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Old 4th March 2015, 16:08   #76
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Re: Harley Davidson Street 750 - Ownership Review

This is one hell of a write up Rakesh! Loved having you around with us!

About the guy being awarded -- It was blasphemy by H-D! This dimwit, as you know, has abused the bike so much, worse than any of those old battered bikes that some folks use for stunts etc at the circus, called out all sorts of profanities at HD, promoted unsafe riding, riding off the road, messing with the internals/externals of the engine, making noise about H-D's bad quality etc should've been brought on stage, made to stand, tied to a pole and be slapped by every individual at the venue with a loud announcement - THIS IS THE GUY WHO MESSES WITH THE BIKE AND BLAMES THE BRAND!

H-D missed out on this!

Anyway - HD is replacing the engine as he has claimed insurance H-D is not doing him any favour for being the 'THE LUNATIC WHO HAS RIDDEN THE MOST ON STREET 750"

I hope someone from HD is reading this and corrects this.

Sorry to have hijacked your thread for a second time Rakesh sir!

Hope to ride with you again - SOON!
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Old 4th March 2015, 21:00   #77
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Re: Harley Davidson Street 750 - Ownership Review

Loved the honest review Rakesh!

May be just me, but I beg to differ on the lights and the horn. To me, the lights and the horn on my RB seemed bright and loud enough and served my purpose for the limited riding I have done till now (or may be I haven't seen better).

With the HD group going all out to the IBW and with a gathering of so many HOGS from Bangalore riding all the way to Goa, it must have been one hellava ride and your write up on the IBW has just made it even more certain that I have to ride there next year.

Thanks mate and always love reading your reviews!
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Old 4th March 2015, 22:09   #78
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Re: Harley Davidson Street 750 - Ownership Review

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Originally Posted by Snehal Sekhar View Post
Loved the honest review Rakesh!

May be just me, but I beg to differ on the lights and the horn. To me, the lights and the horn on my RB seemed bright and loud enough and served my purpose for the limited riding I have done till now (or may be I haven't seen better)
The headlight and the horn are quite ok for city and short rides. But what I don't like is the sound of the horn, its worse than the horn on my daughter's TVS Jupiter.

But on a highway when you're in three digit speeds with traffic on the other side on high beam, it mandates ones senses for more light in front of you. And also to have a clear view of the road edge on left side. Street's headlight throw is shaped like a moth, which doesn't reach the edge of the road very effectively, no matter how you adjust it. Even on high beam, it moves it focus to the front and all you are left on the sides is a saturn ring. This is not a good design and many lower end bikes which have had round headlight, with not so well designed reflectors, create similar issues. So like a car it becomes necessary to have what is generally referred to as spot lights, below the headlights, on a bike also. Best place to mount these spot lights is the crash guard on the bike on the lower end. It helps see you road better and spot issues early on. Else you tend to be half blind.

This is more specific to people who wear powered glasses and or above 40. While many of us don't realise, as you grow older, the need for light increases and gets worse if you wear powered glasses. I do, so perhaps I feel so. Maybe younger riders may not face this.

But during this trip there was a general consensus amongst the group, that HD lights across most models were not good enough for our badly lit highways. The exception being the bikes which were fitted with wonderful spot lights on their respective crash guards They sailed through much easier.

What I would urge you to do is to change the headlight bulb to Philips extreme Vision or a Nightbreaker from Osram, you will see the difference. The stock bulb is weak and provides yellowish light and not sufficient for long rides.

Thanks again for your kind words. Look forward to meeting you soon, perhaps this weekend, if that works for you.
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Old 5th March 2015, 21:56   #79
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Re: Harley Davidson Street 750 - Ownership Review

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Originally Posted by rakesh_S View Post
IBW Feb 2015
Rakesh, what a wonderful post. It was a pleasure reading through your take on Goa, IBW, harley et al. Honest from the heart and so well articulated.

Cheers,
Sting
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Old 6th March 2015, 15:41   #80
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Re: Harley Davidson Street 750 - Ownership Review

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Originally Posted by rakesh_S View Post
IBW Feb 2015
very well written Rakesh sir. I could relate very well to what we witnessed there. It was very nice riding with you and looking forward for more such long distance rides.

