Harley Davidson Street 750 : Impressions

Visiting a premium bike showroom is a rewarding experience in itself. You get to see so many of the grown ups gleefully posing on bikes, eager to get their hands on machines they could not own previously for various reasons ranging from nascent biking culture in India up to putting the family first and buying a car. After witnessing these reactions at Tusker Harley-Davidson here in Bangalore, I came back with mixed opinions. 

For the sake of convenience, I decided to break down this write up into separate sections, so here we go. As always, your feedback is greatly appreciated. 

Design, Build and Ergonomics

Around the world, Harleys are known for their quintessential cruiser or muscle bike styling. While they are pin ups for boys of all ages, the 750 somehow does not cut it. Sure the tank is quite large and the tail section exudes a sense of modern design flair, but you get the impression that the designers had their hands tied, with a clear briefing to come up with a bike that is fairly neutral without offending many who walk into the showrooms. There are some nice touches like the combined exhaust pipe, the protruding air filter, etc., but overall, it's not a bike which will go down in history books. Whatever the limitations, I feel they could have gone a little over board in terms of recreating a more authentic experience since design takes precedence and builds up your expectations of the bike before you hop on it. On a scale of one to ten, I would give it a score between six and seven. The colors on offer are inoffensive, keeping with the styling. The glossy and matt black finishes are fairly discrete while the red might get you some attention in a parking lot. 

Let's not beat around the bush when it comes to the build. To offer a bike at the price, HD should have really cut some corners and it is very evident. The bike does not seem finished, with exposed wiring, average switchgear, average footpegs, average grips, average everything. In fact, nothing on the bike shouts quality, but nothing feels downright cheap either. Plastic adorns the bike where you would normally expect chrome bits. There are some higlights, such as the ignition, which slots in with some much satisfying click and the kickstand that springs superbly in place. Bits like the handlebar are poorly sourced, however. While I understand for a company like HD to maintain it's premium positioning yet offer an affordable bike (read avoiding brand dilution), the Street 750 has been a huge learning opportunity, it would have been even better for us lot if they had offered a little more premium parts if not luxurious quality. After all, their range of leather jackets, which are superbly made should go with the bike right? This section definitely gets a five on ten. 

The 750 is surprisingly comfortable for a person of my frame. Being a little larger than the average Indian, I felt at home with the slightly kicked up pedals, well judged handlebars and a generous seat. While I cannot comment on the seat compound in such a short ride, I trust Harley to have got it right. The overall ergonomics feel alright for city riding without being too laid back or sporty. It offers just the right amount of comfort for that weekend right, at the same time aggressive enough to play slalom through traffic. Of course, you should keep in mind that this is a heavy bike, so when I say slalom, don't think Yamaha levels of handling. And yes, the mirrors are pathetic, with little to no adjustment and for some of the larger guys like us, all we can see are our own elbows!

What really bothered me though was the excessive heat from the engine. My route consisted of mostly city roads with plenty of traffic, but the engine was extremely hot by the time I had completed just a kilometre or so. It get's worse when you consider that your legs almost get baked in this. It might have been an issue with the test bike since the salesman told me it was a pre-production model, but it's something you might have to keep in mind. 

Engine, Brakes and Feel

At 750cc, there is no dearth of displacement, especially when you consider that most Indian bikes top out at around 200-250cc. In keeping with their tradition of not disclosing the exact power output, it might be hard to brag about amongst your friends, but there are various sources curious enough to conduct dyno runs and determine such attributes. In any case, numbers only say half the story in my books. 

As far the power goes, I can confidently say it is more than sufficient to zip through traffic or reach some reasonable cruising speeds without breaking a sweat. The motor feels well balanced with ample torque, a point to note if you are new to biking. It is enough to thrill you when needed, yet not crazy enough to pull wheelies at will. After a brief ride, you can easily figure out that they have put a lot of effort into fine tuning the engine characteristics. It is sure to put a smile on your face. I was told it's a 'beast' of an engine, but that is just marketing jargon if you ask me. As long as you don't get too carried with the whole 'I'm riding a Harley Davidson' feeling, it feels sufficient for our road conditions. 

Unfortunately, they do not seem to have done the same amount of work on the six speed gearbox or the brakes. The 'box is clunky with a hard to find neutral and changes are extremely painful. This is not helped by the fact that the footpeg to lever distance is not well judged. Upshifts are painful as it is very hard to find the gear lever. The brakes don't have any feel whatsoever with the rear brake feeling next to non-existent. Though we rely mostly on the front brakes, a lot of work should have gone into getting the feel and bite right in my opinion. Overall, they are far from even being adequate. 

Since I had to keep the route to some confined roads filled with traffic, there was little opportunity to test out the handling, but with whatever little I could manage, the 750 did a pretty decent job of putting a smile on my face coupled with that fantastic engine which makes you pull out of corners are some respectable speeds. Again, we must understand that this is a cruiser with no pretensions of competing with a Ninja or Yamaha or even a Honda for that matter. 

Test Notes

All said and done, there are points I would like to mention here, which did not seem like a right fit in other sections.

• Never in my life have I garnered so much attention on Bangalore's high street. Just the thump of the bike was enough to get stares from pedestrians and fellow motorists. It must be noted that the test bike was fitted with a Screaming Eagle exhaust, which is a 35,000 INR option. But, it managed to turn more heads than the S-Class standing in front of UB City!
• The speedo is bare bones with little to no information on display. There is no fuel gauge for the moolah you shell out. Harley claims 30kmpl on highways, which seems like a tall order.
• The headlight was always on for some reason. Not sure if this was a DRL thing.
• Owning a Harley is about more than just the bike since it buys you into the HOG, which means you are far more motivated to take your precious possession where it belongs; outside the city. But when you get there, you will be throughly outclassed by others in the stable, something you would want to think about before putting down all that hard earned money. The Street clearly feels like the third cousin in the lineup. Maybe the next generation, albeit a little more expensive will get it right in the areas I mentioned earlier.
• While we as bike enthusiasts think there are so many options out there, I could see many young folks making a beeline for the 750. I heard various words form the Gen X and Y, some of which I was not familiar with, but the overall tone was that of enthusiasm and curiosity. On a lighter note, it made me feel a little older than I am!
• At 5,00,000 INR on road Bangalore, the 750 is a very tempting proposition indeed. It is sane enough to take to work on days you can avoid traffic and at the same time join your friends on a weekend ride without breaking your back. But, be very well aware that you are buying a cut price bike and if such a thought gives you sleepless nights, I suggest to look at the Triumph Bonneville, an excellent bike with a lot of pedigree or if you want to stay in the HD family, the Iron 883 'feels' like a full blown Harley Davidson. 
• All said and done, a few minutes on the 750 made my Karizma feel puny. Harley really deserves credit for this and the fact that it convinced me that it's time for an upgrade. 
• Finally, you might want to take down that pseudo fairing upon delivery of the bike.

Hope this helps anyone who is on the look out for an upgrade or is considering it in the near future. 

Some helpful links

• Team BHP's official review
• Harley-Davidson India