[sreejith.j]

Originally Posted by adrena

I agree. I've heard this from many people.
===============
I'd love to hear what you guys think. It'll be great to see if I do have other options.

Adrena, these are good looking designs. However do ensure that you get the backrest also as the bike is very torquey in the first two gears and there are chances that the pillion can fall on their back without the backrest.

[rjun04]

So it's been nearly a month since I made my booking for the Street 750 and my anxiety has already been on the rise. :(

Last week I emailed Tusker with my documents for address proof and ID proof and was hoping to get an acknowledgement from them but nothing. So I called them and asked them yesterday and all they said was "if you sent it, that's all we need". No real confirmation, I just hope they don't tell me after 4 months that I hadn't sent anything so my waiting period got extended by another 4 months!!

While I'm waiting, I would like to get ideas on what I would need to do in terms of paint care etc. once I get my beauty. Any ideas?

I was anyway considering putting the back rest and the engine guard, both in black. The exhaust probably at a later time.

Was thinking of putting a mat wrap on the cowl since it will be in gloss and I have booked the mat black (or denim black as they call it at HD). Also want to put a red stripe from the front all the way to the back. Something like the night rod picture earlier in this thread. Is that allowed by HD at least?

[rjun04]

Originally Posted by adrena

The sales guy called to inform me that the bike is arriving in 4 to 5 days

Adrena - Did you get the bike? If you have, Pictures and ride report

Sreejith - waiting to hear from you too!

[adrena]

rjun04 - Yup I did get it. It was a rather unceremonious ride on Saturday, 12th July. Rode it back from the showroom in pounding Mumbai rains. I write this with a rather sad feeling to say that the bike has just been parked. Work & rains don't permit any time. I will certainly have pix and ride report over the weekend.

[rjun04]

Originally Posted by adrena

Rode it back from the showroom in pounding Mumbai rains. I write this with a rather sad feeling to say that the bike has just been parked. Work & rains don't permit any time.

Wow 5 days with her standing below must be painful. What was your total waiting period after you booked her? What colour did you get and did you get any accessories?

[Urban_Nomad]

Originally Posted by adrena

Yup I did get it

Congrats bud! And I know I speak for many here that while we all welcome your appetiser of an offer to put up a ride report, we are all eagerly awaiting a gourmet thread. Pardon the food puns, was watching masterchef.

And don't fret over the weather too much mate. It's gonna get better n you will have opportunity to ride to your heart's content

[adrena]

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

Congrats bud!

Thanks Dude!

While I wait for skies to clear, I though I should sum up the whole purchase experience. It may help someone to navigate this period easier than I did.

Like I have written before, I bought the bike in Mumbai so it had to be through Seven Islands Harley Davidson. Many of you will also know that they've now moved from Bandra to a very distant Turbhe in Nvai Mumbai. While this may be a pain for visitors, it remains a great choice for test rides. Comparatively wider and traffic free roads do give you a chance to get a better feel of the bike. In true HD style, test rides are strictly one-up and without any fussing over how far you go and how much fuel you use.

I think I first went to see the bike in late Feb. I had left my number behind and they called me back when the bike was available for display. I loved the overall size of the bike. The materials used were top notch but the finishing was very badly off the mark. Exposed wires, bad welds and large exposed bolts make this a very un-photogenic bike. Of course, the whole customisation will cure that issue for many with the money to do it. Once that is sorted, the bike is a definite stunner.

