Harley-Davidson Breakout FXSB Test

Menus

• Escape on the run
• Discovery
• In the saddle
• In the city
• Motorway and expressways
• Departmental
• Part-cycle
• Braking
• Comfort / Duo
• Consumption
• Conclusion

Escape on the run

Building on the success of its ultra high-end CVO Breakout, produced in a limited series of 500 copies, the Milwaukee firm is now presenting the Softail version of this model. Usually a follower of the reverse process, the American manufacturer is this time trying to bet on a standard version from its haute couture production.. This custom dragster type also made an impression on French spirits: four times more requests than the offer for the CVO (60 copies for 200 requests). Suffice to say that the novelty is expected. To make us discover its custom with hormones, Harley Davidson has chosen the surroundings of Marseille, conducive to muscular walks.

Introduced successfully last year in the CVO range, the Breakout finally appears in its standardized livery. Engine, rims, finishes therefore differ from the limited series. Although playing on the muscle-bike register, the novelty however differs from the V-Rod series with a more modern and efficient engine. The most attentive will not fail to see in this model a possible filiation with the disappeared Rockster 1200 C. However, more radical, the novelty takes again in full the aesthetic codes of the American dragsters of the years 50/60. Enough to break the routine for a muscular breakout.

Discovery

If the rest of the softail range were too wise to arouse your distant rebellious senses, the Breakout will easily unleash your enthusiasm. Low-slung, long, racy, its generously dynamic and deceptively stripped-down volumes skillfully mix genres. Strength and style, these are the concepts. If the look is aggressive and calls out the retinas, the dressing speaks a whole different language: that of seduction. The dress (black, red or deep blue) is elegantly combined with the glossy black and chrome finishes available throughout the machine.

Thus, the aluminum rims with 10 alternating half-rounded spokes and shiny faces echo the Gasser aesthetic of hyper-motorized machines. Sizing 21 "for the front with a thin tire (130), 18" at the rear for a 240 mm envelope, the assembly sits the machine on this wide section, reinforcing its powerful appearance. The style also adopts a long fork, not adjustable, with 49 mm chrome tubes and dressed in dark scabbards, framing the small optic of the fire. The 35 ° caster angle projects the steering gear far ahead, past the lighthouse.

In its double cradle case, the air-cooled twincam 103 unit also takes care of its aesthetics. Some subtly highlighted hoses sign the "rustic" image while demonstrating the attention to detail. The contrast on the rims can be found here: rocker covers, cooling fins, mufflers and manifolds, engine crankcase, oil tank cover and air filter…. a real mechanical suit dresses the American V2. Its big breath is thrown in the exhaust tubes of strong section which spin on the right side and superimpose their end, reinforcing the dynamics of the lines.

To supply the 1690 cm3 of the myth, a large 18.9-liter water drop tank overlooks it. Its flattened curves are enriched with a shiny metallic plate and a strip of leather running the length of the container. Fine edging adorn its sides to which an exclusive new crenellated emblem, mixing steel and glass, brings a nostalgic touch. The lines then plunge towards a vast hollowed-out seat and a removable passenger jump seat. On either side, two massive forged aluminum horns, polished and chrome, support the rear shell, truncated to give a brutal appearance. The profiled indicators of the LED indicators are multi-function, also integrating position and brake lights.
The transmission is of course via a toothed belt and a six-speed Cruise Drive gearbox. The stern damping is entrusted to two Showa dampers placed under the machine, horizontally. To slow down the Breakout and its 330 kilos "all wet", four-piston calipers pinch a simple disc of only 300 mm. In contrast, a double piston element clamps a wafer of the same size. The ABS will monitor the set for more efficiency but elegantly, the device being carefully concealed in the wheel hub. Finally, the H-D Smart anti-theft system (safety pack with ABS) installed in the factory works thanks to a key fob that automatically activates / deactivates the electronic functions of the vehicle, when you approach or move away from the motorcycle. We will still lock the steering column with the usual tool.
Concealed wiring, fault-free surface…. the Amerloque performs flawlessly, unless you are extremely picky. As perfection is not of this world, we will mention the power supply of the indicators or a crutch lug a little slender under the perfectible.
Aesthetics and mechanics combine with talent to assert the powerful character of the Breakout. Its muscular and rich plastic will ensure you a bad (golden) boy look at each of your appearances. For that, let’s get on the escape from the beautiful neighborhoods.

In the saddle

We fall in comfort on the custom, its soft seat grazing the asphalt at 660 mm. Particularly studied, the saddle is one of the strengths of this Harley, as the general ergonomics. The legs extend without excess towards the footrests attached to the cradles of the frame. Surprisingly, the thick straight handlebars, tube of strong section, are reached without difficulty but require to raise the arms slightly. This avoids having to arch the lower back. Certainly, my eighty-four meter is no stranger to this feeling. Hands resting on this "dragbar" dedicated to Breakout, the driving position is aggressive, slightly advanced. Handles and thick levers (not adjustable in spacing) alongside commodos with push-buttons, also oversized. However, their management, especially with heavy gloves, is not the most natural and the whole requires a little getting used to..
Stripped, on this cockpit the instruments seem reduced to a minimum. Here too, minimalism presided over the debate, accentuating the deceptively raw aspect. Indeed, there is much more style than it seems. The massive chromed aluminum bridges join together and receive a very discreet plate supporting the basic light indications (neutral, headlight, direction indicators). Floating under the handlebars, a single tachometer relates to it, comprising a digital window. Its display, controlled by a dedicated push-button on the handlebars, offers a clock, totalizer and two partials, as well as engaged gear and engine speed. Finally, the remaining autonomy is also available.

Complete and modern, this device combines the efficiency now required with the usual style of the brand. Unlike aesthetic mirrors which only reflect a fragmented image.

