[rakesh_S]

Snehal, this took some time to write, but I have been itching to on this lovely thread.

First of all congratulations! As an owner of a Street, I agree that its a great choice The red has a charm which the blacks do not, but I was not too confident of carrying it with me gracefully at his age.

Somewhere inside all of us we all still love black and red combination!

This bike in my experience is a bit funny, as it makes you grow to like it more every time you ride it and also makes you forget the things you perhaps didn't like. IMO a bike is 90% about the way it rides. 10% is cosmetics and comforts. In the older days what sold most was the bike which gave you maximum fun riding it. RX100s, Suzuki Shoguns/Supras, RD350s, Yezdi Roadkings etc. were all about the thrill of riding them, despite the fact they were not perfect or the 'best' bikes in their days.

Street is a bike which will be remembered in a similar way, for years and years to come. Its a landmark bike for Harley anywhere in the world. It will be modified, experimented with and eventually it will create a cult status for itself. Yes, I know that there is a section of bikers who will not agree with what I'm stating here. But most of these bikers are not into mass market stuff, they already own larger siblings or other brand cruisers/sports bikes which provides them another set of experience.

What I'm talking about is that Street is a premium mass market bike (with its visible wires, MRF tyres and all its flaws). It will sell like Pulsars. It will be owned by half the college going students or freshers working in an IT company, in the next five years. And also a large set of older generation folks like you and me. Improvements will happen with every new model and mods will happen to older ones.

Its a bike that has created a niche by itself and an unbeatable one. None of the bike companies have been able to do that yet, with their mid size models, at this price. I have doubts its going to happen in the future also.

You might wonder why I'm so cockily claiming this. Its simple, you can do anything to a bike to make it look good or swanky. What you cannot do is make an average engine superlative.

Street scores on Engine!

The money pit I mentioned about on my thread is not a criticism. For a lot of street owners, its happy trip to innovate and spend their hard earned money to make it look and feel better in various ways. Because there is a potential. HD thrives on it and they have perfected it on Street!

And if anyone is worried about the breaks, then please go buy another bike!

Else...Shut up and ride!

Look forward to more of your experiences on this thread.

Ride safe!

[Snehal Sekhar]

The last couple of weeks have been pretty busy. Every weekend has seen me riding out to places that I've never been to before. It's funny that all these years of my existance has never seen me interested in going out. I used to pride my self on being a home boy. But after getting my Red Baron, I long for the weekend to arrive. Now my wife and kid keep complaining that I don't spend the weekends with them and are trying to limit my rides to once a month.

The sorties that I went over the past few weekends:

Lepakshi (291 kms from E-city and back). Petrol filled: 7.91 litres. Lepakshi is on the Bangalore - Hyderabad highway. The roads are pretty flat with sparse traffic. Since this was a solo ride, I wasn't to confident in pushing the bike beyond 90-100 kmph, but even at those speeds the bike performed well and the engine did not feel strained at all. On the way back at Devanahalli I got caught by the cops for overspeeding though. They said that the speed limit was only 55kmph and I was doing 75 on that stretch. A fine of Rs.300 and a challan later I was back on the road. Snaps from my Lepakshi ride.






The following weekend was with the Harley Group (LLB). This time the ride was to Sangama (Kanakapura Road). The total distance covered was 211 kms and I filled in 9.54 ltrs of petrol. It's a diffrent feeling alltogether when riding with the Harley group. When we ride as a group all other vehicles make way and it feels that you are the king of the road. Love that feeling. The roads to Sangama have a lot of sweeping turns and the Red Baron loved each moment of it. I had to constantly upshift and downshift on these sweeping turns though.


The last week, a couple of BHPIAN's and I rode out to Anchetty. Anchetty is a Resserve forest area and is past Denkanikottai (TN). The roads are well laid and there are beautiful sweeps all the way till Anchetty. The bike was comfortably cruising at 100-110 kmph and was comfortable at those speeds. On the return journey the team decided to do a little off roading. I decided to opt out since I felt the ground clearence would be a hindarance. The distance fro E-city to Anchetty and back is 150 kms. Road to Anchetty. Other snaps at Anchetty.

