LAUNCH TEST - 2023 HARLEY-DAVIDSON BREAKOUT 117 - JUST BIKES

LAUNCH TEST - 2023 Harley-Davidson Breakout 117

Words: Phil Suriano

Photos: Harley-Davidson ANZ

Many years ago, Mortein had the advertising slogan, ‘If you’re on a good thing, stick to it’. It’s a tagline that could also be applied to Harley-Davidson with their Softail-based ‘Breakout’. The power cruiser that set the world alight upon its launch - and became a favourite here in Australia – has been improved for its latest iteration. Harley have stuck with their “good thing,” but they’ve also made it better and more usable in key areas.

LAUNCH TEST - 2023 Harley-Davidson Breakout 117

In addition to marking the 120th Anniversary of Harley-Davidson, 2023 also marks a decade of production for the Breakout. Launched by The Motor Company in 2012 as a 2013 model, the Breakout was initially only available in the CVO family before joining the standard Cruiser range, reversing the trend of previous CVO models.

Based on the Softail platform from the outset, the Breakout is essentially Harley’s factory chopper, with its long, low and raked out stance accentuated by low, flat bars, compact mirrors and a distinctive big-and-little front and rear wheel combination.

Initially, the Breakout was fitted with the 1,801cc Screamin’ Eagle Twin Cam 110B v-twin for the CVO version, while the standard model got the smaller 1,690cc Twin Cam 103. A 2017 Pro Street Breakout CVO would be the last to be offered in that premium family, with the Breakout part of the conventional Softail lineup since.

When the eight-valve ‘Milwaukee-Eight’ engines were introduced for the 2017 model year, the Breakout was offered with both versions: the 1,746cc Milwaukee-Eight 107; and the 1,868cc ‘Twin-Cooled’ Milwaukee-Eight 114 with air-oil cooling. Unsurprisingly, the latter became the more popular, despite its increased price tag, leading to the 107 version being dropped from the Australian range after 2019.

Interestingly, the Breakout was dropped from Harley’s North American lineup entirely after the 2020 model year, but it continued to be offered here in Australia, in much the same way that the Softail Standard continued to find an audience here for years after it was discontinued in the US.

For 2023, the Breakout is back in the US lineup, returning with a bunch of new features that are also applied to Australian market models. I was one of the first in the country to see and experience those features for myself at the Australian media launch this past March.

Go Bigger – for Longer

The first thing to note with the MY23 Breakout is that it’s now officially the Breakout 117, not the Breakout 114, for reasons I’ll explain shortly.

Hard core Harley aficionados should also note the model code has changed from last year’s ‘FXBRS’ to ‘FXBR’ for the 2023 version.

As the ‘117’ in the model name makes obvious, the new Breakout gets the Milwaukee-Eight 117 engine as standard, joining the Low Rider S and Low Rider ST as the only 2023 Softail models to receive the largest factory-fitted v-twin that Harley currently offers.

In addition to three more cubic inches, the Breakout also gains a high-performance camshaft and Heavy Breather intake to deliver 75kW at 4,750rpm and 167Nm at 4,500rpm. That compares to 70kW and 155Nm maximums from last year’s Breakout 114.

As the more powerful engine will no doubt encourage Breakout owners to ride harder for longer, the fuel capacity has been increased by a significant 43 per cent for the new version, now at 18.9 litres.

To make those long miles more comfortable, the bar risers are taller for an easier reach to the Breakout’s broad, flat handlebar (that’s also new) and cruise control is now fitted as standard.

Those key additions aside, the MY23 Breakout is much the same as last year’s version, with the same six-speed gearbox, Softail frame, suspension, braking, instrumentation and other features.

Aesthetically, the changes from 2022 to 2023 are more obvious, with a new wheel design, new paint options and much more chrome.

Despite the upsized engine, bigger fuel tank and more brightwork, the Breakout’s dry weight has increased by only 2kg to 296kg, thanks to some weight optimisation measures made on the frame (that was improved back in 2017 for the Milwaukee-Eight introduction). That margin obviously widens when the fuel tank is filled.

So, with that knowledge in hand, would the new Breakout live up to its predecessors and hold its place as the most popular Harley in Australia? I was about the find out…

The Hills are Alive

For the Australian media launch of the new Breakout, Harley-Davidson selected the small town of Bright in Victoria’s High Country. In winter, Bright is the gateway to the snowfields, but in summer, it’s a mecca for mountain biking, hikers and holidaymakers. It’s also the hub for the Brighter Days Festival that was born out of the Bright Rod Run and has been supported by Harley-Davidson for many years. This year, Harley brought along their MY23 range for demo rides, as well as their Jump-Start simulators and lots of merch. They also donated a new Softail Standard and $5K for its customisation to the event’s raffle.

