[v12]

Hello Amit, Sad to read about your experience with the Street 750. I agree to some extent where HD can be blamed - especially in the safety features (or the absence of it) - but to some extent you should be taking the blame on yourself too for hurrying up with the decision of going through the purchase with a small test ride.

I agree there is not much to chose from in the budget that you were looking at - but if safety and features were of utmost importance, you should not have opted for the Street. A CBR250 ABS or a Duke 390 would have been a good option till the time HD or any other manufacturer would come out with an ABS or good feature equipped bike. I dont know but I guess the Versys would have been a better option.

Regarding the other problems that you faced, I guess those are normal and ones that are faced by almost all superbike / high capacity motorcycles.

Heating Issues : None of these bikes are meant to be ridden in traffic. They all heat up and you will feel the heat more during peak hours - because the heat is trapped around you.

Mirror stems : Not a big issue at all. Agreed it hampers the rear view - but nothing that mirror extenders can't fix.

Tyres : Obviously there is cost cutting involved everywhere. And that's very much evident in the tyres itsef more than anything else. The Street 750, I believe, was meant for the Indian markets. So what "better" option than the tried and tested MRF tires. At least HD should have had an option to upgrade to some better tyres just the way Mahindra is offering with the Mojo (where they offer MRF as optional).

Accessories : Who said only HD accessories are expensive? Take Kawasaki for instance - the engine guards cost more than 3 times than what's available internationally. Like mentioned, there are 3rd party options available which are as good or even better in quality than the HD ones. You could look at those options.

In the end I would say this - You have bought this bike with your hard earned money. If there are some things that don't suit you, change those things. That's what everyone does - they customize their bikes to their taste and comfort. Try to make it like the Harley you want it to be (obviously there would be limitations to the ABS part). If possible get another bike for your daily errands, a 750cc bike maybe a good bike for running errands abroad. But in India, it's only or mostly meant to be ridden only on open roads. Enjoy ur ride and ride safe. Like the Harley motto goes - Live to Ride. Ride to Live.

[kkkkkaran]

Coming back to the Harley, the problem is, unless the price difference is big, no one would buy a used one. I'd suggest a proper highway ride, or an HOG group ride. Try those, and post all that if you still feel its not for you, no point keeping it then.

I know I'm probably just repeating what others have told you.
For next time, please do post on the forum with your requirements. We ll be happy to keep you in your senses.

[roy_libran]

When someone writes straight from the heart, it's quite possible that what comes out, may seem like a 'Rant'. A 'Review' is, likely, something that has more elements of analysis and correlation, which come from the brain.

That aside, I echo some of Amit's observations with the 750, from a short test drive I took, particularly with respect to Handling and Braking. I cannot afford anything more expensive than this price range and this Bike is NOT VALUE for what it offers. There is too much of a Premium component here, for just the HD badge.

My suggestion to Amit, would be to, not get stuck with a bad choice (from his perspective), and dispose it off to get something simpler and cheaper, given his original Use Case for a Bike.

[comfortablynumb]

Hello amitkb!

In one of your posts, you had asked if posting this review was worth it (though I can't find that now). The answer is a big YES!

Very few people publicly broadcast their buyer's remorse so that others don't tread the same path. This is especially true for products belonging to "hallowed" brands like HD. That is why a lot of reviews for super bikes you see on the net are all goody-goody, with hardly anyone keeping it real.

At the time of writing this, there are 2881 views for your thread in just 1 day, and am sure they will increase in the days to come. If your thread helps even 1% of those viewers to make an informed and aware decision (either +ve or -ve), your thread would have been more than worth it.

Thanks again.

Cheers,
Vikram

[VW2010]

And i just felt like saying this below. Mods delete if this is not required.

I do not think he is not here to argue his points. He is sharing his personal feedback. Its difficult to explain but he is not expecting any support or counter points to argue and i think most of the respondents understand its not a bashing about a bike but more so a personal anguish. These feed backs are fair to hear and i think its not a point of contest on why the person got the bike. I am not supporting or taking sides but just felt i needed to clarify.

[tejas08]

Originally Posted by amitkb

What I don’t like:

• It’s terribly overpriced.
• The harsh ride quality.
• Lack of ABS, fuel gauge, tachometer.
• The mirror stems are short, a serious health hazard (it’s not expensive to put in longer stems, but HD wants to gouge money out of you).
• MRF tires are bad. The bike fishtails in a jiffy.
• Overpriced HD parts.

I do agree that this is an honest review of the shortcomings of a bike which is priced over 5 Lacs.

But it does not cover any good pointsas GTO highlighted in one of the posts.

When I look at the dislikes that you have indicated, the one thing that comes to my mind was buying a Street 750 was an impulsive decision.

Except probably the harsh ride quality and bike fishtailing, rest all of the dislikes are well know even before you purchase a bike. These Dislikes are not something that you come to know only after buying the bike. Even the ride quality and fishtailing can be felt if one does Test Ride at least 2-3 times.

The reason to do a TD 2-3 times is that in the first TR of such a 'lifestyle bike' you are always feeling great and have that air around you of driving a Harley or any other big brand. The second time you start looking at the real driving & comfort part of the bike. People taking a TR often check for braking and driving in traffic conditions.