In the city

The power is always turned on on the left side, now by rotating a thick slider. When the starter is pressed, the starter coughs slowly and the 103 wakes up to a controlled rumble. More expressive when revving up, the twincam remains discreet, like all the range, claiming its passage in "Stage 1". The exhaust and the air intake will thus be freed for greater respect for the mechanics. By means of subsidies, it goes without saying.

The first slap, like the following ones, but with a dull noise and the liner sets off. The term well describes the first impression given off by the cruiser. The outrageous rear gommard is not for nothing in this clumsy behavior at low speed. However, the urban evolutions remain pleasant, the Breakout being docile and comfortable. Of course, roundabouts require a bit of attention and shoulders to engage management. Up to the fourth, the resumes can be done at 1,200 revolutions / minute or 40 km / h, letting the twincam exhale its slow breathing to the rhythm of its ample vibrations..

The superlative dimensions of the machine have other advantages, such as being eye-catching. Less than these reasonable chrome, it’s its stylish brute look that catches the eye. Attractive but impressive, the escapee plays her role well. And to convince of its strength, frank bursting accelerations then propel the Yankee dragster away..

Motorway and expressways

A few angry climbers stalled the Breakout at the legal motorway. We will then pass the sixth overdrive, displayed as such on the odometer and causing engine revolutions to drop by nearly 1,000 revolutions, or 2,800 per minute. On these tracks, apart from mechanical life, there is little else to appreciate. The French "highways" are not the playground for this Harley. We note its logically good stability given the size of the American and the absence of painful vibrations. Only the "good ones" remain. To pass the time, we then explore the elastic capacities of the engine and its ultimate performance, bordering on 200 km / h. Not very appreciable for the pilot then serving as aero-brake and hardly interesting. Except to quickly reach an exit.

Departmental

The Breakout then offers you to share its run, adapting to your pace with ease and the best arguments possible. In the first place, the comfort is much better than on comparable machines, allowing to cruiser for a long time. In addition, the twin 103, available and also offering a significant extension, can show as much roundness as character. Thus, we will take advantage of the deep pulsations of his big heart at 90 km / h and 1,800 laps on the last report. The long race then resumes by pounding the atmosphere of the pounding of its big bowls. Uncomfortable in small corners, the cruiser is a pleasure to take on less troubled routes. Easy to place despite a slightly heavy stern, the front axle guides the whole with ease. And to spring from the curves, its accelerations make the air vibrate as much as the heart of its pilot..

If the urge to martyr the Dunlops (D408F front and and D407 rear) itches you, enter two gears and launch the shining projectile. 13 da.Nm maximum torque are available from 3,000 revolutions. Particularly full from 2,600 rotations / minute, the reminders then project the Breakout towards the horizon as if its freedom depended on it. At the risk of going back to the cabin. As long as the road is made of long, smooth bends, the ballad quickly takes on the allure of crazy arsouilles. Equipped with an effective extension, the cruiser brings out the power, accompanying its roars with more vibrations. However, the limited ground clearance should be imposed on your mind rather than on the left crankcase and other plates connected to the frame. Under pain of fear.

Likewise, braking is just enough to slow down the crew’s more than four quintals of steel and chrome, including the pilot. As usual on these machines, the rear brake does a lot of the work. ABS is therefore only triggered with difficulty and mainly on pronounced pressure on the pedal..

Despite a low travel, the rear combination offers correct damping on the main defects of the bitumen but is quickly exceeded during large compressions.

Part-cycle

Classic and disproportionate, the geometry requires a little caution when handling and evolving at low speed. However, common to the genre, the chassis does not show any defect and the experience of the American manufacturer makes the Breakout a reasonable monument to take.

Braking

Insufficient at high pace, it satisfies the other evolutions but could prove to be more powerful. The essential combination of front and rear elements makes it possible to handle most situations without too much problem.

Comfort / Duo

Far from a cowboy saddle, the pilot seat will take you through the wildest lands with ease. A rather comfortable jump seat also awaits your occasional sidekick. But beware of the cannon start…. In addition, the machine line is still more successful solo.

Consumption

Unmeasured, however, its evaluation makes it possible to envisage nearly 300 kilometers with full fuel at the usual rate adopted on these machines..

Conclusion

Less prestigious than the CVO, the standard Breakout offers a more accessible escape. Far from being a production on the cheap, it likes to play the air girls in a less flashy way and ultimately more in tune with the muscle-bike spirit. Deceptively stripped and gruff, this Harley is a real concentrate of American thrills. The essentials dressed here in a less ostentatious luxury but very real to sublimate the entire character of twincam 103.
Blending genres to squeeze some quintessence out of the Harley myth, the Breakout is certainly not the easiest of Milwaukee products. It will delight the most "villainous" fans of the brand ready to dress up in full view of everyone. They will still have to leave € 20,590 for the Vivid Black version and € 20,890 for the Ember Red Sunglo and Big Blue Pearl colors..
Although atypical and little subject to competition, we could oppose it the all new Moto Guzzi California Custom, displayed at 17,350 €. More technological, the Italian is particularly attractive and well equipped. More versatile due to a less distinctive part-cycle, its less absolute aesthetic would almost rank it as a roadster compared to the daring American.
Marginal to the Harley family, the Breakout provides the show. More demanding than her sisters, she has the extreme genetics of her origins. Without concession, it leaves behind a scent of absolute and a sulphurous touch specific to the prohibition finally transgressed. On board, jump your bolts and…. let go.

Strong points

• Engine character and availability
• Style
• Finishes
• Dynamic aesthetics

Weak points

• Sound
• Ground clearance
• Rate

Colors

available in Vivid Black, Ember Red Sunglo and Big Blue Pearl.

Breakout technical sheet

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