Where did the name "Fat Boy" come from??
#11
02-05-2010, 07:44 AM
when i worked in the family dealership in the early 70s, when the larger split gas tanks were introduced they were called fat bobs. when i first saw the Fat Boy i thought the dealers were confused and incorrectly calling Fat Bobs Fat Boys.
Last edited by huffhuff; 02-05-2010 at 07:46 AM.
#13
02-05-2010, 07:53 AM
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#15
02-05-2010, 09:00 AM
Ultimate HDF Member
Urban Legend. 
Just because it happens to be painted the same color as the Enola Gay.
And the "Fat Boy" HD Logo looks eerily like an airplane flying towards you.
The yellow stripes on the scoot are the same color as Fat Man.
And can't remember right now, but the # of yellow stripes = ???.
IT'S an urban legend.
Sorta like the Confederate Edition. 
NOW, the only way to make the 'converstion' a bit mo' interesting,
Fat Boy, with a side hack, shaped like Fat Man.
.
Just because it happens to be painted the same color as the Enola Gay.
And the "Fat Boy" HD Logo looks eerily like an airplane flying towards you.
The yellow stripes on the scoot are the same color as Fat Man.
And can't remember right now, but the # of yellow stripes = ???.
IT'S an urban legend.
Sorta like the Confederate Edition. NOW, the only way to make the 'converstion' a bit mo' interesting,
Fat Boy, with a side hack, shaped like Fat Man.
.
#16
02-05-2010, 09:19 AM
I have a couple guys I worked with that seem to love to bash HDs. BMW lovers... and they mentioned to me that the Fat Boy was named after the A-bombs dropped on Japan during WWII. These guys told me the Harley Davidson choose this name because HD was sick of the Japan bikes trying to copy them at the time.
So I searched it on the trusty internet and it appears that indeed it is an Urban Legend but don't know the truth to it. Below is what I found from my search:
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By 1990, with the introduction of the "Fat Boy", Harley once again became the sales leader in the heavyweight (over 750 cc) market. At the time of the Fat Boy model introduction a story rapidly spread that its silver paint job and other features were inspired by the World War II American B-29 bomber; and that the Fat Boy name was a combination of the names of the atom bombs (Fat Man and Little Boy) that were dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima respectively. However, the Urban Legend Reference Pages lists this story as an urban legend.
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So I searched it on the trusty internet and it appears that indeed it is an Urban Legend but don't know the truth to it. Below is what I found from my search:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
By 1990, with the introduction of the "Fat Boy", Harley once again became the sales leader in the heavyweight (over 750 cc) market. At the time of the Fat Boy model introduction a story rapidly spread that its silver paint job and other features were inspired by the World War II American B-29 bomber; and that the Fat Boy name was a combination of the names of the atom bombs (Fat Man and Little Boy) that were dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima respectively. However, the Urban Legend Reference Pages lists this story as an urban legend.
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http://www.snopes.com/business/market/fatboy.asp
#17
02-05-2010, 09:39 AM
Back in the 60s we called a stripped H-D with a standard tank with the two sides and the speedo console a Fat Bob. That meant it didn't have a peanut tank. I think H-D glommed on to the enthusiasts lingo rather than the Air Corps. Where do people get their info nowadays? No imagination. Or maybe too much imagination. Fat Boy is just a short step from Fat Bob, which was the old name for a stripped Hog dresser.
#18
02-05-2010, 09:39 AM
#19
02-05-2010, 09:49 AM
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Read the snopes thing. Sure are a lot of similarities that are nothing more than a mere coincidence.
Buddy has an original 90. When they first came out they had problem with gas leaking around the filler between the paint and clear coat. His was one affected. In order to get replacement tanks, he had to show proof of ownership (he had title) in order to get new tanks. They only did that combo for the first year.
Buddy has an original 90. When they first came out they had problem with gas leaking around the filler between the paint and clear coat. His was one affected. In order to get replacement tanks, he had to show proof of ownership (he had title) in order to get new tanks. They only did that combo for the first year.
#20
02-05-2010, 09:57 AM
You read it. Silver paint? Gee, is silver that rare? I think it's the most common color on the road. Wheels? How can they not be disc shaped? And the gold rings? See the word "allegedly" about rings on the bomb. That means some tweeker made it up. And the name, pretty fitting for a fat bike.