A couple of days later, we were also called back for a test ride once the bike was available. If I'm right, the demo bike had about 70km on the odo when I took it out. My run was not more than 10km and I came away happy enough that I wanted to book the bike. From that particular ride, here are some takeaways:

What I really liked:

• Compact dimensions. This is the first thing that hit me. The bike was far smaller than I expected it to be. This was a big plus point as I want this to be a daily driver.
• No frills on the bike. This is a relatively simple machine. No fancy switch gear, displays on the dash neither any bright chrome flourishes and not even the typical-HD sound. All this worked brilliantly for me. I love bikes and cars that don't want to make an announcement when they arrive. Those who know what they can do will know it anyways. This also means that people will leave my bike alone in parking lots.
• Liquid cooling is a feature that originally drew me into anticipation. It is a step forward in terms of overall sophistication. Our weather is also more conducive to this engine cooling format and will generally result in longer engine life.
• Twin disc brakes was a big step up for me personally. I did away drums on my car when I got the TJet+ and was itching to do the same with my Avenger. I know everyone says the brakes lack bite and what not but I don't really care. These brakes were more than enough for my riding style. The action is alright too and there is no unwanted drama of any lock-ups.
• Gear shift action. On my first visit, the sales guy was really pushing the Iron 883 and talked me into a test ride. This may not be the right comparison measure but Iron's gear shift literally scared me off. Thankfully, the Street has a very slick shifting box that has short, light and precise throws. No clunkiness of the Iron. Phew.
• Counterbalancer is another big plus for this engine. It smoothens out vibes very very well.

What I disliked:

• The overall finish is just not up to the mark. For 5-large-ones, you are pretty much paying for a great engine in a fairly rideable bike and not much more. UJMs would've given you tons of more quality and finishing for this money. Koreans will go overboard too.
• Somehow this machine is just not photogenic. I can't seem to place my finger on what is off but in stock condition, the pix come out hideous. May have also put some people off.
• Some accessories are either badly designed (backrest and luggage carrier) or just outrageously expensive (LED Daymaker headlamp) and some that should be standard (engine guard) are not included.
• Shoulder Mirrors NOT rear view mirrors. I am not able to write this point without keeping profanities out. This bike should not have come with those mirrors. Period. They lack adjustment and when you do manage to get it right, they only show you your shoulders. I wonder what the designer's size is. Having said all this, I must admit that the reflection quality on the lightly smoked mirror is much better than anything I've used.
• Carrying a pillion on that seat is also a suspect but more on that later.
• Finally, the point that has been bugging me every time I think of the bike - absence of the heel-toe shifter. I have said this before and repeating this again - I am not sure how they decided to leave a critical feature like that out. I am going to speak a bit more on this. Later. In this post. Maybe many more posts.

All things considered, this proved the best overall package for the budget. I am not going to dwell too much on my 8-minute-10km-ride and this is what I did after the ride too. Did some mental math, convinced the missus, figured out monies and decided to book.

Booking & follow-up
I finally booked the bike paying 30k in early March. 6th March to be precise. What I was given by Seven Islands HD was one receipt for the money I paid and some rules. That is it. No booking number, no updates no nothing. These 'rules' have one troublesome point - You will loose the 30k booking amount if and when you decide to NOT buy. There is no transfer and no refund. Seems a bit odd for a company wanting to make an impact in the market but also seems aptly confident. Personally, I was not too miffed by this and still went ahead and swiped the card. After which I pretty much forgot that I booked this bike.

Cut to mid-May. I knew that deliveries had started, Whatsapp had brought all of us hopefuls closer, future HOGs were busy buying jackets and what not and desi mags & blogs had started getting their coverage out. So, like anyone who has paid money would do, I called Seven Islands HD for an update. All I got back was that I will be alerted in August so that I can prepare for a mid-September delivery. Again no booking number and nada on what number is being delivered. Little did I know that I was dealing with an air-head on the other end of the line.

Bike arrives
On Thursday, 26th June, I finally got a call that my turn is next. The bike would arrive and I can start my paperwork. Like I said earlier...

Originally Posted by adrena

I got the first call from Seven Islands Harley Davidson on the morning of Thursday, 26th June. The sales guy called to inform me that the bike is arriving in 4 to 5 days and that I should start the loan process to close the payments. What happened in a couple of hours following was proper madness. I was inundated with calls from the sales team pushing me to close the payment in two days or give up the bike to another waiting booking.