Pros and Cons about the bike till date:
The bike is confidence inspiring and loves cornering. It cruises effortlessly at 110 -120 kmhp. I haven't tried pushing further than those speeds but I suspect that the bike should be able to handle that well. I never felt any vibrations even at 110 - 120 speeds. It handles well and is nimble for its weight unlike its bigger siblings. On an average I have been getting 22-24 kmpl on highways and that seems reasonable enough for a powerful bike as this. I am not sure if the current 2015 crop of bikes come with better lights and horns, but the Red Baron's horn and lights have never seemed an issue for me. I have travelled late nights and the high beam was sufficient to light up the road pretty bright till a very good distance. The brakes on the bike have been doing a very good job and again I suspect that there have been slight upgrades on that from the 2014 models. I enquired with the service adviser at Harley on the rear brake issue that was being reported on earlier bikes. As per what he said, the 2014 models had an issue with the rear brake cylinder and they changed quite a few brake cylinders in the past couple of months. He said the 2015 models have all been sorted out and should not be facing this issue.
There are a few cons as well and something needs to be done about it. For one the ground clearance. Even though the street has higher GC compared to its siblings, it still seems pretty unfit for our unscientific speed humps. Unless I completely slow down and then get over the humb, I can be sure that the bottom would scrape against the hump. Also, in slow moving traffic the engine heat is very high and the chances of roasting your leg is for real. The bike hates slow moving traffic and the constant gear changing really takes a toll on the bike. The bike jerks a lot on lower gears at low speeds (10-20 kmphs) and I am still to get the hang of riding the bike in these conditions. The gears are pretty rough, especially shifting from neutral to first and the from first to the second gear. It is not a light click but more like a hard thud.

Apart from these issues the bike has been doing a beautiful job of putting a smile on my face.

Completed my first service this week and the service cost me Rs.10,284.00. I didn't report any issues and so apart from oil change and coolent change nothing else was done. This is the break up of the service cost:
Oil change : Rs.1,935.00
Oil Filter : Rs.355.26
Coolant : Rs.96.54
Battery Tender : Rs.3,532.95
First service charge : Rs.2,160.00
Supplies: Rs.960.00
Vat : Rs.858.44
Labour Service Tax: Rs.385.63

They advised me to charge the battery at least twice a week no matter if the bike is being ridden frequently or not. Not sure if the charge goes down that soon, but I am not taking a chance and feel it's better to follow their advise as they know better.

The Red Baron is going to rest for the next week and will not be able to test ride him to see if there is any change after the first service. Until then take care all!

[djay99]

Your bike looks lovely in red. I felt Street 750 in red looks much better than the Iron.
Congrats and ride safe.

Edit: BTW what's Battery Tender? First service cost looks a bit steep for a made in india bike.

[Snehal Sekhar]

Originally Posted by djay99

Your bike looks lovely in red. I felt Street 750 in red looks much better than the Iron.
Congrats and ride safe.

Edit: BTW what's Battery Tender? First service cost looks a bit steep for a made in india bike.

Thanks mate! The Battery Tender is used to charge a battery when the bike is not being ridden as much as it is supposed to be. It's ideal for weekend warriors like us. It prevents the battery from going weak. You just have to connect one end to a power socket and the other end is connected to the battery and once the battery is completely charged, it switches off. www.batterytender.com

About the service cost being too steep, that is something even I'm having trouble getting used to. But since I have no choice I have to live with it I guess! This is nothing mate, you should check out the price of the accessories at HD. The quality may be good, but the prices are way too expensive. Something as simple as a bike cover at HD costs upto 10 grand. Hey but I'm not complaining am I. All that matters little when you ride the bike on open roads. That feeling is worth the money being spent on this machine.

Note from Support - Posts merged. Please use the multi-quote option to reply to multiple posts. You can also use the "EDIT" button within 30 mins of submitting your post to add more content in it.

[Shubz]

The battery tender is a RIP-OFF! If the bike is used often (as often as just the weekend rides) - there is no way the battery dies if the bike is unused over the weekdays.

I have kept the bike unused for a couple of weeks - yet it has started off with one press of the starter button!

The battery tender works for people who cannot use the bike for weeks together!

Cheers,

#LLB

[Snehal Sekhar]

Originally Posted by Shubz

The battery tender is a RIP-OFF! If the bike is used often (as often as just the weekend rides) - there is no way the battery dies if the bike is unused over the weekdays.

I have kept the bike unused for a couple of weeks - yet it has started off with one press of the starter button!

The battery tender works for people who cannot use the bike for weeks together!

Cheers,

#LLB

And here I thought I was being wise to invest in an accessory that would come in handy!
Learnt my lesson and I guess I should have asked around for advise before plonking my 4K on this. I ride my RB every weekend and a minimum of 150 kms is what I do.
Anyway, I did try out the battery tender today and much to my surprise it took me only 2 minutes to charge my battery (the light on the tender was orange when I switched it on and turned to green in 2 minutes). So in a week there is actually not much discharge from the battery. Will have to see what other use I can put the battery tender to now!