#LLB
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Old 16th March 2015, 23:48   #81
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Re: Harley Davidson Street 750 - Ownership Review

After IBW, people got back to their respective grinds of day to day life. And its taking a bit of time to do some serious riding. Bikers have commitments too

So we did a few short rides to Mekadathu, Nandi Hills, and an important one supporting Women's day!

A picture from one of the destination 'Mekadathu' about 90 kms from Bangalore
Harley Davidson Street 750 - Ownership Review-mekadatt.jpg

The bike with LLB flag on Women's day
Harley Davidson Street 750 - Ownership Review-womensday.jpg

Also visible is the seat after 3rd iteration with Rao Seats. So totally spent 9K on it. Gel sheets - front 1 inch - 3.4K ; Pillion - 1/2 inch 1.7 K ; rest labour for three visits. Its comfortable and on longer rides I was totally comfortable. The shape helps sit a little higher and a little behind, which works for someone taller like me.

On our way back from Mekadathu, rode a friend's Street with V&H exhaust and V&H filter for a little while. It was smooth and it reached higher three digit speeds effortlessly on NICE Road. The vibrations were almost not there. Free flow helps. It was an exhilerating to ride a Street so differently and all my little complaints about the bike, disappeared. You can actually hear the filter suck in air like a deep yawn sometimes. Brilliant!

It is now on top of my list to get an exhaust with another filter. In India from Salcom Auto the set will hit 52K for V&H. Also looked at TBR on an Iron, it was awesome. The sound of the exhaust was haunting to say the least. But its bloody expensive. Its 45K just for the filter and yet to find out Exhaust price. My guess is put together it may be close to six figures. For the set, it is certainly 1.2 Lacs and above for Sportsters, Dynas and Softails.

Overall, the bike has crossed 4200 Kms and getting better. The vibrations are hitting a bit later (not sure why), perhaps maturity of the engine could be helping. A combination of end bars and free flow exhaust & filter should make the bike as good as any other in terms of feel quality. Hoping a friend traveling to US in May, can get it down.

A friend's bike just for a snap Its a chic magnet!
Harley Davidson Street 750 - Ownership Review-48.jpg

Next bike is still a big question in my head. Stepped into Triumph last weekend and did not find the XRX or XCX, should be available around end of this month. XC was around and so was 1200. They're huge. I found them a bit difficult to get on/off. Hoping XRX is a bit easier. Undoubtedly the ride is explosive, a test ride is due.

In the Harley stable Fat Boy is still the best choice, without a doubt. Lets see what happens in the next few months

As I said, the Street is not going anywhere!

Looking forward to WHR at Aurangabad, and hoping to make it along with some dear friends of LLB.

PS: Abhimanyu Singh from Hyderabad on his Superlow, joined us for a ride on Women's day. It was great meeting him and grateful for his gesture for taking time out. Thanks Bro! Look forward to seeing you more often than once a year!
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Old 17th March 2015, 11:20   #82
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Re: Harley Davidson Street 750 - Ownership Review

Yet another nice write up Rakesh sir! Too bad I missed out on this too. Waiting for the Fatty to arrive and then would resume my riding!

and - Go Fatty Rakesh sir! ;-)

Cheers!

#LLB
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Old 2nd April 2015, 18:15   #83
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Re: Harley Davidson Street 750 - Ownership Review

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Originally Posted by Shubz View Post
Yet another nice write up Rakesh sir! Too bad I missed out on this too. Waiting for the Fatty to arrive and then would resume my riding!

and - Go Fatty Rakesh sir! ;-)

Cheers!

#LLB
Agree wit Shubz. Go Fatty as it seems that's where you heart was at the start, except for a minor dalliance with the Night Rod. See you on the next ride.
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Old 13th April 2015, 23:19   #84
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Re: Harley Davidson Street 750 - Ownership Review

Preparation for WHR is on and we are all set to ride this week

In the last one month, we did some short and some longer rides. We rode to distances ranging form 150 to 400 kms on the weekends. The weather is not so good anymore and Bangalore appears to be getting hotter. One needs to stay hydrated and ensure the gear is conducive to the heat. Overall, this helped in getting ready for the onslaught heat and possible rain!

