Harley-Davidson today introduced the gleaming Fat Boy® Gray Ghost model, the fifth installment in its Icons Motorcycle Collection. This new, limited-production Icons model celebrates the 35th anniversary of the introduction of the Fat Boy, a motorcycle that remains a cultural icon and one of the most recognizable bikes to ever roll down the road. The Fat Boy Gray Ghost model salutes a superstar of motorcycle design with a gleaming new Reflection finish that gives the entire motorcycle the appearance of being dipped in chrome.
The Icons Motorcycle Collection features a limited release of a new motorcycle model that offers a fresh interpretation of an iconic Harley-Davidson® motorcycle. Icons Motorcycle Collection models are serialized and may include additional features above the base motorcycle. Production of the Fat Boy Gray Ghost model will be limited to 1,990 total motorcycles globally, (paying homage to the original 1990 Fat Boy).
The Fat Boy Gray Ghost model celebrates the enduring significance of the original “fat custom” motorcycle.
“The original Fat Boy model took the look, proportions, and silhouette of a 1949 Hydra-Glide and completely modernized it for a new generation of riders,” explains Brad Richards, Harley-Davidson Vice President of Design and Creative Director, Motorcycles. “Those riders appreciated our post-war design DNA but also found themselves drawn to the clean simplicity of contemporary industrial design.”
At its inception, the bike was intended to have a limited lifespan. Instead, the Fat Boy motorcycle has spanned three powertrain generations and a complete redesign of its Softail® chassis and for 35 years has maintained its original power to impress with unmatched presence and undeniable style.
Stunning Reflection Finish
The Fat Boy is a big, bold motorcycle designed for riders who want to make a statement. That statement is amplified by an Icons Collection Fat Boy Gray Ghost model that will shimmer in sunlight like it was machined from a solid alloy billet and polished to a mirror finish. The Reflection finish is created using the physical vapor deposition (PVD) process, also known as thin film coating, in which a solid material is vaporized in a vacuum and deposited onto the surface of a part, in this case the fuel tank and motorcycle fenders. This is accomplished by applying a positive charge to the solid material (an aluminum alloy) and a negative charge to the motorcycle part. Following the deposition process, the part is painted with a standard clear coat finish.
PVD has been used in the past by Harley-Davidson to finish some small parts such as tank medallions and exhaust shields. Its use on the Fat Boy Gray Ghost model fenders and fuel tank is the first time PVD has been used on parts this large for a production Harley-Davidson® model. The precision of this coating results in a stunning finish that is chrome-like in appearance but is more comprehensive than chrome plating and thus will meet Harley-Davidson standards for corrosion resistance that are not possible with chroming on these parts.
Chrome side covers complete the bike’s overall bright finish, complemented by a frame finished in a bright silver powder coat. Styling cues inspired by the original Fat Boy model include a round air cleaner, yellow accents on the lower rocker covers, powertrain covers, and tank console insert. Additional details—such as a leather seat valance with lacing and tassels, and a black leather tank strap with laced edging—add to the nostalgic aesthetic. Three-dimensional fuel tank medallions replicate the iconic winged graphic from the original Fat Boy. A commemorative tank console insert is etched with the bike’s unique serialization number, while the Icons Collection medallion is positioned on the rear fender.
Lakester cast aluminum wheels, exclusive to the Fat Boy model, emphasizes a bold stance. High-performance Michelin® Scorcher® 11 tires (Front 160/60R18, Rear 240/40R18) enhance the ride.
Elevated Performance and Technology
The Fat Boy Gray Ghost model shares the elevated performance and technical features introduced with the 2025 Fat Boy motorcycle.
- NEWMilwaukee-Eight® 117 Custom powertrain is tuned to deliver 101 horsepower (75 kW) and 122 lb. ft. (171 Nm) peak torque, a power increase – 7 percent more horsepower and 3 percent more torque – over the 2024 Fat Boy 114 model.
- This engine is equipped with a 2-into-2 exhaust with individual catalysts. Mufflers feature advanced lightweight material that works to trim high frequencies and emphasize low frequencies for a powerful sound.
- Four-valve cylinder heads feature revised combustion chamber shape, oval intake ports and low-profile intake valve seats designed to improve performance and fuel economy.
- Engine oil is routed from a frame-mounted oil cooler through cylinder head cooling passages. This cylinder head cooling system further optimizes thermal comfort for the rider, especially in low-speed riding situations and hot weather.
- NEWSuspension is recalibrated to optimize rider comfort.
- Dual-bending valve 49 mm forks keep front wheel in contact with the road surface a comfortable ride.
- Under-seat hydraulic pre-load adjustment allows the rider to maintain optimal rear suspension performance for the prevailing load and road conditions.
- NEW Selectable Ride Modes (Road, Rain and Sport) electronically control the performance characteristics of the motorcycle and the level of technology intervention.