This is where the air-head part starts becoming apparent. This whole episode just seemed very very wrong. I mean I know that HD would be used to people walking in and paying in full with one cheque for their bikes. But this time around they have reached out to a very price-sensitive buyer who may have other commitments and may need time to come up with 5.5lakhs. The sales guy's tone of voice was plain arrogant and the whole our-way-or-highway attitude was not helping at all. In any case, I did manage to work out the funding, balance payment etc. in about 4 - 5 days. I was paying for the bike and 50k worth accessories (engine guard and LED headlamp).

Here is an important side note that everyone should take care of specially when making this big an investment. Monies are paid in parts by you and by your bank. I would assume that the sales guy / relationship manager / client servicing exec should have information ready as to what is paid, when was the payment received, what is it for and how much balance remains. Correct? Well, Seven Islands HD will prove you wrong. I have asked for this info over several calls and mails but nothing has come thus far. They keep sending me something called a ledger but that starts from April 1st and leaves out the booking amount. Sales never factors in monies paid to accessories and service teams for fitment labour. It is all one big mess. To be fair to them, the sales manager (who stood in because air-head was absent during delivery) did source all transactions and did a back-of-the-envelop calculation which I carry as proof of how much money is still awaiting parts. I would have expected better from a 'premium' dealer.

Pre-Registration Check
From my previous two purchases (Swift & TJet), I have learnt to make sure that the vehicle is checked before they take it away for registration. Did this on 5th July at the showroom despite air-head discouraging me. He told me that the bike would be at a far off hold area (Bhiwandi / Taloja or something). I insisted on taking a look to make sure I was getting what I paid for. I wanted the VIN, check tyres, battery date, fluids and overall give the bike a once over. This just gives some mental peace that everything is fine. I was allowed to fire up the bike and basically left with the bike for about an hour to acquaint myself with the machine. All of this was organised by the sales manager.

Delivery & The whole retail experience
Discovered something very new here. The RTO sends out SMS alerts on three occasions - First when the registration token is raised, second when the tax is paid and third when the number is allotted. I thought this was a brilliant thing to do making the whole process transparent. I did ask for a special number but the cost really put me off. Again, air-head salesman was not very effective in getting me options in time for me to decide. I was given a few minutes in the middle of a meeting so I just went ahead with what was allotted.

After a lot of arguing with air-head I got the delivery scheduled for Saturday, 12th July at 3pm. We managed to reach only after 3.30 thanks to massive rains. As promised, the bike was placed front & center in the showroom and looking dapper after the polish.
All the setup for a photo op. Since the sales manager took over, formalities went off smooth. Basic paperwork handled, I was given a tour of the facility, shown accessories & merchandise and introduced to servicing staff.

A couple of important highlights - bike was delivered with a full tank of fuel. I think this is a practice that every manufacturer should follow. I don't care if you build in the cost but please give me the vehicle with a proper full tank. Another thoughtful tough was the backpack from HD and the way it holds a helmet in the trick compartment below. Overall the retail experience is superlative but that is something that we all have come to expect from 'premium' products (I don't think the Street 750 qualifies as premium / superbike / import but whatever).

Accessories & Spares
The bike was delivered with the crash guard. I decided to buy the original HD part @ 15k. I must add that the fit, finish and form are all top notch. I know a ton of people who are attempting to make something for the Street but I really don't think it is easy to achieve this level of workmanship. What with all the hydroforming techniques that HD deploys.

The only other part that I've paid for and am waiting for is the LED Daymaker headlamp. All to keep me safe.

In addition to this, I asked for a spare gear shifter and a spare rear brake lever. Both of these were neatly placed in the backpack with their respective invoices (thoughtful). I'll be attempting to hack these together into a single heel-toe shifter. This way I manage to get the right material, look, thinkness and integrity.

