2018–2020 · Cruiser · Buyer's Guide
Factory Chopper, Drag Strip Soul
The Breakout sits on the 2018 Softail frame, which hides a progressive monoshock under the seat so the tail reads as a rigid hardtail while the suspension still does its work. The air/oil-cooled Milwaukee-Eight fills that frame completely: 1745 cc of 45-degree V-twin making 85 hp at 5,020 rpm and 109 lb-ft at 3,000 rpm, fed through a six-speed box and a belt. A 34-degree rake, a skinny 21-inch front hoop and a 240-section rear tire set the proportions. This is the factory's dragster reading of the outlaw chopper, built as rolling sculpture first and asked to ride well second.
It rides the way it looks. The torque is all there low down, and the bike wants a long straight road where the chassis settles into real high-speed composure. At 672 lb wet it carries its mass low, and the 26.2-inch seat gets most riders' boots flat on the ground, which is what makes that number livable. The finish survives close inspection, and the parts depth around this model means few of them stay stock for long. The honest caveat: 3.5 gallons of fuel, and a fat rear tire that asks for muscle any time the road gets tight.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 85 hp (63 kW) @ 5,020 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 109 lb-ft (148 Nm) @ 3,000 rpm |
| Displacement | 1745 cc |
| Engine | 45° V-twinMotorcycles With V-Twin Engines → |
| Cooling | Air/oil-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | BeltMotorcycles With Belt Drive → |
| Front tire | 130/60B21 |
| Rear tire | 240/40R18 |
| Seat height | 26.2 in (665 mm)Motorcycles With a Seat Height Under 30 Inches → |
| Wet weight | 672 lb (305 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 3.5 gal (13.2 L) |
Equipment check
Chassis
What follows is the community's account, not mine. It comes from years of listening: pit-lane conversations, talk at club nights, and the notes riders send me once they've lived with one. On this bike the accounts line up unusually well, and they split along a clear line.
The look leads almost every conversation. Riders describe it as a factory-built chopper, low on that fat rear tire and thin front hoop, and they say it's the first thing anyone else comments on. The engine is the other constant: owners talk about heavy pull arriving right off idle and the deep rumble that comes with it. Longer-term owners add that the finishes stay tidy and the components hold up.
Below walking pace the tone changes. Tight turns and U-turns come up most often, described as a deliberate, counter-intuitive job thanks to the wide rear and kicked-out front. Distance is the next theme: the forward controls and low bars stretch riders out in a way that turns painful over long highway stints. A smaller group mentions the front brake, saying a single disc isn't enough for the weight and that they lean on the rear.
Milwaukee-Eight Oil Sumping
Excess oil can accumulate in the crankcase under high-speed or high-rpm conditions, potentially causing oil blow-by or pressure build-up.
Where this Harley-Davidson Softail Breakout FXBR pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Softail Breakout FXBR is actually built for.
This is the bike you're already picturing. Sound, stance and presence are all here, and it holds its own parked in a row of a hundred others at a rally weekend.
Made for Florida State Road A1A · Black Hills · Main Street, Daytona Beach
Style and small towns suit it. Plan your day around 3.5 gallons, and know that tight, twisty routes ask more of you than a long open run through big country.
Made for Park Loop Road · Handbuilt Motorcycle Show · Blue Ridge Parkway
Honest answer: not really. It's steady at highway speed, but a 3.5-gallon tank and 672 lb of low-slung metal aren't built for all-day distance or a loaded two-up run.
Made for Beartooth Highway · Blue Ridge Parkway · Going-to-the-Sun Road
If you're cross-shopping the older generation, here's what changed.
Previous generation · 2013
Factory Custom, Full Stop
Compare to the previous model →If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Harley-Davidson Softail Breakout FXBR. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
Compare it with every bike that shares the same spec or equipment.
