Harley-Davidson kicked off its yearlong 120th anniversary celebration with the announcement of the first release of new models in the 2023 Harley-Davidson motorcycle lineup. Included in the announcement are the CVO Road Glide Limited Anniversary model and six additional limited-edition motorcycles featuring exclusive 120th Anniversary commemorative paint, finishes, and details, as well as a refreshed Harley-Davidson Breakout cruiser and the new Nightster Special middleweight sport motorcycle. In the three-wheeled department, Harley-Davidson announced the new 2023 Road Glide 3 trike as well as a restyled and blacked-out Freewheeler trike.
See all of Rider’s Harley-Davidson coverage here.
Harley-Davidson 120th Anniversary Models
The limited-edition, premium CVO Road Glide Limited Anniversary model celebrates 120 years of craftsmanship with what the company says is “one of the most intricate paint schemes ever offered by Harley-Davidson.”
Panels of Heirloom Red are applied over a base coat of Anniversary Black, each outlined with a bright red pinstripe and a hand-applied gold paint scallop. Subtle details added within the panels portray the head and wings of a soaring eagle. The gold-plated tank medallion depicts an Art Deco rendition of the eagle, an iconic Harley-Davidson design element.
Additional details include Alcantara seat surfaces with gold and red contrast stitching accents, gold-tone powertrain inserts, and bright red rocker boxes and pushrod tube collars. Only 1,500 examples of the CVO Road Glide Limited Anniversary model will be produced for global distribution, each serialized with a laser-etched panel on the fuel tank console.
The 2023 CVO Road Glide Limited Anniversary starts at $51,999.
Related: 2022 Harley-Davidson Road Glide ST and Street Glide ST | Review
Special 120th Anniversary paint in a different scheme will be offered on six additional limited-production Harley-Davidson models, with color and design combinations inspired by early Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Each features a classic paneled paint scheme with gleaming Heirloom Red as the base color. Panels are outlined with a bright-red pinstripe and filled with a darker Midnight Crimson fade. Additional details include an Art Deco eagle tank medallion, seat covers with red side panels and gold embroidered Harley-Davidson logo, and red fade powertrain inserts.
This commemorative design will be offered on the following serialized models:
- Ultra Limited Anniversary (production limited to 1,300 motorcycles globally)
- Tri Glide Ultra Anniversary (1,100 motorcycles)
- Street Glide Special Anniversary (1,600 motorcycles)
- Road Glide Special Anniversary (1,600 motorcycles)
- Fat Boy 114 Anniversary (3,000 motorcycles)
- Heritage Classic 114 Anniversary (1,700 motorcycles)
Harley-Davidson Breakout is Back
After being taken off the U.S. market in 2020, the Harley-Davidson Breakout model will return to the North America model line, powered by the Milwaukee-Eight 117 V-Twin engine making a claimed 101 hp at 4,750 rpm and 123 lb-ft of torque at 3,500 rpm.
Other features of the Breakout include a 5-gallon fuel tank topped with a low-profile chrome console shaped to lengthen the motorcycle profile, a new handlebar riser and stainless steel handlebar that is 0.75 inch taller than the previous model, and a chrome finish applied to the rear fender supports, side covers, muffler shields, turn signals, mirrors, Heavy Breather intake, and new 26-spoke cast-aluminum wheels (21-inch Michelin Scorcher 11s in the front, 18 in the rear), which are finished in gloss black with machined details.
The 2023 Harley-Davidson Breakout starts at $20,999 and comes in Vivid Black or, for an additional $525, Black Denim, Baja Orange, or Atlas Silver Metallic. (see photo gallery at end)
2023 Harley-Davidson Nightster Special
This new middleweight Nightster features the liquid-cooled Revolution Max 975T V-Twin. Harley says the engine is tuned to make tremendous torque at low RPM (claimed 70 lb-ft at 5,000 rpm), adding that its integration into the bike as the central member of the chassis also minimizes overall motorcycle weight.
Related: 2022 Harley-Davidson Nightster | First Ride Review
The Nightster Special has four ride modes (Road, Sport, Rain, or user-customized), traction control, drag-torque slip control, and cruise control. Stopping power comes from a Brembo axial-mount 4-piston caliper biting a 320mm disc in the front and a single-piston caliper and 260mm disc in the rear. ABS is standard.
Other features include a passenger pillion and footpegs, cast aluminum wheels with tire pressure monitoring, and full LED lighting. The handlebar and 5-inch handlebar riser move hand controls 2 inches up and 1 inch back to put the rider in a commanding position on the motorcycle, and the 3.1-gallon fuel cell is located below the seat to move the weight of fuel low in the chassis, which lowers the center of gravity for reportedly improved handling and easier lift off the side stand. The fuel fill is reached by lifting the hinged locking seat.
A 4-inch round TFT screen displays all instrumentation and infotainment functions managed using buttons on the hand control array. The display supports infotainment generated by the rider’s Bluetooth-equipped mobile device. Most infotainment functions also require a Bluetooth headset and speakers worn within a helmet.
Using voice commands through the headset, the rider can receive or place calls through a mobile device. Navigation is supplied by the Harley-Davidson App for iOS or Android downloaded into the rider’s mobile device. When navigation is enabled, the rider may select a moving map display or turn-by-turn map displayed on the screen, assisted by audio instructions through the headset.
The 2023 Harley-Davidson Nightster Special starts at $14,999 and comes in Vivid Black or, for an additional $450, Black Denim, Bright Billiard Blue, or Industrial Yellow. (see photo gallery at end)
2023 Harley-Davidson Road Glide 3 Trike
The all-new Road Glide 3 model is a first for Harley-Davidson, and the company says the trike combines “the advantages of three wheels and a load of hot rod attitude with the comfort, convenience and style of the frame-mounted Road Glide fairing.”
