2010 Harley-Davidson Fat Bob and Street Glide test rides

September 27, 4:15 PMFort Collins Motorcycle Travel ExaminerAbby Clabough

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2010 Harley-Davidson Fat Bob (http://www.hotbikeweb.com)

I arrived a little late for the party at Thunder Mountain Harley-Davidson yesterday. The HOG chapter was closing up shop on the demo rides, so I went inside and talked to salesman David Seibel, who was happy to do the paperwork needed so I could take a spin on a couple of 2010 models.

It felt smooth and sounded good on start up, but I was a little disoriented when I tried to find the footpegs. I'm not a short person, but I was stretching to reach the forward controls. I have forward controls on my Softail, so it wasn't that I'm not accustomed to them. They were just wayyyy out there. I imagine that for the taller folks (I'm 5' 7"), it must feel nice to be able to extend the legs a little. With the drag bars, I was stretched out, similar to riding a V-Rod. However, the Fat Bob feels a lot more stable than a V-Rod in the slow corners, such as pulling out of a parking spot.

The route took me through some nice curves, and the bike felt great. Braking was smooth, but there were a few bumps on the ride. I got quite a jolt from the front end when I hit a small pothole, and the seat had a lot of vibration. I had test ridden several 2008's at the beginning of that model year, and many of them were very hot on the right thigh. I was thinking about that when riding the Fat Bob and although I could feel some heat from the rear head, it wasn't scorching.

It was my calf that got really hot after a few miles, which isn't a surprise considering you have not one, but two exhaust pipes bulging out at the front of the motor. Again, reminds me of the V-Rod. One would think that the engineers would say, "This doesn't work so well with the V-Rod, but we don't have a lot of options there. Let's make sure we don't have that problem on other models." Eh, there are always aftermarket pipes, if you're lucky enough to live in an area where you won't get ticketed for non-stock exhaust. Have I mentioned ABATE lately?

It is a smooth, fast, good-looking ride, but it doesn't make me want to get rid of my '01 Softail. 

The other bike I rode was a Street Glide. I don't have as much to say about it. It is what it is. A comfy touring bike that corners amazingly well and has no vibration once you get moving. I got a little overwhelmed with all the accessories, but time and miles would take care of that. it wasn't hot anywhere on the right leg. My only complaint was that I had to lean over to reach the handlebars. Again, I'm not a tiny person, so that was a surprise. I suppose men have longer arms than women, and I suppose the Street Glide is purchased by more men than women. One has to wonder if that would change if there were handlebar options. Hmmmm.

I still wouldn't give up my Softail, but if I had the coin, I'd definitely add a Street Glide to my garage.