A deeply distressing or disturbing experience is described as trauma, and that was on my mind as I threw a leg over the 2023 Harley-Davidson Breakout.
I was still scared by my exposure to the original Breakout, caused by the terrifying experience of peeling into a corner, grounding the right peg almost immediately, quickly calculating that the arc through the corner I was now committed to take would lead into the scrub about half-way around and then discovering how weak the brakes were.
There was a clue to an improved 2023 Breakout in the choice of launch location and the proposed route. It included the climb up to Mount Hotham from Harrietville, 30.8 kilometres of the Great Alpine Road which consists entirely of one tight corner after another.
I was notified of a route change while on my way to Bright and my immediate thought was someone from H-D had actually tried to do it and immediately changed the plans. As it turned out, the weather was the culprit. The new route was in many ways just as challenging and meant there was nowhere for the truth to hide.
Performance anxiety slipped out of my mind immediately I saw the bikes and was reminded about how important style is in this marketplace.
The 2023 Breakout is one hell of a