My upfront apologies if I am insulting you in any which ways, but you seemed to be confused for the 'main purpose of this bike' i.e. 'A Lifestle Bike' or a 'Get a Loaf of Bread bike'.

I see it this way. There are some things you just shouldn't do with some vehicles. I have an Activa and have a Honda City. I don't take the Activa on the highway anytime. Honda City is just my first and only choice for the highway. Activa is only for the short 3-4 kms ride within the suburb limits (I wouldn't even mention City Limits as Mumbai City is way too big for that).

You had a problem even with the quality of some of the other two-wheelers (Fascino and some other one). Quite frankly my opinion - they are pure practical purpose bikes. Not meant to be looked at from the quality point of view.

I plan to buy a Harley myself. I have kept myself away from it only because it does not have an ABS. I am waiting for the government to make ABS a compulsion before I good ahead with a 500+ CC bike.

In all, what I see is that you are ruing yourself of taking an impulsive decision of buying the Street 750 and trying to put it out that the bike did not turn out as expected.

[amitkb]

Originally Posted by tejas08

In all, what I see is that you are ruing yourself of taking an impulsive decision of buying the Street 750 and trying to put it out that the bike did not turn out as expected.

@tejas08: Thanks for your inputs, but please understand why I have put this "review" up. Its not so I can get advice on what to do next. I am a common man and I have put this up so I can help other common men like me. Yes, it was an impulsive decision and that's exactly what I am hoping new buyers will not do!

If the post comes across as a rant, its probably my poor writing skills.

This was a discretionary spend for me. So I had written the money off the day I bought it. I couldn't care less whether the bike gets sold today or in the distant future. Think of the guy/girl who spends hard-earned money on the bike thinking its a combination of commuter and lifestyle bike as they are portraying it. I am hoping to help him/her make a better decision. So many things not spoken about the bike in earlier reviews/forums have been elucidated here. Thats helping. Thats all I wanted.

Amit

[Gansan]

I agree we should get a well rounded product when we pay good money. The embellishments / enhancements can be sold as add ons and they will be one's choice. If even pillion footrest and grab rails come at extra cost, that is taking things a bit too far. I understand that is so with many Harley models.

At least in the case of RE bikes, we get all the required things for the money we pay from what I have seen. They are also selling many after market fitments, but one can do without them if he wants.

[Sojogator]

A well written 'cons for the dummies' report of the Street I would say so kudos to that.

I, personally, will refrain from calling it a review though. It is, to me, a well vented frustration of a personal debacle.

I am not *fond* of HDs because they seem pretty pointless to me except the *character* that pulls many a strings in many people.

But, I simply do not understand which of the agonies were hidden from you before your impulsive purchase ? How is it that the only positive you could come up with is its looks ? You have debased the 'brake upgrade' theory but have you even had the opportunity to come out of your frustration of not being able to do groceries (' loaf of bread ') and tried to break in the pads properly ? 2 years back, would you be complaining about the absence of ABS ? You have around 50 odd ponies under you so have you tried enjoying them where they are supposed to be enjoyed, the empty highways ? And on and on.

Nevertheless, your frank opinion is much appreciated and I hope you find a way to enjoy her as she is supposed to be or at least your loss be someone else's gain.

[theexperthand]

Amit,

While I really appreciate the fact that you have put your honest opinion (which is not as easy thing to do, especially in a public forum), I am not particularly fond of your habit of selectively replying in jest to the posts which do not echo your sentiments. An open forum like this exist to give a platform for a healthy debate and as in any debate, here also there will be posts which support your point of view and which are against it - it does not mean any post which do not sides with your view needs to be ridiculed.

While I personally feel that you were a little premature (or let us say, hastily) in choosing the bike, it doesn't alter the present in any way, and for the sake of you and your enjoyment of your Harley, I hope you will try to use the bike as it meant to be, instead of flogging it to run the errands which you thought the bike may well be suited.

There is a famous saying by Voltaire - "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it". In the same lines, I hope you will be tolerant towards the people who do not side with your point of view.

Peace out.

--Anoop

[mayankk]

Er, as per Harley in their spiel:

We were all warned as kids about playing in the street. If you’re the sort who never listened to a word of it, we’ve got your motorcycle. The street is where the action is. The Harley-Davidson Street® series is a line of bikes built with one purpose in mind: to make the most of it. Every inch of the motorcycle has been thought through to meet the demands of navigating the urban landscape. A narrow and nimble profile with a tight 60.4-inch wheelbase keeps the handling razor sharp. Quick moves and turns come easy when you’re threading through whatever modern civilization decides to throw in your path. You have liquid cooling. You have loads of power in the Revolution X™ engine, for when you need to be somewhere else in a hurry. We’re talking about a whole different kind of two-wheeled animal here. One born to take on the traffic-snarled urban jungle.


This is an owner, and not a reviewer. If he has gripe with the machine, 5 L worth of it, he's entitled to ignore all that may be good.
And dont bikes which cost a fraction of an HD come with ABS?

