Brave New World
Harley’s new machine is unlikely to replace anything in the hearts of current H-D riders, but it could be pivotal for the future of biking...
Hardcore Harley devotees best look away now. Flag-waving Trump supporters probably won’t be impressed either, but for many riders – particularly those a little younger – be they open- minded new bikers, or indeed anyone looking for their first Harley, this could well be a game-changer.
This bike handles. It’s powerful, its got decent suspension, and it’s comfortable. And I don’t mean for a
Harley. I mean that it’s great when you keep in mind that it costs just £ 6745. That’s not much more
than an MT-07. And it’s a grand less than a Triumph Street Twin. Let’s deal with the naysayers first. About half of all the bikes on US
roads are Harley-Davidsons, so the company needs to encourage new riders into biking – with that market share, it’s not easy to get many more riders of competitor motorcycles to make the switch. The aim is to get two million new riders on board in just 10 years, and what market
research has shown is that there are an awful lot of people who want to get into the H-D brand, but don’t see anything that tempts them. They want something that’ll be easy to use in the city, but will handle well on the open roads too. Customers in the emerging markets want the same – the current Street 750 is very popular in India, and in total, there are now 35,000 of them on the world’s roads. It’s the company’s third best- seller in the UK ( behind the Iron 883 and Forty Eight), so hopes are high for the new Street Rod, which promises 20% more power (69.7bhp @ 9000rpm) and 10% more torque (47.9lb-ft @ 4000rpm) than the Street 750. That’s for the European market – US bikes are slightly down on those figures, but only by about 2%. Logistically, it makes sense that the US Street range is assembled in the States, and all the others are assembled at Harley-Davidson’s factory in India, which has the same processes, equipment and quality control. Parts for all of the machines are sourced globally, from the mirrors to the frame. If that’s a problem for you, then perhaps you’d prefer a machine with a Milwaukeemade motor.
Impressive outlook
Still here? Good – let’s move on from any unnecessary worries over who makes what, and look at how well this bike works. For a start, it’s not simply a dressed-up Street 750. The European-built ‘High Output’ 749cc Revolution X engine has high-flow heads with increased lift and duration from the single overhead cams, a freer-breathing air intake, dual-port 42mm Mikuni fuel injection bodies (the Street 750 has a single 38mm unit), and an optimised exhaust.
The chassis has a 27° rake (Street 750 is 32°), the tank – which is the same 13.1 litre unit – is moved further forward, and the swingarm mounting point is different. The preload-adjustable shocks are new, as are the unadjustable upsidedown forks, the cast wheels, which carry Michelin Scorcher tyres, the swingarm, and the LED tail-light and indicators.
65.7 That’s the claimed miles per gallon for the Rod
While you still need a key to operate the ignition, a fob arms the standard alarm and immobiliser as you walk away. The twin-piston calipers and 300mm discs (with ABS) are unchanged, but you’ll now find two up front.
The styling appears a little confused to me, the wide, angular tail not quite gelling with the teardrop tank. And that number plate carrier is a bit plasticky looking.
The dash has a single dial with an analogue speedo and a small LCD that can display two trips, an odometer, clock or gear and revs, as well as a trip that starts when the fuel light illuminates. Fuel economy is claimed to be 65.7mpg (up from the Street 750’s 61.4mpg), which would give a potential range of up to 189 miles, though realistically – especially when taking advantage of the relatively high performance – expect to be filling up every 100 miles or so, to be on the safe side.
Fast and twisty
This was no ordinary Harley-Davidson launch – we were almost immediately on fast, twisty roads, and the Street Rod loved them. Overtakes took none of the planning often necessary on a big, lazy American Vee, and it changes direction pretty enthusiastically, with little work necessary.
The seating position feels quite tight at first – lean angles of 37.3° on the right and 40.2° on the left (it’s 28.5 on both sides of the Street 750) have been achieved by setting the pegs quite high, relative to the 765mm seat (which is 45mm higher than its sibling). I’m 5ft 10in, and my 44-yearold hips protested a couple of times when I climbed on.
But the bars are well positioned and the seat is suitably comfy, so besides those two instances of mild cramp, I found the 115 mile test ride
around Ronda in southern Spain to be very comfortable.
Having your feet beneath you means that, unlike on feet-forward Harleys, you can lift your bum off the seat for severe potholes and speed bumps. Yet I really didn’t find I needed to; the bike might dive a bit when snatching the brakes, but it’s otherwise firm enough to be ridden in a very spirited fashion – the unadjustable (bar rear preload) suspension really is surprisingly compliant and works well.
The turning circle is great. Combined with the ease with which you can get your feet down, this is a confidenceinspiring bike for the city. It’s a shame then that the rear brake lever is too high, even when adjusted to its lowest point. Frank Savage, H-D’s manager of industrial design, told me that they’ll be looking at adding a bit more adjustment, though this could mean the lever might start to touch down at full lean.
The pegs fold up, but in typical H-D fashion, they don’t spring back. They’re also rather small; much of the space taken up by chunky linkage and hanger assemblies. In normal, fast riding, they don’t hit the Tarmac – it was only when we were taking photos that they started to scrape, but despite the exhaust’s heat shield also touching down, it always felt safe and under control.