Have covered over 5600 kms on the ODO since mid December, in a little less than 4 months. The rear brake doesn't seem to be improving at all. Its perhaps getting worse. Within Street community various enthusiasts are trying out various solutions, mainly experimenting with brake pads etc. None of them have reported with confidence that the changes are suitable to the bike, specifically on high speeds and wet conditions. The locking of the brakes in some cases have been quicker and most of these experiments are suitable for city or low speed riding. Hoping there is some solution soon, that comes up as good alternative.

One of my experiences at high three digit speed wasn't good either. It took some effort, presence of mind and lots of luck to avoid a lane swerving Maruti Van at that speed. Street, with its weak front forks and terrible brakes, and a such a powerful engine will perhaps write biking history, with a tinge of red.

HD needs to sort out this issue to ensure their customer base acknowledges them as a company which cares. This is an issue that needs to be addressed beyond manufacturing costs and margins. Raise the bloody price of the bike and provide good brakes with ABS option, I'm sure most people are willing to pay for it. And for poor customers like me, provide it as a paid option, I assure you, you will make money as hundreds of Street owners will line up your service centres to get it re-done.

Else I'm most eagerly, looking forward to either or happening:

- Indian Govt makes it compulsory to provide ABS in all bike effective tomorrow morning

- Or someone sues the hell out of you for millions, for providing inferior products to consumers and endangering their lives

In any of the above or both situations, HD will be able to well afford a sheepish grin on their faces and kickstart investments and innovation in this area in a record time. We will soon have it available for the Street owners!

Doing business is one thing. Providing a shitty set of brakes for a 5 Lakhs + bike is criminal.

An I'm personally seeing a small trend wherein some of the real bikers are moving away from HD. Triumph, Ducati, Banelli and others will convert prospective and existing HD owners. And provide a package unbeatable for similar prices...and yes the brakes will work!

Now do you know why bikers buy HD? Go figure...

I was looking at a Fat Bob review recently and guess what formed the exclamation mark in my thought process. Two discs in the front! The bloody bike is actually going to stop!

Look forward to seeing some of you in WHR!

Ride safe and ATGATT!
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Old 30th June 2015, 23:40   #85
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Re: Harley Davidson Street 750 - Ownership Review

WHR 2015 - AURANGABAD

On 16th April morning we were all set to ride to Aurangabad. The plan was simple, ride to Pune, sleepover and then ride to Aurangabad on 17th morning.

(Please excuse photo quality as some of them have been taken in low light by not so smart a phone)

Harley Davidson Street 750 - Ownership Review-whrstart.jpg

Ride to Pune was eventful. 40 + riders headed together to Pune. It was a mix of bikes of different capacities, dominated by Roadkings and Street Glides, followed by Softails, Dynas and Sportsters. About Ľ th of the crowd were the Street owners who had never done a long ride of this nature and were not even sure if they would be able to sustain the torture and rigours of this bike. I was one of them and amongst a few who had done BLR – GOA IBW ride and quite aware of the fact that by the end of it at Pune we will be the half dead ones.

The roads were fantastic by our standards and we crossed Karnataka smoothly without any issues. The challenges came up once we crossed into Maharashtra. Riding on two lane highways in Maharashtra, it’s a bit different.
The highway traffic in those parts does one thing very prominently. Drive in the right lane if you are slow and overtake from left without any turn signals. Looking in the mirrors be damned, and if they do, they have no clue of the actual distance of the vehicle driving in the left lane. Not that the drivers can’t read the standard disclaimer on mirrors, or not that the drivers do not understand safety, it’s just a traffic culture and you need to tune into it. The idiots behind the wheel, expect you to know it.

Not all of us did. In the process just before Satara, we had 3 riders crashing because of an idiot who almost bumped the first rider doing the same manoeuvre, with his Innova. He cut into the left lane without indicating. By grace of God and Gear, the three riders got away with minor injuries. I was not a witness to the accident as I was five minutes behind reaching the spot, but what I saw was not a pleasant site. Happy that the riders got away with minor injuries, but seeing a new Fatboy, a lovely Iron and fantastically done up Superlow slaughtered in the process, was heart wrenching. Meanwhile, the villagers around the place were busy taking pictures and feeling the bikes up. No one gave a damn to the accident.

Such is the charm of owning a Harley!

