 About.com. All rights reserved.

A part of The New York Times Company.