2013–2014 Harley-Davidson FXSBSE CVO Breakout: Twin Cam 110B Softail Factory Custom

The 2013–2014 Harley-Davidson FXSBSE CVO Breakout was the Custom Vehicle Operations version of the Breakout: a limited-production Softail built around the counterbalanced Screamin’ Eagle Twin Cam 110B engine, a 240-section rear tire, a stretched front end, premium paint, and the factory-custom vocabulary Harley-Davidson had been refining since the high-chrome Softail customs of the previous decade. It belongs to the Twin Cam Softail generation, not the later Milwaukee-Eight Breakout line, and that distinction matters to collectors because the FXSBSE was both a CVO model and an early expression of the Breakout identity.

Unlike a regular FXSB Breakout, the CVO model was not merely a paint-and-chrome exercise. Its 110-cubic-inch B-motor, CVO-specific finish work, model-year-specific equipment, and low-production Custom Vehicle Operations positioning put it in a different category from the standard 103-cubic-inch Breakout. For buyers and restorers, the motorcycle sits at an interesting point: modern enough for electronic fuel injection, ABS-era usability, and parts support, yet old enough to represent the last major air-cooled Twin Cam Softail custom movement before the Milwaukee-Eight redesign.

Best Known For: the FXSBSE CVO Breakout is best known as Harley-Davidson’s limited-production Twin Cam 110B factory-custom Softail, pairing CVO finish and equipment with the long, low Breakout chassis and 240 mm rear-tire stance.

Quick Facts

The table below summarizes the core facts a buyer, historian, or restorer needs before comparing an FXSBSE with a standard FXSB Breakout or another Twin Cam Softail.

The short version is simple: the CVO Breakout is the expensive, limited, big-inch version of the Twin Cam Breakout formula. The longer version is more interesting, because the motorcycle reflects Harley-Davidson’s factory response to the custom-bike boom after the chopper television era had cooled but the appetite for low, wide, heavily finished cruisers remained very real.

Why the FXSBSE CVO Breakout Matters

The FXSBSE matters because it captured a particular Harley-Davidson moment with unusual precision. By the early 2010s, the Motor Company had already built decades of Softail mythology around the visual trick of a rigid-looking frame with concealed rear suspension. The Breakout took that Softail illusion and gave it a Pro Street silhouette: long front wheel, chopped fenders, wide rear tire, low seat, and a visual emphasis on the engine rather than touring equipment.

As a CVO, the Breakout also carried the largest factory Twin Cam Softail engine available in the line. The counterbalanced 110B was not installed simply for bragging rights; in a rigid-mounted Softail chassis it provided the low-speed shove, idle presence, and visual scale expected of a premium Harley custom without asking owners to build a special-construction bike outside the factory system.

For collectors, the importance lies in the combination of factory provenance and custom aesthetics. Many Breakouts have been altered with exhausts, tuners, handlebars, wheels, lighting, and air-cleaner changes. A correctly documented FXSBSE or FXSBSE2 with its original CVO components, paint, trim, emissions equipment, and paperwork is therefore a different proposition from a modified rider, even when both appear similar at a glance.

Historical Context and Development Background

Harley-Davidson’s Custom Vehicle Operations program had become a disciplined way of selling factory-built specials: limited runs, larger-displacement engines, premium paint, high chrome content, special wheels, and equipment that normally sat above the standard catalogue specification. The FXSBSE CVO Breakout arrived when Harley’s core cruiser customers still wanted air-cooled Big Twin character, but they also expected fuel injection, six-speed gearing, modern charging capacity, security systems, and braking equipment appropriate for contemporary use.

The market surrounding the Breakout was crowded with factory customs and power cruisers. Victory’s Hammer and Jackpot had shown that a production cruiser could wear a massive rear tire without going through an aftermarket builder. Yamaha’s Raider approached the custom-cruiser idea from a metric V-twin angle. Ducati’s Diavel was a very different machine mechanically, but it also proved that stance, torque, and visual aggression had become part of the premium cruiser conversation. Harley-Davidson answered in its own language: air-cooled, pushrod, Softail, belt drive, and unmistakably Milwaukee rather than sport-cruiser exotic.

