We just got our hands on the made-in-India Street 750, Iron 883, and the Sportster Forty-Eight, freshly upgraded for the year 2016. We rode the three bikes through the roads leading up to Amby Valley to put the spruced up cruisers to the test. The India-manufactured Street 750, ever since its production began here, has received a bad rap for its lacklustre overall quality, and more so for the poor brakes on this rather quick bike. Harley-Davidson claims to have made all-round improvements on the bike. Can the bike live up to its manufacturer’s claims? Let’s find out.
The Street 750 has received mechanical upgrades to its hardware, identical to that on the 2015 model. From our first impressions, the upgrades hold the company’s claims in good stead, and never gave us a reason to frown. Besides the brakes, the 2016 model year bike also feels a lot better put together in terms of overall fit and finish, while also retaining the earlier model’s trump cards, namely the delightfully smooth liquid cooled engine, the ergonomic riding position and nimble handling. That aside, even minor details like the new brake and clutch levers add to the Street 750’s appeal, again taken away by small niggles like the exposed wiring, which are a bit of an eyesore on what is in fact a very capable motorcycle.
The Iron 883 from the Sportster line-up has received some upgrades in the form of new clipped fenders, a blacked-out powertrain and exhaust, drag-style handlebars and a solo tuck-and-roll seat cover. The 2016 Forty-Eight gets a 130mm front tire suspended by beefier forks. The new setup in front actually seems to work better when compared to the older system.
But the roads we took were smooth and didn’t exactly challenge the bike. That said, the bike feels more manoeuvrable thanks to the revised handlebars, though not as much as an Iron 883, which actually felt much more comfortable, and went around bends with far better poise.
The Forty-Eight also gets chopped fenders that now, reveal more of the tyres, and new cast wheels, which replace the older spoke ones. These are not just visually better, but also help the motorcycle lose three-odd kilograms, further helping the improvement in manoeuvrability. It also has a classic 7.9-litre peanut-shaped fuel tank. Harley Davidson has given its lineup some much needed changes, which not only freshen things up, but also give the bikes an improved sense of quality. Yes, the Street 750 has a long way to go before it can live up to its intended ‘premium motorcycle’ image. The Forty-Eight and the Iron 883 are safer options to consider in the 2016 line-up.
