2017 HARLEY-DAVIDSON 750 STREET ROD
FULL TEST
P116
with its Street 500 sister has
since become a global success
in spite of initial fit and finish
issues that have since been
resolved as production ramped
up at the Haryana plant. So, for
example, the Street duo helped
propel Harley to the top of the
outright sales charts in Australia
in 2016, when the American
brand sold 10,282 roadbikes
compared to Honda's 9651
units, and the Street 500 was
the country's best-selling model.
Adding the Street Rod to the
lineup was a smart move, even
if the upgrades to the platform
have entailed much more than a
light makeover.
So the Street's Euro 4 com-
formance potential of this engine
design, it's worth noting that it
also powers the XG750R, the
bike of choice for the Harley-Da-
vidson factory race team. Power
in this guise is unspecified as
yet, but by common consensus
it now takes 95-100 rear-wheel
bhp to run up front in U.S.
Flat Track Championship rac-
ing, probably delivered around
10,000 rpm (although Harley
isn't saying). But this gives an
idea of the potential of the Street
Rod's powerplant.
That improved performance
for the Street Rod over the
Street has been achieved via
higher-lift cams and new pistons
This is a very
surprising
motorcycle—
it's not
perfect, but
it's a lot of fun
to ride!
THAT SMOOTH,
FLUID POWER
DELIVERY
ONCE ON
THE MOVE,
AND THE
FLAT TORQUE
CURVE
MEAN IT'S A
MOTORCYCLE
YOU CAN RIDE
INTUITIVELY.
pliant liquid-cooled wet sump
749cc 60º V-twin Revolution X
engine measuring a healthily
oversquare 85 x 66mm bore
and stroke, with a single chain-
driven overhead cam operating
the four-valves-per-cylinder via
mechanical lifters and forked
rocker arms, has now been
comprehensively re-tuned to
produce 68 bhp at 8750 rpm,
and 65Nm/47.9 ft-lb of torque
at 4000 rpm, representing 20%
more peak horsepower and
a 10% improvement in torque
across the rev range versus the
Street in similar Euro 4 guise
(18% and 8% respectively in the
USA's EPA-approved mode).
Moreover, to underline the per-