The Aussie media launch was scheduled for a few days before Brighter Days, so we would be avoiding the traffic that packs Bright during the festival. We only had one day on the Breakout, which was all too brief, but we covered around 300km in that time, taking in some awesome riding roads and truly stunning scenery through the hills and valleys of the High Country.

Prior to our seat time, H-D ANZ officials, including the local Marketing Manager, Keith Waddell, talked us through the new features on the 2023 Breakout that I’ve already mentioned and laid out details for the route ahead.

My last time on a Harley road bike was with the all-new Sportster S, so I was expecting a similar experience from the new Breakout, albeit with a lot more grunt and more laid-back cruiser attitude.

Brighter in Bright

Walking up to the fleet of Breakouts that H-D ANZ had arranged for us, my first thought was that Harley traditionalists will be very pleased. The Breakout brings back chrome - and plenty of it – for 2023, with previously blacked out parts like the sidecovers, mufflers, rear mudguard supports, indicator shells and mirrors now all gleaming in bright metal. As much as I was a fan of the blacked out engine and pipes, chrome really makes these bikes pop and adds to the overall muscular appearance.

The Heavy Breather intake gets a chrome finish, making sure it can’t be missed, while the larger tank gets a centre console like what’s seen on the Touring models. This carries model identification and acknowledgement of Harley-Davidson’s foundation year – 1903 – but it’s pretty subtle overall and is purely a design feature, carrying no instrumentation or other functional equipment.

Instrumentation remains compact, incorporated into the now taller handlebar risers and made up of a small (25.4mm) LCD screen that displays speed, gear position and fuel level, with smaller readouts for the revcounter, odometer, tripmeters and clock. As you can toggle through the secondary display information via a button on the left-hand switchblock, there’s really no need for a larger screen, which would spoil the Breakout’s sleek lines, even if it was incorporated.

Everything else is communicated via idiot lights on a separate pod below, which means the switchblocks are similarly minimalist, carrying only the essentials, but adding a switch for the newly-introduced cruise control, which along with the existing ABS, is the only tech offered.

Unlike Harley's Touring models, the MY23 Breakout is deliberately simple on the tech front, but H-D ANZ says that traction control will be added as standard for Australian units later this year.

The headlight, an LED unit, is arguably the only Breakout styling element that doesn’t quite mesh with the rest of the MY23 design, in my view, but it’s not a deal breaker. Maybe some chrome here would bring it into line with the rest of the styling. Tail and rear indicator lights are also LED, with the latter incorporating a neat stop/tail outer ring to increase night time visibility.

Aside from the additional chrome, the Breakout’s other key styling change for 2023 is a new design of alloy wheel. The bagger-style 26 spoke finish (compared to a roulette wheel by one of my fellow journos) features black and machined faces and really looks the business.

Available colours for 2023 include Harley’s stalwart Vivid Black, a satin-finish Black Denim, bold Baja Orange and Atlas Silver. Baja Orange was my favourite, but I was also impressed with the glossy Vivid Black, which has been a bit of a ‘meh’ colour in the past, but is used to good effect here.

Low, but not Slow

Planting myself in the Breakout’s saddle, the immediate impression was of the support offered to your hips and lower back. In line with the larger fuel tank prompting longer rides, the seat is well padded, with minimal vibration transferred to the rider, making highway miles easier to absorb.

As the seat is just 665mm high, it’s easy to plant your feet on the ground and the repositioned handlebars are a plus, too, at least according to those with me who had ridden the previous Breakout.

In my opinion, the Breakout isn’t really a two-up ride, but a pillion pad and pegs are there regardless, along with tool-less preload adjustment. If you were considering this bike for regular two-up riding, then a different seat with a back rest should be sought out – I’m sure there’s something from the Genuine Parts & Accessories range to suit that.

Like most modern Harleys, the MY23 Breakout uses a proximity key that means it never has to leave your jacket or pants pocket. You can thumb the start button, then drop the bike into first with an audible clunk without touching the key. Move away some distance from the bike and the proximity key means the bike can’t be started, with an alarm function adding to the security.

