Photo: Harley-Davidson
Here’s the 2015 Street 500, Harley’s smallest and cheapest motorcycle, one of the models which are expected to revive the rank of H-D fans and kick-start a new era in the maker’s 110-year-long history. The fact that Harley’s traditional demographic is getting older is just old news, but even though the Milwaukee manufacturer dominates the US bike market, new customers must be drawn into buying Harley. And since young people can barely afford paying their loan credits, it’s easy to understand why they will never go for a 20-grand machine. Hence the Street 500.
The 2015 Street 500 was designed as a small, easy-to-ride, affordable, yet all-Harley bike. Milwaukee went for the Revolution X liquid-cooled 494cc v-twin engine, which, truth be told, has nothing revolutionary to it. We’re looking at a rather modest 40Nm (29 lb-ft) torque figure and a rather high fuel consumption. H-D says that the combined city/highway mileage is 5.74 l/ 100 km, which is a rather unsatisfactory deal of 40.9 mpg and does NOT make the Street 500 the economical bike some had hoped it would be.
Still, it arrives with a 6-speed manual transmission, and this means less effort when blazing along the highways, which should reduce both fuel consumption and engine wear, while being of course, fun. The 2015 Harley-Davidson tips the scales at 222 kg (490 lb) in running order which again, is far from being lightweight. Single rotors equip the 17”and 15”7-spoke cast aluminium wheels, and 2-piston calipers provide the necessary stopping power.
On the aesthetics side, the 2015 Street 500 gets higher grades, as the bike at least looks really Harley, though a bit on the light side. The classic bar and shield tank badge is worth every penny, and Harley chose well going for an all-black engine and exhaust system, complemented by blackened rims and a black fly screen.
Too bad the shocks remained in chrome trim, but one can’t have it all. The fork gaiters are somehow harking back to the old-school machines, but honestly, they sort of suck, just like the rear fender, which seems like it was the last thing to be designed for the bike, drawn in a big hurry, on an iPad while running towards the factory.
However, if these two details are not bothering you, the 2015 Street 500 could be a great choice as a beginner cruiser, especially as the price is $6,799 (€5,175).
Still, it arrives with a 6-speed manual transmission, and this means less effort when blazing along the highways, which should reduce both fuel consumption and engine wear, while being of course, fun. The 2015 Harley-Davidson tips the scales at 222 kg (490 lb) in running order which again, is far from being lightweight. Single rotors equip the 17”and 15”7-spoke cast aluminium wheels, and 2-piston calipers provide the necessary stopping power.
On the aesthetics side, the 2015 Street 500 gets higher grades, as the bike at least looks really Harley, though a bit on the light side. The classic bar and shield tank badge is worth every penny, and Harley chose well going for an all-black engine and exhaust system, complemented by blackened rims and a black fly screen.
Too bad the shocks remained in chrome trim, but one can’t have it all. The fork gaiters are somehow harking back to the old-school machines, but honestly, they sort of suck, just like the rear fender, which seems like it was the last thing to be designed for the bike, drawn in a big hurry, on an iPad while running towards the factory.
However, if these two details are not bothering you, the 2015 Street 500 could be a great choice as a beginner cruiser, especially as the price is $6,799 (€5,175).
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