- NEW Rider Safety Enhancements by Harley-Davidson is a collection of technologies designed to enhance rider confidence during unexpected situations or adverse road conditions.
- Straight Line/Cornering Antilock Braking System (ABS/C-ABS)
- Straight Line/Cornering Traction Control System (TCS/C-TCS)
- Straight Line/Cornering Drag Torque Slip Control (DSCS/C-DSCS)
- Tire Pressure Monitoring (TPMS)
- NEW All-LED Lighting – including headlamp, tail and brake lights and signals – enhance conspicuity.
- NEW USB-C Power Port offers faster data transfer than the previous USB-A port, reversible plug orientation, and compatibility with newer devices. The port location is at the front-left side of the motorcycle beneath the fuel tank.
- NEW Heated Gear Connectors have been relocated from behind a side panel to the top of the rear fender below the seat where they are much easier to access.
- NEW 5-Inch Console-Mounted instrument places an analog speedometer above a multi-function LCD digital display. The rider can use the Trip hand control button to scroll through available information in the LCD display
History of an Instant Icon
In 1990, a time when the motorcycle media and much of the riding public was consumed with the escalating performance of sport bikes, the Harley-Davidson® Fat Boy model landed like a thundering heavy-metal power chord.
The Fat Boy model was inspired by a custom Harley® motorcycle based on the Softail® platform created in 1987 at Harley-Davidson Montréal by the dealership general manager Duc Dufour and technician Denis Lavoie, which they called a Lowboy. That bike featured slammed rear suspension, an aluminum disc wheel and fiberglass fender on the front and a wide handlebar. Spotted by Harley-Davidson Executive Jerry Wilke, an example was shipped to Milwaukee. While the Lowboy custom offered some inspiration, the motorcycle that would become the Fat Boy model was created by the H-D styling team led by Willie G. Davidson and Louie Netz.
“On the 1990 Fat Boy model, the wheels are the defining characteristic,” wrote Davidson in his book 100 Years of Harley-Davidson. “The idea was to create a distinctive look using solid-cast disc wheels. We pushed this distinction further with a silver monochromatic paint job and silver powder-coated frame. Since the entire bike was silver, we needed something bright to set it off. I added yellow trim to the rocker boxes, the derby cover, the timer cover, and the ignition switch. We built a Fat Boy prototype, and I took it to Daytona so we would get one-on-one feedback from the riders.”
Only Harley-Davidson would have the chutzpah to name a motorcycle Fat Boy.
“You’re probably wondering how we came up with a name like Fat Boy, and I’ve heard a lot of tales about this, nearly all of which are untrue,” wrote Davidson. “Here’s the real story: it’s tough to come up with names that will be popular on the street. We were looking for something unusual and maybe even a little irreverent, because there’s something sort of cool about poking fun at your products from time to time. To me, and to a lot of other insiders who’d seen it, the bike had a massive ‘fat’ look. So the folks in marketing came up with the name Fat Boy.”
Fat Boy Model Timeline
- 1990: The Fat Boy model debuts in one color, Fine Silver Metallic, powered by a rigid-mounted Evolution® V-Twin engine.
- 1991: The Fat Boy motorcycle entered popular culture with its featured appearance in the motion picture “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” in which actor Arnold Schwarzenegger rides a Fat Boy motorcycle through Los Angeles in a dramatic chase scene. The movie was a global sensation, helping cement the Fat Boy model as representative of the Harley-Davidson® brand in many markets, especially Europe. One of the bikes used in the movie is now in the Harley-Davidson Museum® collection.
- 2000: The counterbalanced Twin Cam 88B™ engine debuts in Softail® models, including the Fat Boy model.
- 2005: The limited-production CVO™ Fat Boy® model, powered by a Twin Cam 103™ engine, began a two-year run. Styling highlights included slammed rear suspension, steel pan-style seat, chrome pillion, and a new metal-grind finish accent with three color options.
- 2010: The Fat Boy® Lo model dropped the seat height to just 24.25 inches, thanks to slammed front and rear suspension and a low-profile seat.
- 2016: The Fat Boy® S model is powered by the muscular Screamin’ Eagle® Twin Cam 110™ engine and finished in Dark Custom™ styling.
- 2018: The Fat Boy model is one of eight revolutionary Softail® motorcycles based on an all-new chassis featuring monoshock rear suspension and dual counterbalanced Milwaukee-Eight® V-Twin engines. The styling is all new – a massive front end, a new headlight shape, and a huge 240 mm rear tire – but the bike is also quite obviously a Fat Boy model.
- 2020: Harley-Davidson celebrates an icon with the introduction of the Fat Boy® 114 30th Anniversary Limited Edition motorcycle. Restyled in dark finishes with bronze highlights and powered by a Milwaukee-Eight® 114 engine, production of the 30th Anniversary Fat Boy was limited to 2,500 examples.
*Product availability may vary market to market. Dealer prices may vary. Enquire with local H-D dealers to know more.
