Street Smart – Harley-Davidson Street 750

From a distance what strikes you about the Street 750 almost immediately is its size. For a bike to sport the bar and shield on the tank, this is a small bike. Even at standstill it puts you immediately at ease. You don’t feel intimidated by its size or bulk. The first thought that strikes you is, “Oh, this should be an easy one to ride”. Admittedly, you do end up sacrificing some of the street presence that most other Harleys guarantee you but there’s still enough and more to drag a fair few eyeballs your way as you thunder down the city streets. There’s a neat little bikini fairing that H-D call café-style speed screen that gives the Street 750 a classically good face. This, combined with a view of the large radiator for the liquid cooling, ensures that you will stand out in most crowds, even among other Harleys. Move to the side and you get an unhindered view of the new liquid-cooled Revolution V-twin engine with an upswept exhaust pipe finishing just short of the bike’s tail. Bringing up the rear are a bulbous LED tail-light, amber indicators, a hanging number-plate mount and a view of the fat 140-section rear tyre, and the exhaust. For good measure Harley have also kitted out the Street 750 with a lockable fuel filler cap – yet another evidence of the kind of markets this bike is being sold in, which is indeed a very practical addition to the bike.

Swing a leg over the Street 750 and you will quickly appreciate how easy it will be for shorter riders to get on to this bike and keep both feet planted firmly on the ground. What this means in real road riding conditions is increased confidence for the rider, which automatically lends itself to better control over the bike itself. The short and stylish handlebar is easy to reach too, ticking another box for Harley. Shorter riders will also find the ergonomics spot on. Unfortunately, the same ergonomics become uncomfortable as the day wears on and the miles stretch back. The positioning of the foot-pegs is such that for a rider of my height (just over six feet) they are in a position that qualifies as neither commuter nor rear-sets nor kicked out. As a result, after an hour or so of riding, tall riders will likely need to stretch their legs out a little to avoid cramps. They would also need to squirm around a bit on the wide seat to find a comfortable position. But, mind you, these would apply only to tall riders. The average South Asian rider (Indians included) would find little to complain about. Also, knowing Harley and their affinity for introducing a multitude of after-market accessories, we’re pretty sure soon enough there will be adjustable foot-pegs on offer for a little bit of extra dough.

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