Harley-Davidson worked on our constructive criticism and improved braking performance on the 2016 Street 750 cruiser apart from improving the overall quality levels.
Since the Harley-Davidson Street 750 (and 500 for exports) were being manufactured in India making it all the more affordable, expectations were quite high given the manufacturer’s brand name and heritage. However, the Street 750 emerged as a stark disappointment for us in terms of overall quality, sub-par fit and finish and poor braking performance that were clearly signs of cost cutting. Nevertheless, criticism when constructive is always for the better which the automaker did take in stride and improved its entry-level cruiser. To this we say, thank you Harley for listening!
As we mentioned in our first ride report last year (read HERE), the Harley-Davidson Street 750 did not feel like a Rs. 5 lakh worth bike, which was disappointing for its brilliant V-Twin motor. Our test bike and even customer bikes came with exposed wires, some even without the heat wrap; while poor welding and lack of symmetry was visible around a lot of areas. Then there were the small rearview mirrors providing a restricted view. But the major complaint had been about the brakes sourced from Endurance that didn’t have enough stopping power to bring this 750cc cruiser to a halt at the right time making it extremely unsafe, especially since there was no ABS either.
Based on the feedback received, Harley-Davidson has made extensive changes on the 2016 Street 750 improving the cruiser by a healthy margin. The updated Street gets wires concealed at most places (still exposed at some though), the horn is shifted inside and the rear-view mirrors are now wider for better visibility. The most significant change though is the bigger front and rear disc brakes and callipers for effective braking performance. The brake setup now comes from Brembo and has improved dramatically over the predecessor.
In addition, the 2016 Harley-Davidson Street 750 also gets a new brake master cylinder with the location changed, rubber added over the clutch lever, oil gauge on the instrument console (still no DTE) and a Rs. 20,000/- hike in prices. That said, the price rise is easier to live with when compared to the poor braking power evident on previous models. In terms of power, the Street 750 continues to use a 749cc liquid-cooled (a first for Harley after the V-Rod), V-Twin engine producing 59 Nm of torque, paired to a 6-speed gearbox. The MRF tyres continue to do duty as well (Michelin for exports) while ABS is still missing on the Indian model.
(L: 2014 Street 750 brakes) The improved brakes on the 2016 Street 750 compliment the bike’s power
