Manufacturer Harley-Davidson Class Cruiser | Production 2014–present | |
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Assembly Kansas City, Missouri, USA (US, Canada and Mexico)
Bawal, India (rest of world) Engine 60° SOHC, water-cooled V-twin with balance shaft
Street 750:749 cc (45.7 cu in)
Street 500: 494 cc (30.1 cu in) Bore / stroke Street 750: 3.35 in × 2.60 in (85.0 mm × 66.0 mm)
Street 500: 2.72 in × 2.60 in (69.0 mm × 66.0 mm) | ||
The Harley-Davidson Street motorcycle series was announced by Harley-Davidson at the 2013 EICMA show in Milan for 2014 introduction. It will comprise Harley's first all-new models in 13 years, and Harley's first lightweight motorcycle since the 1974 Sprint. The 750 is powered by a 749 cc displacement version of Harley's 60° SOHC V-twin, water-cooled Revolution engine dubbed the Revolution X. The Street 500 has a 494 cc narrower-bore but otherwise identical engine. Production for sale in the United States and Canada is done at Harley's Kansas City facility; production for the rest of the world, including engines, is done at the Harley-Davidson India subsidiary in Bawal with indigenous components. The Street series are positioned as Harley's entry-level models, with a price point that is the lowest for Harley's US lineup by over $1,200.
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Harley-Davidson Street Rod
For 2017 Harley has released the Street Rod based on the 750 Street model. The new model has new features such as higher output Revolution X engine 68.4 hp (51.0 kW) @ 8,750 rpm and 47.2 lb·ft (64.0 N·m) @ 4,000 rpm, 43 mm inverted front forks and piggyback reservoir rear shocks, drag style bars and 17 inch wheels. The new model came about from feedback from the market that wanted a sporty standard and is meant to compete with bikes like the Yamaha FZ-07 and FZ-09.
Riders Edge program
The Street 500 replaced the Buell Blast in Harley-Davidson's rider training program.
Reactions
Speculation about Harley "outsourcing" production of 500 and 750 cc models (called small-displacement in US press) to India began at least as early as 2011, along with harsh criticism that by not offering smaller bikes there, Harley "doesn't understand emerging markets".
The New York Times also opined that Harley's move towards medium-displacement echoed that of other manufacturers for the developing world.
Strong growth of the Indian market led an American commentator to call this "The most important new Harley-Davidson in living memory", and another to predict more bidirectional interaction between American and Indian manufacturers and consumers, naming the Harley Street along with other Indian-made or Indian-owned marques like Hero MotoCorp, KTM, and BMW: