Source: Motorcycle Cruiser –
Harley’s Breakout is back after a three-year hiatus. The big news is the addition of the Milwaukee-Eight 117ci engine and lots of chrome. (Harley-Davidson/)BreakoutIn its first new-model unveiling of 2023 Harley-Davidson has confirmed that the Breakout is returning to the US market for the first time since 2020, and it’s substantially upgraded, most notably with the adoption of the big 117ci Milwaukee-Eight engine.Although the Breakout has been missing from the US range for a couple of years, it remained in production for international markets, and with the 2023 version it becomes the third bike in the Softail range to get the 117 engine following the Low Rider S and Low Rider ST that received it last year. But the changes for 2023 go far beyond the engine alone, as Harley-Davidson has looked to the past and listened to its customers to introduce updates that mark this year’s machine out as a new generation of Breakout.The 2023 Harley-Davidson Breakout in Baja Orange. (Harley-Davidson/)When its predecessor was launched in 2018, Harley opted to eliminate much of the Breakout’s chrome, following custom bike trends at the time toward a more blacked-out look. The same update saw the Breakout adopt the then all-new Softail frame and swap out its old 5.0-gallon tank for smaller 3.5-gallon design. The new 2023 machine reverses some of those changes, keeping the improved chassis but reverting to the 5.0-gallon fuel tank and substantially raising the chrome quotient.Harley design chief Brad Richards said: “Breakout was originally conceived as the modern chopper. Long, low, and wide, 240mm tire. The previous version to this, launched in 2018, had a bit darker finish execution, but we put a ton of chrome on this motorcycle. We had some pretty strong feedback from international markets where Breakout is really popular, and they were asking us to switch it up a bit and go back into chrome… We’re seeing chrome as making a comeback. We’re coming out of a time when a lot of what was seen as contemporary motorcycle design was dipped in black, and we’re getting to the point where the saturation for some people is pretty high, so they’re looking for the next pivot. Chrome has been out of the mainstream for a while, so now it’s coming back.”2023 Harley-Davidson in Vivid Black. (Harley-Davidson/)Another nod to the past comes in the redesigned wheels for 2023, which harken back to the design used on the 2017 model. Richards said: “The Breakout also has a really iconic turbine wheel that was actually on the model previous to the 2018 version. There was a lot of feedback on bringing back a multi-spoke wheel so we tried to start where the turbine wheel left off and created a 26-spoke wheel design that has a black-and-chrome design, so every other spoke is black or chrome. The effect is that even when the bike is sitting still it looks like the wheels are spinning, and when you’re moving it gets really dynamic.”The 117ci Milwaukee-Eight in the Breakout is good for a claimed 125 lb.-ft. of peak torque. (Harley-Davidson/)While the old-generation Breakout was offered in 107 and 114ci versions, the new one comes only with the biggest 117ci derivative of the Milwaukee-Eight, promising around 125 lb.-ft. of torque. Other tweaks include a new riser that makes the handlebars three-quarters of an inch taller, the “Heavy Breather” intake that’s shared with other “117″ models, and a chrome console on top of that Fat Bob-style fuel tank. The Breakout, along with the 2023 Fat Boy, Fat Bob, and Low Rider S, also gains the cruise-control system that’s already standard on the Low Rider ST, Heritage Classic, and Sport Glide. The 117-powered bikes will also get the option of a switchable traction-control system, easily turned off via a bar-mounted button if you prefer to go without it.The 2023 Harley-Davidson Breakout has been tweaked to cater to changing trends in cruiser styling. (Harley-Davidson/)The 2023 Breakout starts at an MSRP of $20,999 for the Vivid Black version and rises to $21,524 if you opt for one of the other color options: Black Denim, Atlas Silver, or Baja Orange.Nightster SpecialThe 2023 Harley range also expands with the launch of the new Nightster Special and simultaneous changes to the standard Nightster to set the two versions apart. At first glance, the Nightster Special