Harley Davidson Announced Its 2023 New Bike Models
Harley Davidson announced its new 2023 bike models and started shipping to dealers. These are mainly models that return this year with new colors, so now all that remains is waiting for the international presentation the American firm has prepared.
For your curiosity, the Harley Davidson already has the new colors and prices for you to look at, but there is little more to it. We hope Harley-Davidson has more up sleeves at this month’s highly anticipated launch. Thanks to the information that has been reaching us, we can confirm that the American firm will launch at least four new motorcycles, in addition to six 120th anniversary edition models: Heritage Classic Anniversary, Fat Boy Anniversary, Street Glide SP Anniversary, Ultra Limited Anniversary, Road Glide SP Anniversary and Tri Glide Ultra Anniversary.
On the other hand, while most of the 2022 Harley Davidson models return this season, there are notable absences. The air-cooled Sportster EVOs (Forty-Eight and Iron 883) are being discontinued for good. The Electra Glide Standard and Road King will also be absent from the Harley-Davidson lineup. Both models employed the Milwaukee-Eight 107 engine, and its removal leaves the Street Glide, Softail Standard, and Road Glide before using the 107 engine.
2023 Harley Davidson New Models
Nightster Special 2023
Data obtained from the US and Australian headquarters confirm that the Nightster Special will use the same 975cc engine as the Nightster, with 90bhp. Photos show new wheel designs, increased passenger comfort, and a black color scheme with tank graphics.
The round instrument cluster is the same four-inch TFT display used on the Sportster S, not the integrated LCD analog speedometer found on the RH975 Nightster. Adding a TFT screen suggests that the Nightster Special will have more advanced electronics than the regular model.
X350RA 2023
Harley Davidson has worked on a small-displacement model with the Chinese factory Qianjiang since 2019. Despite evidence that the bike has been around for some time, neither company has said more openly about the project. However, in early 2022, we discovered that the launch was looming, but after some regulatory delays in China, it now looks like the new model is ready to see the light of day.
The latest VIN data confirms that the model will be called the X350RA and employ a 23PS liquid-cooled 353cc parallel twin engine. The VIN or chassis number also confirms that the X350RA will be produced at the Qianjiang factory in the Chinese city of Wenling. It is a clear evolution of the Benelli 302 known to us, which we have seen with other finishes and brands.
As if a parallel twin wasn’t enough, the X350RA’s Chinese origin will surely draw the ire of the Harley faithful. However, there are indications that the X350RA may be intended for something other than US consumption. Qianjiang is also preparing an X350 and X500 model for China, presumably with the same 500cc engine as the QJ-produced Benelli TRK 502, which states a power of 46.9 CV at 8,500 rpm.
Breakout FXBR 2023
The Breakout has been absent from Harley-Davidson’s US lineup for several years. However, it remained available internationally through 2022. The new VIN decoder shows the Breakout will return to the US with a Milwaukee-Eight engine upgrade 117.
The Breakout was previously presented with the 107 engine and like an ‘S’ model with the 114 engine. However, its return to the US market in 2023 and a displacement increase is a big surprise. The larger engine has the same 1,923cc exile as the engine in the Low Rider ST, Low Rider S, Street Glide ST, and Road Glide ST, as well as Harley-Davidson’s CVO models.
Electra Glide Highway King 2023
Powered by a Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine, the interesting thing about the Electra Glide Highway King is that it will mount 16-inch wheels, with a 90/16 front tire and a 180/16 rear tire. All other Harley-Davidson touring models have 17-inch or larger front wheels, with both the Police Road King and Electra Glide models using a 16-inch rear.
The claimed maximum height of 147 cm is relatively high so it may result from a tall windscreen. Using ‘Highway King’ in its name may further suggest a windshield similar to the now-discontinued Road King. Swiss documents indicate a weight (fully equipped plus a 75-kilo pilot) of 460 kilos, so we expect a curb weight of about 385 kilos. Quite close to the weight of the Road Glide Special but greatly lighter than any of the Tour Pak-equipped models.
