Harley-Davidson Breakout 117 2026 — Specifications

The Breakout had been enjoying the delights of the big Milwaukee Eight 117 for some time. Almost 2 liters of displacement, torque everywhere, and a darkly brooding aesthetic. It decided to take a small step further with a new Touring air filter, an improved air intake, new cylinder heads, and a few modifications to continue delivering the same amount of torque – 168 Nm – but much earlier in the rev range. This peak is reached at 3,000 rpm, 500 rpm less than before. Power gains a small horsepower.

Like the entire Softail range, it receives a serious dose of electronics with the introduction of traction control, residual torque management, and ABS, all reactive in corners. It also gets several Riding Modes (Rain / Road / Sport), cruise control, a USB-C port, and a redesigned instrument panel. The overall design barely evolves, except for the headlight, which abandons its oblong and disturbed shape for a more classic element. The suspension is readjusted, new controls are installed, and the brake lever becomes adjustable.

Those fifty-somethings who were weaned on video game consoles know: Breakout is first and foremost the name of the very first brick-breaking game! Atari released it in 1976, to be offered two years later on the celebrated Atari 2600 console! The principle: a metal ball that bounced off a bar that moved laterally to send it back and break the bricks of a wall…

Briefly, we had the youth we could, but at least we have the satisfaction of saying that we were, in a way, the pioneers in video games.

But let's get back to our two-wheeled machines. To celebrate its 120th anniversary, the Milwaukee manufacturer decided to restore the Breakout's nobility by offering it a redesigned look and grafting its biggest engine: the Milwaukee Eight 117. This big four-valve V-twin (hence the Eight!) benefits from 1923 cm3 to deliver 103 hp at 5020 rpm and more than 17 mkg to the enormous 240 rear tire. Smell of burnt rubber guaranteed!

A quick jump into the past (understand who can…): the Breakout first appeared at Harley-Davidson in 2012 with the CVO badge, which means Custom Vehicle Operations, the brand's ultra-premium department. Everything that carries the CVO label is worth more than gold, and the number of layers of varnish on the paint is greater than the number of layers in a mille-feuille. Chrome galore, lavish equipment (in the case of the Electra Glide), supercharged mechanics; nothing is too good for a CVO. Faced with the success encountered by the CVO Breakout, Harley realized the commercial potential of this machine with a striking look. As early as 2013, the charismatic Softail FXSB Breakout became more accessible (that's what they call it) by joining the standard range.

“Very long, very low, very clean, the Breakout is a reinterpretation of the "Gassers," the famous dragsters of the 50s and 60s. Having removed all the CVO kit from it makes it more virile, more "hairy." We no longer flaunt ourselves in front of Jean-Paul Gautier's exhibition; place for brawls in front of the hard-rock cafés,” they said here at the time! (link: https://www.motoplanete.com/harley-davidson/4680/1690-SOFTAIL-BREAKOUT-FXSB-2014/contact.html). Indeed, the Breakout quickly established itself as a veritable UFO in the Harley range. There were those who hated it, arguing above all of the catastrophic lack of ground clearance and that feeling in corners that the front and rear were not part of the same motorcycle. Then there were those – including myself – who enjoyed hitting it to have to deal more than necessary with these hallucinatory but very real dynamic considerations. Above all, there was the thrill of riding this ultra-masculine machine, whose riding position gave the sensation of having your rear end on the asphalt. Legs spread with boots far in front and arms extended ready to absorb the shocks of the big-twin, the feeling of disorientation was total, at odds with the riding position of a sports car.

Riding a Breakout is a unique experience. It's like offering yourself a movie session every time you saddle it. At its helm, you take on the leading role of a classic Ennio Morricone-style western blockbuster, boosted with a Marvel sauce, all topped with a generous dose of Terminator 2 and with the soundtrack of Easy Rider remixed by Mastodon! All in 8K Ultra HD and Dolby Atmos surround 11.1.4, especially with this version.

Born with the Twin Cam 103 B of 1690 cm3, the Breakout metamorphosed in 2018. Harley-Davidson decided to completely overhaul its motorcycle range: exit the Dynas, only the Softail range remained, with a completely new chassis and improved dynamic qualities. Above all, the V-twin benefited from four-valve cylinder heads to become the current Milwaukee Eight. Two displacements were then offered: 107 or 114 ci, or 1746 or 1868 cm3. The Breakout was available in these two versions, but, despite the improvements made, it lost a little of its initial brutality, its virility and therefore its soul, notably due to softer and more rounded shapes.

In 2023, it renewed its connection with the original DNA that made it successful. The engine is therefore the enormous Milwaukee Eight of 117 cubic inches, which promises to be a monument with its power and torque worthy of an M1 Abrams tank. Above all, the Breakout boasts a much more evocative design than the previous one, too smooth. The 18.9 l fuel tank is sublime and reinforces the powerful silhouette of the machine. It is equipped with a chrome console. Just so, there is chrome on the Breakout: the rear fender receives chrome turn signal supports, these being chrome as well. The side covers, the mirrors, the fork tube, the mufflers and even the engine escape this sparkling treatment; without forgetting the sublime air filter that undeniably adds a touch of ferocity. The stainless steel polished handlebar is 1.9 cm wider, which will require the rider to spread their arms further, participating in this bad boy attitude imposed by the riding position of the Breakout. Add to that a pair of 26-spoke aluminum cast wheels, the finesse of which recalls the elegance of a spoke rim. Of course, the Breakout would not be itself if there was not this almost legendary disproportion between the dimension of the front wheel and that of the rear wheel: 240/40 x 18 against 130/60 x 21, it's a bit of David and Goliath, the Thing against the elastic man in the Fantastic Four. Let's admit it right away: the Breakout will impose its personality in driving and will necessarily require a little time to adapt for the least experienced or those who are discovering this style of machine.

With its license plate relocated to the left side, as do most bikers on their motorcycle in order to clear the view on the large rear tire, the Breakout marks a successful return to the original model. We can only congratulate Harley for this! It is impossible to say that this Breakout does not break bricks, on the contrary. It shatters them all. At more than 30,000 euros, as a base price, it also risks breaking those of your bank account…

Michaël Levivier - photos manufacturer