Harley-Davidson turns 120 this 12 months, and to have fun mannequin 12 months 2023, The Motor Firm has turned to its once-every-five-year playbook and unveiled seven limited-edition fashions to commemorate the event. Say hi there to the:
- Extremely Restricted Anniversary
- Tri Glide Extremely Anniversary
- Avenue Glide Particular Anniversary (Black Trim)
- Street Glide Particular Anniversary (Black Trim)
- Fats Boy 114 Anniversary
- Heritage Traditional 114 Anniversary (Chrome Trim)
- CVO Street Glide Restricted
However that’s not all; for ’23, Harley can also be gracing us with just a few extra fashions: the return of the Breakout, the Street Glide 3 Trike, the Nightster Particular, and a restyled Freewheeler. Extra on all of these a bit of later.
Going again to the anniversary fashions, as you’d anticipate, all seven bikes can have particular commemorative paint, finishes, and different particulars – however the CVO Street Glide Restricted goes one step additional. Being a CVO, its paint is much more particular and distinctive. Plus, just one,500 examples might be made for all the world.
To provide us extra details about the quantity of consideration paid to all of the ’23 fashions, Harley invited Bike.com to hear in as Brad Richards and Mike Case, Harley’s lead designer and lead engineer, respectively, gave us the within scoop to the intricate particulars that went into every bike.
Anniversary Particular
Enjoyable truth: the primary 12 months Harley celebrated its anniversary was 1954 – a 12 months after it hit the large 5-0. Again then, the bikes received a particular badge on the entrance fender and a particular yellow coloration. Anniversaries have been celebrated on and off after that, nevertheless it wasn’t till the Nineteen Eighties that Harley took to its present custom of celebrating each fifth birthday with one thing particular.
As for the six 2023 Anniversary fashions (excluding the CVO), Richards defined that all of them begin with a base coloration known as Heirloom Purple. It’s a extremely deep gloss coloration. Then over which might be panels outlined with a purple pinstripe. Inside these panels is one other, deeper purple known as Midnight Crimson Fade. “We actually leaned into the fade know-how with paints in the previous few years,” says Richards as he defined how the type gained recognition internally and the paint workforce discovered methods to push the type additional and additional. Even the seats have oxblood inserts to match the purple fade.
The CVO Street Glide takes this a step additional with a livery distinctive to the opposite six anniversary fashions. With the CVO Street Glide, the bottom coloration is anniversary black. Nonetheless, when the solar shines on it good, it’s really a blood purple coloration. From there, you have got inlaid panels outlined with hand-laid pinstriping. Contained in the panels is a big eagle transferring from entrance to again in Heirloom Purple, with the pinnacle on the entrance of the bike, progressing to the baggage and tail within the again. Richards says it’s tremendous refined, however now that you realize to search for it in these photographs, it might not be so refined in any case. An Alcantara seat with distinctive stitching and branding completes the search for the CVO Street Glide.
Breakout Is Again
For 2023, the Breakout makes a comeback within the US. In Europe, the place it by no means left, it nonetheless sees a reasonably important overhaul. Lengthy and low, with a fats 240-series rear wheel, Richards says it was, “first conceived as a contemporary chopper” and as such, is topic to altering traits over time. The earlier model from 2018 had a darker picture, with extra blacked-out parts, however Richards says he and his workforce are beginning to discover a comeback within the chopper world’s favourite accent: chrome.
The development caught the workforce’s consideration at varied reveals, because the cyclical development of “what’s outdated is new once more” circles again round. Black is mendacity dormant (it by no means actually goes out of favor) whereas chrome is again on its manner up. With the ’23 Breakout, chrome is all over the place – from the forks to the exhaust, valve covers, and trim items. It’s nonetheless lengthy and low with a fats rear tire, however the actual distinctive options are the turbine wheels. The 26-spoke black/chrome design forces the eyes to stare at it. “It seems prefer it’s spinning even when it’s sitting nonetheless,” says Richards.
From a technical standpoint, clients didn’t just like the small tank of the earlier model, so now there’s a five-gallon tank – which is nice, as a result of it lets the rider benefit from the energy from the Milwaukee-Eight 117 ci V-Twin for longer. The handlebar risers are taller and longer, nearer to the rider, for a extra upright using place. The bars themselves are polished stainless-steel to enrich the look of the remainder of the bike. Lengthy and low, the Breakout’s 36º fork rake, mixed with the 240-series rear tire, offers it loads of straight line stability – to not point out loads of angle. The Breakout turns into the third Softail in Harley’s lineup to get the 117ci engine, noting its slant in the direction of being a efficiency cruiser.
The Breakout might be obtainable in Vivid Black, Black Denim, Atlas Silver, and Baja Orange (the identical Baja Orange first seen on the Pan America).