[sammyboy]

An interesting read Amit. Looks like your requirements and the end product were completely mismatched, but , that's quite a huge possibility when it's done to tide over a mid life crisis scenario.
I see the write up in 2 parts, one talking about the errors in judgement and the second talking about what the bike could have done better or what Harley could have done better for the bike. Am not linking the two as I really don't think they are, but that's my opinion completely..
cheers.

[antz.bin]

I went through the review and have understood just one thing from it. You went ahead and bought something you neither needed nor understood properly.

After a 15 year hiatus, you jumped from a 94cc (~7.5bhp) moped to a heavy 749cc (~50bhp) cruiser and nothing in the world could have pre-warned you against the perils of doing such a thing.

The 2 bikes are vastly different in terms of riding dynamics and handling and experience on the former cannot and will not prepare you for the latter. That is the reason why EU has differential licensing for bikes of specific displacements. Given your age, maturity and general experience in life, you had the sense to not cause danger of life to you or to others around you but maturity and sense can only take you so far. What you need is an upgrade of skills.

Equating this with the car world, you made a jump of roughly 7 times in terms of power & torque when you upgraded from Splendor to HD Street 750. That's like jumping from a WagonR to a Bentley in car terms. If you don't respect that kind of power with upgraded skills, it will definitely bite your head off.

Anyways coming back to the review, it is understandable that you didn't like what you got into and so you couldn't really appreciate what it did offer (as opposed to what it didn't). If you still wish to salvage the situation and not write off the 6 lac that you have spent on the bike (apart from roughly 50-70k that you should have probably spent on riding gear, helmets and stuff), I recommend that you join a riding school. There are 2 options here in India, one being the recently concluded California Superbike School and there is another one backed by TVS. These schools will give you the knowledge & skills you will need to better understand and enjoy what you have already bought.

Since these schools are not happening all year round, in the meantime, you could catch up with some of my buddies in Pune who can guide and mentor you into better enjoying your prized possession. Take it to a few rides in and around Pune (Amby Valley / Mahabaleshwar; Avoid Lavasa for your first ride) and try to understand it better.

* New engines heat up more than the ones which are properly run-in.
* Brand new brake pads need some time to break-in before they start working at full potential.
* Try using the front brake more, give it at least 50% preference and you will find that the rear no longer fishtails under braking. (Most ~100cc bike riders, including me, make this basic mistake when upgrading for the first time.) Even the stickiest of tyres cannot help you if you brake in the wrong way.
* Get the mirror extenders installed, they offer more utility than what they are priced at.

If you absolutely cannot tolerate this further, I would recommend that you get rid of this one and go for something which you will end up enjoying. But before that, you should really get that Activa for running your errands.

A KTM Duke 390 will give you all the features you have been missing in the Harley (sticky imported tyres, fuel gauge, ABS, functional mirrors, excellent handling & stopping power etc.), is reasonably powerful, and will help you have fun for a change. It will be rubbish for running errands, but that is what the Activa is for, isn't it?

Please ignore this post if you don't need help but I couldn't stop myself from helping out a fellow biker in distress.

Cheers and Ride Safe!

[Sunrock]

Iam really sorry to say, but you seem to be making a mistake.

1. Biking is about the hair in the wind feeling, especially the bigger bikes. A BMW S1000RR/Indian Chief is utter nonsense for India if you consider practicality and utility.
2. Buying a bike is always a heart decision, if you considered the mind none will go past an activa or a splendor.
3. If you had bought a Bullet you would have been 10x cross than you are now, based on your expectations
4. You cannot buy a mahindra thar and expect it to offer the finess and practicality of a hyundai creta. one is a lifestyle vehicle ( read expensive, low quality, lots of niggles, higher maintenance, stupid ASS, BUT LOADS OF FUN) the other is a practical city vehicle ( Quality, reliability, drive-ability, But just another boring SUV)

The only advise i would give buyers is, research well, get your priorities straight and know what you are getting into. This helps save a lot of stress and our hard earned money.

[NiInJa]

Thanks for posting your views, its an honest opinion for sure ! In fact, if you are the bald guy, I've seen you riding the street750 on the streets of downtown Pune (If you don't wear a helmet sometimes ? )
Anyway, I think as a bike owner you are thinking too much (or maybe its the 15 year hiatus) ! Bikes are like women, they come with their personalities and behaviours, we just have to adjust to their quirks. I own a Yamaha R15 and frankly I find the bike too tiring to ride in city and yes it gets real hot in stop-and-go traffic, there are some constant niggles like the handlebar play, brakes fading faster, poor headlights, meek horn etc. I think of selling off the bike a numerous times but there are other things that just don't let me do it. I am 29 so maybe I'm thinking some other way, but I like to be the one getting out of traffic quickly, I like hitting the rpm limiter without worrying much about the engine, I like her sound, I like to arrive late at a place so people admire her, kids in our society like my bike so do the girls in my office, just the other day I was standing at a signal when two girls pulled up next to me, I overheard the rider telling her pillion 'Ye bike dekh na kitni mast hai'

So to summarize, know her weakness and play safe and try to enjoy her strengths and you will be more than happy !