Harley-Davidson CVO 1800 PRO STREET BREAKOUT FXSE 2017 — Specifications

You wonder what remains to be done to make a Harley-Davidson even more radical, after already crushing its silhouette and boosting its engine? The answer, for 2017, is the CVO Pro Street Breakout. This machine is not a simple evolution; it’s a punch in the lineup, a declaration of war against the conventional. It takes the basics of the Breakout – that low stance, that oversized 240 mm rear tire – and arms them to the teeth. The goal is clear: to resurrect the wild spirit of the first CVOs, but with the tools of modern times.

From the first glance, the affront is visual. The 43 mm inverted telescopic fork, a rarity at Harley, gives the prow a raw competition look. It is set in new tés, and the lower part features three clamping points, like a machine-tool fixing. The Agressor wheels, in smoked chrome, seem ready to devour the asphalt. Everything here is calculated to exacerbate static aggression, this mixture of dark luxury and menace that characterizes the creations of the Custom Vehicle Operations workshops. We are far from the calmed custom, we touch the motorcycle-object, almost the hostile mechanical sculpture.

But beneath this warrior’s visor, the heart beats with a noticeable ambiguity. In 2017, Harley unveils the new Milwaukee Eight, a 1870 cm3 V2 that should be the centerpiece of every CVO. Surprisingly, the Pro Street Breakout is excluded from it. It retains the Twin Cam 110B Screamin’ Eagle, boosted to 1801 cm3. This block, equipped with a balancing beam, produces a torque of 164.8 Nm at 3500 rpm, nearly 20 Nm more than the TC 103 of the standard Breakout. The power, announced at 92 horsepower, is honorable, but one feels a frustration: having the most aggressive CVO without the latest engine is a surprising choice. This Twin Cam remains an effective animal, it pulls with the typical voracity of large V2s, but it lacks that touch of modernity that the Milwaukee Eight promised.

The price, however, makes no compromises. At 27,890 euros, it represents an additional cost of nearly 6,000 euros compared to a classic Breakout. This money is visible, and felt. The smoked satin chrome finish on the cylinder heads, pushrods, exhausts, and speedometer housing is of impeccable quality. The upholstery, inspired – according to the manufacturer – by race circuits, is aesthetic but remains typically Harley: comfortable for short getaways, but not well suited for long journeys. The Airflow controls, the Drag handlebar, the multi-LED headlight are details that partially justify the price tag. Yet, one can question the real value of this proposition: as much style, as much investment, for an engine that is not the flagship of the new generation.

The CVO Pro Street Breakout is therefore a motorcycle with a double face. It targets the urban rider who wants the ultimate expression of aggression, the collector of limited-edition objects, the one who prioritizes posture and presence over the latest mechanical innovation. It is an aesthetic success, a show beast that dominates the landscape with its attitude. But for the touring rider or the technology enthusiast, the absence of the Milwaukee Eight and the imposing weight of 332 kg fully fueled leave a feeling of incompletion. Harley has created a street demon, magnificent and intimidating, but which retains, beneath its new armor, a slightly outdated breath.