Lady Rider on the Harley-Davidson Street 750

For those who know me, I love being adventurous and part of this journey began with learning how to ride a motorcycle. It wasn't long before I had my first fall but come to think of it, falling was fun and part of the learning process with the proper protection of course. When the team told me that they wanted my thoughts on the Harley-Davidson Street 750, each passing hour felt like eternity.

Being petite and standing 5.3”, many questioned my judgement. Harley-Davidson, a name that itself is intimidating. However, those who own a bike would agree with me when I say, that when you put your trust in a bike, it will not fail you, and this is exactly what the Street 750 did for me.

The Street 750, is definitely smaller and lighter as compared to the other lineups, but do not let that fool you, she is at the end of the day an extremely powerful machine. And this is an added advantage on the busy streets of a city that never sleeps.

Even though she did not get as many reactions from the bystanders as one is accustomed to while riding a “Harley”, but it has been able to make its mark in the premium motorcycle market. The Street 750 I rode came with a color shop limited classic two-tone paint scheme, a sissy bar upright with luggage and backrest pad, edge cut collection controls and mirrors, 17” front and 15” rear cut back black typhoon custom wheels, a gloss black engine guard, a center stand, Screamin’ Eagle Performance Air Cleaner Kit and nightstick 2-INTO-1 Slip-on muffler. 

The narrow & lean chassis along with the low and comfortable seat was able to inspire the much needed confidence in me, with my feet easily reaching the ground. 

The experience

Most rely under the notion that a Harley has to be ridden hard, loud and to be spotted from a mile with a stereotypical look of being big and bulky. This however, was softer in its approach and more compact in its look. Something I could easily see myself ride.

Although, being a heavier bike as compared to what I am used to, handling it was fairly easier than what I anticipated, and I felt most certainly in control, which in my opinion is definitely crucial to any rider, man or woman. 

The Ride

Earlier I was never into engine output and performance and stuff like that. But when you start riding a motorcycle, somehow you start juggling with these figures. Harley seldom, if ever, release true (or untrue) bhp power figures in the performance column. However, they seldom, if ever, miss out on the torque figures. And I experienced the reason why: with around 60Nm of Torque, it is possible to make overtaking maneuvers as easy as having a pie. At moments like these I still wonder why I still possess a car!

Some sites showed up with power figures of around 60Bhp. It may not sound like a lot. But to me, it was more than enough as I could attain comfortable figures of 100Kmph in a matter of seconds, which for me is really fast for urban and semi urban city riding that this machine has been designed for.

The bike goes fast, yes. But with my experience in riding motorcycles, which is not as much as some of the stalwarts out there, I do feel that the brakes lack bite. I daresay that the Pulsars have better braking.

Handling the Street 750 was child’s play. As I said earlier, I am kind of petite and I weigh in at under 50 kilos, I thought that managing the Harley would be tough and I would struggle. On the contrary, handling the Street 750 was far easier than I could have imagined. Getting it in and out of the parking lot does require a little bit of practice. Ten minutes a day and you are good to go. And once you are out rolling on the streets, it rides easy, handles beautifully between traffic and takes corners with an ease that you would not be expecting.

Switch-gear

For the price that you are paying for this bike, it is borderline palatable. However, I would like to put in some money and redo the entire switch gear section. They look cheap and tacky. I want them to look as good as the bike and should perform as good too. I hope Harley, or any third party manufacturer has good switch gear available to replace the stuff that they have on the Street750.

Conclusion

Without getting into the technicalities of bore and stroke and ignition timings or cons of this beauty, the Street 750, in my opinion has lived up to its promise of being a small, easy to maneuver, yet powerful bike built for the busy “streets”. You want a bike that works for you, and this is one that most certainly worked for me. And as the title suggests, we are breaking stereotypes here. We are going beyond structured boundaries. I do not need big muscles and broad shoulders to ride a fast Harley. The Street 750 cuts it for me and I will be right up there before you realize it!

Text: Ria

Photographs by Sajal 

Harley-Davidson Street 750 Photo Gallery