Harley-Davidson is betting big on the Indian market, as is evident by the Street 750’s impeding launch. This motorcycle which is targeted at urban riders is being launched in India at the upcoming Auto Expo, we are the few markets in the world to get this new generation Harley so soon. All the details about the Street 750 have been revealed already. It features a new Revolution X powertrain which employs liquid-cooling and the platform is all new (first for the American brand in 14 years). We also know the Street 750 will be priced under Rs. 5 lakhs (on-road) and the Street 500 will be launched in 2015. The company made the India debut of the Street 750 at the India Bike Week 2014 and we had a nice look at the vehicle. Here is our first look.
The Street 750 is every-inch a Harley-Davidson but isn’t as heavy in appearance because it simply isn’t a typical Harley bike. This one is aimed at new riders and the seat height suggests that short people will be comfortable on this motorcycle as well. The pillion seat appeared too small for practical use. The styling has been inspired from old Harley models but we don’t like the round shaped headlight, although the overall styling does grow on you with time. The display bike had Michelin tyres at the front and MRF tyres at the rear. The bikes to be sold in India will solely get MRF tyres and the company has worked with the Chennai based tyre manufacturer to specially develop these tyres for the Street bikes. India will be an export base for Street 500 and Street 750 (to other Asian and European countries) but all exported models will get Michelin tyres (no MRF for exports).
The handlebars are wide and we are told the steering is light for easy manoeuvrability. The ground clearance is by-far the highest of any Harley-Davidson motorcycle on sale in India, making it easy to tackle the speed-breakers thrown at you in the urban jungle. The switchgear is basic but of good quality and the build quality of the bike is very good, this is entirely manufactured in India (it’s not a CKD model and the first locally manufactured Harley-Davidson bike). The instrument cluster is a round unit with a chrome surround and a LCD display for the odo and tripmeter. The speedometer had readings marked in mph and not km/hr, we expect that to change on the production model. The black coloured Street 750 looks too black with almost everything black, a red colour will be offered as well.
The V-twin engine is expected to produce 45 BHP of power as the 883cc engine in the Sportster range (SuperLow and Iron 883) outputs 52 HP of power. Given the fact that the Revolution X motor is modern, it could produce more power but Harley-Davidson has to distinguish power output between the Street 750 and SuperLow to prevent confusion. The bike features a 2-into-1 exhaust. The rear tail light is a small unit but there are plenty of customisation options to make your Street stand out in the crowd as we expect very high demand for the Street 750 in India, a country where premium bikes are seeing an increase in sales.
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Harley-Davidson had showcased two accessorised versions of the Street 750. The company will offer more than 40 accessories for the Street 750, helping buyers customise their bikes. These include snazzy wheels, Screaming Eagle intake filter (Screaming Eagle is Harley-Davidson’s in-house performance branch), footpegs, dual-tone paintjobs, seats, exhausts, back rest, crash guard, etc.
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The company also showcased three concepts based on the Street 750. These three concepts use the same Revolution X engine and Street platform but have been extensively modified. Some changes include the removal of the rear mudguard and indicators, addition of carbon fibre seats and finish on the exhaust. These will not be launched but are showcased to give you a glimpse of what’s possible. Harley-Davidson will display all these bikes at the 2014 Auto Expo.
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