Harley Davidson Street 750

 Price: 4.1 lakhs (Ex-showroom Delhi)

Specifications:

Engine

Type – 2 cylinder 749 cc, Petrol

Power - 47 bhp  @ 4000 RPM power

Cooling system – Liquid cooled

Transmission
Gearbox - 6-speed Manual
Type – Belt Drive

Measurement

Dimensions - 2,226x815mm

Seat height - 709mm

Ground clearance - 144mm

Brakes

Front - Disc Brakes

Rear - Disc brakes

Suspension

Front - Telescopic forks

Rear - Gas charged shocks, Rectangular swingarm

Tires

Tyre size – Front :100/80 R17, Rear: 150/70 R15

Wheel size – Front :17”, Rear: 15”

Review:

The new Harley Davidson Street 750 has not just been made for India but will also be Made in India, with the assembly taking place at the manufacturer’s Bawal facility in Haryana!

Design and build

The bike draws design traits from a lot of older generation of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, but the final result is a fresh and rather simplistic bike. And that’s because the Street 750 is intended to be a blank canvas for imaginations to run wild. But every bit of this motorcycle’s designs screams that it’s meant to be on urban roads.

Right from the skinny tyres and café-style headlamp fairing, to the flat teardrop tank, over the low slung frame and the LED tail-lamps, everything about the Street 750 has a very young look. But the first impression, a rather lasting one at that, is that the Street 750 is a rather compact motorcycle, by Harley standards.

The paint job is brilliant, and so is the overall finish. The buttons and electricals are of very good quality, and none of the plastic attachments rattle away. The seat height is at 25.4 inches off the ground, which gives it a rather comfortable upright riding stance. However, taller riders may have to opt for the additional ‘Tall Boy’ saddle.

Engine performance

The liquid-cooled 749cc Revolution X V-Twin engine that powers the Street 750 is an all new one. And it screams refinement. The most impressive bit about the engine is how it feeds the healthy torque to the low and mid range of the power bands. The torque peaks out at 60Nm, and kicks in rather early at 4,000 rpm.

This results in an engine that is peppy, with really sharp throttle response – but it isn’t overdone, so you can easily crawl in heavy traffic too. Mated to the engine is a six-speed gearbox, which has very reasonably distributed gear ratios. There’s a sharp audible response too, when you shift gears.

There are a couple of niggles though. While the overall heat dissipation is quite good, thanks to the new liquid cooling system and the engine’s geometry, you do feel a bit of the engine heat on your left thigh when you’re at a standstill in traffic after a good, long run. Second, the exhaust note just doesn’t pack the Harley-Davidson character. As opposed to the Forty Eight or the Iron 883, which literally roar when revved, the Street 750 produces a rather docile whirr. But then the manufacturer does give an option to upgrade to the Screaming Eagle exhaust kit, so a better exhaust note can be had for a price.

Ride and handling

This has to be the most agile and manoeuvrable motorcycle that Harley-Davidson has ever built. The higher ground clearance (higher, if you consider other Harleys) saves it from scraping its underbelly on Indian speed humps, and the low and centralized centre of gravity lets you do some insane cornering.

The suspensions soak up more bumps on the road than one could imagine. The travel on the rear suspension was enough to go over some of Delhi's worst roads, and the front telescopes are neither too stiff nor too spongy. The stock suspension setting is spot on, for India. Braking is a bit of a disappointment, though. The rear brake feels very spongy, and we are not happy with the stopping distances. For a motorcycle with such sharp riding characteristics, braking could have been a bit sharper.

There’s hardly any vibration to be worried about, even when the needle crosses the 150kmph mark. Sure, the wind blast is rather unsettling, but we’re guessing that the optional windscreen might fix this to an extent. Also, while the turning radius has improved over its bigger siblings, it’s still just a bit wide by Indian standards.

Colours

•  Red

• Black

Verdict : 

It is well suited for urban riding, we think that this can take on a bit of touring as well. For an ex-showroom price of ₹4.1 lakh, this is a Harley-Davidson that entry-level riders, especially the younger ones, would love riding.