2017 Harley-Davidson Street Rod First Look Review

Responding to the rising demand for street bikes like the Ducati Scrambler, Harley-Davidson recently revived the Street Rod moniker. While the original bike was based on the radical V-Rod, the 2017 Street Rod is a spin-off of the company’s entry-level offering – the Street 750. Launched in India at Rs 5.86 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), the 2017 Street Rod is the latest addition to the company’s Dark Custom line-up.

While the motorcycle is still easily identifiable as a Street model, it gets several cosmetic changes to give it sinister undertones. This type of styling gives the Street Rod the aura of a custom build, rather than a factory-produced motorcycle. Drawing cues from XG750R American Flat Track race machine, the Street Rod aims to offer the appeal of a race bike in a versatile and user-friendly street bike.

The headlamp flyscreen is taller, tail section is stubby and the flat drag-inspired handlebar with bar-end mirrors give the Street Rod an aggressive look. The new handlebar and revised seat have lent the bike a new riding stance, with the rider sitting ahead with a slight front-lean. Even the paint schemes beautifully complement the blacked out engine, exhaust and wheels. It also gets LED tail lamp and turn indicators. 

Harley-Davidson wanted the Street Rod to not only look the part, but also offer an exciting performance for the urban environment. As such, the aggressive looks of the Street Rod is backed by a ‘High Output’ Revolution X engine. While this engine shares the bore, stroke and displacement with the Street 750 engine, upgrades like a larger air box, a new throttle body, revised cylinder heads with high-lift camshafts and a higher-volume exhaust canister have improved its performance. The compression ratio has been raised, translating into 18 per cent more power at 70bhp and 8 per cent more torque at 64Nm. The engine is mated to a six-speed gearbox, which transmits power through a belt drive system.

The suspension and braking hardware have also been upgraded to suit the Street Rod’s character. It now rides on beefy 43mm inverted front forks and gas-charged rear suspension. The travel for suspension has also been raised resulting in better ground clearance. This has helped improve the cornering clearance of the bike. It also gets a longer swingarm to accommodate the larger 17-inch wheels. Stopping power has been upgraded with dual 300mm front disc brakes, with ABS being offered as standard. 

The Harley-Davidson Street Rod is available in three paint schemes – black, olive gold and matte grey. True to Harley-Davidson tradition, customers can customise the Street Rod with a host of optional accessories. Dealers have started accepting bookings for the Street Rod for a token of Rs 15,000, though deliveries are expected to commence only in the last week of April. Apart from the Scrambler, the Street Rod will face competition from the likes of the Triumph Street Twin, Benelli TNT 600i and the upcoming Kawasaki Z650.