The FXSBSE also followed Harley’s earlier wide-tire Softail experiments, including the Rocker and Rocker C. Where the Rocker leaned into a more radical visual trick with its rear fender and seat treatment, the Breakout was cleaner and more commercially durable: a long, low drag-strip stance without the more polarizing features. The CVO version amplified that idea with the 110B motor and Custom Vehicle Operations finish.

There was no racing or military role for the CVO Breakout. Its cultural significance is commercial and stylistic: it shows how far the factory-custom idea had moved from dealer-installed chrome and catalog parts into a fully realized production motorcycle with factory documentation, warranty support, and a known model code.

Engine and Drivetrain

The heart of the FXSBSE is the Screamin’ Eagle Twin Cam 110B. The B suffix is important: Softail Twin Cam engines used internal counterbalancers because the engine is rigid-mounted in the Softail frame. The result is not the same feel as a rubber-mounted Touring or Dyna Twin Cam; it retains the visual firmness of a solid-mounted Big Twin while reducing the worst of the vibration that would otherwise reach the rider.

Mechanically, the 110B is an air-cooled, 45-degree, pushrod-operated V-twin with two valves per cylinder, hydraulic lifters, electronic fuel injection, and chain-driven twin cams. Harley-Davidson did not generally promote factory horsepower figures for these models in the way sport-bike makers did. Factory literature and spec sheets emphasized displacement and torque character rather than peak horsepower, so horsepower should be treated cautiously unless tied to a documented dyno test of a specific motorcycle.

The drivetrain follows late Twin Cam Softail practice: enclosed primary drive, wet multi-plate clutch, six-speed Cruise Drive gearbox, and belt final drive. The six-speed is an important part of the bike’s road manners. It allows the big 110 to lope at highway speeds, while the engine’s real personality remains in the lower and middle rev range rather than at the top of the tachometer.

Engine and Drivetrain Specifications

These are the core documented mechanical specifications most useful when identifying or evaluating an FXSBSE CVO Breakout.

The table also explains why the CVO Breakout should not be confused with a standard FXSB. Both are Softail Breakouts, but the 110B engine is the primary mechanical separator, followed closely by CVO paint, wheels, trim, and equipment.

Chassis, Suspension, and Braking

The Breakout chassis is a Softail in the classic Harley-Davidson sense: a steel frame arranged to look like a hardtail, with the rear suspension hidden beneath the motorcycle. That layout gives the bike its clean rear triangle and low stance while retaining suspension travel for street use. The visual trick had been part of Harley’s identity since the original Evolution Softails, but by the Twin Cam era it had become the basis for multiple factory custom subfamilies.

The FXSBSE’s chassis behavior is inseparable from its wheel and tire package. The 21-inch front wheel gives the front of the motorcycle a long, stretched presence, while the 240-section rear tire dominates the back of the bike visually and physically. The result is stable and planted in a straight line, but the steering character is not that of a narrower-tired Softail Standard or a Dyna. The bike asks to be ridden with deliberate inputs rather than flicked.

Braking is by discs at both ends, and CVO equipment included ABS. The single-front-disc cruiser layout is visually clean and consistent with the Breakout’s custom role, though riders accustomed to sport or touring motorcycles should understand the limits imposed by weight, wheelbase, tire size, and the wide-rear-tire chassis concept.

Chassis and Equipment Specifications

The following table focuses on factory-style reference points rather than subjective impressions.

The hardware makes the FXSBSE a styling-led cruiser rather than a neutral-handling all-rounder. That is not a criticism; it is the point of the motorcycle. The Breakout was meant to look as if it rolled out of a custom shop, while still behaving like a production Harley that could be registered, serviced, financed, and insured without the complications of a one-off build.

