Harley-Davidson 1870 Freewheeler FLRT 2024 — Specifications

Three wheels, zero compromise on attitude. That's the Freewheeler 2024 in a nutshell — the hot rod entry in Harley-Davidson's trike lineup. Where the Tri Glide Ultra plays the fully loaded cruise ship card, the Freewheeler strips things down with 57 kg less on the scales and nearly €7,000 less on the invoice. At €35,990 and 513 kg wet, we're still in heavyweight territory, but the philosophy shifts dramatically. The lines are lean, stripped back, almost aggressive. This trike isn't trying to reassure — it's trying to provoke.

The 2023 model year had already set the tone by swapping chrome for black on just about everything that usually gleams. Headlight nacelle, tank console, controls, exhaust, engine block — everything went to the dark side. The rear end was beefed up with 18-inch wheels replacing the old 15-inchers, wrapped in 215/45 rubber. The visual result is noticeably more planted, more squat. You can sense the American custom inspiration, somewhere between a parking lot dragster and a Saturday night cruiser.

Beneath this dark ride treatment, the Milwaukee Eight 114 does its job. No liquid cooling here — just air and oil to temper the 1,868 cc of this 45-degree V-twin. Four valves per cylinder, two spark plugs per head, a 10.5:1 compression ratio, and a 102 x 114 mm bore-and-stroke that favors long-legged torque. The stated 87 hp at 5,020 rpm won't set hearts racing on paper, but it's the torque that tells the real story: 158.9 Nm available from just 3,000 rpm, delivered through a six-speed gearbox and belt drive. Enough to launch the half-ton machine with surprising authority at red lights, even if the speedometer tops out at 170 km/h. Nobody asks a trike to play sportbike.

On the chassis side, the steel double-cradle frame houses a 49 mm telescopic fork with 117 mm of travel, paired with Premium rear suspension units inherited from the Touring range, adjustable for preload. The electronics package has been seriously overhauled with the trike-specific RDRS suite: linked cornering braking, lean-angle-adaptive ABS, traction control, and drag torque management — all in "cornering" versions. Braking duties fall to two 300 mm discs clamped by four-piston calipers up front and a 270 mm disc at the rear. For a machine of this size, it's a welcome safety net — especially since the Freewheeler doesn't lean into corners. You turn flat, which completely changes the reference points for anyone coming from a traditional motorcycle.

And that's really the whole point of this machine: opening the Harley universe to car license holders. The Freewheeler isn't aimed at the dyed-in-the-wool biker chasing lean angles and thrills. It speaks to those who want the wind, the vibrations of a big American twin, and the stares of passersby — without having to get a motorcycle license. The rear trunk swallows two helmets, two-up riding is an option, and the Mini-Ape Hanger bars impose an arms-up riding position that leaves no doubt about your intentions. Then there's the price question: at nearly €36,000, the Freewheeler costs as much as a new sedan. But nobody ever bought a Harley trike out of rationality. You buy it for the spectacle. And on that front, the Freewheeler delivers without flinching.