Hi Folks,
This is my first thread in TBHP. So please pardon me for the errors if any
What I like
1. Looks of the bike. Though low Harley has designed the beast tastefully
2. Initial Torque of the bike. The first two gears are mind blowing
3. Comfortable Ride. Rides well on bad patches of road
4. Ease of handling.
5. The HOG community
What I don’t.
1. Spongy brakes. The braking power seems inadequate
2. Ground clearance. Even though this had the highest GC, it seems low for the Himalayan humps in Bangalore
3. Cost Cutting. The controls look cheap and feel very fragile. I wonder when that indicator switch is gone break. There is no hazard indicator like other HD’s
4. Pathetic Sounding horn – Already changed to Roots Windtone.
5. Comparison of the bike with Avenger. Got even questions if it’s a modified avenger
6. Rear View Mirror. I can only see my shoulders in it
I am more of a car guy and the only time I rode my bike on regular basis was about 4 years back when in college. My first bike is a Honda Unicorn, which I still have and use it small run around near home. So let me begin my story with my Street.
Booking :
I had read about the street launch and seen its picture from TBHP and wanted to see. Though I live in Bangalore and passed through Harley showroom couple of times never bothered to step in. On a Saturday morning I had some time and I has also heard about the triumph’s new showroom. So walked in there to take a look at the Bonneville I was not impressed much with the looks. Also the showroom folks were not too interested in selling also and were busy with their personal work. Hence did waste much time and went to Tusker Harley.
As soon as I entered the showroom I saw big bikes and gleaming right in front was street 750. I just loved the looks of it. I was attended by sales guy named Neel Bajaj. He was knowledgeable guy and answered my questions regarding quality concerns since the product is made in India. I was sold just on the looks and since they offered no test rides yet I ended up booking and paid a booking amount and left. I never had any intention of buying a Harley until I saw it in flesh and it was an instantaneous decision. They promised a delivery date in the early July.
After this the reviews started flowing in on the net and saw a couple of videos on YouTube also. Most reviews applauded the engine however all were worried about the glaring cost cutting. I was in two minds whether to continue or not. I was also worried if the bike would suit me as I am 6’’ 1’ and it would look small. After these thoughts I got a little busy with work and personal commitments and could not follow up with them.
I was confused and thought I will upgrade the ride to an Iron 883 rather as there are so many supporting reviews for it right here on TBHP. I called the showroom and I am shot down with a waiting period of 6 months. Finally came to conclusion to continue with the Street booking and as the engine is amazing. The agonizing wait was back on. Finally in the second week of June I receive a call from Tusker and they said they could deliver a glossy black one instead of the fire red that I had booked in a week. I was all exited and went back to them and finalized the loan and payment details
Harley Tax
I was also introduced to the Chrome Consultant at Tusker. He was a courteous guys and explained the various accessories available. Finalized with a sissy bar with back rest, a engine guard and also the screaming eagle exhaust. The screaming eagle is in transit and should be available by early next month. In the meantime also picked up a leather Harley Jacket from them.
Delivery
The delivery was promised on 20th June and I reached the showroom at around four along with brother and my riding gear. Tusker has some audit going on that day from HD India and operations executive also joined along the delivery process. Got a chance to interact with him and little bit and learned that currently HD produces about 35 Street’s on a day and the waiting period is currently reached 6 months. Naganandhan had already got all the docs ready and the delivery was well handled. Had couple of papers signed about the riding safety and bike delivery details. They also gave a run down on the dos and don’ts of the bike.
The bike was brought down from their service center along with the accessories installed by 5. I finally got on the bike by 5.30 PM and was all set to drive. I was surprised by the initial torque of the bike and it pulled amazingly. This was the first time I was riding a bike in this segment as I never took any test rides. One of the things that I had a problem in the first day was the heat from the bike. As I was riding in Bumper to Bumper traffic in Bangalore the engine was getting heated and when the radiator fan turns on the entire heat comes on to the legs.
The ride till date. Positives- Power
- Stability
- Good handling for a cruiser
Negatives- Braking
- Heat in the city traffic
- Wet Tyre grip
The bike is a dream to ride for me. It never fails to put the smile on the face every time the throttle is opened.The first two gears have great power and torque. The main reason I went with the sissy bar and back rest is because of this. If we accelerate more in the first gear there is high chances of the pillion to land on their backs as the the pillion seat is a joke.
The gear ratios are well defined and we get that clunk sound when the first gear is slotted. There is good amount of torque available though out the rev range. It does not need constant up shifts and downshift. You can even cruise at 50's in the sixth gear and still accelerate pretty fast.
The bike accelerates to 3 digits pretty fast and is very stable. But this does vibrate on higher speeds and you can feel it to an extent. I guess that is a characteristic of Harley's.
The bike handles well and its not tough to navigate in the city also. The only downside if you are stuck in traffic its gonna get real hot however not as much as the other Air cooled HD's. Also taking u turns can be a problem as it has a long turning radius
Harley did a cost cutting of giving the Zapper tires in India replacing the Michelin. These tires are not upto the mark and has a bad wet grip. It tends to skid. In monsoon I had a couple of instances where the rear wheels wheels were skidding. The brakes are not upto the mark and does not give adequate stopping power in higher speeds. I tend to use engine braking alongside to reduce the speeds.
The suspension is good and absorbs the infamous potholes of Bangalore without a fuss. Even though this bike has the highest GC in the HD's it still seems less for the Bangalore humps.
To sum up This bike is value for money from Harley stable is my personal opinion.
I have completed about 1,000 KMS on the bike and have done a mix of highways and city rides. On the Friday, 18th the HOG had planned an overnighter to Mangalore (monsoon ride ) I was excited to join the ride and went to Tusker. However after that all things went downwards, there was a throttle issue with the bike and whenever I open the throttle more the fuel supply gets cut off. I had to return half way. I later dropped my bike for service on 23rd and informed about this problem. The issue was isolated to a bad fuel sensor and this was replaced. Now the bike accelerates fine and throttle response is better.
The first service costs 6,188 where the oil filter and engine oil were replaced. Now the bike runs smoother and I will keep this thread posted with further details.