[the VTEC guy]

Superb reivew Aditya! AFAIK this seems to be only second official motorcycle review by T-BHP. First one being that of Ninja 650.

The poor finish/quality of wiring harness has been highlighted by many reviewers. This is certainly a no-no for 4+ lac bike.
Second is Harley in general should really look at the pricing of the basic accessories like pilliion foot rest, dual seats, crash gaurds, etc. These are priced very steeply.

OT-Is this Harley Street 750 a Superbike? Its definetly not an import since its made in India. Should this come under Superbikes and Imports?
What defines a Superbike?

[n_aditya]

Originally Posted by alpha1

Will it run happily on RON91 petrol available all over India?

The Street 750 has a compression ratio of 11.0:1 and will run without any issues with a minimum fuel rating of 91 octane. I filled the tank before my ride with regular unleaded fuel and the bike was running fine without any knocking.

Originally Posted by the VTEC guy

OT-Is this Harley Street 750 a Superbike? Its definetly not an import since its made in India. Should this come under Superbikes and Imports? What defines a Superbike?

The Superbikes section includes motorbikes with engine capacities of 600cc+.

[amit_purohit20]

I always used to crib about the step-motherly treatment rendered to Motorbike reviews section by Team-Bhp. But no more!

Thanks mods for painstakingly coming out with such nice reviews of motorbikes.

I also congratulate Harley for being able to launch the right product in the right price segment.
One more encouraging thing is the V twin Liquid cooled engine a far modern engine with respect to Harley standards and with enough ground clearance for Indian conditions. Harley is learning fast and thats really good.

Personally I did prefer new engine and chassis technology, superior brakes, high reliability, affordable spares and services than "po-ta-to" sound and entry to Harley clubs.
I would not also crib much about little bit exposed wiring and other stuff, condition remaining it doesnot affect long term reliability.

Indian people wanted a reliable, light weight (Power/Weight ratio) motorbike without a too front forward position like a sports bike and Harley has got many of these points ticking.

If Harleys position the 500cc engine bike only 50k cheaper it really makes no sense in going for it.

Harely we need superior brakes, suspension and a brand new chassis!

[sudhakarg]

Originally Posted by amit_purohit20

I always used to crib about the step-motherly treatment rendered to Motorbike reviews section by Team-Bhp. But no more!

Considering the two reviews hosted on Team BHP - Well, it may be stretching it a wee bit to compare between Ninja 650 and HD street 750, but both bikes would appeal to people who are looking at
1. Touring capabilities
2. Availability of spares , services, accessories et al
3. Reasonable City riding comfort
4. Price point is in similar range


Having said the above, Ninja is a fairly large bike and would suit large frame people who are about 6 feet much better then the shorter individuals who may find HD Street 750 more ergonomic.

Add to the mix , the other available bikes are almost two lacs away from these two good bikes viz HD superlow, Triumph Bonneville and the likes .

So one can expect HD street 750 and Ninja to be in consideration set of prospective buyers like me . So forum members, please share your thoughts on the comparison between the two bikes . Some of the areas could be
1. fit and finish
2. road presence
3. ergonomics
4. heritage ..or lack of it
5. resale value
6. buying second hand ninja as a option
7.safety (both lack abs) and have iffy brakes apparently
8. riding comfort with without 2 up riders
9. joy of riding

and last but not the least , speculation of hondas , KTM and other manufacturers offerings in the price and600-800 CC segment that could bring excitement in the segment at similar price points

note for mods: i hope this is not considered a OT topic as I reckon that many people would be thinking about this in relation to the offering of HD Street 750

[Counter_striker]

*Rates thread 5 stars for the meticulous effort*

Thanks for your kind words of appreciation, Ram. We rode around 200 kms in a variety of terrains - highway, twisties, city, bad patches etc. and the bike did not scrape once. With a pillion, the belt guard may be an issue.

Sorry if this has been discussed already, but aren't the rear foot pegs placed a little higher than one would expect? I mean REALLY higher?

[VLOCT]

Nice detailed review, Aditya.

Comprehensive instrumentation has never been the forte of Harleys. For the price, the bike seems to be a reasonable compromise and a good fit for the Indian road conditions. If the long term reliability proves out, this bike could be something that one can live with on a daily basis, without too many compromises.

Good job.

[Mpower]

The bike is like a blank canvas.

Solid fundamentals adorned with super-cheap looking fittings that are begging to be updated.

If I buy the bike I would throw away the headlight, mirrors, grips, exhaust etc etc and go crazy with aftermarket bits.

