Motorcycle specifications Harley-Davidson XG 750 Street Rod 2020 Harley's little Monster

Harley has decided to go back to the mean, the urban, the fierce, the dry between lampposts and driveways. To do this, they've come up with a name that smacks of American heat: Street Rod. And then it hits you. Could this be the return of the roadster-style V-Rod, which took that name from 2005 to 2007? Not at all. In fact, it's a more muscular, vindictive version of the XG 750 Street. The entry-level model in Milwaukee's range is now considerably more patient, more powerful, and more likely to appeal to a young, thrill-seeking clientele. By the same token, can it also reconcile fans of the brand with this roadster denigrated by the purists?

the Street Rod is all about poise. The red springs on cartridge amortos are eye-catching, the air filter devours space, but it's the front end that takes the cake. A large cap prepares the rider's attitude, anchored on flat Dragbar handlebars with mirrors at the ends. The wheel is fitted with an additional brake disc, to provide braking worthy of the name. Smells like sport? In any case, the adoption of an inverted fork starts the debate.

why this desire to hold the floor better? Because the twin has gained a lot of vitamins. Almost placid on the Street, we're about to discover a more playful mechanism on the Rod. Harley calls this mill High Output. A pumping claw to simplify all modifications to the 60° boiler. To produce 18% more power and 8% more torque, the engineers increased the compression ratio from 11 to 12 : 1, increased the diameter of the butterflies to 42 mm, optimized the cylinder heads, shifted the red zone from 1000 rpm (now 9000), and increased the volume of the airbox and exhausts. From 58, the block is now 70 hp, and torque is up by 0.6 mkg. Enough to give the Street a bit of a leg up.

urban Harley sport? Well, not quite. However, the Street Rod makes a big effort on the suspension side and on the geometry of the chassis. More liveliness with a caster angle reduced from 32° to 27° and a shorter wheelbase. The 43 mm inverted fork is held by aluminum tees, while the new amortos work better hydraulically. Well, it's not full Öhlins yet, but Harley seems increasingly interested in improving its suspension.

As the bike's attitude becomes more assertive, the rider must do the same. To this end, the rider benefits from a new seat profile, with seat height raised to 765 mm, new levers and foot controls. In terms of style, the wheels are exclusive "Open Spoke Black"; in terms of function, they've been upgraded to 17" with more conventional dimensions, allowing a wider choice of tires.
The rear end and speedometer are more streamlined, and the bike can take on more angles. For 2018, this Street Rod comes in three new colors (Electric blue, Red iron denim and Bonneville salt denim) in addition to the usual black and green.

with this Street Rod, Harley's entry-level model gains aggressive stripes. A badass of the streets, almost daring to crunch the rims of competing roadsters. Even if it remains a technical gulf with stars such as the MT-09, GSX-S 750, Z 900 or 800 Street Triple, this machine shows the manufacturer's determination to spice up its mid-range bikes as much as its big ones.

M.B - Manufacturer's photos