'Bob's Your Uncle
Like the inappropriately bawdy uncle (on your Dad's side) who's more interested in a good laugh at Aunt Ethel's expense than acting his age at the family reunion, the CVO Fat Bob is way more fun than any other guest here; the taut, smooth combo of an FX front end coupled with Big Twin grunt and jammed onto a Dyna chassis makes for a rollicking good time in the twisties, the freeway-really anywhere.
Wide, muscular and just a tad alien (c'mon with those front headlights), the 2010 CVO Fat Bob makes a swift return to its more subtle, sinister roots with a new finish called Midnight Pearl. The trick plating process is applied to the headlight shell, derby cover, fender strut covers and various other components, and it's a welcome change from last year's CVO 'Bob, which Bartels called out as a "thug (in) a sequined dress, garish lipstick, clear heels, and glitter", thanks to its flamboyant paint job. Welcome home, Bob.
Big news (well, sorta) on the 'Bob this year is a brown distressed leather seat available in a two-piece convertible configuration that can be swapped to a solo setup. Problem with that was, that with the Satin Pewter color option, the machine ended up looking so dang rustic we couldn't help but dub it "The Eddie Bauer Bike".
Luckily, Bob also gets a powder-coated Granite finish on the 110 cubic inch powertrain to help reassert his masculinity, while a high performance clutch with hydraulic actuation makes shifting a breeze. New chrome and rubber rear fender protectors, diamond black accents on the speedo, tach and a color-matched chin spoiler and custom color frame and swingarm round out the cosmetic strokes.
Standard issue CVO touches include internal wiring on the 1.25 inch handlebar, and the return of the powder coated Fang wheels as well as the Heavy Breather Air Intake. And let's not forget that ultra-cool Tommy Gun 2-into-1-into-2 exhaust with chrome blunt cut mufflers and black header pipe. The bars are low-rise, with a neutral, easy-to-reach position.
Out on the road, I couldn't feel any significant changes from last year's model and was happy to wring out a fairly plush ride most of the time. Still, the bike had a tendency to bottom out on the big dips, no doubt a result of just 2.13 inches of available rear wheel travel. You have to wrestle Bob through initial turn-ins in the bends as well, but once leaned over, the bugger tracks as well as any Union Pacific locomotive.
The 110-inch Twin Cam engine is a perfect match for the Fat Bob's 719 lb. tonnage, and actually feels like a nicely modded big-bore motor here. The long-stroke 110 engine makes most of its power down low and likes to be short-shifted, but once you add in H-D's Heavy Breather high-flow element and freer-flowing mufflers along with the positive-shifting Cruise Drive 6-Speed tranny, the result is big fun with plenty of power on tap. Because of a stiffer clutch spring (due to the larger motor), the Fat Bob uses a hydraulic clutch to allow for easier actuation at the lever, and that top gear makes for easy cruising in low revs for all legal highway speeds.
With a neutral riding position, mid-length rides are a cakewalk. The seat is somewhat hard, but offers good support and the forward controls tend to favor those of long inseam. With the Fat Bob's chunky 16-inch front wheel, relatively light weight and a 29-degree steering head angle, and you can see why this bike's overall personality is really pretty appealing...unless you're a staunch traditionalist.