The Darth Vader of motorbikes

Harley Davidson's new Fat Bob is is sufficiently sporty and modernised to tempt a new crowd of riders.

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(Image credit: 2017 Harley-Davidson Motor Company. Usage: Unlimited Worldwide)

Harley-Davidson is a breed apart, says Simon Hargreaves on the website of bike-insurance specialist Bennetts. Honda, Kawasaki, BMW, Triumph, and so on all make motorcycles. But "Harley only builds Harleys". That is both a blessing and a curse for the company, because for every die-hard lover of the bikes there are many more who "cannot comprehend the love for the low-tech lumbering cruisers". Changing the beloved Harley formula for the sake of the latter risks alienating the former.

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