This is a Harley-Davidson Softail Fat Boy from 1992 that was bought new by boxing legend George Foreman. It seems to have held significant sentimental value for him, as he kept it for 30+ years, not selling it until 2023.
The bike now has just 2,500 miles on the odometer, meaning it’ll likely be very appealing to early fans of the Fat Boy – even those who aren’t particularly interested in the celebrity connection.
The Fat Boy was developed during a time when Harley was redefining itself after its buyback from AMF in the early 1980s, the Fat Boy marked a design shift toward heritage styling with more modern reliability. Image courtesy of Harley-Davidson.
History Speedrun: The Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
The Harley-Davidson Fat Boy was introduced in 1990 as a key new addition to the American company’s Softail lineup, immediately carving out a place as one of the most distinctive and significant new Harley models of the era.
The Fat Boy was developed during a time when Harley was redefining itself after its buyback from AMF in the early 1980s, the Fat Boy marked a design shift toward heritage styling, but with more modern reliability.
The project was led by designer Willie G. Davidson and lead engineer Louie Netz. It debuted at Daytona Bike Week in 1988 and then again in 1989 before entering full production for the 1990 model year.
The Fat Boy was built on the Softail frame, which was originally introduced in 1984. It used hidden rear suspension components to offer the classic hardtail look of 1950s (and earlier) Harleys, while providing the ride quality of a modern fully-suspended swingarm setup.
The name “Softail” became a Harley trademark, with the Fat Boy being one of its most recognizable platform deployments. Its wide FL-style forks, solid disc wheels, wide tires, and beefy stance helped set it well apart from more traditional cruisers.
The origin of the “Fat Boy” name has been the subject of much rumor and myth, including a long-circulated but false claim that it was a portmanteau of the atomic bombs “Fat Man” and “Little Boy.” In truth, Harley-Davidson has stated that the name was simply a reflection of the bike’s wide front profile, a fat look compared to the other, more narrow cruisers of the time.
The Harley-Davdison Fat Boy project was spearheaded by designer Willie G. Davidson and lead engineer Louie Netz. This image shows Willie G. with the Fat Boy at the time of its release. Image courtesy of Harley-Davidson.
The first-generation Fat Boy came powered by Harley’s 1,340cc Evolution V-twin. In 2000, it transitioned to the counterbalanced Twin Cam 88 engine, which provided smoother power output without sacrificing that classic Harley character.
In 2018, the Fat Boy received one of its most substantial updates, with the introduction of the new Milwaukee-Eight 107 and 114 engines and a redesigned Softail frame that merged the Dyna and Softail lines – this revision made the frame stiffer and lighter, improving handling and performance while maintaining that classic look that Harley fans had grown to love.
The Fat Boy famously appeared in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (released in 1991), where Arnold Schwarzenegger’s cyborg character rides a 1991 Fat Boy during one of the movie’s most memorable sequences in LA. That appearance helped to establish the Fat Boy’s status as a pop-culture icon very early in its production run, and helped introduce it to global audiences.
Over the years a number of special edition Fat Boys have been produced, including anniversary models and custom paint versions. Harley has also expanded the Softail line with other performance and touring-style models, but the Fat Boy has stayed largely true to its original design ethos.
The Ex-George Foreman Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Shown Here
The motorcycle you see here is a 1992 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy that was bought new by boxing icon George Foreman. The Fat Boy model family was only two years old at this time, riding a wave of fame thanks to its use in Terminator 2.
Foreman was an avowed motor head, owning a number of cars, motorcycles, and land-yacht-style motorhomes over the course of his life. He would keep this Harley for 30 years, not selling it until 2023 just a couple of years before he passed away in 2025.
Above Video: This is a bio that tells the story of George Foreman’s life, the highs, lows, and the various twists and turns that made him one of the most memorable boxers of the 20th century.
The bike now has 2,500 miles on the odometer and the fluids were changed in late 2024. The seller (who bought the bike from Foreman) notes that there is currently a minor oil leak, it’s also worth noting that the tires are looking quite old and would need to be replaced on safety grounds before any significant riding is undertaken.
It’s now being offered for sale out of Covina, California at no reserve with a clean California title in the seller’s name. If you’d like to read more about it or place a bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben Branch has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.