2017 Harley-Davidson Street 750 ABS review, test ride

The Harley-Davidson Street 750 is the company’s first new motorcycle platform since the V-Rod from 13 years ago. While the initial batches of the bike were marred by braking issues, an upgrade that followed fixed this issue to a large extent, but the bike still lacked ABS (anti-lock brakes), until now that is.

Significant upgrades in the 2017 model line-up for Harley-Davidson include the new Street 750 that has been upgraded with ABS and a two-tone paint job. This improves the Street 750 one area that it was lacking and what often resulted in scary braking. I remember a ride earlier this year in the old Street 750 on the hill road, up from Phuentsholing to Thimpu in Bhutan. A sudden surprise of cattle and loose gravel on the road resulted in some panic braking by me causing the rear brake to lock up, and that threw the bike into a scary straightline skid that had me fishtailing ominously towards the edge of the road. With the new Street, such trespasses are forgiven as the ABS bites hard but with compassion around corners, so that everything is on the safe side of physics.

Apart from the addition of ABS and a new paint scheme, the bike pretty much remains the same. Powering the bike is the Revolution X 60-degree V-twin motor that displaces 749cc, and is good for 59Nm of torque that comes in at 3,750rpm. Harley doesn't disclose power figures as a rule, but the Street feels good for an estimated 55-60hp. This power is transferred to the rear wheel through a typical Harley-Davidson style belt drive. This translates into a nice, easy-flowing power delivery on the road, with performance feeling rapid for a cruiser bike with these proportions.

At 233kg, the Street 750 is hardly what you might call a light bike. Still, it feels quite manageable even through tight urban conditions. At the same time, it offers pretty good ride quality as well. The Street 750 is equipped with MRF tyres that were designed specifically for the bike, which offer a fair amount of grip in most conditions. In fact, out of all the current Harley-Davidson line up, the Street 750 feels like the most nimble-handling machine and is happier around corners than any of the others.

With a starting price of Rs 4.91 lakh for the all-black model, going up to Rs 5.18 lakh (both ex-showroom, Delhi) for the two-tone, the Street 750 offers the same great value today that it did when it was first launched back in 2014. And now with ABS, it gets the much needed safety that was missing from the previous bike. If you were in the market for a mid-capacity cruiser motorcycle, now is the perfect time to consider the Harley-Davidson Street 750.

Rishad Saam Mehta