Harley-Davidson celebrate 30 years of the Fat Boy with blacked-out special edition

In celebration of 30 years of production, Harley-Davidson have revealed a new Fat Boy special edition, limited to 2500 units.

With each bike’s tank fitted with a unique serial number plate for authenticity, the Fat Boy 30^th Anniversary is powered by a blacked-out version of Harley’s thumping Milwaukee-Eight 114 V-twin engine.

Dressed in an all-black livery, complete with gentle touches of bronze, the limited-run cruiser does away with the conventional lashings of chrome for a more aggressive look.

Priced from £20,495 (the standard machine begins at £17,545), complementing the ‘Vivid Black’ paint scheme is a set of cast-aluminium solid wheels, which are finished in a satin black and lined with a machined rim.

Breaking up the black theme are subtle touches of bronze, which decorate both the lower rocker covers and timer cover script, which displays the words: ‘Harley-Davidson 30^th anniversary’ against a black background. 

“The Fat Boy took the look, proportions and silhouette of a 1949 Hydra Glide motorcycle and completely modernised it for a new generation of riders,” Brad Richards, Vice President of Styling and Design at Harley-Davidson, explained in a statement. 

“For this 30th Anniversary model we wanted to create something very special, so we leaned into the popularity of darker finishes and a limited run/serialised strategy to make the bike truly unique and exclusive,” he continued.

Originally introduced in 1989 ahead of the 1990 riding season, for 2020 the special has also been treated to a black headlight cover, handlebars and controls. This is then offset by bronze detailing on the sleek petrol tank.

The latest incarnation of the chunky all-American bruiser is based on the Softail platform launched by Harley in 2018, which also includes such models as the Breakout and Low Rider S.

Retaining the classically inspired Harley looks, the latest generation Fat Boy also makes use of modern touches like an LED headlight. Those wanting a little extra shove can also opt to install Harley’s own selection of Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts Stage Upgrades.

Keep an eye out for the full MCN review soon.

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