Riding Experience and Mechanical Character

The FXSBSE starts like a late Twin Cam Harley rather than an old ritual machine: no tickling carburetors, no manual spark advance, no booting a high-compression single to life. The security system and electronic fuel injection remove the ceremony, but the 110B supplies the theater once the starter turns. The idle is heavy and deliberate, with the familiar uneven cadence of a 45-degree Harley V-twin filtered through counterbalancers and modern engine management.

Controls are conventional for a modern Big Twin: hand clutch, foot shift, hand-operated front brake, foot-operated rear brake, and floorboard or peg placement dictated by the Breakout’s low custom layout. The riding position is stretched enough to feel custom, especially with the long tank and forward controls, but it is still a factory ergonomic package rather than a hard-edged show bike.

On the road, the 110B’s character is torque first. It pulls cleanly from low rpm, rewards short shifting, and feels most natural when ridden on the broad middle of the torque curve. Mechanical noise is typical of a large air-cooled Twin Cam: intake pulse, primary whir, valvetrain texture, and exhaust note all part of the experience, especially on motorcycles no longer carrying their original exhaust systems.

The gearbox has the deliberate engagement expected of a Big Twin six-speed, with the top ratio best treated as a highway gear. Low-speed handling reflects the big rear tire and long stance. The bike is not awkward when understood on its own terms, but it does not disguise its wheelbase, rear tire width, or mass. Braking requires planning compared with lighter or sportier motorcycles, particularly if the rider is accustomed to dual-front-disc machinery.

Identification and Originality

Correct identification begins with the model code and documentation. The 2013 CVO Breakout is generally identified as FXSBSE, while the 2014 continuation is commonly identified as FXSBSE2. A title, VIN label, factory build information, owner’s manual packet, CVO documentation, and dealer paperwork are all more valuable than visual guesswork, because standard FXSB Breakouts can be cosmetically modified to resemble CVO machines.

The engine is the next major clue. A true CVO Breakout uses the Twin Cam 110B, not the Twin Cam 103B found in the standard Breakout. Look for correct 110 badging, appropriate Screamin’ Eagle equipment, and evidence that the engine has not been replaced or heavily altered. Engine and frame number consistency should be checked against official documentation; unsupported decoding claims should not substitute for factory or DMV paperwork.

Originality is a serious issue because the FXSBSE sits in the overlap between collectible Harley and highly modified cruiser. Commonly changed parts include exhaust systems, air cleaners, fuel tuners, handlebars, seats, mirrors, turn signals, license-plate brackets, wheels, rear fenders, and cosmetic covers. Modified examples may be perfectly good riders, but they are not the same as complete CVO motorcycles retaining their factory paint, CVO wheels, emissions equipment, security components, and model-specific trim.

CVO paint deserves particular attention. These were not plain catalogue colors; they were model-year-specific, premium finishes applied as part of the Custom Vehicle Operations identity. A repainted tank or fender can look attractive and still reduce collector interest if it erases the factory scheme. Because replacement painted CVO bodywork can be expensive or difficult to source, inspect tanks and fenders closely for repair, color mismatch, incorrect striping, or substituted standard Breakout pieces.

Model Code and Variant Breakdown

The CVO Breakout line is narrow, but the surrounding Breakout family causes real confusion in classifieds and auction listings. The table below separates the CVO models from the related non-CVO Breakout.

There were no factory military, police, racing, or commercial-duty versions of the FXSBSE CVO Breakout. Its role was civilian and image-led: a premium production custom aimed at riders who wanted the stance and finish of a custom build without surrendering factory identity.

Performance and Dimensional Specifications

Harley-Davidson factory specification sheets for the FXSBSE emphasize displacement, torque character, chassis dimensions, tire sizes, fuel capacity, and running-order weight rather than sport-style acceleration figures. Period road tests and owner dyno charts may report horsepower, quarter-mile times, or top speed, but those figures depend heavily on test method, tune, exhaust, correction factor, and motorcycle condition. They should not be treated as universal factory specifications.

The most consistently useful performance fact is the engine itself: the Twin Cam 110B delivers the CVO Breakout’s character through displacement and gearing rather than high-rpm output. In practical riding, the motorcycle is about immediate roll-on response, visual theater, and relaxed highway cadence. It is not a drag-race homologation model, despite the Breakout name and stance borrowing some of the visual language of straight-line customs.

