Harley, a company famous for making relaxed cruisers, is hard at work trying to break free from this image. This newest little bike from Harley is the Street Rod - a sportier derivative of the brilliant Street 750.
On the outside
The Street Rod is inspired by the company’s drag-style bikes like the V-Rod and the Night Rod. It’s aggressively styled, there’s a healthy dose of matte black paint for the engine and exhaust, and it’s got split seats with a new saddle to help riders cope with hard acceleration. The rear fender is also shorter now to look sportier. The front has a tall cowl around the round headlight, along with flat ‘drag-style’ handlebars and bar-end mirrors.
Power Torque
The bike is powered by the same 749cc, eight-valve, liquid-cooled, V-Twin, Revolution X engine that powers the Street 750 - this motor makes 62Nm of torque (an increase of 3Nm) at 4,000rpm. The company hasn’t released exact power figures for either the Street 750 or the Street Rod but the latter is said to see an 11 percent increase in horsepower coming in at 8,250rpm.
The Street Rod is a mere 5.0kg heavier; and its increased power and torque translates to sharper acceleration as compared to its cruiser sibling. Its shorter and wider exhausts add a mildly more aggressive soundtrack. The six-speed gearbox is carried over exactly from its sibling.
Also, in order to improve performance in the corners, Harley has upgraded the tyres to radials, which are now sized at 120/70 R17 (front) and 160/60 R17 (rear). The MRF tyres really ensure that this isn’t a bike just for the straights. The position of the foot pegs is now more to the rear. For braking duty, there are dual 300mm rotors up front with two-piston calipers - the Street 750 gets a single disc. The rear brake is the same single 300mm disc with twin pot calipers. The company is offering ABS as standard, and although the brakes do feel a bit vague and lack feel, stopping power is strong.
From the saddle
The bike handles quite well. The aggressive seating position means you sit leaning into the handlebars. Corners are easier to tackle on this bike than its sibling - the higher cornering clearance makes for much sharper handling, complemented by the increased seat height of 765mm. The engine is definitely punchier than the Street 750's - twist that throttle and the bike leaps ahead. This bike would do well on a set of twisty mountain roads, but the seating position isn’t conducive for longer hauls.
The Harley handled bad roads quite brilliantly. The suspension is soft, and handles most bumps without too much trouble. A grouse we had is with the bike overheating – even though the 749cc mill is liquid-cooled, it gets quite hot in slow-moving traffic or when at a standstill. And because of the seating position and the way the cylinder heads are positioned, your left thigh might touch it when you put your feet down - it gets quite hot.
Is it worth the money?
This is easily one of the Best Harleys to Ride - and even though you may find it uncomfortable, or heavy, we can safely say that Harley has finally brought a solid sport-oriented motorcycle. At ₹5.86 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), this bike commands a slight premium over the Street 750 (priced between ₹4.91 lakh and ₹5.18 lakh).
