Harley-Davidson 1870 Freewheeler FLRT 2023 — Specifications

Who said a trike had to look like a retiree's golf cart puttering down a country road? Certainly not Harley-Davidson. With the 2023 Freewheeler FLRT, Milwaukee plants a full-on hot rod attitude on three wheels, light-years away from the Tri Glide Ultra and its plush bulk. Where the latter plays the chrome ocean liner card, the Freewheeler strips things down. 57 kilos less on the scales, nearly 7,000 euros saved at the register, and a design free of all excess. At 513 kg wet and 35,590 euros, we're still in heavyweight premium territory, but the philosophy is radically different.

The 2023 vintage pushes the slider toward the dark side. Headlight nacelle, tank console, hand and foot controls, engine block, exhaust: everything that once gleamed goes black. Chrome gives way to a dark treatment that hardens the silhouette and lends it a more aggressive presence. The rear also bulks up with the switch from 15- to 18-inch wheels, wrapped in 215/45 rubber. The visual result is clear-cut: the 2023 Freewheeler looks less like a parade float and more like a machine built to impress at first glance.

Beneath the 22.7-liter tank beats the Milwaukee Eight 114 V-twin and its 1868 cc. No liquid cooling here, but a square architecture (102 x 114 mm), four valves per cylinder, dual spark plugs per head, and a 10.5:1 compression ratio. The 87 horsepower at 5020 rpm won't make any sportbike tremble, but that's not the point. Torque, on the other hand, speaks a different language: 158.9 Nm available from just 3000 rpm, delivered to the rear wheels through a six-speed gearbox and a belt drive. This 45-degree V-twin doesn't chase revs. It pushes hard, it pushes low, and a top speed of 170 km/h is more than enough for a machine of this size. The engine vibrates just enough to remind you that a big American twin is rumbling between your legs.

On the safety front, Harley has seriously beefed up the onboard electronics. The RDRS system adapted for trikes now integrates cornering-sensitive electronically linked braking (C-ELB), cornering-enhanced ABS (C-ABS), cornering-enhanced traction control (C-TCS), and cornering drag-torque slip control (C-DSCS). On a machine that weighs half a ton and doesn't lean, these aids are anything but a luxury. The two 300 mm front discs clamped by four-piston calipers and the 270 mm rear disc take full advantage of this electronic management. The 49 mm telescopic fork with 117 mm of travel and Touring-derived rear suspension, adjustable for preload, round out a steel double-cradle frame that favors stability over agility.

The Freewheeler targets a very specific audience. Category B license holders who dream of the motorcycle experience without taking the riding test, aging riders who no longer want to put a foot down at red lights, or fans of spectacular cruising: the niche exists and Harley knows it inside out. The Mini-Apehangar handlebar places the hands up high, the rear trunk swallows two helmets for riding two-up, and the seat at 700 mm reassures the most modest builds. It's neither a motorcycle nor a car — it's a thing apart, built to devour asphalt in a straight line and collect stares from café terraces. At this price, one might lament the lack of liquid cooling and a multimedia package that's nonexistent compared to the Tri Glide Ultra, but the Freewheeler simply doesn't play in the same league. It bets on attitude over bourgeois comfort, and on that turf, it has no direct competitor.