These 2 models represent an agressive move, but one that many in the industry, including myself, were expecting.
These last years, it became increasingly clear that future motorcycle sales growth will not come from the big, heavy and expensive motorcycles, but from smaller ones to expand the domestic market before the baby boomers are gone, and from tapping the booming emerging markets. Offering a smaller, lighter, lower, more manageable and more affordable motorcycle to please smaller riders, youngsters, women is a logical marketing choice that you should applaud if you believe in the future of Harley-Davidson.
The Street should be assembled in Kansas, MO for the US market (where is already assembled the Dyna and Sportster and where are built powertrains for the V-Rod) and also in India for this country and as a hub of exportation to Europe and other emerging markets, especially those located in Southeast Asia. When the Street will hit dealers in selected markets in 2014, the MSRP’s should be $6700 for the 500 model, $7500 for the 750 model. Of importance, Harley-Davidson will be able again to supply motorcycles for its own Riders Edge program, a rider training series for first-time riders requiring a motorcycle not exceeding 500cc. During the Erik Buell association years, Harley was using the 500cc Buell Blast for this purpose.
And now a few more details about the 2 Street new models described by Harley-Davidson as ““Born out of the custom tradition of tearing down a motorcycle to its raw, minimal essence” .
Both bikes are built around an all-new frame in which is cradled a new fuel-injected, liquid-cooled Revolution X motor keeping the pure, deep thumping Harley-Davidson V-Twin engine rumble.. Both motors are attached to a 6-speed transmission. The Street rides 2″ higher than the Sportster 883. The 2 models feature the first all-black in the line-up (since the 70’s) 2 into 1 upswept exhaust. Belt final drive. Total weight is 480 lbs. Seat height is just under 25”. Steel tank and fenders. Cafe style speed screen. All engine covers, pullback handlebars are blacked out. LED taillight and mini-bullet turn signals. 17” front wheel. More details still to come…
I wonder if the current Revolution engine would fit in that bike…
And is this the beginning of the end of the Sportster? I know a lot of guys love Sportsters, but, of all the gals and younger guys who go into an HD showroom today to look at a 9000 dollar Sporty how many do you suppose would choose a 7500 dollar Street instead?
BobS: My bike is an 883, and to answer your question… it makes me wonder. The additional power and drive-ability of the Revo motor are big draws, and the six-cog, too. I’d love to see a Revo-powered, six-speed Sporty. This bike is probably too small for me, especially without forward controls, but it might be perfect for my fiancee, who just took the MSF basic course a few weeks ago and much preferred her Kao 125 to my 883.
No one who wants a Harley is going to look at one of these.
Bring me up to date. Will This be an India Manufactured bike assembled in the USA ?
May the so called Jap crap fowlowers now snicker.
Gee and it even looks like you could ride with the “Sons of Anarchy” !! Wow!
SSDD; David
If the price point is right they going to sell a crap load of them!
Good for Harley!
As a boomer I can see the end of the road or in other words, I’m not going to live forever. Thankfully the motor company is thinking ahead and has started to canvas future customers for when we (the boomers) can no longer ride. Besides, get old enough and lifting a 800 lb bike off the side stand gets pretty strenuous. When gas hits $20/gallon we might also want a putput too.
Good to see Harley is on top of the game!!
Very positive surprised. I think they have nailed the looks and that they will be doing very well with these models. I hope the durability will be top of class, if not, they may fail miserably with the marked segment that they are targeting.
OMG!
So what’s wrong with air cooling? BMW does it, true to its heritage, Triumph, Ducati, Moto Guzzi do it, all true to their heritage. Why on earth give up on 110 years of air cooled heritage, loved by true and real fans all over the world?
Liquid cooling is for cars.
And don’t get me started on the mistakes H-D made when they got the cylinder angle wrong on their V-Rod. A true H-D has a cylinder angle of 45°, that’s the limitation, and the beauty of a long (very long indeed) heritage.
If your engineers can’t make it work (and they can, as we all know) get better ones.
BMW learnt the hard way, that BMW lovers want air cooled flat twins and not liquid cooled 4 bangers mounted the wrong way in the chassis.
A company living off selling its heritage out should know better.
Wilhelm,BMW sells thousands of their hardcore inline four sport bikes.To Germans.
Not sure… looks a bit like a Honda (and not knocking Hondas cos I’ve had a few)
Are we going to get these in England?
BUT if the 750 is lighter, with more power as stock than the current 883 then I’ll give it a go…
and of course it’s THAT badge still on the side of the tank
but I’ll have to change my name on this post!!
@ Terence Tory: Indeed they do. We all know that there are people out there who don’t give a hoot about heritage and all that. H-D however is a company that has nothing but its own (grand, great, proud, mile-long, you name it) heritage to live on.
Will be sold to the US market but made for the Indian and other Asian market. I think mostly made in India.
These bikes are also gonna be used for the Riders Edge training program.
HD are trying to get in on a market they have ignored too long. They have done some good things here, but the whole package is a style disaster. Bikes this size are sporty, and maneuverable and are suited to city as well as highway use.
It looks to me like the HD Old Boys are still afraid to come up with a new look, even with a new bike.
A great opportunity wasted, although the HD wannabee zombies will buy it at the expense of the Sportster.
I’ll stick with my Triumph Scrambler!