The Road Glide 3 features the Milwaukee-Eight 114, electric reverse gear, and trike-specific rider safety enhancements, including electronic linked braking, ABS, traction control, and drag-torque slip control – all of which are cornering enhanced.
A frame-mounted fairing features triple splitstream vents to help reduce rider helmet buffeting, dual Daymaker LED headlamps, a low-profile windscreen, and a weather-proof rear trunk with top-mounted door and 2 cubic feet of capacity. The trike has Gloss Black cast aluminum wheels with machined details with exposed lug nuts on rear wheels and bobtail rear fenders. Choose black or chrome finish in each color.
The Boom! Box GTS 6.5-inch color TFT touch screen navigation/infotainment system powers two 5.25-inch fairing speakers, and supports standard Bluetooth connectivity to a mobile device that enables hands-free calling (requires Bluetooth headset).
The 2023 Road Glide 3 starts at $32,999 and comes in Vivid Black. For a bump in the MSRP, you can get Gray Haze (+$900), Bright Billiard Blue (+$900), Vivid Black w/Black Finish (+$1,100), Gray Haze w/Black Finish (+$2,000), or Bright Billiard Blue w/Black Finish (+$2,000). (see photo gallery at end)
2023 Harley-Davidson Freewheeler
The Freewheeler cruiser-inspired trike still has a Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine and electric reverse gear, but it gets a blacked-out restyle for 2023. The front end, headlamp nacelle, tank console, hand and foot controls, powertrain, and exhaust all have black finishes in place of previous bright finishes.
New Gloss Black cast aluminum wheels feature exposed rear-wheel lug nuts, and rear 18-inch wheels replace the previous 15-inchers.
Other features of the 2023 Harley-Davidson Freewheeler include trike-specific rider safety enhancements, including electronic linked braking, ABS, traction control, and drag-torque slip control – all of which are cornering enhanced. The trike has a mini-ape handlebar, custom bobtail rear fenders, dual mufflers with slash-down tips, and a weather-proof rear trunk with top-mounted door and 2 cubic feet of capacity.
The 2023 Harley-Davidson Freewheeler starts at $29,999 for Vivid Black. For an extra $750 on MSRP, you can get White Sand Pearl, or add $1,500 for Bright Billiard Blue/Billiard Gray. (see photo gallery at end)
Harley-Davidson Offers More Cruise Control and Traction Control
In addition to the new bikes, Harley announced that electronic cruise control will be a standard feature for the Fat Boy, Fat Bob, Breakout, and Low Rider S models, and it remains standard on Low Rider ST and Heritage Classic models.
The switchable Traction Control System will be offered as a new option for the Breakout, Low Rider S and Low Rider ST models.
For more information, visit the Harley-Davidson website.
Where is the 2023 Road Glide CVO???
It the bike shown at the top of the story – it’s a 120th anniversary edition for 2023.
Anthony asked about the Road Glide CVO, not the Road Glide Limited CVO… there is a difference. Is the 120th Anniversary Road Glide Limited the ONLY CVO for 2023? No Road Glide CVO, no Street Glide CVO, no Ultra Limited CVO, no CVO trike? Only one CVO? Probably not, but what the heck is Harley waiting for. I don’t see the strategy of holding back and releasing bikes in the middle of the model year, but then again, I’m not in charge of a failing motorcycle company on life support.
You’re right – the Road Glide Limited has a trunk and the standard Road Glide does not. We stand corrected.
Harley-Davidson hasn’t announced all of its 2023 models yet – this is just the first round. We expect to see 3-4 CVO models announced for this year, as they normally do.
I love the Harley Davidson Road Glide Limited but I hate the paint colors on the Harley’s these last few years. The only two colors that look any good at all in the Limited are all Black and the CVO red and black. What is their marketing strategy..build the ugliest motorcycle they can except for the 52 000.00 model
I totally agree with Ron. I’m ready to trade my 2019 cvo streetglide on a new cvo but the colors and paint schemes are hideous.
So Harley only puts out Black or White for the Low Rider S/ST , no anniversary colors except for a El Diablo that you cant even find and nobody wants, what are they thinking ?
If nobody wants an El Diablo why can’t ya find them ??
If Harley were to trim 10k off the upper models and 5k off the lower models they might compete wit Indian.
Nothing there that interests me, at all. What a shame.
These prices are getting crazy. 50k for a bike! Hard pass
I still don’t see anything up there better than the Indian motorcycles, especially in the price ranges. The Nightster is just embarrassing, it looks like a bad copy of a Suzuki Boulevard, the Indian Scout is considerably better looking and performing.
The Trikes are a last stab at retired gentry with hefty pensions to spend. They are still not a safe design when you put one wheel in front and two in the back. And hideously expensive, don’t corner worth a dam, and more negative comments. I have built over 10 “chopper” trikes, and although they look cool, and are fun to mess around with, they are not good for primary motorcycle transportation, or even in town traffic. And don’t offer enough storage space to make them worthwhile. A side car has more options and you can detach it.
Not necessarily Harley Bashing, I have had two Harley Road Kings (and still have a 1951 Panhead)…traded them for the better Kawasaki Vulcan Nomad (a nearly perfect motorcycle and vastly under rated). And to get a new matching motorcycle for my 1946 Indian Chief, traded the Nomad for a new 2022 Indian Chief. The Nomad lasted one day on the dealer floor before someone walked in and bought it.
This is my 60th year (yes sixty years) of ridng motorcycles. I ride Indians most of the time or my Moto Guzzi’s.