I’ve been thinking about it for a while, trying to make sense of this plug-in Fat Boy made by the Japanese specialized workshop High Field. And, to tell the truth, I can’t think of anything coherent. Let me explain. Just ask you one question, if we are talking about a Harley-Davidson: What is the most characteristic thing about the models that come off the Milwaukee assembly line? Indeed, its sound.
What is clear is that Makoto Ueno, founder of the aforementioned workshop and ideologist of this project, does not think like you or me. Otherwise, the idea of electrifying a Fat Boy would never have occurred to him, something that for many fans of the brand is literally heresy and for others, the less enthusiastic, complete nonsense.
A Fat Boy with an “ecofriendly” soul
This curious story, which we have learned about thanks to our colleagues at Ride Apart, demonstrates time and time again how we have reached the point of wanting to remove the essence of everything that, in one way or another, has its own essence. At this point, no one will doubt that a brand like Harley-Davidson is an icon within two-wheeled culture throughout the planet.
The sound of their motorcycles, or the operation itself, in addition to a very personal image and style, are unmistakable hallmarks of mounts like the Fat Boy, and the rest of the large displacement models, which militate among the ranks of the American firm.
This means that if someone, for whatever reason, decides to remove those intrinsic characteristics we are talking about, they will be leaving any HD that falls into their hands without an identity in one way or another.
Well, this is exactly what happened with the Fat Boy that Ueno and his team decided to convert into electric. A process carried out since 2018 in this workshop located in Utsunomiya, Tochigi prefecture, Japan. Furthermore, they had the help of OZ Motorsa company specialized in this type of projects, finishing the concept of the model at the end of last year.
Unfortunately, Makoto passed away before seeing his plug-in Fat Boy finished, so his wife took the reins of the project until it was completed. Now it mounts an electric motor in the place where the brand’s characteristic V-Twin should be, with batteries installed in the anchors that once held a pair of side suitcases. From High Field they announce a 136 mile maximum range (about 218 km).
The idea is to develop a serial kit to convert any Harley into an electric version, for a final retail price. between 500,000 and 1,000,000 yen (approximately between 3 and 6 thousand euros).
We don’t know if they will be able to bring their plan to fruition. What we do believe is that the world will probably be more breathable, but it will stop sounding the way most of us bikers like.