Ride home
Now comes the part that everyone wants to read but this is where you'll be let down. By the time I wheeled the bike out, rain had begun the most massive pounding of the day. I only had a chance to gingerly nurse the bike back home without any incident. Overall, I'll try to sum up my 15-20km ride back home like this:

• I found the exhaust far more silent than what I remember from the test ride. Both bikes were as new.
• There is a very distinct whine from the engine. I would tend to believe that this is from timing chain.
• One has to be very very careful of the rear cylinder. Found this to be too close to my left thigh. Too close and too hot for comfort.
• Twice the bike fish-tailed in heavy rains. I have no clue what to attribute this to. Cold tyres?
• Riding position is true to its Street name. Front heavy and may need some getting used to for bikers coming from cruisers. I did feel the weight on my elbows and shoulders but soon realised I was clasping the grips way too hard. The bike is very well balanced even on broken roads and don't need the manic concentration that I was putting in. Once you're over this riding become a lot more pleasurable.
• Torque. There is tons of torque. Which essentially means there is no orientation of which gear you're in. The bike just pulls. Once, I found myself on a badly cratered road doing 20 in 4th gear.
• The headlight is just about average. Daymaker should be an antidote to this.
• Lastly, I suspect the foot pegs are too far back to make a usable heel-toe gear shifter. I found my food angled down in a sport-ish manner all the time. I want to measure angles properly before I do anything on that front.

Overall, my feedback to Seven Islands HD carried a rating of 8 (I had to choose between 8, 9 and 10) thanks to air-head, defensive, conceited, argumentative salesman. These guys can easily be the best there is but I will not want anyone else to get this treatment.

Ride report and fully accessorized pix coming soon.

[mobike008]

Adrena

Congratulations on getting the Street 750. That was a very nice intitial report and sounded quite forthright and well-balanced

Look forward to pics and ride report soon.

P.S: Would you rather not like to start your ownership thread instead?

Ride Safe and Enjoy !!

[rjun04]

Firstly, congrats on the purchase and delivery. Wishing you a great ownership experience.

Originally Posted by adrena

Booking & follow-up
I finally booked the bike paying 30k in early March. 6th March to be precise. What I was given by Seven Islands HD was one receipt for the money I paid and some rules. That is it. No booking number, no updates no nothing. These 'rules' have one troublesome point - You will loose the 30k booking amount if and when you decide to NOT buy. There is no transfer and no refund. Seems a bit odd for a company wanting to make an impact in the market but also seems aptly confident.

I was told that I would lose 15K if I cancelled the booking, not the entire amount. And that goes towards paperwork and administration!!

Even when I booked at Tusker in Bangalore, all I got was a booking form kinda paper, which wasn't really a receipt. They told me to email them my documents for ID and address proofs. I did so after a week as I was travelling and didn't get so much as an acknowledgement from them. So I called them a few days later and told them I had sent it. The reply was "if you've sent them we must have received it." I found it really weird that there didn't seem to be a track of things around there. Everything seemed very 'up-in-the-air' to me.

Originally Posted by adrena

I knew that deliveries had started, Whatsapp had brought all of us hopefuls closer, future HOGs were busy buying jackets and what not and desi mags & blogs had started getting their coverage out.

Is there a WhatsApp group like that for hopefuls in Bangalore? Do you know?

Originally Posted by adrena

This whole episode just seemed very very wrong. I mean I know that HD would be used to people walking in and paying in full with one cheque for their bikes. But this time around they have reached out to a very price-sensitive buyer who may have other commitments and may need time to come up with 5.5lakhs.

It's actually strange that they would treat you like this because they should know that a bulk of buyers for the Street would go the funding way rather than the cash way!!


Thanks for the detailed write-up. There are quite a few points in there that I'll have to keep in mind when going in for delivery (Still a while away :( )

Will look forward your your pictures and ride report.

[adrena]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Adrena

Congratulations on getting the Street 750. That was a very nice intitial report and sounded quite forthright and well-balanced

Look forward to pics and ride report soon.

P.S: Would you rather not like to start your ownership thread instead?

Ride Safe and Enjoy !!