looks much like the 2022 Nightster, but closer examination reveals new cross-spoke wheels and a standard-fit passenger seat and pegs. However, for 2023, the base Nightster loses the nose cowl worn by the 2022 version, leaving only the Special with that bodywork. In pursuit of more comfort, the Nightster Special also gets a reshaped seat and a 5-inch handlebar riser that moves the controls up and back toward the rider for a more upright stance.2023 Nightster Special. (Harley-Davidson/)Under the skin, the changes to the Nightster Special go much further. It adopts the 4-inch circular TFT display used by the Sportster S and the bar controls to operate it. Along with the new dash comes Bluetooth support for infotainment and voice control if paired with a headset, plus app-based navigation and a tire-pressure-monitoring system. The extra equipment makes the Special’s MSRP of $14,999 (for the Vivid Black version, other colors cost $450 more) look fair, putting it $1,500 above the base 2023 Nightster. Its performance is unchanged, with the same 975cc version of the liquid-cooled Revolution Max engine, although it’s easy to imagine that in future a more powerful Nightster “S” with the Sportster S’ 1,252cc V-twin could easily be added to the range.Flashback to a ’70s AMF-era Harley. (Harley-Davidson/)Visually, the Nightster Special’s cross-spoke wheels and a new paint scheme and badging that’s reminiscent of AMF-era Harleys gives it a ‘70s-style appearance, while the base Nightster’s 2023 changes see it get a simpler-looking engine without the contrasting inserts of last year’s model, plus a more traditional Harley shield on the tank.Road Glide 3Another new addition to the Harley range for 2023 is the Road Glide 3, giving the Road Glide–style fairing to the trike lineup for the first time. The frame-mounted fairing promises to make this a more capable high-speed proposition, as well as providing a home for the Boom! Box GTS infotainment system, including a 6.5-inch touchscreen, navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, and a pair of 5.25-inch speakers.The 2023 Road Glide 3 gets distinct 18-inch rear wheels matched to a 19-inch front. (Harley-Davidson/)Powered by the Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine, the Road Glide 3 is also the first Harley trike to adopt 18-inch rear wheels, with a redesigned 19-inch front to match. Brad Richards said: “We’ve seen quite a few of these built in the wild and felt this was the right time to do it. We coupled it with the new wheel design, going from a 15-inch rear wheel to an 18-inch rear wheel, which really changes the proportions and attitude of the motorcycle.“There’s been a surge in trike in the last 18 months. We’ve been noticing there’s a younger generation buying trikes. The perception is that the trike is for the older boomer who’s aging out, and this is their only option, but we’ve been noticing a lot of our new trike sales are to younger couples, people in their 20s and 30s, who are choosing them for whatever reason—whether it’s added cargo space, stability, or just the opportunity to have even more canvas to customize.”The Road Glide 3 in Bright Billiard Blue. (Harley-Davidson/)The Road Glide 3′s tech includes an electric reverse gear, cornering ABS and linked braking, and cornering traction control, while its rear section, shared with the Freewheeler, gives it a 2 cubic foot trunk space. Color options include Vivid Black with an MSRP of $32,999, or Gray Haze or Bright Billiard Blue for $33,899. Customers will also be able to choose between chrome or black for the engine, fork, exhaust, bars, and tank console. In the Trike range, the Freewheeler also gets the same 18-inch rear wheels and redesigned front wheel for 2023, plus blacked-out finishes on parts that were previously chrome.During 2023, Harley will have a range of events to mark its 120th anniversary and has announced ticketing details for the Harley-Davidson Homecoming on July 13 to 16 in Veterans Park, Milwaukee, with the Foo Fighters and Green Day headlining the event. Tickets are on sale at h-d.com/homecoming. The firm is also expected to release more new models throughout the year.2023 Harley-Davidson Breakout in Black Denim. (Harley-Davidson/)2023 Nightster Special in Yellow. (Harley-Davidson/)2023 Nightster Special in Black Denim. (Harley-Davidson/)