Factory dimensional figures commonly list the CVO Breakout as a long-wheelbase, low-seat Softail with a 5.0-gallon tank and running-order weight in the high-700-pound class. For restoration or concours-level work, consult the exact model-year factory service manual and parts catalogue rather than relying on secondary specification summaries, especially where paint codes, trim packages, fasteners, and emissions equipment are concerned.

Compared With Related Harley-Davidson Models

FXSBSE CVO Breakout vs FXSB Breakout

This is the comparison that matters most. The standard FXSB Breakout shares the basic Breakout stance and Softail architecture, but the CVO carries the Twin Cam 110B rather than the 103B, along with CVO paint, wheels, trim, and equipment. A well-optioned standard Breakout may look similar from across a parking lot, but a correct FXSBSE is a different factory model and should be valued and documented accordingly.

CVO Breakout vs Rocker C

The Rocker C is an earlier wide-tire Softail factory custom with a more experimental rear-end and seat concept. The Breakout is visually cleaner and more direct, with a more enduring Pro Street profile. Collectors often cross-shop them because both represent Harley’s factory attempt to capture custom-bike energy, but the FXSBSE’s 110B engine and CVO status place it above the Rocker C in factory specification.

CVO Breakout vs Fat Boy and Softail Slim

The Fat Boy and Softail Slim express different branches of the Softail family. They lean on heritage cues: solid wheels, broader fenders, lower visual mass, and postwar or custom-bobber references. The CVO Breakout is less nostalgic. It is a long, exposed, engine-forward factory custom with the rear tire and raked-out stance doing much of the visual work.

CVO Breakout vs Later Milwaukee-Eight Breakout

Later Milwaukee-Eight Breakouts are not the same generation. They use the redesigned Softail platform and Milwaukee-Eight engine architecture, and they behave differently as motorcycles. The FXSBSE belongs to the Twin Cam era, which is precisely why some collectors prefer it: it is the CVO Breakout before the platform reset.

Restoration and Ownership Notes

Mechanically, the CVO Breakout benefits from broad Twin Cam support. Engine service parts, drivetrain components, brake parts, electrical components, and wear items are supported by a large Harley-Davidson dealer and aftermarket ecosystem. The difficulty is not usually making one run; it is returning a modified example to correct CVO specification.

The 110B engine should be inspected like any high-output Twin Cam. Service history matters, including oil-change records, heat management, tuning quality, and evidence of careful maintenance after exhaust or intake changes. Poorly mapped modifications can create heat, drivability, and durability concerns. A stock or correctly tuned motorcycle with documented service is generally a better restoration candidate than a heavily altered machine with unknown mapping and missing original parts.

Original exhaust, air intake components, CVO-specific trim, painted bodywork, wheels, and small cosmetic details can be expensive to replace. A bike wearing aftermarket parts may need a careful inventory before purchase. Ask whether the removed original parts are included; with CVO Harleys, boxes of take-off parts can materially change the desirability of the motorcycle.

Frame and engine documentation is central. Because the FXSBSE has real collector value compared with a standard Breakout, paperwork should match the motorcycle. Factory service manuals, parts catalogues, CVO owner materials, purchase documents, and dealer service records all strengthen a bike’s case.

Buyer and Restoration Inspection Points

The following checklist is written for someone inspecting an actual motorcycle, not merely reading a classified ad. It focuses on the areas where CVO Breakouts most often lose originality or become expensive to put right.

A clean CVO Breakout is not judged only by mileage. A lower-mileage bike with missing paintwork, incorrect wheels, poor tuning, and no documentation can be less attractive than a well-kept rider with complete records and preserved original parts.

Collector and Market Relevance

The FXSBSE CVO Breakout has a stronger collector case than an ordinary modified Softail because it was a factory-built limited CVO model with the top Softail engine of its period. It is not rare in the prewar sense, and it is not a racing homologation special, but it occupies a defined slot in Harley-Davidson collecting: late Twin Cam, premium factory custom, big-inch CVO, early Breakout identity.

