All Tests – Harley-Davidson Breakout Review: Softail hardass – The Breakout makes sparks

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Harley-Davidson Breakout review: Softail hardass

All Tests - Harley-Davidson Breakout Review: Softail hardass - The Breakout makes sparks

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.

The Breakout makes sparks

The regulatory 90 km / h are reached in a handful of seconds, or scru-pu-ly the same time as the zygomatic take to stretch to the maximum! However, they tighten when the engine speed exceeds 3500 rpm.

After this milestone, excessive vibrations take hold of the calves – in particular the right, shaken by the air filter – and the thighs. We then prefer to engage the upper gear, which turns out to be a wise choice since the maximum torque value (130 Nm) is estimated by Harley-Davidson at 3000 rpm.

There is therefore no point in panicking the digital tachometer, and even less to look for the breaker that intervenes beyond 5000 rpm. Moreover, rather than pinpointing this limit value accurately and unnecessarily, Site preferred to continue to gain ground between 2000 and 3500 rpm.

Get off … and file down your boot heels! Very stable on the angle, the Breakout quickly puts its rider in confidence, so that the lugs of the footrests lick – too – quickly the asphalt … and plant themselves there when the journalist biker insists too heavily. The majority of test bikes were thus devoid of it….

After the rubber of the footrests then their metal, it is the brake pedal on the right and, even more annoying, the crankcase on the left that we end up attacking … Fortunately, the lifting of the rest -foot provides an excellent benchmark – like the pistard’s knee! – which allows to regulate its angle grip and its speed in curve.

The very low center of gravity makes it easier to put on the angle and the 240mm tire doesn’t hamper the handling of the Breakout that much. It is hardly the quick angle changes that the pilot has to play with the shoulders. For the rest, the inclination of the bust in the turns is enough to lay the motorcycle down.

We can not help regretting the lack of ground clearance, because this dragster does not fare so badly in the viroleux … Ask this poor païlote of Daytona 675, atomized, dislocated, dried in place, instead, humiliated … doubled by a horde of savage Breakouts in the descent of Castelet !

By agreeing to take a little more angle, we imagine that this Harley-Davidson could follow a Vmax without too much difficulty. On the other hand, it would have to gain in maneuverability to take the wheel of a Diavel … "Warning, Ducati offers a motorcycle halfway between the roadster and the custom", warns us the boss of Harley France,"while our Breakout is pure custom !"

Accelerating hard, braking bad

Impressive when accelerating, frustrating when cornering, the Breakout is a bit "light" when it comes to braking. Bikers used to riding a roadster, not necessarily sporty, will no doubt be surprised by the lack of power of the front brake..

The single disc may well be bitten by a 4-piston caliper, it alone cannot effectively stop the beast launched at high speed. The finding is naturally more striking on a descent, where late braking must be calculated with precision … and be cool..

The rear brake – as important as the front brake on this type of motorcycle, if not more! – is a little bit more biting than his comrade in front. Dosing with the pedal is also easier than with the lever, which requires a manly grip to get the most out of it..

Almost impossible to trigger at the front, the ABS (standard) intervenes a little too brutally at the rear. Fortunately, in the dry, the system is discreet and it’s a safe bet that Breakout users won’t complain about it … especially if it saves them even once in the wet. !

Back to Marseille, the long stretches allow you to cruise more calmly at 100 km / h. On the last report (a small indicator light "6" lights up green!), The Twincam 103B purrs at less than 2300 rpm.

The saddle comfort is validated at the end of our 160 km loop, it is true interspersed with several breaks including a long lunch. The original position on the bike is just as sustainable over medium distances..

Only the arms placed a little high tire in the long run. This sensation increases in the event of arson on small roads, or a traffic jam in the city center. The left arm is more exposed due to the harsh clutch control. Admittedly, we can do without it by carefully increasing the speeds, but it remains essential to return the speeds.

The bike would also deserve a faster gearbox and a shorter selector stroke … but that would know if the gearshift speed – and cornering! – was a priority for Harley fans, no ?!

The last point that Site unfortunately could not control: gasoline consumption. Driven at high speed on our entire route, the Breakout undoubtedly consumed more than the 5.6 l / 100km announced by the manufacturer but – fortunately – did not swallow the 18.9 liters of fuel contained in the tank. . MNC will therefore have to take the Breakout’s handlebars again … but a red one this time, because it really looks fabulous !

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