Harley-Davidson Fat Bob mileage and running cost

Fat Bob's claimed mileage is 18 kmpl. Owners and our own riding put the real figure between 16 and 18 kmpl, roughly 6% under the brochure number, which is typical once traffic, a pillion and short trips are factored in.

Among the 40 cruisers we have reviewed it ranks 31th for mileage, 7 kmpl below the group average of 25 kmpl.

At Delhi's petrol price of ₹94.80 a litre and a real-world 17 kmpl, the Fat Bob costs about ₹5.58 per km in fuel. Ride 30 km a day and that is roughly ₹4,350 a month, or ₹52,196 a year, before servicing.

The 13.2-litre tank gives a realistic range of about 224 km, so a 30 km commute means a fill-up every 1 week.

Spread over five years and 46,800 km, the Fat Bob works out to about ₹64.1 per km all-in, of which 9% is fuel and 86% is the purchase price itself. Resale value is not counted; expect roughly 50–60% of ex-showroom after five years for a well-kept example.

The quickest wins for the Fat Bob: keep tyres at the recommended pressure (under-inflation by 5 psi can cost 2–3 kmpl), shift up early, use Eco mode in traffic and avoid idling at long signals.

Short trips hurt most. A cold engine on a 2 km run can return half its normal mileage; if that is your use, expect the low end of the real-world band.

Service on time. A clogged air filter or old spark plug shows up in mileage before it shows up anywhere else.