The Harley Davidson Street 750’s most obvious virtue—affordability— has brought appreciation and prejudice in equal measure. A sub five-lakh Harley Davidson, said the naysayers, is bound to be a half-baked compromise, and not a ‘real Harley.’ This writer is not going to delve into that discussion. The Street 750 deserves to be judged without historical baggage simply because its proposition—a quick, fun, and easy-to-ride runabout—is unique in Harley’s current range. At its core, the Street’s ground up- new ‘Revolution X,’ 750cc twin-cylinder liquid-cooled motor, delivers (and how!)—whether its drag racing from red lights, cruising at speeds north of 100 kmph or ambling along sedately in traffic snarls.

It looks pretty good too: with the blacked-out body parts, alloys and sleek fender. If, like this writer, you don’t think much of the headlight cowl then that can easily be removed and replaced. For that matter, the Street really goes to the heart of the Harley Davidson philosophy: buy one and then customize anything from handgrips, foot pegs, handlebars, seats, fuel tanks and fenders. Even if you decide to stick with the stock bike, it’s good to know that if you do tire of the way the bike looks, then there’s no end to what you can do to change that. This is by far the nimblest H-D in the line-up—the kind of bike you can take to the gym after work—but outfit it with panniers and it should feel right at home on the highways as well. The smaller dimensions which make it ideal for city traffic also make it an excellent proposition for women riders.

There’s actually a lot you can do on the Street that you really can’t on most Harleys: drive for a long time in start-stop traffic without feeling the engine heat. It’s also got a supremely pliable suspension and seat that isn’t, literally a pain in the butt. And with some aftermarket frames you can easily haul some luggage and do long distance to speeds in excess of 150 kmph which is faster than what you’d do on its bigger cousins.

If all of that means it is not a ‘real Harley,’ then you’ll be pretty thankful it isn’t. The fact that it is, is pretty much a bonus—especially if brand and sticker value are important to you. The fact that it’s the first brand new motorcycle that the American motorcycle marque has introduced in 14 years, the Street actually manages to live up to the hype. Unlike more traditional Harleys its broad appeal promises to make performance motorcycling accessible to a much wider audience. And that price—Rs.4.32 lakh onwards—really does seal the deal.

The author is web editor at Outlook Traveller

meraj@outlookindia.com