After a two-year break on home soil, the Breakout is back. Happily, the muscular urban cruiser is brawnier and more comfortable than ever. Still, it retains its dual missions—going fast in a straight line and making you look good at any speed. We hit the streets of Los Angeles and did both, finding out exactly what the 2023 Harley-Davidson Breakout 117 is all about.
- Visually, the 2023 Harley-Davidson Breakout 117 defines cruiser. It’s long (66.7-inch wheelbase), low (26.2-inch seat height), relaxed (36 degrees for fork angles and 5.7 inches of trail), and pointed in a straight line by a 21-inch front wheel complementing the audacious 240mm Michelin Scorcher 11 on the 18-inch rear wheel. Add plenty of chrome, 26-spoke cast-aluminum wheels with black paint and machined highlights, and a conspicuous Heavy Breather intake for the Milwaukee-Eight 117, and you are ready to light up the town. There is nothing shy about the new Breakout.
- While comfort has never been the Breakout’s calling card, the ergonomics are friendlier for 2023. The old jackknife seating position has been moved more upright this year. New handlebar risers bring the new, wider stainless-steel handlebar closer to the rider. The change makes a huge difference, even on short-hop rides. Although your profile won’t be quite as belligerent as in the past, it’s still an aggressive look—you don’t have to tell anyone it’s more comfortable. Without any doubt, longer rides around town are in the cards, especially for those not schooled in yoga or contortionism.
- To compensate for the less insistent seating position, the powerplant gets a displacement boost. The 114 is jettisoned in favor of the air-/oil-cooled 117. The motor makes a powerful statement at stoplights, with 123 ft-lbs of torque ready to launch you away from anyone looking to lead the way when the light turns green. There’s plenty of overrev, with the horsepower peaking north of 100 at 4750 rpm. This allows you to hold it just a little longer and glance at the small rearview mirrors to watch the traffic behind you shrink to the size of insects as you’re pushed back into the acceleration-friendly seat. It’s great fun, and difficult to resist whenever the opportunity presents itself. Burnouts are on the menu for those so inclined. If you spring for the optional traction control ($200), you’ll have to switch it off before creating a smoke bomb.
- Keep an eye out for bumps and dips while moving down the road. That may be a Showa Dual Bending Valve fork in the front, but it is mounted at such an angle that the action is anything but smooth. Even though the 2023 Harley-Davidson Breakout benefits from the ride improvements of the latest Softail chassis, the shock can only do so much with 3.4 inches of travel as it gets scant cushioning help from the low-profile rear tire. It’s not quite a brutal ride, but it’s a long way from plush. Riders who want a visceral feel for the road will love it, though they will have to tolerate the occasional disquieting jolt from potholes and other road inconsistencies. The seat does help cushion hits a bit, and there are accommodations for a passenger.
- The 2023 Harley-Davidson Breakout 117 will only take you so fast on the local freeways. Up to about 70 mph or so, the Breakout is pretty comfortable. However, move much faster than that, and you’ll notice that you have become an air-gathering sail, and it gets increasingly strenuous to hold on. Also, if your freeways are as beaten up as they are in Los Angeles, you’ll feel every bump, ripple, crease, and imperfection—hey, some people pay extra for that.
- The Breakout will corner, though fairly reluctantly. Everything about the geometry and construction of the Breakout is about going in a straight line. The 130mm front tire has to work hard to get the flat-profile rear tire to change directions, so you must be dedicated to making it happen. Cornering clearance is limited, so you’ll want to take it easy in the twisties—this is a Harley-Davidson about straight-line dominance without much concern for agility. On the upside, once you commit to a line, the Breakout will hold firm until the footpeg feeler starts to grind, which happens after your bootheel touches down. This motorcycle does not encourage donning soft-sole riding shoes—bring your boots.
- What goes fast, must slow down, though there’s nothing abrupt about the braking on the 2023 Harley-Davidson Breakout 117. That’s a single 300mm disc in the front, and it definitely needs help from the 282mm rear disc and the meaty footprint of the 240mm tire. Trying to slow down the inertia of the massive rear wheel and a 683-pound chassis via a single disc and 130mm front tire is not the hot setup. The footbrake is the go-to decelerator, while the front brake operates as an auxiliary anchor. However, its use may cause your leg to argue for space with the Heavy Breather intake. Together, the brakes are fine for urban riding, and intrusive ABS is standard.
- Instrumentation is impressively minimal on the Breakout 117. There’s a small wide and short LCD screen between the handlebar clamps, supplemented by warning lights below. Your velocity is the largest and most important readout. When you get on the throttle hard, you’ll notice how quickly the rpm number rises. Fortunately, the LAPD doesn’t have much interest in enforcing traffic laws in its jurisdiction. If you have a lot of officers where you ride, take care—it’s effortless to instantly obliterate any speed limit around town, and the Breakout encourages it.
- With only two jobs to do, the 2023 Harley-Davidson Breakout 117 can concentrate on them and do both well. When you’re on the Breakout, there’s no doubt you look cool—get used to frequent “nice bike” comments wherever you go. It’s also addictively fun to go fast in a straight line, and nothing about the Breakout discourages it. Harley-Davidson created a new Breakout that is faster and more comfortable this year, and that makes us more than happy that it’s back in The Motor Company’s lineup.
Action photography by Kelly Callan
Static photography by Don Williams
RIDING STYLE
- Helmet: Arai Contour-X
- Jacket: Joe Rocket Dakota
- Back protection: Joe Rocket SW Spine Protector Level 2
- Gloves: Joe Rocket Cafe Racer
- Jeans: Joe Rocket Accelerator
- Boots: Joe Rocket Outbreak
2023 Harley-Davidson Breakout 117 Specs
ENGINE
- Type: Milwaukee-Eight 117 V-twin
- Displacement: 117ci (1923cc)
- Bore x stroke: 4.075” x 4.5”
- Maximum power: 101 horsepower @ 4750 rpm
- Maximum torque: 123 ft-lbs @ 3500 rpm
- Compression ratio: 10.2:1
- Valvetrain: Single-cam; 4 vpc
- Exhaust: 2-into-2; catalyst in muffler
- Cooling: Air and oil
- Transmission: 6-speed
- Primary drive: Chain
- Final drive: Belt
CHASSIS
- Frame: Mild-steel tubular frame w/ rectangular-section backbone
- Front suspension; travel: Non-adjustable Showa Dual Bending Valve 49mm fork; 5 inches
- Rear suspension: Spring-preload adjustable shock; 3.4 inches
- Wheels: Cast aluminum
- Front wheel: 21 x 3.5
- Rear wheel: 18 x 8
- Tires: Harley-Davidson Michelin Scorcher 11
- Front tire: 130/60 x 21
- Rear tire: 240/40 x 18
- Front brake: 300mm floating disc w/ fixed 4-piston caliper
- Rear brake: 282mm disc w/ floating 2-piston caliper
- ABS: Standard
DIMENSIONS and CAPACITIES
- Wheelbase: 66.7 inches
- Rake: 34 degrees
- Fork angle: 36 degrees
- Trail: 5.7 inches
- Seat height: 26.2 inches
- Fuel capacity: 5 gallons
- Estimated fuel consumption: 47 mpg
- Curb weight: 683 pounds
- Colors: Vivid Black; Black Denim (+$525); Baja Orange (+$525); Atlas Silver Metallic (+$525)
2023 Harley-Davidson Breakout 117 Price: from $21,749 (including surcharge); as-tested price: $22,474 MSRP
2023 Harley-Davidson Breakout 117 Review Photo Gallery