Being more familiar with adventure bikes, I found the Breakout’s forward controls took a little getting used to, but once underway, it was a relaxed way to move while still maintaining rider control. As mentioned, very little vibration was transferred to my backside by the Milwaukee-Eight 117. It was a different story with the mirrors; which offered less than ideal vision at certain rev ranges.

Take off in first gear and all that torque from the big v-twin is immediately apparent. The bike just pulls and pulls. Roll on the throttle and it pulls some more – it almost feels like the rear tyre is ripping up the road behind you!

While performance at 100km/h (and beyond) is effortless and highway overtakes are a doddle, the engine operates comfortably at low speeds around town, too. With all that torque, taking off from just about any gear is possible, with a slip/assist clutch making regular shifting in stop-start city traffic a breeze.

No matter which way you look at it, the Breakout is a heavy bike, but even at slow speeds, that 300+kg weight is forgotten - the bike feels much lighter than it actually is.

While it can easily handle around-town duty and suburban rides to your regular coffee spot, the Breakout is obviously a bike for the open road, where you can sit all day at whatever speed you are comfortable with. The lack of wind protection will make those rides tiring after a while, but there is a clip-on screen from the Genuine P & A catalogue to combat that.

Lean Machine

To clarify some misunderstandings that have been reported over rake and fork angle on the new Breakout, these measures have NOT changed for the 2023 model. The rake and fork angle did change with the introduction of the Milwaukee-Eight engine, to 34 degrees for rake and 36 degrees for the fork angle, compared to a 35-degree rake and 37-degree fork angle with the Twin Cam.

Normally, such changes alter the trail, too, but this has been 145mm with both the old and new engine.

Having not ridden the 114-powered Breakout, I had no reference point for the new version, but I can say the handling is far better than I would have thought possible from a cruiser like this. With its 21-inch front rim and 240mm rear tyre, I was expected cornering to be compromised, but at the media briefing, the H-D ANZ team stated “you will be surprised with the handling" and they were right - in a good way.

Our riding route included some sweeping bends and sharp hairpin turns, which the Breakout handled well, tracking smoothly through left- and right-hand corners, while the limited 86mm rear suspension travel never sent shockwaves through my spine, even on the potholed and sub-par roads we encountered.

Even though I did have to work that big handlebar and modulate braking more rigorously through the tighter bends, cornering performance was better than I was anticipating. In fact, I think the new Breakout may corner a little better than the Sportster S – a controversial opinion, I know, but I’m sticking to it!

Ground clearance is a low 115mm and lean angle is 26.8 degrees each way, which I put to the test on several occasions. And yes, I did grind the pegs over the course of our ride through the High Country. Will every Breakout owner do the same? Probably, but the bike is none the worse for it.

Stopping – and Soaking

As with the handling, the Breakout’s braking was a pleasant surprise. When I tested the Sportster S, I initially thought that it needed a second front disc, but those concerns were allayed once I’d ridden it. The same applied to the Breakout.

Brakes remain at a single 300mm front and 292mm rear disc, with 4-piston front and 2-piston rear calipers. That may seem at odds with what’s already a big cruiser, now with a larger engine and increased weight, but the bike never felt underbraked during the course of the media ride. Pedal/lever force is progressive and there’s that assurance of standard ABS, too.

It’s not apparent in some of the images presented here, but a chunk of our ride was done in the wet. Soon after we rolled out of Bright, the rain came down in force. None of us had full wet weather gear on, so we all got soaked to differing degrees.

The rain also meant we didn’t really explore the adhesion limits of the Breakout’s standard Michelin Scorcher 11 tyres, but I can say that their wet-weather grip was outstanding!

Ready to Roll

While most Harleys are made to customise - with the massive Genuine P&A catalogue at your disposal to facilitate that - the new Breakout is a bike that, in my opinion, most riders can enjoy straight out of the crate.

Although my time on it was brief, I didn’t come away from the media ride thinking the Breakout needed more of “this” or less of “that,” which is a good thing.

From its first iteration, the Breakout has been a “look at me” bike, so someone who wants the Harley image as much as the performance will slide into this model perfectly. Choose the available Baja Orange and that statement is even truer. If you’re looking for a cruiser with a big engine, plenty of torque, the right look and serious head-turning appeal, then the Breakout is spot on.

That being said, the Breakout isn’t going to suit everybody and every riding requirement, but the success of this model in Australia has shown it suits a LOT of people. The new Breakout, with its more powerful engine, longer range, cruise control and fresh appearance, is superior to the old version in every way, so I’m sure it will continue to be a hit here.