Motorcycle specifications Harley-Davidson1920 Softail Breakout FXBR 2023 The Breakout breaks all the bricks!

Fifty-somethings who 've been bottle-fed on video game consoles know: Breakout is the name of the very first brick-breaking game! Atari brought it out in 1976, and offered it two years later on the famous Atari 2600 console! The principle: a metal marble responds to a bar that moves sideways, sending it back to break the bricks on a wall..

In short, we had all the youth we could handle, but at least we have the satisfaction of knowing that we were, in a way, the pioneers of video games.

but back to our two-wheeled sheep. To celebrate its 120th anniversary, the Milwaukee-based manufacturer has decided to restore the Breakout to its former glory by giving it a completely new look and grafting on its biggest distiller yet: the Milwaukee Eight 117. This big four-valve-per-cylinder V-twin (hence the name Eight!) boasts 1923 cm3 of power, and delivers a whopping 102 bhp at 5,020 rpm and over 17 mkg of torque from 3,500 rpm to the enormous 240 cm rear gumshoe. The smell of burnt rubber guaranteed!

A little leap into the past (pardon the pun...): the Breakout first appeared at Harley-Davidson in 2012 under the CVO badge, which stands for Custom Vehicle Operations, the brand's ultra-premium department. Anything bearing the CVO label is worth more than gold, and the number of coats of varnish on the paintwork is greater than the number of layers in a mille-feuilles. Chromes galore, a plethora of equipment (in the case of the Electra Glide), over-vitaminized mechanics: nothing is too good for a CVO. Following the success of the CVO Breakout, Harley realized the commercial potential of this stunning-looking machine. By 2013, the charismatic FXSB Breakout softail had become more accessible (so to speak) by joining the standard range.

" Very long, very low, very sleek, the Breakout is a reinterpretation of the "Gassers", the famous dragsters of the 50s and 60s. Removing all the CVO panoply makes it more virile, more "hairy". There's no more showing off at the Jean-Paul Gautier exhibition; it's time to get into a fistfight in front of the hard-rock cafés ", as we used to say right here at the time! (link: https://preprod.motoplanete.us/harley-davidson/4680/1690-SOFTAIL-BREAKOUT-FXSB-2014/contact.html).
In fact, the Breakout immediately established itself as a veritable UFO in the Harley range. Right from the start, there were those who hated it, arguing above all for the catastrophic lack of ground clearance and the impression when cornering that the front and rear weren't part of the same bike. Then there were those - myself included - who, on the contrary, had a lot of fun getting into it, having to deal with these mind-boggling but very real dynamic considerations. Above all, there was the thrill of riding this ultra macho machine, whose riding position gave the sensation of having one's ass flush with the pavement. Legs apart with boots far out in front and arms outstretched ready to take the big-twin's rushes, it was a complete change of scenery, the antithesis of a sports bike riding position.

riding a Breakout is an experience in itself. It's like treating yourself to a movie every time you ride it. It's like taking on the lead role in a blockbuster, a kind of classic Ennio Morricone western with a Marvel twist, all with a heavy dose of Terminator 2 and the soundtrack of Easy Rider remixed by Mastodon! All in 8K Ultra HD and Dolby Atmos surround 11.1.4, especially with this new 2023 version.

Born with the 1690 cm3 Twin Cam 103 B, the Breakout has undergone a metamorphosis in 2018. Harley-Davidson decided to completely overhaul its motorcycle range: out went the Dyna, in went the Softail range, with an all-new chassis and improved dynamic qualities. Above all, the V-twin took the opportunity to switch to four-valve cylinder heads, to become the current Milwaukee Eight. Two displacements were offered: 107 or 114 ci, i.e. 1746 or 1868 cm3. The Breakout was available in both versions, but despite the progress made, it lost some of its initial brutality, virility and therefore soul, notably due to its softer, more rounded forms.

for 2023, it returns to the original DNA that made it such a success. The engine is the huge 1923 cm3 Milwaukee Eight 117, which promises to be a monument with power and torque worthy of an M1 Abrams tank. Above all, the Breakout boasts an all-new, far more evocative pencil stroke than the previous, far too slick one. The new 18.9-liter fuel tank is sublime, reinforcing the machine's powerful silhouette. It is fitted with a chrome console. The new rear mudguard is fitted with chrome turn signal brackets, which are also chrome-plated. The side covers, mirrors, fork crown, mufflers and even the engine are not spared this sparkling treatment; not forgetting the sublime Heavy Breather air filter, which undoubtedly adds a touch of ferocity. The new polished stainless-steel handlebars are 1.9 cm wider, forcing the rider to spread his arms further apart, adding to the bad-boy attitude of the Breakout's riding position. Add to this a pair of 26-spoke cast-aluminum wheels, whose slenderness recalls the elegance of a spoked rim. Of course, the Breakout wouldn't be itself were it not for the almost legendary disproportion between front and rear wheel size: 240/40 x 18 versus 130/60 x 21, it's a bit like David and Goliath, the Thing versus the Elastic Man in Fantastic 4. Let's face it: the Breakout will impose its personality on the ride, and will inevitably take a little getting used to for the less experienced or those new to this style of machine.

with its license plate offset to the left side, as most bikers do on their motorcycles to clear the view of the big rear tire, the 2023 Breakout marks a successful comeback to the original model. Congratulations Harley! It's impossible to say that this Breakout doesn't break any bricks - quite the opposite, in fact. In fact, it shatters them all. At a base price of €28,790, it's likely to break the bricks in your bank account too...

Price from €28,790. Available immediately.

Michaël Levivier - manufacturer's photos

note that the Breakout can now be "enhanced" with optional traction control