With the international motorcycle press gathering in Europe and India this week for the riding launch of the all-new Street 750, The Motor Company’s global entry-level V-twin cruiser, it appeared that those of us in the US were going to be left out in the cold. But justice was served in the 11th hour when Harley quickly arranged a press ride for us right in our own backyard. We were given three hours of seat time aboard a pair of pre-production bikes that had been assembled at Milwaukee’s Product Development Center.
At 7:30 a.m., I rendezvoused with the designated “photo” bike for a few laps around the City of Orange’s central traffic circle. Yards out of the parking stall, I noticed that the Street 750’s head bearings were over-torqued, which made for some cumbersome low-speed handling. This would have been an easy fix if tools had been on hand, but I point this out purely as a point to consider if you read elsewhere that the Street’s steering felt suspect.
Photo session completed, I climbed aboard the second Street 750 for a two-hour unescorted jaunt. While I could have traced the suggested route through the local canyons, I had a more street-centric plan in mind.
I’m pleased to report that this other Street 750 exhibited more neutral steering characteristics than the first. Generous steering lock and a low center of gravity give the Street a sense of parking lot agility that would make it a natural for negotiating the dreaded DMV test course.
I was equally impressed with its freeway manners. The new Harley felt smooth at 70 mph during the 20-minute run back to CW headquarters where I rolled the 503-pound fully fueled Street onto our scale and measured a seat height of 28.2 inches.
H-D Street 750 on the CW Dynojet dyno:
Learn more: Dyno Files: 2015 Harley-Davidson Street 750
Then I strapped the Street 750 onto our Dynojet dyno for what may very well be the first dyno pulls of this new Harley in media hands. In typical H-D fashion, the Street has no tachometer. The dyno, however, reveals that 70 mph in sixth gear equates to 4,500 rpm, which means there’s an additional 3,500 rpm in reserve before the soft limiter cuts in.
While 58 peak horsepower resides at the very upper end of the rev range, there's a flat and generous plateau of torque that stays above 40 pound-feet across nearly 4,000 rpm through the meat of the range. Although the bottom-end-tuned Iron 883 and Star Bolt both produce upward of 10 additional pound-feet of torque down low, they each come up about 10 short in peak horsepower when compared to the higher revving Street, which has chain-driven single overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder.
Honda's much-heralded NC700X is a dead heat in power and torque, but the NC signs off early, at 6,500 rpm. On the more sporting side of the spectrum, Ducati's entry-level Monster 696 produces 65 horsepower and 44 pound-feet of torque. All told, the liquid-cooled 60-degree Revolution X V-twin is very competitive at this price point.
Using our VBox data logger, we measured the Street 750's acceleration and braking. It's quick. The Street hits 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, and streaks though the quarter-mile in an impressive 13.69 seconds at 93.8 mph. The Star Bolt, for the record, does the quarter in 13.78 sec. at 93.5 mph, whereas Honda's NC700X clocks in at 13.86/94.2.
But how does the Street compare with the 883 Iron? The Street squashes that Sportster, which has a best pass of 14.53/90.8 mph. While the Street 750’s results were not gathered at the same test venue under common climatic conditions, it’s safe to say the new Street has performance that’s at least on a par with its peers.
Stopping performance, however, may be a different matter. Hard stops from speed require a full-fisted squeeze at the lever along with maximum use of the rear brake. Feel at the lever becomes increasingly spongy as heat builds in the single-disc setup, which has a twin-piston, pin-slide caliper.
Our brake tests for the new Street produced a stopping distance of 152 feet from 60 mph. The addition of a 125-pound passenger stretched that number to 170 feet. Further adjustment to pad compound is still in the works, says Harley, before delivery to US dealerships begins in June.
Although my passenger felt a bit cramped, the new Street 750, along with its 500cc sibling, represents a shot sure to be heard around the world. These bikes represent the largest global push in Harley-Davidson's long history, and the 750 delivers with spirited roll-on performance, a muted exhaust, low mechanical noise, and confidence-inspiring handling.
What’s more, with a price of $7,499, plus a compact and easy to master feel, Harley’s new Street 750 clearly has what it takes to expose this storied American brand to the younger masses.