The Harley-Davidson Softail line was introduced in 1984 with the FXST Softail and has grown to include the Blackline edition, Harley-Davidson Softail Fat Boys, Harley-Davidson Softail Deluxe, Harley-Davidson Softail Cross Bones, the Harley-Davidson Softail Rocker C, and the Harley-Davidson Softail CVO Softail Convertible. The bike focuses on the manner of mounting the engine solidly to the frame while allowing for a swingarm in the rear portion that attaches to shock absorbers located under the transmission. This allows the line to look like a Harley while providing more comfort than found while riding a previous model.
Each version appeals to different aspects of the ride, yet all fall within the Cruiser motorcycle designation. This allows for a general idea of comfort and style during highway and city travel. The Harley-Davidson Softail Fat Boy offers an overall weight of 694 pounds, compared to the Harley-Davidson Softail Blackline’s 683 pounds. A variety of accessories available for the Fat Boy and not the Blackline also differentiate between the two models. The major revision year for the Harley-Davidson Softail line was 2007 for the Fat Boy. The line is carried by a Twin Cam engine and includes frames that look to follow the hardtail design, yet offer modern suspension and the resulting comfort instead.