That sorry looking rear view mirror makes me cringe. 150 cc bikes have such premium looking bits

Originally Posted by n_aditya

The Street 750 has a compression ratio of 11.0:1 and will run without any issues with a minimum fuel rating of 91 octane.

I thought regular is 89 octane?

[carwatcher]

A small trivia.
On H-D Wikipedia page, its mentioned that they have a manufacturing plant in Brazil set up way back in 1998, so that makes Indian plant second.

Originally Posted by n_aditya

• Outside of the USA, India is the only country where Harley-Davidson has set up a manufacturing facility.

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by Mpower

The bike is like a blank canvas. If I buy the bike I would throw away the headlight, mirrors, grips, exhaust etc etc and go crazy with aftermarket bits.

Perhaps that's what HD's intent is?
Classic Razor blade strategy: give a blank looking bike at low price let the customer customize it with high price aftermarket accessories.

Of course this is every manufacturers intent always where they have brand value for a set image. (chrome, leather, ...)

I thought regular is 89 octane?

RON 88 used to be long time back.
The new standard applicable since 2010 (Euro 4 for Metros + few cities, Euro3 for rest of India) stipulates minimum RON 91

[D4D]

Finally a Harley which is affordable.
But astonished to seen the shoddy work in the wiring.
The finish can still be ignored as it is a Harley which is INR 5 lakh.

[Mahesh Prasad]

Thanks Aditya for the brilliant review. Rated a well deserved 5 stars!!

As mentioned in the earlier posts, HD has done a great job in introducing this bike at 4-5L price bracket. But in doing so, one inadvertently feels a lot of cost cutting measures have been implemented, especially the lack ABS. That said, it is good to know that it does not effect the overall quality and performance of the bike that HD is known for.

Originally Posted by n_aditya

Design-wise, the rear cowl and tail-lamp don't have the smoothest integration:

Even I felt the same after looking at it from different angles.

Originally Posted by n_aditya

• Harley-Davidson's classic Potato-Potato engine sound is absent
• Rough edges (exposed wiring, cheap switchgear etc.) have no place on a 4+ lakh motorcycle

It's a bit disappointing to note that above points, especially that the classic thump of the HD is missing.
But nevertheless, hope that it gives the pleasure, pride and satisfaction to the prospective owners. (May be due to the absence of the classic thump a few of them might have to face questions like "Dekho bullet ko kaise alter kiya hai !! - I've have actually seen a person say this looking at the HD Superlow )

[shashanka]

Originally Posted by basuroy

Great review , being in the market for this bike , I don't feel it justifies the price tag.

My gripe with the motorcycle is the bumper to bumper cost cutting that was apparent at first glance . The footpegs , indicators , switch-gear , quality of upholstery , tires , paint job (requires some audacity to mention "miles deep " in the brochure to be honest ) , the obvious spine of the fuel tank have no place on this motorcycle . The engine performance and handling which have got top reviews so far are the only selling point though the cost cutting raises question about how much they sacrificed (in terms of quality) with the internals of the motor -for example whether it will start emitting unhealthy noises 10k km into ownership or not only time will tell (the bike I tested in kolkata was making a loud clanking sound excused as pre-production issue).

The only reason this bike will sell is because no other options exist in the 3 - 5/6 lakh bracket , ninja series is a sports-bike with different ride characteristics and ergonomics and as far as a cruiser is concerned - street is running a one man race. .

I feel you've nailed it, Basuroy. N_Aditya's review was great and as you mentioned he has highlighted the vital bits, including the absence of the traditional exhaust note. I too was in the market for the bike and will now do some wait and watch.

Shashanka

[shashanka]

Originally Posted by n_aditya

The Street 750 is equipped with what Harley-Davidson calls the 'Revolution X' engine. What's the revolution? Well, in a step away from the traditional Harley air-cooled engine formula, this is a liquid-cooled motor. It might not sound like a big deal, but in the eyes of die-hard Harley purists, this is a large step away from what a Harley is 'supposed to be'. The only other bikes in the Harley stable with a liquid-cooled ...........]

Thanks Aditya for a comprehensive review, You have rightly highlighted the aspects that any prospective buyer - me included -would scrutinize.

These official reviews by you guys is one of the reasons for team-BHP's success as a forum for gearheads. Great work.

Shashanka

[ecosport rules]

Fantastic review indeed, gave it a well deserved 5 stars.
When is it coming with ABS?

[Urban_Nomad]

@ ecosport rules, think brand new - from the scratch product vs. a tried and tested - more than a decade old product (with proven reliability)