[Dust_Harl]

Originally Posted by Shubz

The battery tender is a RIP-OFF! If the bike is used often (as often as just the weekend rides) - there is no way the battery dies if the bike is unused over the weekdays.

I have kept the bike unused for a couple of weeks - yet it has started off with one press of the starter button!

The battery tender works for people who cannot use the bike for weeks together!

Cheers,

#LLB

Battery Tender may not be a requirement for new and off the showroom bikes and yes your battery does not die down if you don't use it for a week and keep running it over the regular breakfast or Sunday rides.

As the bike and the battery gets old that is when you would feel the more need of it. Especially when your batter is about to die. This costs Rs. 2000/- and in my opinion is the cheapest HD accessory / fitting apart from key chains. And quiet helpful if in case you wake up and find your bike is not starting and battery is the culprit.

[Shubz]

Originally Posted by Dust_Harl

Battery Tender may not be a requirement for new and off the showroom bikes and yes your battery does not die down if you don't use it for a week and keep running it over the regular breakfast or Sunday rides.

As the bike and the battery gets old that is when you would feel the more need of it. Especially when your batter is about to die. This costs Rs. 2000/- and in my opinion is the cheapest HD accessory / fitting apart from key chains. And quiet helpful if in case you wake up and find your bike is not starting and battery is the culprit.

Plus 1 to that!

Secondly that would act as a great add-on/help/social service when going on group rides. We had a situation when two big bikes were transported by truck to Goa and the owners were not aware of the "Transport mode" available on the bikes. Due to constant shaking, the security alarm was going off constantly and by the time the bike reached Goa, both the batteries were almost about to die and the machines wouldn't start.

If we had known the previous night, the bikes could've been put on charge overnight and could've avoided this situation!

But I still feel, even though its the cheapest authentic HD accessory, it is not required for new bikes!

Cheers,
#LLB

[barcalad]

Sharing some photographs of the Baron which I clicked this morning, before we embarked upon our ride.

[Snehal Sekhar]

Originally Posted by barcalad

Sharing some photographs of the Baron which I clicked this morning, before we embarked upon our ride.

Thanks barcalad! The pictures look absolutely stunning man.

Getting back to the bike, I have serious issues with the rear brakes now. Till I got the first service done, I felt that the rear brakes were doing a stellar job and had sufficient stopping power. I was actually thinking how lucky I was to have a no issue bike unlike what I read in the forum about the Street 750. As stated in my previous post, the SA advised that the 2015 lot of bikes had the rear brake issue sorted out and I wouldn't be facing any issues at all. I was mighty pleased about it and was thinking how lucky I was to buy the bike after all the niggles were taken care of. Little did I know that it was just wishful thinking.

Anyway, I have been on two rides with the Baron after I got the first service done, and during both these rides I had a hard time in getting the bike to slow down unless I slammed the rear brake pedal all the way down and use a lot of engine braking and the front brakes as well. A bit unnerving this is. If I use just the front and rear brakes, the bike does not show any signs of stopping at all. I slows down yes, but not as much as it used to do earlier. I feel it slows down more because of the front brakes rather than the rear. I use 60-40 front and rear and sometimes it is 70-30. It takes longer to slow down. I have no response from the rear brakes at all. Engine braking is what I have been putting my trust into these past 2 rides. It serves my purpose under normal riding conditions, but with our roads there is always a chance of people running across the roads, vehicles stopping and changing lanes as they please and not to forget our 4 legged friends who make the highway their playground. Under these circumstances, if I had to suddenly brake, I would end up either with a crash or kissing the tarmac.

Not sure if the rear brake pads have worn off, but this would be very unlikely since I have ridden the Baron only around 1900 kms till date.

Will take it to Tusker Harley to check on that, but before that I wanted suggestions on what could be the cause of the rear brakes performing so poorly and if a replacement is required, will it be covered under warranty or is this an out of pocket expense.

[barcalad]

Originally Posted by Snehal Sekhar

Getting back to the bike.......will it be covered under warranty or is this an out of pocket expense.

Chief, as we discussed that day, I'd recommend you to get your rear brake pads cleaned once. I could hear some squealing when I was rear braking too.

Also, get your tyre pressures checked, as well as try to run the bike on Nitrogens.

Do let us know what Tusker says on this.

[Snehal Sekhar]

Over the past few weeks, I had been on several rides with a few folks from Team BHP weekend ride group and I have updated my ride report on the Bangalore - Sunday Morning Short Rides thread.

