Harley-Davidson Street Rod in the driving report

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Harley-Davidson Street Rod in the driving report

Fresh from India

The new Harley-Davidson Street Rod, together with the weaker Street 750, is the only Harley with a 60-degree V2, water-cooled cylinders and overhead camshafts. We drove them.

The region around the picturesque town of Ronda in Andalusia with its famous gorge offers a true Eldorado for curves. Under the southern Spanish sun, you will feel dizzy here, screwing yourself up from sea level to 725 meters in a short time. No wonder that many motorcycle manufacturers like to present new models here. The choice of the Ronda lap is a statement: "Our vehicle can do something!" Hundreds of corners are all about bending and straightening, accelerating and braking. The right area for them Harley-davidson street rod? Curve dancing instead of poses in front of the cafe or cruising over endless highways?

Harley-Davidson Street Rod in the driving report

Fresh from India

No real Harleys at all?

Well, for some fans the Street 750, which has been built 35,000 times in India since 2014, wasn’t a real Harley at all. Hey folks, wake up: KTM and BMW also manufacture in India, Triumph in Thailand. And the US company is proud of its self-managed work on the subcontinent, sorry, Mister Trump. Even the V-Rod types, which were no longer produced in October 2016, with the last 1,247 cubic meters, initially encountered reservations from 2002. But are now cult. Like these, the Harley-Davidson Street 750 and Harley-Davidson Street Rod models, which are completely assembled in India, have a water-cooled 60-degree V2. In the sportsman version, it pushes 71 hp and 65 Newton meters.

Video of the driving report of the Harley-Davidson Street Rod

20 percent performance plus

Rod alert: This is a 20 percent increase in performance and ten percent more torque than the sister Street 750. Apparently, “Rod” in the model name means a legacy. In addition, the Harley-Davidson Street Rod handles more top performance than all Sportster models: the 883s can be good at 53 hp, the 1,200 with a maximum of 68 hp. Of course, their V2 engines have more torque, but they are also heavier and longer geared.

Enough punch for uphill sections

The new "XG 750 A" contrasts the archaic cold-blooded character of larger Harleys, like the blissful V-Rod once did with speeds of up to 9,000 turns. Yes, the ohc short-stroke engine with eight valves has something that the bumper engines lack: a feeling of lightness and liveliness when turning up and down. The V2 of the Harley-Davidson Street Rod looks lively, spoiled with a wide range of speeds. It runs smoothly in the basement, is elastic. Pampered between 4,000 and 5,000 tours with a strong center, turns freely into the limiter. That wup. There is always enough punch for uphill sections.

Clutch and brake levers not adjustable

Well, a three-quarter liter displacement is also something! The modified engine hangs fine and directly on the gas. Double throttle valves on the Street Rod and all other modifications (air filter, camshafts, exhaust) on the "High Output Revolution X" are having an effect. Despite the highest compression of all Harley engines, the braking torque when releasing the accelerator is not very high. The V2 pleases as a good country road engine. Only in the second half of the speed does it vibrate noticeably, but never in a disruptive manner. The balancer shaft seems to be working well. According to the small rev counter in the central round speedometer, the speed of 100 is based on a moderate 3,750 revolutions in sixth gear. You only have to shift down to fifth for brisk overtaking maneuvers. The transmission works quite inconspicuously, only the idle search at traffic lights is quite difficult. The cable clutch should be easier to dose when starting up. Neither the clutch nor the brake levers on the Harley-Davidson Street Rod are adjustable.

4.3 liters per 100 kilometers

When walking while standing, waste heat from the rear cylinder of this “combustion engine” grills the thighs, especially the left: hot rod! The Harley-Davidson Street Rod sounds absolutely official, robust and dull. This is really not a whispering sound … In longer rolling phases (pushing operation) the V2 snorts heartily from the black lacquered, shortened silencer. The stainless steel elbows and large catalytic converter are thickly veneered. Euro 4 sends its regards. Praiseworthy: Harley-Davidson specifies the standard consumption with a modest 4.3 liters per 100 kilometers. As is typical of the brand, it is low-maintenance and easy to care for, and a toothed belt drives the rear wheel. The seating position appears strangely indecisive the first time you get on. To the Street 750 a little further back, “amidships” placed footrests with the straight, almost uncranked drag bar handlebars result in an upright sitting position. Even with small drivers, the knees are more likely to be above the teardrop-shaped tank with a capacity of 13.2 liters. Fortunately, you get used to it quickly. The 76.5 centimeter high bench comfortably embeds the bottom. Suboptimal are quite high and forward pillion pegs as well as the mini bun on the chopped rear.

Wide handlebars help with the steering impulse

In the curve carousel and Winkelwerk, the 238 kilogram (light?) US bike awakens the desire to move. The Harley-Davidson Street Rod sails actively through the curves. The driving behavior of the new roadster is boosted by the 43 mm upside-down fork, as well as suspension struts with reservoirs and playful orange springs on the extended swing arm. Much more modern than the sister Street 750. The new suspension elements absorb uneven road surfaces quite comfortably and are not underdamped. All chassis parameters point towards better handling: steering head steeper, caster and wheelbase shorter. True to the line, the seven-five sticks through the curves. And at the end of the short straight it folds down quite easily in an inclined position. The wide handlebars also help with steering impulses or with necessary course corrections. The larger 17-inch rear tire and the longer struts increase the ground clearance compared to the Street 750 from just under 15 to over 20 centimeters. That is much! There is around 37 degrees of lean angle on the right and 40 degrees on the left. Then the fear nipples of the rather high aluminum footrests scrape across the asphalt.

Available from 8,465 euros

Michelin Scorcher "21" specially modified for the Street Rod roll off nicely round to the edge of the tire. Hey there, something’s going. Unfortunately, the Michelins offer poor feedback, extremely little feeling for the interlinking with the road. And on top of that, limited liability was driven cold and warm. So sudden slides are inevitable. Was mileage more important than grip here? It’s a shame, because the hot rod does encourage brisk driving, more than any Sportster. After all, common tire formats 120/70 R 17 and 160/60 R 17 enable better-adhering alternatives. The forward thrust is stopped by three double-piston floating calipers at the front and rear. They cock on discs, each measuring 300 millimeters, screwed directly onto the hub. When it comes to hardware, Harley has now arrived in the 90s. Delay and controllability are on average, the lever free travel to activate the double disc at the front is quite long. These are still not top stoppers, but a huge step forward compared to the first Street 750 with disastrous brakes three years ago. Especially since an apparently sensitive ABS is on board today. The Street Rod in gray and attractive “Olive Gold” costs 8,735 euros, all inclusive. For “Vivid Black” (black), 8,465 euros are due.

Some nice details on board

The bottom line is that there are some nice details such as LED turn signals, painted lamp masks, immobilizer with alarm system and hip, but somewhat impractical handlebar end mirrors in city traffic. What remains are uneven ridges on the front of the tank, poor quality screw heads and clumsy XXXL nuts on the swing arm and rear wheel axle – optimized for Indian village blacksmiths? Almost 1,000 euros more than the Street 750 seem absolutely appropriate for noticeable tuning of the engine, chassis and brakes. Less dynamic 883 Sportster already cost over 10,000 euros. Ultimately, the Harley-Davidson Street Rod drives quite stimulating. In any case, it’s hot enough.

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