Harley-Davidson has made some iconic bikes over the years. One of these was the Fat Boy motorcycle in Terminator 2: Judgment Day. When the bike went up for auction a few years ago, it wasn’t surprising that it sold for a lot of money. However, just how much it sold for caught many people off guard. 

Terminator’s Harley-Davidson Fat Boy sold for a fortune

Motorious had looked back at the classic bike that played such an essential role in Terminator 2 and at the astonishing success it had when it went up for auction. 

The bike in question was a 1991 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy, which Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character T-800 made famous as he rode it in some iconic scenes throughout the film. 

Of course, several Fat Boys were used to film the movie, but the one used in one of Terminator 2’s most memorable scenes was put up for auction in 2018. It was expected that the bike would fetch in the neighborhood of $300,000 at most. Instead, the winning bid was a whopping $480,000. 

To this day, no one knows who made the winning bid or where the bike is now. Given Schwarzenegger’s interest in electric vehicles these days, we doubt it was the actor himself. We can only hope that one day the Fat Boy makes a reappearance. It would be a shame to lose such a piece of cinematic history forever. 

What scenes was the Fat Boy used in?

One of the most iconic scenes in Terminator 2 involves Schwarzenegger’s character’s ride along the Los Angeles River as he helps John Connor, played by Edward Furlong, escape the threat of the T-1000 Terminator. In the memorable scene, Schwarzenegger leaps off a wall as he chases Connor, causing sparks to fly. 

The bike is so closely associated with Schwarzenegger in the movie that it was featured widely in promotion materials for the film. Schwarzenegger is shown riding the Fat Boy at many points throughout the movie. He traverses the city wearing his classic sunglasses in numerous scenes, weaving in and out of traffic as he locks in on his enemies. In one scene, George Thorogood’s “Bad to the Bone” plays in the background, permanently linking the movie’s protagonist’s “bad boy” image to the bike he rides. 

Given that Terminator 2 turned out to be the highest-grossing movie in Schwarzenegger’s career, it’s not a surprise that a Fat Boy featured in the film raked in such a purchase price at auction. 

A look at the specs

Over the years, many people have been inspired to look more closely into the 1991 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy, thanks to its appearance in Terminator 2. What there is to know in that arena has been laid out by Autoevolution in its rundown of the motorcycle’s specs.

To start, let’s look at the bike’s engine. According to Autoevolution, it’s “an air-cooled, four-stroke, 1338cc, 45° V-Twin engine paired to a five-speed manual transmission” capable of 48 hp at 5000 rpm.

In addition, the 1991 Fat Boy comes with several notable standard features, including “disc front and rear wheels, a two-up seat with passenger backrest, a rear luggage rack, a chromed front fork, a retro, hardtail look with a hidden mono-shock, plus a black and silver finish on its engine.”

All of this combines to make for a bike that seems worthy of Terminator 2‘s protagonist. The Fat Boy lives up to its name as a powerful motorcycle that makes for an appropriate companion to the film’s action hero star.