The bikes were loaded and the riders in a car, we left for Pune. And heavens poured in. Most of us got stuck in different spots and for the next half hour people just stood under trees, small shops, buildings, with their bikes left on the road. I had carried rain gear and somehow managed to get into them right on the road in the nick of time. And stood with a complete local stranger under a tree in a ditch like place. My phone was almost dead despite keeping it in my rain liner pocket. However in a few days it revived thankfully. Four of who had huddled around, finally rode when the rains stopped. A few hundred metres down the road it was bone dry! Satara area is known for this step-motherly treatment to unaware travellers.

Riding into Pune was another experience as it was dark by the time we hit the Pune border. The roads were under construction in parts with some tunnels, twists and turns. It was dark mostly or dim lit roads. The roads had ridges that could slide your bike sometimes, and Streets were in most amount of trouble. It was time for everyone to be careful and have all lights on. Most streets not equipped with auxiliary lights had a tough time riding through. The best that we could do was to follow the Roadking which was our lead with some really big and nicely visible tail lights on the attached boxes. With some luck and Gods grace no incident occurred and we made it to the city and eventually to the hotel, safely.
My first time in Pune and first impression, it felt like Bangalore in many ways ☺. Great weather and similar traffic. All we did was eat and crash. People slept like logs.

We rode leisurely to Aurangabad the next day and we were there by lunch. It was hot and grimy all the way, with average roads.

Harley Davidson Street 750 - Ownership Review-whrposter.jpg
Harley Davidson Street 750 - Ownership Review-whrme.jpg

Once we reached, the registration process was quick and we were shown to our rooms. While everything fell into place, the stress on the hotel to serve so many riders was evident. By end of day 400+ bikes and more people were parked in the hotel. But by evening the arrangement were in place and people were happily partying. Two Rivers (Pune HD dealer) stall was raided by riders and sales were brisk. We were quite elated to see and buy things that are not usually available elsewhere. Two Rivers was well stocked in accessories, clothing and parts. Well done!

Harley Davidson Street 750 - Ownership Review-whrstage.jpg

Anaida a yesteryear singer who never hit her peak, in her peak, crooned for the evening. Frankly it was better than going through some crazy DJ playing his morphed and warped versions of music, that no one really cared for, like in IBW. Anaida managed to entertain well and most oldies (like me) enjoyed it. HD for once got the demographics right, recognising the fact that majority of the riders were born before the 70s or 80s hit this world. No, we are not exactly fond of House or Electronica or the any of those tracks which are churned out on a laptop. Give us some good old rock and some ballads we are happy. And this time it was just right, many of the folks went on to singing on a given mike, entertaining the crowd pretty well. Somewhere it resembled of a house party and an underlying brotherhood, which was tough to explain in words. We loved it! The beverages were priced quite reasonably and the food was included for the day. Well done HD!

Harley Davidson Street 750 - Ownership Review-whrmusic.jpg

Aurangabad is an amazing place with amazing people. While I found their Hindi a bit strange, it was nevertheless charming. The food, the spices and the aura was beautiful. People in general were well mannered and polite. There is an old world charm which understands human interaction within the unspecified boundaries and respect. There was not a moment where I could see any kind of hooliganism or bad behaviour. Girls and boys walked freely and co-existed peacefully. In the given hour when we took a stroll around town I was quite intrigued and happy to absorb this great place into myself as a reminder that in some ways we need to preserve the old world within us, to preserve our future. The crowd though did perch itself around various points of the Hotel compound to get a glimpse of the bikes and the event, peacefully though. Aurangabad, we loved you every bit and thanks for being such a great host! We have a great deal to learn from you…

We did not attend the next day arrangements at Aurangabad as most had to reach Bangalore by Sunday evening, to attend office on Monday. So we left for Pune on Saturday and stayed overnight. Sunday morning we rode back to Bangalore like men on fire. High three digit speed happened all over and even some of the Streets happily kept up with larger and also much larger siblings.


The bike:
End of the day, Street riders were predictably tired, but happy!

One cannot discount the fact that you are riding a much smaller platform with limited space. You are naturally exerting more. But what is surprising to most of Street riders is the way the bike is maturing. Most of us are ODO-ing above 7K, a few over 10K. The bike appears to be improving a bit on top speed and vibrations creeping in a bit later than it used to. Not sure this will improve any further, but it does call for a kudos to Harley for making an engine that is plain joy to ride. And its getting better day by day!

