It’s Fine: The Street 500, Street 750 and Street Rod Are Dead
Harley-Davidson absolutely needs entry-level bikes — just not these entry-level Street Rod bikes.
The Harley-Davidson line up is officially a little leaner. Late last month, a mistake on the MoCo’s Canadian and European sites indicated we might be losing the Street series of bikes, and now we have confirmation from the brass. While the Sportster will survive, the Street 500, Street 750, and Street Rod are the latest casualties of the Rewire strategy. The announcement was quietly made during a recent virtual event, and when our friends at Jalopnik reached out to ask if the line had actually been cut, they received this message:
Yes, all Street motorcycles (Street 500, Street and Street Rod) were discontinued from the US MY21 lineup. We will continue to support H-D Riding Academy training dealers with Street 500 models.
Given the model culling that’s been happening as Harley tries to retool itself into a leaner, meaner operation, the loss of these entry-level bikes shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. In fact, while I’ve often written that the company needs less expensive machines to bring young buyers into the Harley fold, I don’t think anyone should mourn the loss of the Street line.
Because when it comes down to it, though Harley definitely needs entry-level bikes, it didn’t need these entry-level bikes. They just weren’t very good.
Not long after it hit showrooms in 2014, I got a chance to take the Street 750 for a spin — and I wasn’t particularly thrilled. My overall impression was that the bike was a pretty good take on the Universal Japanese Motorcycle of the 1970s, which probably wasn’t what the MoCo was shooting for. Nothing about it, from the power, to the sound, to the look, truly said Harley-Davidson to me — and the brakes were borderline scary.
While I never rode the Street Rod, the white model in these press photos look a little closer to the H-D mark, styling-wise. But I have to say that of the bikes I tested around that time? The Kawasaki Vulcan S felt the most like a “cheap Harley.” The Kawi also attracted a tremendous amount of attention on the road, which isn’t something I could say about Street 750. The entry-level Harley just didn’t have much in the way of presence.
Of course, the Street line’s lack of success doesn’t change the fact that Harley needs some quality, entry-level bikes in the sub-10k segment. Personally, I think it’s insane that the company didn’t capitalize on the scrambler craze, and offer something like a cheap XR-750 tribute, complete with AMF-style retro graphics. There would have been so little development cost there, and it would have provided a cool alternative to offerings from other premium bike manufacturers like Triumph, Indian, and Ducati.
That said, I still think a classically styled dirt track bike, and super-retro machines like this Wall of Death-inspired creation, are the way for Harley to make a splash in the segment. So for now, killing off the Street line, and padding the company coffers with some higher-dollar hardware is a decent idea. Hopefully, the upcoming Pan America — set for reveal next month — will get a piece of the uber-hot adventure bike market, and provide Harley with a fresh revenue stream. Then, the company could take another crack at its entry-level offerings, while buoyed with confidence from succeeding in a new segment. Keep your fingers crossed.
Photos: Harley-Davidson
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