Collectors typically value originality, documentation, correct paint, intact CVO trim, unmodified or reversible mechanical specification, and the presence of original take-off parts. Heavy personalization usually narrows the buyer pool unless the modifications are exceptionally high quality and easily reversible. The market tends to distinguish between a CVO motorcycle that has been preserved and one that has merely accumulated chrome and accessories.

Auction interest in modern Harley CVO models depends heavily on condition and specification rather than age alone. The strongest examples are the ones that still read as Harley-Davidson built them: correct engine, correct model code, correct paint, correct wheels, correct equipment, and a file of supporting paperwork. Mileage matters, but it is only one part of the evidence.

Cultural Relevance

The CVO Breakout belongs to the factory-custom lineage rather than racing history. Its cultural reference points are custom shops, Pro Street stance, wide rear tires, exposed air cleaners, high-finish paint, and the desire to buy a motorcycle that looked modified without the compromises of a one-off build. In that sense, it is a production artifact of the post-chopper-boom era.

It also reflects Harley-Davidson’s confidence in the Softail as a styling platform. The FXSBSE did not need saddlebags, a fairing, police equipment, or racing credentials. Its purpose was visual impact backed by factory engineering. That makes it an important study for anyone interested in how Harley absorbed custom culture and resold it through official model lines.

FAQs

What years was the Harley-Davidson CVO Breakout FXSBSE made?

The Twin Cam CVO Breakout was produced for the 2013 and 2014 model years. The 2013 model is commonly identified as FXSBSE, while the 2014 continuation is commonly identified as FXSBSE2.

What engine is in the 2013–2014 CVO Breakout?

It uses the Screamin’ Eagle Twin Cam 110B, an air-cooled, counterbalanced 45-degree OHV V-twin displacing 110 cubic inches, or 1,802 cc. The B version is the counterbalanced Softail engine.

How is the FXSBSE CVO Breakout different from the regular FXSB Breakout?

The CVO model uses the 110B engine rather than the standard Breakout’s 103B engine of the period. It also carries CVO-specific paint, wheels, trim, and equipment, making documentation and originality especially important.

Did Harley-Davidson publish horsepower for the CVO Breakout?

Harley-Davidson did not generally use factory horsepower as the primary published figure for these models. Period tests and dyno sheets may show horsepower numbers, but those vary with test conditions, exhaust, tuning, and correction method.

Is the FXSBSE CVO Breakout collectible?

Yes, particularly when it is documented, correctly identified, and close to factory specification. Its appeal comes from CVO limited-production status, the Twin Cam 110B engine, early Breakout identity, and model-specific paint and equipment.

What are the common originality problems on a CVO Breakout?

Exhaust systems, air cleaners, tuners, handlebars, seats, mirrors, lighting, license-plate brackets, wheels, and painted bodywork are commonly changed. Missing original CVO parts can be expensive and may affect collector desirability.

Are parts available for the 2013–2014 CVO Breakout?

Mechanical service parts are generally well supported because the motorcycle shares much with the broader Twin Cam Softail family. CVO-specific painted parts, wheels, trim, and cosmetic details are the harder and more expensive items to source correctly.

Collector Takeaway

The FXSBSE CVO Breakout is one of the clearest late-Twin-Cam statements of Harley-Davidson’s factory-custom strategy. It takes the Softail illusion, adds a Pro Street silhouette, installs the 110B motor, and finishes the result with the limited-run paint and equipment that define Custom Vehicle Operations motorcycles. It is not historically important because it won races or served fleets; it matters because it shows exactly how Harley turned custom culture into a documented factory model.

For the serious buyer, the best CVO Breakout is not the loudest or the most accessorized. It is the one with the correct model code, correct 110B identity, intact CVO paint and trim, careful service history, and the fewest irreversible changes. In that form, the 2013–2014 CVO Breakout is a sharply defined collectible from the closing years of the Twin Cam Softail custom era.