The bike doesn’t get tired. It just moves and moves and takes in all the pressure and stress in its stride. It is a happy reliable peace of machine. Most of us today, have no issues on riding solo without a backup. The confidence is fantastic on its reliability. Not a backfire out of place. While HD may have tested this machinery extensively. In the real world its less than a year old and its proving itself to be a joy to ride every day.

Recently someone asked me, if he should buy a Street. A lot of people do. My answer is simple. If you can’t live with some quirks and do not like a smaller platform, then go buy something else.

If you can live with a few quirks, and riding a cheaper model doesn’t matter, then there is nothing else as good as a Street in this range!

And as a Street owner, you will also need to live with the snootiness of some poser bikers who still believe it’s not a Harley! Let’s get over it folks, you need to sit your ass down on a Street and ride a couple of hundred kilometres down the road to really appreciate it.

Street grows on you, it gives you an opportunity to grow and mature as a rider with a lot of smiles even if your skill is half of a regular biker. It cuts across the barricade of not being able to own a Harley or sitting on a fence thinking whether to take up riding or not. It beckons you to do better every day as a rider and still keeps your humility intact. It doesn’t allow you to disrespect it.

I feel good about it every day, because I have learnt to ride like a rider should with a great bunch of guys called LLB. I have lost the unnecessary weight, I feel fitter, my hands grasp much stronger and in general I feel great.

Shubz summed it up well!!
Harley Davidson Street 750 - Ownership Review-whrllbrulz.jpg

I could do that because a bike like Street gave me an opportunity and courage to ride. In five months of ownership I have realised I made the best choice, because the bike is maturing along with me. It would be wrong to say that I have outgrown the Street, no biker will be able to do it. Its special and it will remain so. Because in town and on the highway you are equally happy!

So if you are getting back to biking, or rode a smaller bike, or your son/daughter pestering you for a Harley, or can’t afford a larger bike…get this bike with your eyes closed.

Just make sure you avoid the Denim Black, it work like a magnet to scratches! I own one.

We reached Bangalore safe and sound, happy to have covered over 2300 kms and seen places we had never seen before. And met people whom we had never met. I’m talking about some interesting people on the roadside who smilingly come up to you and ask a lot of question about your bike and you as a person. There is a genuine interest and innocence about these people who are so happy to see you. It’s your job to be polite (maybe firm if need be) and make sure they go away with a feeling which holds good memories and respect for you.
Because for them once you don the gear and sit on a Harley, you are no lesser than a knight with a shining armour riding the best specimen of a horse (and power), almost mythical sans your sword….
…please be responsible to be nice to them, because deep down there without all the fancy bikes you are just another middle aged man going to the office to make your living!
For those simple people you are a beacon of hope and aspiration where they want to be in the new India!

Ride safe!

PS: Some long pending modifications / accessorising is happening. Will post soon. We will talk about the bike a bit more and some new findings. Bear with me please!

The much needed wash after the WHR

Harley Davidson Street 750 - Ownership Review-whrwash.jpg
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Old 1st July 2015, 00:06   #86
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Re: Harley Davidson Street 750 - Ownership Review

At long last Rakesh! It is a pleasure to read your well thought of and well written reviews. You couldn't say it any better when you say that the "Street grows on you". I've never been a biker until I got my RB and now this little piece of gem is an inseperable part of my life.
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Old 1st July 2015, 03:25   #87
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Re: Harley Davidson Street 750 - Ownership Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by rakesh_S View Post
WHR 2015 - AURANGABAD

On 16th April morning we were all set to ride to Aurangabad. The plan was simple, ride to Pune, sleepover and then ride to Aurangabad on 17th morning.


-----------


It’s your job to be polite (maybe firm if need be) and make sure they go away with a feeling which holds good memories and respect for you.
Because for them once you don the gear and sit on a Harley, you are no lesser than a knight with a shining armour riding the best specimen of a horse (and power), almost mythical sans your sword….
…please be responsible to be nice to them, because deep down there without all the fancy bikes you are just another middle aged man going to the office to make your living!
For those simple people you are a beacon of hope and aspiration where they want to be in the new India!


Attachment 1388103

Beautifully written trip log Rakesh. I can feel the passion in your story. And you rightly said its not important what you ride....the fact you ride is more important.

