Posted on 03/10/2017 3:25:55 AM PST by BraveMan
The mid-weight naked motorcycle craze is alive and strong in America. Yamaha has its FZ-07. Kawasaki its Z650. Others have updated previous mid-weights due to this craze, such as Ducati with its Monster 797 and Triumph its Street Triple 675.
Harley-Davidson wants a bigger piece of this market. It’s answer? The 2017 Harley-Davidson Street Rod, which is the third member of the Street family that includes the base 750 and 500.
This Street Rod offers more aggressive styling, and claimed improved handling over the Street 750. The engine’s design was borrowed from XG750 flat track platform, and makes a claimed 18-percent more than the base Street 750, bringing it to around 70 base horsepower.
“The Street Rod will put the thrill in any urban commute,” said Mathew Weber, Harley-Davidson Chief Engineer for the Street Rod. “We’ve paired the potent new High Output Revolution X 750 engine with a revised chassis and up-rated suspension components to make the Street Rod quick, light-handling and easy to ride.”
We’re heading to Daytona Bike Week to ride the new Street Rod, but for now, here are the Ultimate Motorcycling Fast Facts.
(Excerpt) Read more at ultimatemotorcycling.com ...
Care to translate?
Because we could have built you one for a third of the price?
:D
Many of us returning Viet Nam vets bought motorcycles when we returned home to SE PA. One kid had a brand new Kawaski 750 Triple and let me ride it one summer morning. I’ve only been scared on two bikes and this was the hairiest. The other was a Norton 750 Golden Commando.
Ouchiewawa. That’ gonna leave a mark.
I did the same thing; traded my H1 for a friend’s H2 for about an hour one day. I thought my 500 was a monster. Compared to the 750 it was like a Vespa. That 750 would break the rear tire loose in 4th gear when you hit the powerband. When I gave it back I was literally speechless.
From the looks of it, the brakes are really good. Twin disks with lots of swept area.
EPA regs have pretty much forced HD to go water cooled. Personally, I prefer water/air cooling to just air. Traded in a Street Glide for a Goldwing because I was spending lots of time in traffic. 100°+ on a HD in Texas sitting in traffic is no fun. Liquid cooling will make the engines last longer from what I understand.
Interesting. My local dealer is so friendly it makes you wonder about that whole 'stereotypical Harley customer' thing. I look nothing like a biker dude. When I bought a Sportster there several years ago, it was one of the best retail experiences I've ever had. No pressure, and no attempt to up-sell. Made me feel like family.
A friend of mine has a Rocket III. OMG. Seems like there is enough power there to push an aircraft carrier. The bike is aptly named.
If you look at the responses I got, it seems my HD experience was not unique. You may be the exception.
I hear they’re starting to build Harleys in China. Probably better quality...
I’m sure it depends a lot on the management. My local HD dealer is a good Christian man whom I’ve gotten to know pretty well. Leadership is everything.
Yup—concur.
That is a nice looking bike.
A buddy had a Ducati Elephant for exactly the same reason.
The wild thing was he brought it to a riding class (Reg Pridmore’s CLASS) at Heartland Park, and he out-rode a lot of guys on Japanese sport bikes with the 900cc DP twin!
Mark
WANT!!!
I’ve always wanted an XR-750, but they’re REAL race bikes, IE you spend more time working on them than riding them. They’re incredibly finicky, and everyone I’ve ever read about trying to put them on the street has been a nightmare. They’re just awful riding on the streets.
OTOH, the guy who built the frames used by many of the winningest Grand National bikes for top riders, including the factory HD team, former AMA champion Mert Lawill did try building one. Mert was building a street version, the Street Tracker, with a stock Sportster bottom end, and his custom heads, retaining the dual right side carbs and left side high exhaust. I believe he sold every one he built before they were even finished (about 30 bikes in total.)
Last I heard he had gotten out of motorcycles, building mountain bikes and prosthetic devices.
Mark
Adding on the additional 2 cylinders made every ride an adventure, every turn an experience! Back then, Kawasaki had a habit of building bikes with the most powerful engines they could shoehorn into the smallest frame possible!
Mark
Pretty!
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