Harley-Davidson Fxsb Breakout

HARLEY-DAVIDSON FXSB BREAKOUT

IGNITION

FIRST RIDE

A slammed Softail that rides like a Cadillac

Matthew Miles

HALFWAY through dinner at a Daytona Beach steakhouse, Mark Strong, tech lead for the FXSB Breakout, raised his hand. “Can we talk about the rear suspension?” he asked. As the rest of the design/development team bellied up to their beef, Strong explained how careful attention was paid to shock valving and to the development of a reshaped oil tank that allows the rear wheel to move farther upward, resulting in increased wheel travel. The goal, said Strong, was to give the Breakout “a smooth ride.” Smooth ride? According to its spec sheet, this new Softail has just 3.1 inches of rear-wheel travel, half an inch less than the Blackline or Deluxe and 1.2 inches less than a Fat Boy, Heritage or Slim. Factor in a 240/40-18 radial tire, and buyers could end up with a bike

that not only looks like a hardtail but rides like one, too.

After dinner, I was given the key to an Ember Red Sunglo Breakout. A walk around the bike confirmed that Chief Stylist Ray Drea wasn’t kidding when he talked about presence and proportions. Or the low-as-you-can-go "slammed” look.

Next morning, to test Strong’s suspension claims, I headed west on Highway 92 with its miles of concrete expansion joints. At speeds as low as 50 mph and as high as 75 mph, the FXSB sailed effortlessly over the junctures, revealing beyond-Main Street compliance rarely associated with lowprofile, wide-tired cruisers.

A candidate for this year’s Best Cruiser? You bet. t SIS

AT 60 MPH, THE BREAKOUT'S COUNTERBALANCED 103B WASAS SMOOTH AS COULD BE, WITH A CLAIMED 95.5 FOOTPOUNDS OF TORQUE JUSTA TWIST OF THE THROTTLE AWAY

I: BREAK OUT * $26,499

HARD CANDY GOLD DUST

BLACK DIAMOND

CRLMSON RED SUNGLO

2013 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FXSB

ENGINE TYPE ohv V-Twin

DISPLACEMENT 1890cc

SEAT HEIGHT 24.7 in

FUEL CAPACITV 5.0 gal.

DRY WEIGHT 680 lb.

LJU4I $17.899 to 18.299