That last paragraph of yours holds very very true when we ride these expensive machines. To some of the people who have conversations at a chai shop or a petrol bunk or a restaurant parking lot, the cost of our shiny toy may represent a life savings for a home, a daughters wedding expense etc etc. So its very important to keep our head in the right place.

Ride safe
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Old 31st July 2015, 21:12   #88
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Re: Harley Davidson Street 750 - Ownership Review

Conquering the monster - Street 750 Brakes

Street's brakes has been a topic of discussion for eons and people have tried various modifications to suit their needs. I'm definitely not the first mover on this, but after hearing out and observing various mods some of us concluded on a path that could solve the issue to a large extent and provide braking which was a huge improvement on the stock set.

Before that it would be necessary to bring a few things to your attention (though well known informally in Street Owner circles):

These are facts that have been experienced by various riders and technicians and its almost laughable:

1. The brake pads provided in Street becomes a substandard fitment when it comes to the task it has on hand. The brake pads used in RE, Pulsars and FZ1z can be used in Street!

2. HD charges 2k plus for the brake pads. You can get them for Rs. 200-300 in open market. No difference in quality

3. Street Master break cylinders are also borrowed for other bins. FZ1z is a straight fit and I suspect so is Pulsar's. While HD charges 7k for it, you can get one for Rs. 800-1000 in open market. I personally know a bike that was fitted with it and till today there has been no issues on quality!

4. Street Master cylinders have been prone to air leaks and brake lines have been known to work below optimal strengths. My bike has gone through this issue

I'm stating the above with all that I have gathered across Bangalore and other cities talking to various owners and technicians.

There have been two instances when my bike skidded due to break lock, on a ride. Fortunately on both occasions I was in the range of 30-40 kmph. The damage was not huge and repairs done quickly by Tusker.

Instead of raising red flag on HD we focussed on solution. It became apparent that along with the brakes MRF Zapper Y are also to be blamed for poor grip and unable to provide adequate handling once you do a few thousand kms on them.

The hunt began and it took us a while to get to a solution.

While we were mulling over the EBC Double H sintered pads, we were clearly apprehensive about its 'bite'. It was track level pads and need to heat up to provide its overwhelming braking power. This in our opinion would create a dangerous situation, specially with such crappy tyres. My friend suggested we look at Ceramic ones from SBS.

We decided on Ceramic for a few simple reasons.

First and foremost, it did not need heating. Street owners largely use the bike not only for weekend rides, but also in city. A large number goes to office on daily basis. Cold performance was necessary in this case.

Secondly, the ceramic ones 'bite' well and not as much as Sintered ones. The 'dust' also is less visible compared to Sintered ones. Which helps the bike look cleaner

Thirdly, while their life averages 8000 + kms, it also costed 2K less than EBC sintered ones. We paid 5K change for both and rear. This is important as Street market is cost conscious and constantly looking for the best ROI.

This is what we decided on:

Harley Davidson Street 750 - Ownership Review-sbs1_hdr.jpg

Now came the tyres. Its was a challenge for us, as the HD Scorcher tyres for Street are 24K plus for a pair if you get it from US. Most dealers are willing to get it for you, if you can wait it our for 30-45 days. This was not an option we were looking for, as it skewed the costs quite a bit.

The hunt began. One fine day I came across Michelin Pilot Street Radials of a size that I wanted right from the beginning. 110/75/R17. The stock is 110/80/R17 and also difficult to find. The 110 provides just the right surface contact and rides couple of mm lower. The ODO gives about 1% error, lower on speed and distance covered. I couldn't care less, and put it right on.

Harley Davidson Street 750 - Ownership Review-frontmich.jpg

The tyre is fabulous. Period. There are a lot of reviews written all over the net including TBHP and I don't need to lost about it. Dry or wet, straight or crazy leans, this tyre holds like a leech on the surface. There is nothing else that you will need from this dual compound rubber.

For over a month I rode on the combination of Michelin in the front and MRF Zapper Y. Very often I would find myself fishtailing on a hard ride, or wet surfaces.

It was becoming impossible to get a 15 inch rear tyre and we often cribbed about it. I'm not sure about the technicalities, but a 17 inch wouldn't really hurt. Also went to the extent of possibly fitting one, but that another day story

Thanks to some of our friends on Street Hawks forum, we came across MRF Vyde which was is currently under tests before launch a few months later. One of the marketing guys got in touch and offered the tyres at Rs. 5600. I believe this will be priced at 8k+ bracket when launched officially.

