2009 Harley-Davidson CVO Fat Bob Reviews

2009 Harley-Davidson CVO Fat Bob

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First Reviewed August 12, 2009 Found in CVO, Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Reviews

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Every year Harley-Davidson riders say that the bikes coming out of the Custom Vehicle Operations (CVO) division can't get any better and every year the team tries to prove them wrong. One of the limited edition models on the 2009 lineup is the Screamin' Eagle CVO Fat Bob. This loud and flashy bike comes with plenty of power and with the entire motorcycle weighing in at only 728 lbs soaking wet, it's built to be one mean machine.

The original H-D Fat Bob, which debuted in 2008, was the prototypical anti-cruiser. Think of it as the slimmed-down, yet muscled up, MMA fighter of the motorcycle world. It comes from the factory with a beefy 16" front wheel, alternative tire treads that seem to have a dual-sport purpose in mind, and the iconic double headlight. While not every Harley-Davidson motorcycle is a hit, the Fat Bob ended up being a home run for the company and ended up being included in the company's "Dark Custom" promotion. Projecting a pro-street image, the new 2009 Harley-Davidson Fat Bob rolls with a performance-based rumble and the gleam of custom chrome. This imagery stretches from the brawny front tire to its entwined exhaust to the boisterous cant of its bobtail rear fender, the CVO Fat Bob will most likely be a hit with Harley lovers from coast to coast.

As mentioned previously, the CVO Fat Bob is a limited-production motorcycle created by the Harley-Davidson CVO group which will only turn out a little less than 2,500 copies in the 2009 production year. This bike is hand-crafted by a team of highly skilled technicians in a special assembly area at the Harley-Davidson Kansas City Vehicle Operations facility. Typically these types of motorcycles never come cheap and this mantra holds true here as well as Harley-Davidson ships the bike from the factory with a suggested U.S. retail price of $25,299 ($25,499 in California).

Regardless of the fact that cable TV and countless magazines flaunt custom cut bikes which dazzle the mind, the CVO Fat Bob still draws a crowd. A lot of the bike's popularity is the result of a counter-biker-culture back-lash where the everyday rider who cannot afford to sink $100,000 into a motorcycle project is looking to assert his ability to "keep his cake and eat it too" as it were.

When you look at a Fat Bob, your eyes immediately go to the wheels. Jeff Smith, CVO Manager and ultimately the man-in-charge of approving all designs of all the CVO bikes that roll off the line has been seen beaming with pride when these wheels are mentioned. The '09 CVO Fat Bob rolls on a pair of what are dubbed "Fang Cast" wheels. Theses are powder coated black and then received a chrome treatment in via a top-secrets Harley-Davidson only process. The iconic "fangs" that decorate the perimeter of the wheel are not one with the rest of the wheel but are instead bolted in place as separate pieces. The flanges provide a gleam of silver when you're rolling. It's a nifty set-up and really catches the eye but, unfortunately, the effect is diminished somewhat by the rather large front brake rotors.

The 130mm tires mounted up front is an attention grabber in its own rite. The 'Big Block' tread pattern is not very main-stream on 2009 motorcycles in general and this alternative styling element only adds to the CVO Fat Bob's bold stance.

Another cool custom touch to the 2009 CVO Fat Bob is the addition of the Heavy Breather intake system to the Screamin' Eagle engine. The CVO Softail Springer is the only other 2009 Harley to get this upgrade. Sure, it's claimed to add a few numbers to torque output, but we know the real reason it's there - it just looks freakin' cool. The sleek forward-facing cone has a special chrome end cap and a '110 SE' emblem to make no doubts about where it's getting its power from. This element has become so popular that there are a myriad of imitations on the after-market scene these days.

Other, less obvious details round out the style enhancements on the 2009 CVO Fat Bob. These include: a granite and chrome chin spoiler tidy up the bottom of the frame, Ironside Collection handgrips, footpegs, shifter peg and brake pedal pad all of which serve to complement the bike's overall street appeal. The rear fender, frequently the subject of designer manipulation that often falls short of expectations, sports a cool-looking smoked LED tri-bar tail/brake light with a chrome slotted cover.

The saddle retains a similar shape to that of the standard Fat Bob but has some exquisite detail work. CVO designers wanted to give the saddle the suede look but know all too well how poorly suede weathers. In the end the '09 CVO Fat Bob was fitted out with Alcantara accents for the seating surface. Alcantara retains the look and feel of suede but is a synthetic material that is both weather and wear resistant. The sides of the seat are still familiar black leather. The final touch is a tasteful Harley-Davidson badge sunk deeply in the seat.

The profile of the bike was changed with a lowered fork (compared to other Dynas), flattening the bike out, while the bike gained revised suspension spring rates and damping to do more with less travel. The result is a plush ride most of the time, with a tendency to bottom out on big dips and bumps.

The looks of the bike are abundantly obvious and you're going to either love them or be blinded by them, but the overall feel of the bike with its plentiful power and crisp handling is what is going to make the owner of the 2009 Harley-Davidson CVO Fat Bob happy. The 110-inch Twin Cam motor is no fire breather, but H-D engineers properly matched it to this 725 pound bike to give it the type of ride that has you aching for more.

The Sreamin' Eagle Engine sits below the iconic Fat Bob fuel tank which gives this model its name. It comes standard with the Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI) allows the motor to produce 114 ft. lbs. of torque at 3500 rpm and features a heavy-duty, self-adjusting clutch with hydraulic actuation and the 6-speed Cruise Drive transmission.

The a fore mentioned Heavy Breather intake with exposed high-flow conical filter features a special chrome end cap, a "110 SE" emblem and a sculpted trim ring. The CVO Fat Bob-exclusive Tommy Gun 2-1-2 exhaust snakes around the engine before exiting through chrome blunt-cut mufflers. The header pipes, which are exposed through the exhaust shield slots, are finished with a black coating. The powertrain is finished in CVO-exclusive granite powdercoat with chrome covers, and features new a "110 Cubic Inch" badge on the chrome billet derby cover.

Like any long-stroke engine, the 110 cubic inch Screamin' Eagle powerplant performs better at the lower end of the tachometer and responds well to being short-shifted. The upgraded intake system and better-flowing mufflers are said to be of some help in improving power as well. The mufflers make for some soulful sounds which seem loud enough to be close to the DOT-legal limit.

This ultra-limited production Harley-Davidson motorcycle comes in five colors which include: Sunrise Yellow Pearl w/ Platinum Quartz, Black Diamond w/ Fire Quartz, Denim Granite w/ Electric Blue Fade, Electric Orange w/ Slate Black, and Electric Orange w/ Slate Black.

Review of the 2009 Harley-Davidson CVO Fat Bob (Model: FXDFSE) can be found below. If you've had the chance to ride one of the motorcycles in the past, please write a review of your own so that others who may be thinking of buying one can benefit from your first-hand experience. Be sure to add your review in the right place though, the '09 Dyna Fat Bob has its own individual review set so be sure that you're adding yours in the right spot. If you have a picture of your bike, please email it to pictures@hdreviewspot.net and we'll be sure to add it to the '09 CVO Fat Bob Photo Gallery.