Thanks mobike008. Will prepare for a proper ownership thread. I have seen some very good examples here. Pretty big shoes to fill

Originally Posted by rjun04

Firstly, congrats on the purchase and delivery. Wishing you a great ownership experience.
I was told that I would lose 15K if I cancelled the booking, not the entire amount. And that goes towards paperwork and administration!!

That’s much better than here in Mumbai where you loose the entire amount. Wonder why this disparity between dealers? Guess Mumbai has many more defectors than Bangalore. I did overhear some other conversation between sales staff where there was one cancellation for a Superlow / Iron. The person who booked wanted to sell and they wouldn’t even allow that. This is becoming like real estate in Mumbai where ‘investors’ are locked in for 3 years because the developer wanted to ensure the property is lived in and not a deserted mess.

Originally Posted by rjun04

They told me to email them my documents for ID and address proofs. I did so after a week as I was travelling and didn't get so much as an acknowledgement from them. So I called them a few days later and told them I had sent it. The reply was "if you've sent them we must have received it." I found it really weird that there didn't seem to be a track of things around there. Everything seemed very 'up-in-the-air' to me.

At the time of booking? Very strange. I was asked for absolutely nothing till I went on to give papers for registration.

One thing I forgot to add – I was asked to give 3 address proofs and 2 ID proofs since this is a ‘premium’ bike and RTO wants all of this to register. Didn’t have to do this for any car.

Originally Posted by rjun04

Is there a WhatsApp group like that for hopefuls in Bangalore? Do you know?

Dunno but I can find out. Inbox me your number and I’ll get you added into the India group. I must add that it is quite an active group with lots of work being done on the bike, lots of rides and tons of aftermarket experimentation. It can be a bit overwhelming for some. Certainly unwieldy if you’re working. Mine is on mute and I check in only once in a while. Having said all that, it is quite a nice fun bunch.

[rjun04]

Originally Posted by adrena

Dunno but I can find out. Inbox me your number and I’ll get you added into the India group. I must add that it is quite an active group with lots of work being done on the bike, lots of rides and tons of aftermarket experimentation. It can be a bit overwhelming for some. Certainly unwieldy if you’re working. Mine is on mute and I check in only once in a while. Having said all that, it is quite a nice fun bunch.

Can't inbox you since I'm still a newbie on the forum :( Could you email me your number at rjun04 at gmail? I will whatsapp you mine.

[Shubz]

Originally Posted by adrena

Dunno but I can find out. Inbox me your number and I’ll get you added into the India group. I must add that it is quite an active group with lots of work being done on the bike, lots of rides and tons of aftermarket experimentation. It can be a bit overwhelming for some. Certainly unwieldy if you’re working. Mine is on mute and I check in only once in a while. Having said all that, it is quite a nice fun bunch.

What group is this? Street 750 hopefuls? If its just for ranting, My advise would be - Just stay calm - everything will fall in place soon.

[adrena]

Originally Posted by Shubz

What group is this?

Owners and hopefuls preparing for their first big bike. Hardly any ranting. But tons of experiments and rides. A gang with infectious enthusiasm.

[Shubz]

Originally Posted by adrena

Owners and hopefuls preparing for their first big bike. Hardly any ranting. But tons of experiments and rides. A gang infectious enthusiasm.

Wow! Whatsapp has a member limit of 50. How are they managing that? I'd be keen to know of some experiments folks are trying.

[nasirkaka]

Overall, my feedback to Seven Islands HD carried a rating of 8 (I had to choose between 8, 9 and 10) thanks to air-head, defensive, conceited, argumentative salesman. These guys can easily be the best there is but I will not want anyone else to get this treatment.

Congratulations!!
Looking forward to the ownership thread, as i have been tussling between the street and the bonnie. The buying experience does sound like a big negative. If it wasn't for the price difference between the two, would have tilted towards the bonnie.
No hurry, will wait and watch the owners first hand experiences, before taking my pick.
All the best, keep riding and more importantly, keep us posted on the riding experiences.