In the meantime, the brakes are still the same but have not gotten worse at least. As of now, I plan to trust engine braking more and will check on the rear brakes when I leave the Red Baron for it's second service which is due in September.

The last couple of rides have mostly started at ungodly hours. On some I have had to start as early as 4 in the morn. Now I have no issue with that, but the lights on the Baron don't seem to be make my ride any easier. The high beam works just fine and the throw of light is good, but the same can not be said about the low beam. The low beam leaves a lot to be desired. Riding with the high beam may not be an issue for me, but I have to think of the oncoming traffic. The light will definitely blind them which is a big no no. I have no intention to be a cause for other people to curse me for being insensitive on the road. The low beam does a very pathetic job of lighting the road. The best it does is lights up the road for a feet or two in front of the bike. Does Harley do this on purpose so people can upgrade to better lights from HD's bag of goodies? If I put in any other light (Osram night breaker etc...), HD will immediately say that the warranty is voided on all electric accessories/battery if something does go wrong. Anyway, an upgrade is required and I will have to do it soon.
Now that apart, the bike has been performing perfectly fine. I know what I am capable of and what the bike is capable of and that being the case, I don't try to push my bike to speeds that neither I nor the bike are not comfortable doing.
I have also been planning to go on a long ride for quite sometime. The dates seem to be finalized and the route most likely will be Bangalore - Pondicherry - Chennai - Bangalore. The distance will be approximately 900-1000 kms and the plan is to do it in 2 days with a stop over at Pondicherry.
In regards to this ride, I needed some advise from the experts here. I usually fill in Shell Super when available, but when on the highway I am not too confident about the quality of the fuel available in some bunks. Is it advisable to use fuel additives when filling up on the highway? And if so, which is a good brand to use?

[barcalad]

Originally Posted by Snehal Sekhar

Over the past few weeks.......

.......And if so, which is a good brand to use?

Would like to add a few inputs of mine.

1. You ride a 230kg cruiser. Getting your brakes fixed should be a priority for you. Now, I know you personally and I know how busy you are. Thus, in such a situation, if you wish, I can come over on a weekend/weekday (if I have off) and take the Baron by myself to Tusker to get it fixed. Considering that we do a lot of rides to places where there is hardly and human habitation in sight, this should be done at the earliest. Relying on engine braking is feasible only when you're riding downhill or in extreme situations. Else, it's better to avoid it. Getting the brakes fixed as soon as possible is a must.

2. I observed the headlight issue as well. Now, you can either get them adjusted (make sure you sit on the bike first and then ask the mechanic to do it) or you can upgrade. I'd advise you to get it adjusted to your comfort before planning any night ride. When you get the ride serviced in September, perhaps you can upgrade then.

3. Shell Super is the best bet, as we all know. However, on highways I'd advise you to go for BP first. If not, IOC.
Avoid HP at all costs. Worst petrol quality in my opinion. Filled it twice under emergency circumstances and completely disappointed me on both occasions.

[Snehal Sekhar]

Originally Posted by barcalad

Would like to add a few inputs of mine.

Thanks for the offer buddy! Since you've ridden my Baron, I am sure you would know what I mean when I say that the rear brakes like serious bite. Anyway, I'll follow your advise and take the Baron to Tusker the following weekend and get it checked. Just praying that it is not a major expense that I have to look at.
About the fuel additives, have you used any on your monster? Contemplating to buy one, since Shell is never available on the highways. If an additive helps my bike run better and keeps the engine happy, then so be it! But really not sure which brand or if it really is required on the Baraon.

[barcalad]

Originally Posted by Snehal Sekhar

Thanks for the offer buddy! Since you've ridden my Baron, I am sure you would know what I mean when I say that the rear brakes like serious bite. Anyway, I'll follow your advise and take the Baron to Tusker the following weekend and get it checked. Just praying that it is not a major expense that I have to look at.
About the fuel additives, have you used any on your monster? Contemplating to buy one, since Shell is never available on the highways. If an additive helps my bike run better and keeps the engine happy, then so be it! But really not sure which brand or if it really is required on the Baraon.

It won't be much expensive. From what I know, a sand paper treatment to both pads and cleaning of the rear disc should do the job. Don't forget to get the headlamp adjusted as well.

No. Haven't use any additives. Haven't really got any need to.
Except maybe for the time I did a blunder by tanking up at HP. They didn't have any additives plus I was in a rush.

However, if you want to go for one, the 3M Petrol Additive is supposedly good.