Harley-Davidson Introduces New Limited-Edition Fat Boy® Gray Ghost

PORT GRIMAUD – On the occasion of the highly anticipated Euro Festival Harley-Davidson®, which returned after seven years to the splendid setting of the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, the American motorcycle manufacturer unveiled in Port Grimaud the gleaming Fat Boy® Gray Ghost, the fifth model in its exclusive Icons Motorcycle Collection. This new limited-production edition celebrates the 35th anniversary of the iconic Fat Boy, a motorcycle that has left an indelible mark on motorcycle culture and remains one of the most recognizable two-wheelers of all time. The Gray Ghost version pays homage to a true star of motorcycle design with a stunning Reflection finish that gives the bike the appearance of being dipped in chrome.

The Icons Motorcycle Collection annually introduces a new limited-edition model that offers a modern take on an iconic Harley-Davidson® motorcycle. Each model is individually numbered and may include additional features over the base model. Production of the Fat Boy Gray Ghost will be limited to 1,990 units worldwide (paying homage to the 1990 Fat Boy), with a base price in Italy of Euro 32,700 (*suggested retail price).

Homage to the “fat custom” legend “The original Fat Boy took the proportions and silhouette of the 1949 Hydra-Glide and reinterpreted them for a new generation of riders,” explains Brad Richards, Harley-Davidson Vice President of Design and Chief Creative Officer. “Those riders appreciated our post-war DNA, but they were also drawn to the simplicity of contemporary industrial design.”

Originally intended for a short life cycle, the Fat Boy has endured three engine generations and a complete redesign of the Softail® frame, maintaining an unmatched visual and stylistic impact for 35 years.

The Fat Boy is a big, bold motorcycle designed for those who want to stand out. That statement is amplified by the Icons Collection Fat Boy Gray Ghost, which gleams in the sunlight as if carved from a solid block of alloy and polished to a mirror finish. The Reflection finish is achieved through a process called Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD), also known as thin-film coating, in which a solid material is vaporized under a vacuum and deposited onto the surface of a part — in this case, the bike’s gas tank and fenders. The process occurs by applying a positive charge to the solid material (an aluminum alloy) and a negative charge to the bike part. After deposition, the part is painted with a standard clear coat.

Harley-Davidson has used PVD technology in the past to finish small components, such as tank badges and exhaust covers. However, this is the first time this treatment has been applied to such large components on a production Harley-Davidson® model. The exceptional precision of this coating provides a spectacular finish that is similar in appearance to chrome, but more complete in coverage and meets Harley-Davidson standards for corrosion resistance that are impossible to achieve with traditional chrome plating on these parts.

Chrome side case covers complete the bike’s overall brilliant finish, complementing the gloss silver powder-coated frame. Styling cues inspired by the original Fat Boy include a round air cleaner, yellow accents on the lower head covers, powertrain covers and tank console insert. Additional details — like a leather seat valance with laces and tassels and a black leather tank strap with braided edge — add to the nostalgic aesthetic. Three-dimensional tank badges replicate the original Fat Boy’s iconic wing graphic. A commemorative tank console insert is engraved with the bike’s unique serial number, while an Icons Collection medallion is positioned on the rear fender.

The Fat Boy-exclusive Lakester cast aluminum wheels accentuate the bike’s muscular stance. High-performance Michelin® Scorcher® 11 tires (160/60R18 front, 240/40R18 rear) enhance the ride.

The Fat Boy Gray Ghost model shares the high-performance and technical features introduced with the 2025 Fat Boy motorcycle. • New Milwaukee-Eight® 117 Custom Engine: Calibrated to deliver 101 horsepower (75 kW) and 122 lb-ft of torque (171 Nm), an increase in power – a 7 percent increase in horsepower and 3 percent increase in torque – over the 2024 Fat Boy 114 model. o This engine features a 2-into-2 exhaust with individual catalysts. The mufflers are constructed from advanced, lightweight materials that work to reduce high frequencies and emphasize low frequencies for a powerful sound. o The four-valve cylinder heads feature a revised combustion chamber shape, oval intake ports and low-profile intake valve seats designed to improve performance and fuel economy. o Engine oil is routed from a frame-mounted oil cooler through the cylinder head cooling passages. This cooling system further optimizes the rider's thermal comfort, especially in low-speed riding situations and hot conditions. • New Suspension: recalibrated to optimize rider comfort. o The 49mm forks with dual-curvature valve keep the front wheel in contact with the road surface, for a comfortable ride. o Hydraulic preload adjustment under the seat allows the rider to maintain optimum rear suspension performance based on load and prevailing road conditions. • New Selectable Riding Modes (Road, Rain and Sport): electronically control the motorcycle's performance characteristics and the level of technological intervention. • New Harley-Davidson Rider Confidence Enhancements: A collection of technologies designed to increase rider confidence during unexpected situations or adverse road conditions. o Anti-lock Braking System in Straight Line/Curve (ABS/C-ABS) o Straight Line/Curve Traction Control System (TCS/C-TCS) o Straight Line/Curve Deceleration Slip Torque Control (DSCS/C-DSCS) o Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) • New Full LED Lighting: including headlights, taillights, brake lights and indicators, for improved visibility. • New USB-C Power Port: Offers faster data transfer than the previous USB-A port, reversible connector orientation, and compatibility with newer devices. The port location is on the front left side of the motorcycle, under the fuel tank. • New Heated Garment Connectors: These have been moved from behind a side panel to the top of the rear fender under the seat, where they are much easier to access.

