Exactly. While I'd like to find a cheap, used Street 750 as a toy, the lack of ABS is a total deal breaker as far as buying one for my "real" motorcycle. The short-sighted stupidity is breathtaking.

 

Perhaps the main market for these bikes is in areas where roads are not always paved, hence in India and Asia the addition of ABS would hinder sales or just be a wasted expense. When I looked at the Streets at my dealer I did not think that they were designed for the USA market. I did think that some would sell simply because of availability, price and name. If they are reliable and cheap to maintain, then as a 3rd world motorcycle, they will be a success.

 

Actually, from the beginning, H-D has made it clear this is a bike for riding in the city, in congested, tight quarters, quick handling, able to handle potholes, etc.

"Traffic has never been beaten harder. Last year, we unleashed a new form of rebellion on the urban grid. The Harley-Davidson Street® 750 motorcycle. This is a machine built to let you shred traffic in plenty of infinitely customizable Harley-Davidson® Dark Custom™ style. Liquid-cooled engine. Quick handling. A suspension tuned for rough pavement. Fire up the blacked out engine, send some sound out the blacked out pipes, and get behind the café racer windscreen and go. Consider the traffic whipped."

ABS should have been standard.

 

I don't think the Street's brakes are stout enough to lock up in the first place.

 

For all intents and purposes they The 750's look just like the 500's, just a bit bigger motor. If you saw them from a distance you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference.

I'm seeing more and more of them in the DFW Metroplex. There's a lot more aftermarket add on's now that they've been out for a while so you can really make it your own bike.

They are really nimble and fun to ride. Try to catch find a demo truck near you and take one out just to give it a try.

 

A little intel from a local dealer...since the 500's are being used in the MSF class here, they are selling the hell out of the 500/750. So basically, a veteran takes a course for free (MSF is free for active and retired military), gets an offer he can't refuse at less than 100/mo to ride a 500. Then a year later when he's put a few miles on and more comfortable with the heavy bike thing, they trade up...and the dealer gets a newish bike to put on the MSF course.

Their marketing strategy don't include us. They don't need to. We're already addicted.

 

ABS isn't even standard on all motorcycles yet. I've never owned a bike with ABS and I've owned 11 or so bikes in the past 18 years with most of them being sportbikes and none bieing older than a 2004. Part of the MSF course was being able to lock up the rear and do a controlled slide to a stop. I didn't realize that "bikers" were so dependent on electronics to do their riding for them. I guess with the new touring bikes with GPS, DVD, AC, Etc... it's more like riding a couch than riding a motorcycle.

 

Ah. We're all having a conversation about Street 500s and 750s, and you butt in with insults. You must be one of those real bikers I hear so much about.

There are zero motorcyclists who are "dependent" on electronics to do their riding for them. Motorcyclists who know how to ride don't lock up rear tires and go into a skid. But if they accidentally do lock up a rear tire, they know to immediately release and reapply the brakes, because that stops more quickly than continuing to slide, with no risk of loss of control.

Trying to ride out a skid is idiotic.

 

.....

 

So this thread is resurrected after 2 years. I took the MSF course 2 years ago (FINALLY, after riding or almost 50 years) on a Street 500, and I'll be kind and say I was not impressed.

A CBR1000RR has over 100 more HP than a street 750, and weighs about the same. No way a Street is going to run MotoGP with Literbikes, or even the 600cc class. Not even close.

For sure. What could the MoCo been thinking, other than branding, not value, will sell these bikes. One wonders how much longer they can depend on this.

Except if it's a rear tire skid and you want to maybe avoid a high-side.

I don't spend a lot of time hanging out at dealerships, so I don't know in detail what's in their showrooms, but I haven't seen ONE Street on the road either in NJ or FL in the two years since I took the MSF course.