Harley Davidson's Street 750: An icon reinvented

With the Street 750 HarleyDavidson the legendary American motorcycle maker is letting in the metro male who favours compact size to sheer girth some agility along with unabated allure and more practicality for a prominent presence its customer baseFor its price the Street 750 is sure to get tremendous response It may not be perfect but it has its own set of virtues like a revhappy engine good performance and plausible handling PicsAmit ChhanganiMore importantly with the Street 750 HarleyDavidson has brought down its price barrier drastically presenting itself as a much more accessible brand for growing markets like India and other South East Asian countries So how successful has HD been with the Street 750 Letrsquos find outSpeedo is a basic unit with odo and tripmeters incorporated in the digital display There is no fuel gauge here A warning light comes on with roughly 30 km more to go before the fuel dries upDesign and appearanceTherersquos no doubt about the fact that the Street 750 is rather minimalistic as compared to other Harleys in the companyrsquos lineup However the essence of the timeless Harley design ethos is very much there Unmistakably an HD with its lowrider stance organic lines and long wheelbase the Street 750 wins admirers wherever it goes While we initially thought that the Street 750 was a tad too compact to catch attention our 200km ride to Lonavala and back proves otherwise Twisted necks widened eyes and incessant inquiries about the motorcycle pursue us throughout the rideThe rider seat is cushy and comfortable We wish the handlebars were a bit closer to suit even shorter riders The pillion seat and position of the rear footpegs is not too comfortableHarleyDavidson has kept things simple on the Street 750 Featuring boldlooking sevenspoke alloy wheels as an exception the Street practices constraint in design with its slim front fender welldefined central area and a compact curvy rear end We love the contrastingly shiny machined engine fins and the round airfilter housing with aircraft fuel cap styling and lsquo750rsquo letteringBraking is one area where the Street 750 could have performed better The disc brakes donrsquot offer the kind of bite and stopping power yoursquod expect on a bike this big and powerfulWhile some may oppose the thought we loved the Fire Red shade on our test motorcycle more than the other two options Vivid Black and Denim Black which look pretty good too Simplicity in design can also be witnessed in the 2x1 single exhaust can a rideroriented short seat and the twinshock rear suspension layoutThe machined fins of the engine and the air filter case resembling an aircraft fuel tank cap endow the Street 750 with a meaty and great looking midportionEngine and performanceThe Street 750 boasts an allnew 749 cc V twin lsquoRevolution Xrsquo engine the first new engine from HarleyDavidson in as many as 14 years Itrsquos also the firstever liquidcooled engine from the American motorcycle maker This 60degree Vtwin can rev up to an impressive 11000 rpmPeak torque output is rated at 60 Nm 4000 rpm Power figures for the bike have not been revealed by HD but the peak output is said to be around 5055 bhp The engine is mated to a 6speed gearbox which is a slick unit to operate We did however manage to put the motorcycle in neutral without the neutral indicator light coming on a few timesLike all HarleyDavidson bikes power transmission to the rear wheel is via a toothed belt which liberates one from the hassles of lubrication and adjustment of a chain drive The strong lowmid end grunt of the new engine ensures that riding the Street 750 in city traffic isnrsquot tedious at all The bike pulls away clean from as low as 35 kmh even in the top gearOn the highway the engine shows an eagerness to rev and does not hesitate to get spinning at the slightest twist of the wrist The Vtwin remains the happiest within the low to mid range of the rev band and does get slightly harsh towards the top end Keep the throttle wide open and the 750 will hit 170 kmph with some effort post 140 kmhThe simplistic speedo unit doesnrsquot have a fuel gauge and would warn you about low fuel with about 15 litres remaining in the tank Itrsquos backlit with a red glow and the tiny LCD within can be cycled for odometer and twin trip meters The rider foot pegs are wide and comfortable but they foul the natural movement of feet in stop and go trafficThe heat radiation from the engine head and fins despite it being a liquidcooled unit is on the higher side While itrsquos not a problem while riding the engine heat becomes a bother while trundling along the urban trafficRide and handlingIn addition to the new engine the Street 750 also features an allnew frame by Harley Davidson The chassis feels stiff and coupled with slightly firm suspension setup endows the 750 with handling prowess that is seldom seen in cruisers of this size Care must be taken while attacking corners though as the wide footpegs tend to dig into the tar as you lean the bike hardWhile the rider seat is wide and comfortable the pillion seat is short and downward sloping towards the rear the positioning of the foot pegs is high too making it uncomfortable for long ridesVerdictFor its price the Street 750 is sure to get tremendous response It may not be perfect but it has its own set of strong virtues like a revhappy engine good performance and plausible handling The overall package makes it too mouthwatering a proposition to overlook for the upwardly mobile cruiser motorcycle fans HD aficionados in particularPriceRs 41 lakhExshowroom DelhiSpecificationsEngine Liquidcooled VtwinDisplacement 749 ccEngine Torque 60 Nm 4000 rpm