It’s one of the greatest product placement exercises in Hollywood history. Film buffs will be quick to recall the scene from 1991’s Terminator 2 (T2) when Arnold Schwarzenegger rode the then-new Harley Davidson "Fat Boy" like he stole it. Which he did.
Just like the T-800 model cyborg, the 1990 Fat boy displayed distinctive styling complete with all-steel front guard, radical solid disc wheels fitted with 16-inch tyres and dual chrome exhausts.
Arnie’s appearance in T2 on the 82ci FLSTF was masterfully synced to coincide with the bike’s launch, rocketing the big, Willie G-designed Softail into movie Hall of Fame status and creating a much-needed sales success. The film bike is on display in the Harley-Davidson Museum, Milwaukee. Or one of them, at least. The bike itself sold for almost half a million (US) bucks at auction just last year.
An FLSTF also made a cameo redux in Terminator Genisys (T5) with Arnie aboard yet again for some amazing stunts that only a super cyborg could execute.
Fat Boy’s superstar status also saw him appear in TV’s ‘Sons of Anarchy’, 2007’s ‘Wild Hogs’ and even our own homegrown horror series, ‘Wolf Creek’ among dozens of others on the big and small screen.
In 2006 Fat Boy got the new twin-cam 1584cc engine and a six-speed gearbox and was designated FLSTFB.
Fat Boy Lo was introduced in 2010 and advertised as a “darker, lower, meaner” version and it was this newer model that appeared with Arnie in T5. He was even photographed in Sydney with one during the film’s promotional tour.
Fat Boy’s run as FLSTF came to an end with MY18 models and the all-new Softail chassis and Milwaukee-Eight engine. It is now FLFB with the 107ci and FLFBS with the 114ci and looks beautifully bright and shiny and ready for another screen appearance.
Hollywood hawkeyes spotted German action man, Ralf Moeller, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Terminator director James Cameron out riding on their Harleys raising gossip that they were planning T6 (Dark Fate) at the time. T6 began filming back in June 2018 and was released in time for Christmas 2019. Is there a Harley-Davidson in there somewhere? Let us know. And will there be a Fat Boy revival in T7 being released this year, 2023? Who knows? But Arnie is apt to say ...
“I’ll be back!”
Don’t wait ‘till Christmas, get into your Harley-Heaven dealer today for a test ride on the new Fat Boy