• New 5-Inch Console Mounted Gauge: Places an analog speedometer above a multi-function LCD digital display. The rider can use the Trip control button to scroll through the information available on the LCD display.

In 1990, a time when the motorcycle media and much of the motorcycling public were focused on the increasing performance of sportbikes, the Harley-Davidson® Fat Boy model arrived like a powerful chord of heavy metal. The Fat Boy model was inspired by a custom Harley® motorcycle based on the Softail® platform created in 1987 at Harley-Davidson Montréal by dealer general manager Duc Dufour and engineer Denis Lavoie, who called the bike the Lowboy. The bike featured a lowered rear suspension, an aluminum disc wheel, and a fiberglass fender up front, along with wide handlebars. Spotted by Harley-Davidson executive Jerry Wilke, one was shipped to Milwaukee. Although the Lowboy custom provided some inspiration, the motorcycle that would become the Fat Boy model was created by the H-D design team led by Willie G. Davidson and Louie Netz.

“On the 1990 Fat Boy, the wheels are the defining feature,” Davidson wrote in his book 100 Years of Harley-Davidson. “The idea was to create a distinctive look using solid cast disc wheels. We pushed that distinction even further with a monochromatic silver paint job and a silver powder-coated frame. Since the entire bike was silver, we needed something bright to make it pop. I added yellow trim to the rocker boxes, derby cover, timer cover and ignition switch. We built a prototype Fat Boy and took it to Daytona to get direct feedback from the riders.”

Only Harley-Davidson would have the courage to call 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 stories about that, most of them false," Davidson wrote. "Here's the real story: It's hard to find names that are popular on the street. We were looking for something unusual and maybe even a little irreverent, because there's something kind of cool about poking fun at your own product every now and then. To me, and to a lot of other people in the industry who saw it, the bike had a massive, 'fat' look. So the marketing team came up with the name Fat Boy."

• 1990: The Fat Boy model debuts in just one color, Fine Silver Metallic, powered by a rigid-mounted Evolution® V-Twin engine. • 1991: The Fat Boy motorcycle enters popular culture with its appearance in the film "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," in which actor Arnold Schwarzenegger rides a Fat Boy through Los Angeles in a dramatic chase scene. The film was a global success, helping to cement the Fat Boy model as the icon of the Harley-Davidson® brand in many markets, especially Europe. One of the motorcycles used in the film is now in the collection of the Harley-Davidson® Museum. • 2000: The balanced, opposed Twin Cam 88B™ engine debuts in Softail® models, including the Fat Boy model. • 2005: The limited-production Fat Boy® CVO™ model, powered by a Twin Cam 103™ engine, had a two-year production run. Styling highlights included a lowered rear suspension, steel pan-style seat, chrome floorboards and a new metallic finish with three color options. • 2010: The Fat Boy® Lo model lowers the seat height to just 24.25 inches thanks to lowered front and rear suspension and a low-profile seat. • 2016: The Fat Boy® S model is powered by the powerful Screamin' Eagle® Twin Cam 110™ engine and is finished in Dark Custom™ styling. • 2018: The Fat Boy model is one of the revolutionary Softail® models based on a new frame with monoshock rear suspension and balanced, horizontally opposed Milwaukee-Eight® V-Twin engines. The styling is all-new, with a massive front end, a new headlight shape and a massive 240mm rear tire, but the bike is clearly still a Fat Boy model.

• 2020: Harley-Davidson celebrates an icon with the introduction of the Fat Boy® 114 30th Anniversary Limited Edition motorcycle. Restyled with dark paint and bronze trim, and powered by the Milwaukee-Eight® 114 engine, production of the Fat Boy 30th Anniversary motorcycle was limited to 2,500 units.

Prices shown are the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Prices for base models. Prices exclude taxes, title, license, registration fees, destination charges, surcharges (attributable to raw material costs in the product supply chain), additional accessories and additional dealer charges, if any, and are subject to change. Harley-Davidson reimburses dealers for performing manufacturer-specified pre-delivery inspection and preparation. Dealer pricing may vary.