Harley Davidson Street 750 review: Impressed!

I’ve been waiting a long time for this review, always wanted to swing a leg over a Harley! Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to. This review is based on Akshay Lakhani’s recent test drive of the Harley Davidson Street 750, I am just putting his experience into words. Akshay and his brother rode 2 different Street 750s through Indore, I spoke to him about the experience, he shared some photographs with me and here I am with the Harley Street 750 review:

Harley Davidson Street 750 review: Looks

First things first, when you are paying upwards of 4.5 lacs for a bike it better be prettier than Megan Fox, in an off-white bikini. The bike looks impressive, has a good road presence, and is an eye-grabber for sure. It may not have the humongous dimensions of other Harleys, but it carries itself with grace, and has a rich feel to it. 

Sporting a 100 section 17 inch rubber up front and 140 section 15 inch at back, the bike has that distinctly cruiser stance. The Dark Custom paint scheme looks gorgeous, especially to a chrome-hating guy like me. The 750cc V-twin engine looks fabulous from the side, and adds a lot of mean character to the machine.

On the other hand, the simple 2-to-1 exhaust looks rather bland, and could have benefited from some definition. The radiator at front looks completely hideous to me, just 1 big slab of black and grey. It does the job though, so I love it for that! A few wires stick out here and there, but for a guy who rides a Duke 390, this is no big deal at all. It kinda gives the bike a raw, manly feel.

Verdict: The Harley Davidson Street 750 is a good-looking machine that will make heads turn wherever you go. Just don’t expect it to have the presence of a Fat Boy or Heritage Soft Tail.

Harley Davidson Street 750 review: Performance

The Street 750 may seem heavy at 218 kgs, but that is feather-light from a Harley standpoint. The power figure hasn’t been officially announced, but is expected to be around 50 PS. Torque is 60 Nm at 4000 RPM, and you can feel it! The bike is sprightly from the word go and power delivery is linear. It is a very comfortable machine to cruise around on.

We were able to hit a top speed of 135 kmph on the city roads of Indore, so breaching 150 kmph shouldn’t be a big deal. There are no vibrations at high-speed, which are considered the hallmark of Royal Enfield bikes. Everything is smooth and the ride is a pleasure to experience. The best part is that you can’t feel any heat from the engine, even at low-speed city riding.

On the down side, the bike isn’t loud at all. That characteristic Harley rumble is missing, and the Screaming Eagle exhaust would be a must-have accessory. Braking isn’t very confident, especially with ABS missing. In emergency situations, skidding out the bike would be rather easy. I understand that Harley had to cut some corners to bring the bike at this swashbuckling price, but safety isn’t really something I would like to be overlooked.

Verdict: Overall, the Harley Street 750 performs well on the road, just don’t expect it to have superbike like agility. Cruising around in comfort at speeds below 120 kmph would be a good idea.

Harley Davidson Street 750 review: Comfort

This should be a no-brainer, and it is. The Street 750 is a very comfortable machine. The rider seat is huge, and will cradle your ass like the palm of a freakishly big serial rapist. The clutch lever is not heavy, and it is easy to maneuver the bike through traffic. The riding position is also quite laid back, with the foot-pegs and handlebars at perfect positions for some serious mile munching. The bike is well sprung, and takes on even big bumps without the slightest hiccup.

The rear seat is nothing to write home about, it is tiny and not very comfortable. You’ll have to shell out a huge amount of money to get the rear seat rest, and that trend continues for all other accessories as well. Expect a roaring wind blast at high speeds, unless you are ready to pay around 20,000 for just the wind shield.

Verdict: The Street 750 lives up to its heritage, it is a smooth, comfortable, laid back cruiser that will take you places. The rear seat could have been better for sure, and so could have the price for accessories.

Harley Davidson Street 750 review: Verdict

I am not a Harley fan, or a cruiser fan at that, but I would consider this bike to be a part of my stable for sure. The biggest advantage for me would be the belt drive, which will free me of the trouble of chains. I just hate chains, their lubing and tightening and their tantrums. Having said that, the 750 won’t be an easy machine to maintain, with service intervals every 5000 kms and general service charge around 6000 bucks.

I think the Street 750 will be India’s first budget tourer, till now all we have been doing is picking up street bikes and going crazy on them. The Street may change that for the better, with the mouth-watering price tag (less than 5 lacs on-road) and the strong Harley character. I for one, would love to own this black beauty and ride the whole India on it! What about you?