All Tests – Harley-Davidson Breakout Review: Softail hardass – Harley-Davidson Softail of the real hards

Posted on by admin

Harley-Davidson Breakout review: Softail hardass

All Tests - Harley-Davidson Breakout Review: Softail hardass - Harley-Davidson Softail of the real hards

Harley-Davidson released a brand new model in 2013: the Breakout. All in muscle, this Softail is intended for experienced bikers, eager for thrills, concerned about their image … and who missed the CVO version a few months ago ! First try.

Harley-Davidson Softail Real Toughs

The Milwaukee firm is categorical: whether in its presented this summer or in its unveiled at the beginning of the month, the Breakout has captured the attention of many bikers.

Breakout: available, colors and prices

  • Availability: April 2013

  • Colors: black, blue or red

  • Price: € 20,590 in black (color + € 300)

"We only had about sixty copies of the CVO for France.", almost regrets Gerard Staedelin, Managing Director of Harley-Davidson France,"and the demand was four times greater than the supply … We are therefore particularly confident about the reception and the beginnings of this Breakout !"

Besides, it doesn’t matter that the bike has not yet arrived at the – "some are unpacking it right now and the whole network will have it before the end of April", tells us the big French boss – and that the specialized press has not yet issued its opinion: orders are already pouring in !

According to Harley France, nearly 150 customers have already cracked and come out breaking out at the mere sight of the photos released by the manufacturer. Beautiful shots, as always at Harley-Davidson, which perfectly highlighted the collected line and all in muscles of this new Harley.

On this subject, early buyers can rest assured: the Breakout is just as impressive "for real" as on glossy HD brochures, if not more! Ultra low, it seems even longer than it actually is (a little over 2.4 m), in particular thanks to its truncated mudguards which give pride of place to the 130 mm tires at the front and 240 mm at the rear.

According to the Americans, it would simply be the biggest rubber gum ever fitted to a production Harley-Davidson. But the front end is not to be outdone: to accommodate the tire, the fork has been widened by 49 mm compared to previous Softail models. Its chrome and epoxy black finish echoes the exhaust pipes, skillfully balancing the bike.

The imposing Dunlops are mounted on sublime Gasser-style cast aluminum rims, a tribute to dragsters of the "fifties" and "sixties". The alternation of black epoxy and polished finishes of the 10 sticks – and on the rim edges moreover – allows the bike to present two profiles as neat as each other.

The left side of the Breakout is distinguished by the presence of glossy black exhaust mufflers, tubes, rocker covers and chrome air filter. However, the gleaming crankcase placed on the ground – or almost – gives the left profile an even more collected look..

At the heart of the machine beats the long-stroke twin-cylinder Twincam 103B – hey, what did you expect? – which equips the Softail range, with the sole exception of the Blackline. The black and chrome finish of the engine is matched to the cycle part and further emphasizes the "bad boy" side of this new model.

Nice little dragster ?

Beneath his bad boy looks, the latest addition to the Softail family, however, hides a good background. Its meter, for example, is mounted on risers to make it easier to read the information made available: speed and mileage of course, respectively indicated by the analog meter and the small digital screen … but that’s not all. !

Via the "Trip" button conveniently placed on the left stalk, the driver has access to two trips A and B, an estimate of the remaining range (in kilometers), a clock and even the gear indicator engaged, followed by the engine speed.

Definitely very "urban", the Breakout screen scrolls a small alert when the side stand is deployed and the ignition – located on the left side of the beast, no need to insert the key thanks to the "Smart Key" system – is engaged.

The only imperfection that the pilot notices when riding his mount concerns the black piece which runs from top to bottom of the tank and hides the weld … Quality leather and better edge adjustment would have completed an otherwise close finish. perfection !

Because by browsing it as a whole, we realize that the Breakout has received from the Americans the attentions worthy of its rank: that of high-end. So count 20 590 € for the black version and 300 euros additional for the red or blue colors.

The additional handful of dollars is justified by the use of quality metallic paints, offering an appreciable gain in depth. Let us simply note that if the painting "Ember Red Sunglo" is frankly distinguished from the "Vivid Black", the "Big Blue Pearl", it imperatively requires a ray of sunshine to fully express itself..

In absolute terms, the price of Breakout is high. Nevertheless, in relation to the cubic capacity – or to the weight! -, the price of this motorcycle is all in all reasonable … Is the ratio still interesting if you want to capture the attention of others and make you happy on its handlebars ?

This is what Site was able to verify during this European press launch organized in Marseille, under a Provençal sun and on the famous route des crêtes. But before entering this little paradise for bikers – but also for motorhomes and cyclists, be careful! – we have to get out of town…

Related articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *