The fifth and latest addition to the Icons motorcycle collection, the new limited edition Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Gray Ghost has been unveiled with 1,990 numbered editions to be produced. Prices start at £25,195.
Each year since 2021, the American motorcycle manufacturer has produced a modern interpretation of a previous classic in small numbers for enthusiasts, collectors and those who just fancy standing out. And it’s now the turn of the Fat Boy, which originally debuted in 1990 and most famously appeared in the film Terminator 2: Judgment Day as Arnold Scharzenegger rode it during an iconic chase scene.
The big difference from the standard model is that it’s painted with a Reflection finish using a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process also known as thin film coating. It’s been used in the past on smaller parts, but this is the first time so much of a bike has been finished in this way, and applying a vapourised material by using an electrical charge followed by a normal clear coat, it should last longer and resist corrosion much better than chrome plating.
You also get some chromed side covers, a silver powder-coated frame, styling details included a leather seat valance and tank strap, and nods to the original Fat Boy with the road air cleaner, yellow accents and three-dimensional fuel tank medallions.
A total of 1,990 models will be produced, and you get a tank console insert etched with the serial number, along with an Icons Collection medallion on the rear fender.
As with the standard 2025 Fat Boy, the engine is the new Milwaukee-Eight 117 Custom, which delivers 101 hp and 171Nm peak torque, with is 7% more power and a 3% increase in torque from the 2024 model, and features 2-into-2 exhausts with individual catalysts to emphasis the sound of the bike. Also new for 2025 are the suspension with dual-bending valve 49mm forks at the front and under-seat hydraulic pre-load adjustment for the rear, selected ride modes (Road, Rain and Sport), and electronic aids including ABS, TCS, Drag Torque Slip Control (DSCS), and Tyre Pressure Monitoring.
Other modern features for the Fat Boy after 35 years of production are the new LED lighting, a USB-C power port, heated gear connectors which are now at the top of the rear fender below the seat, and a 5-inch console with a multi-function LCD display below the analog speedometer. It rides on the model-exclusive Lakester cast aluminium wheels shod in Michelin Scorcher 11 tyres.
It’s not the first limited edition version of the Fat Boy, with the CVO model produced in 2005, and the 30th Anniversary model in 2020. Inspired by a custom model built at a dealership in Montreal, the bike was designed by a team led by Willie G. Davidson, and the idea behind the name was covered in his book 100 Years of Harley-Davidson.
“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.”
Check out more of our news and articles on Harley-Davidson motorcycles, here.
And if you can’t quite stretch to the £25,195 starting price of the 2025 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Gray Ghost, then there are plenty of older and custom models available for sale secondhand, with a good selection currently on offer on eBay.
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