This tyre was exact stock size (it has been used widely by other bikes on 17 inch wheels and had very good reviews). So we bit the bait and decided to fit it. By now I had stronger SBS Ceramics working beautifully on the bike, and I felt sore everyday about the rear tyres. I was scared to use the rear brakes!

Here it is along with the old one (done about 13.5K kms). The tread pattern is different and Vyde appears broader despite being the same size:
Harley Davidson Street 750 - Ownership Review-img_20150729_115634_hdr.jpg

Fitted on to the wheel
Harley Davidson Street 750 - Ownership Review-img_20150729_121000_hdr.jpg

Rear view
Harley Davidson Street 750 - Ownership Review-img_20150729_122652_hdr.jpg

Side view
Harley Davidson Street 750 - Ownership Review-mrfrear1.jpg

So far I have done 20-30 kms on the MRFs. It is a huge improvement on the Zapper Y stock ones. There is a feedback MRF folks are waiting for, from the 4-5 riders including me, who have taken this up and testing it.

It has superb dry grip and very good again on wet. There are some specific issues that we need to test on a long ride, which is specific to Street's torque on a free road. Will be putting up some more views post this weekend as we are doing a long ride.

Overall...The transformation is amazing. It costed me totally Rs. 15,100 to resolve this issue. When your life is at stake, this price to pay is nothing. The reason I'm saying this is because when I skidded twice all that saved me was quality gear. And I at that moment I hated HD for making a bike that I have grown to love, with a major issue that borders on being miserably dangerous.

With both tyres changed and SBS ceramics I'm happy to report that the bike is a lot more sure of stopping even in panic braking, rides much better and holds well to its line. The Street is a lot more nimble and a lot more flickable in city traffic or the wide curves that you will come across on the highways.

Street Hawks forum on WhatsApp contributed hugely and I'm grateful to some of the brilliant minds that I have come across. There is a lot of fun on the forum and lots of jokes that are shared, but somewhere in the midst of all that a solution started emerging. Thanks Guys, if you are reading this!

Most importantly a co rider and a member of this forum who also happens to own a startup business on biking needs, aptly named as 'The Bikings', provide some insight on the brakes, based on his experience

Thanks you Xtorque Bangalore for providing the solutions and being patient with my demands!

I'm elated that The Bikings and Xtorque have decided to work in tandem with their respective experiences and provide some important solution to the biking community which is more or less still living on 'Jugaad'.


Not that HD doesn't know what its doing, 111 + years of making bikes is a resounding proof of their insight into making a bike. But your commercial decisions are hurting us. HD is happy that I do not have a recourse to a court to sue them for providing substandard brakes and tyres on a bike so capable and powerful!

While I loathe the practices of companies like HD, I still ride a Street because I just love it more everyday for its positive qualities.

Need I say HD are you listening? No I don't think so. You know it all!

Ride safe and ATGATT!
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Old 31st July 2015, 23:30   #89
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Re: Harley Davidson Street 750 - Ownership Review

There you go! Now that you have shown the Street community a workaround for the brakes and tyres, I am sure there will be many more who will tread your path and that includes me.

The amount you have paid is actually pittance for the confidence level it brings when riding the Street and knowing that it is capable of coming to a stop anytime.

I still have a long way to go to touch the 10K mark on the odo and once the tyres start showing signs of wear off, I will have to do what you did and change the break pads to the Ceramic ones and put in new MRF tyres as well.

Anyway, thanks for showing the Street community the light at the end of the tunnel Rakesh.
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Old 3rd August 2015, 20:49   #90
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Re: Harley Davidson Street 750 - Ownership Review

Just a correction - The Stock front tyre on Street is 100/80 R17 not 110/80 R17 as mentioned. Apologies for the typo.

Just to add:

Another consideration that we took into account about brakes was that the Sintered ones tend to wear out the rotors faster due to the bite and highly abrasive construction.

Ceramics do that lesser compared to Sintered ones, perhaps a bit more than stock ones. Ceramic ones are also not as noisy as Sintered ones, for human ears

Some cosmetic and some functional upgrades have happened in the last few months, will post soon.

Ride Safe Folks!!
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