Cool styling but a lower price point would make it more viable , my 2 cents.
its not about loosing the air,cooled but gaining the north American metric people who love the water cooled , and had nothing to go to built in America , ,if it works anything like a vrod this could be a small version for the sportster ,with possibly much more drivability than the present 883,
HD came close but missed the boat I fear. As a newer rider looking for a 2nd bike with a bias toward sportier machines I would’ve loved to see a more modern chassis with more power. If there was an American 750 V-twin available with 70 hp in an agile chassis weighing under 450 lbs wet I’d be first in line. I do like the looks though and may test ride one when available.
AX. I think that is kinda the point. This is intended to to EXPAND Harley’s current demographic market. Besides no retired dentists are shopping for 500cc cruisers anyway regardless of what country the engine is made in or what cools it.
I received the announcement from Harley Davidson this AM via e-mail. I did not see THIS coming. As I get a little older and my Road King get’s a little heavier, I’ve given some thought to a trike, side hack, or a sporty maybe. NOW, I’ve got another possible option. The price range is very competitive and the bike looks terrific. I think there is a growing market for an urban commuter bike and these models offer a great opportunity for younger riders to get a nice, not too expensive option to begin their riding experience. It may also be a way to keep some of us “older” (ancient) riders going a few more years without having to resort to expensive trikes….Hopefully, I will not be in the market for a few more years but will be considering one of these models when I get to that point in time. Thanks Harley Davidson for providing a new line of bikes that expands your target markets to include a range of people.
This is a great step forward for the company and I can’t wait to see if the market latches on. there will always be a place for the classic air cooled V-twins we love, no doubtedly a market. but…. those of you complaining that H-D stagnates …what do you think they are doing here? This is a Excellent way to get people in the doors to buy something American (the ones built here…sell here) at these prices too… holy cow what a great way to get folks in the door. the market they are targeting isn’t caught up in “heritage” they want a good reliable bike, this market also has groaned about not having something made in the states to choose from. now they do…. Did Harley Make a good choice. Yes.
Indian’s don’t need water cooling … just sayn’ 🙂
Will be interesting to see how this plays out when Indian’s Scout releases next year. No doubt, it will be air cooled only.
In my humble opinion, H-Ds most valuable brand assets are as follows:
1) The Bar&Shield badge
2) The cylinder angle (45°)
3) Male and female connection rods
4) Pushrods
5) Air cooled engines
6) The V-twin.
With this new bike H-D has given up on all but two of these, namely the Bar&Shield and the V-twin.
Not much left to lose, folks.
Wilhelm:”In my humble opinion” .I doubt your opinion is actually worth much.There is quite a bit of a difference between opinion,dreams and reality.
Well your finely getting the idea . You should have stayed with air cooled if I want a mid size water cooled I will buy a rice burner . Hope Indian doesn’t blow it .
Why is a 45 degree angle an asset?
Wilhelm – in 2003 HD celebrated 100 years. An amazing feat worth celebrating.
What type of engine did they build in 1903?
What type of engine did they build in the early 40s in an attempt to win a large & potentially lucrative govt contract?
There’s more to HD than you are suggesting.
One way to look at these small bikes is to further fund the manufacture of the big air cooled twins.
Water cooled, metric and made in China or India. And to think you Harley boys laughed at my made in Japan Honda Fury……….. I’m laughing now. What was that saying about he who laughs last…….
@BobS: Why is a 45 degree angle an asset? Why is an air cooled flat twin an asset? Why is a longitudinally mounted V-Twin an asset? Because H-D own it, having practically from day one done nothing else. Of course, you own it only as long as you use it.
It is an asset because buyers can buy into the history of a company by knowing, that this or that particular construction detail has been there for a very long time. Mind you, not every buyer needs knowledge such as that, and that is probably the gamble H-D is taking here, but there you are.
@Drive the Wheels off: Oh, come on, they copied a flat twin BMW. 🙂
@Terence Tory: Thanks for reminding me that I plain forgot the Made in the U.S aspect. There goes another one …
Wilhelm.About half of a current H-D motorcycles components are made in other countries other than the U.S.A.
“Assembled in the USA”,not “Made in the USA”.It has been that way for a long time now.
@ Wilhelm, sorry but what that logic leads to is Bike A has a better engine, brakes, suspension but bike B has it’s cylinders seperated by a 45 degree angle so it’s still the better bike. If all Harley has going for it is they still use pushrods in an air cooled v-twin seperated by 45 degrees, sell your stock now. Curious though, if another motorcycle company has always used an air cooled v-twin seperated by 50 degrees does that then make their 50 degree angle an asset?
It comes down to the point that it’s only the bar and shield that counts.
@BobS: I didn’t say it was the better bike, it is the better Harley. Harleys never are, and were, the better bikes. All they did was being as Harley as possible. This includes being too heavy, underbraked, underpowered, cumbersome to handle, underdesigned, overpriced, agricultural, noisy and what have you. Still, that’s what at the end of the day summed up being a Harley-Davidson. Love ’em, or leave ’em.
I am trying to say: If H-D must serve up a small bike for a new clientele, which surely is a noble undertaking, by all means they should stick with the heritage they have, or face being accused of failing to give good reason to buy the product. Dressing up a Honda VT500 clone with a H-D badge and some black paint isn’t quite up to the mark.
1. All models sold in US will be assembled in Kansas. International model will be assembled In India and other facilities.
2. Harley does not worry to much about Indian because Indian has not been around for a long time. Just because yet another company bought the label and is manufacturing bikes with Indian Logo. Does not mean Harley Davidson is in trouble.
If “Indian Motorcycle is anything like Victory. Customers will soon experience the lack of facilities, trained techs, parts availability, obsoleted parts on five year old bikes, terrible transmissions, etc. Along with high cost of maintenance and repair that makes Harley ownership by comparison, a bargain.