Traction Management
The brand new 12 months additionally sees the inclusion of digital traction management as customary for the Fats Boy, Fats Bob, Breakout, and Low Rider S. It’s already customary on the Low Rider ST and Heritage Traditional fashions. This marks the primary time the Breakout, Low Rider S, and Low Rider ST have had the choice of getting traction management.
Street Glide 3
For the primary time, Harley-Davidson is constructing a trike model of the Street Glide – however it should solely be obtainable within the US market. Sorry, Europe and the remainder of the world. If that looks as if it might’t be true since you’ve seen Street Glide trikes on the street already – all of these have been made by any individual else. “Street Glide trikes have been performed within the aftermarket, however now we’re making a manufacturing facility model,” says Richards.
The factor that catches your eye first are the 18-inch rear wheels, a departure from the 15-inch wheels which might be so fashionable on most aftermarket conversions. The larger wheels are undeniably higher trying and will present higher choices for tires, too. Energy comes from the Milwaukee-Eight 114 ci engine. Different options embody the BOOM! Field GTS infotainment system, twin Daymaker LED headlights, and a bobtail rear fender for a basic sizzling rod look.
Apparently, Richards instructed us that, regardless of the stereotype of trike riders being older people, Harley surveys have revealed that there’s a larger recognition within the trike market from {couples} of their 20s and 30s. Perhaps they’re on the lookout for a safer technique to journey collectively. “Or possibly they need an even bigger canvas for customizing,” Richards theorized.
Michael Case, the lead engineer, gave his personal fascinating perspective from a technical standpoint. “I’m a bit of embarrassed to say final 12 months was my first time using a trike,” says the 20-odd 12 months veteran of the corporate. “However I used to be tremendous impressed with the dealing with and enjoyable issue [of the Road Glide].” In fact he has to say that, however because the growth of the bike was beneath his scope, he was personally invested in making it gratifying to journey.
He continues, “Folks don’t understand how a lot we put into the dealing with and security of trikes – nevertheless it’s boring, technical stuff no person cares about.” For instance, regardless of the seems of the Street Glide 3, it’s not only a RG with two wheels within the again. There’s an prolonged rake angle to make it more durable to tip over. With a unique rake angle comes the necessity to rearrange trim items, brackets, and different varied items to make each panel match once more with the correct proportions and gaps.
The Street Glide 3 will are available Vivid Black, Grey Haze, and Billiard Blue. Once more, solely within the US.
Nightster Particular
After we complained in regards to the Nightster’s awkward seating place in our comparo between it and the Indian Rogue, it appeared as if others felt the identical manner, as a result of the brand new Nightster Particular has a five-inch handlebar riser to maneuver the controls nearer to the rider for a extra impartial stance. To be clear, nonetheless, the Nightster Particular is an addition to the Nightster household. Not a substitute. The usual Nightster stays, joined by the Particular. As the brand new child on the block, the Particular additionally steals the windscreen that the bottom Nightster used to put on, leaving the bottom bike a bit of extra bare.
Energy nonetheless comes from the Revolution Max 975T engine, with the four-inch TFT display, journey modes, Brembo brakes, and rider security aids nonetheless in place. Modifications to the Nightster embody a passenger seat and new wheels, giving it a reasonably European look, particularly for those who’re into European vehicles from the Nineties and 2000s. “They might be impressed by BBS, possibly not,” says Richards, referring to the favored aftermarket wheel firm. Richards famous that the design workforce on the Nightster was fairly younger, they usually seemed to the previous for extra design inspiration. Particularly, they turned to Harley’s AMF years and the Harley brand of the time, mimicking that type for the brand used on the Nightster Particular’s tank.
The Nightster Particular might be obtainable in Vivid Black, Industrial Yellow, and Denim Blue.
Freewheeler Trike
The Freewheeler trike is once more on the menu for 2023 with a blacked-out restyle. The entrance finish, headlamp nacelle, tank console, hand and foot controls, engine and exhaust all get blacked out, moving into the exact opposite path from the chrome end the trike had final 12 months.
Aside from that, the rear wheels are 18 inches as an alternative of 15 (the entrance’s a 19-incher) with uncovered lug nuts. A refined pinstriping accents the bike, as does a stylized Harley brand. All this stuff align the Freewheeler’s design with the remainder of the Touring Particular fashions.
These new fashions and bulletins are simply the tip of the Harley-Davidson iceberg for 2023. Extra bulletins and extra fashions are coming this 12 months. To not point out Harley’s huge one hundred and twentieth birthday celebration it has slated for July that might be stuffed with leisure, festivities, and sure, all issues Harley-Davidson. Keep tuned.
Turn out to be a Bike.com insider. Get the newest motorbike information first by subscribing to our e-newsletter right here.
