[Deepak]

The brakes on my street 750 are weak and doesn't inspire confidence. I have got this checked at HD service centre but it was not of much help. This seems to be a problem with most of Street 750 owners are facing. Will request for inputs from Members and ideas to rectify within HD warranty frame!

 

[OldDawg]

Seems like a lot of people are complaining about the brakes. Mine seem just fine to me. They stop me every time I have used them.

 

[bmoothedan]

The brakes on my street 750 are weak and doesn't inspire confidence. I have got this checked at HD service centre but it was not of much help. This seems to be a problem with most of Street 750 owners are facing. Will request for inputs from Members and ideas to rectify within HD warranty frame!

The bike on which I did my test ride of the Street 750 at the dealers had particularly weak brakes. But my Street 750 (The Therapist) does not have that problem. They work pretty well. On this topic I only wish HD comes up with ABS (at least optional) in the near future.

 

[HDGuy]

The bike on which I did my test ride of the Street 750 at the dealers had particularly weak brakes. But my Street 750 (The Therapist) does not have that problem. They work pretty well. On this topic I only wish HD comes up with ABS (at least optional) in the near future.

Would you ever consider going aftermarket if it proves that how the stock street brakes are, are normal?

 

[Johnny]

Are they stainless steal lines?

 

[bmoothedan]

Would you ever consider going aftermarket if it proves that how the stock street brakes are, are normal?

Sure I would.

 

[Livin On]

Bleed them first, soft lever sounds like air in the system. THat will usually fix everything. Change to steel braided lines as well...

 

[Puneet]

Brakes are pathetic on Street 750. Basic reason I cancelled the Bike.

 

[harleyhoonigan]

Brakes are pathetic on Street 750. Basic reason I cancelled the Bike.

Are you waiting for HD to address the issue or are you going to move onto another bike?

 

[Puneet]

Currently waiting for suitable Honda or rumored TVS BMW bike next year.

 

[StoneFree]

Brakes are pathetic on Street 750. Basic reason I cancelled the Bike.

With about 45 years of riding experience I'd disagree with your opinion. For street applications they're more that adequate in providing excellent braking characteristics.

 

[Puneet]

I respect your experience & you must have ridden more powerful bikes than what I have. Mine experience is with 100-150cc bikes both Honda.

But on my Test-Ride of Street 750 the Brakes indeed made me nervous.

What I have been reading from various sources is compared to likes of Honda, Harley's have always performed below par. May be threshold is different if you have ridden Hondas all your life.

MoreOver Brakes on Sportster Range of Harley has been Uprated from year 2014 only.

 

[StoneFree]

I respect your experience & you must have ridden more powerful bikes than what I have. Mine experience is with 100-150cc bikes both Honda.

But on my Test-Ride of Street 750 the Brakes indeed made me nervous.

What I have been reading from various sources is compared to likes of Honda, Harley's have always performed below par. May be threshold is different if you have ridden Hondas all your life.

MoreOver Brakes on Sportster Range of Harley has been Uprated from year 2014 only.

There is no way on earth the Street 500 or Street 750 will compare with a 100-150cc motorcycle when it comes to either braking or handling. For someone stepping up from a small motorcycle I can see how it would make them nervous both related to braking and handling. They just aren't the same.


I would remind everyone that a 500cc and 750cc motorcycle are not small motorcycles. They used to be considered large motorcycles because they are large motorcycles. The fact that we have huge and heavy cruisers notwithstanding those are the "tanks of the road" and we could compare them to an RV and a car. Touring motorcycles are the RV's of the motorcycle world.


Having read reviews of cars and motorcycle for years I've learned that these are expert drivers/riders that often compare vehicles based upon racing performance standards. For example my partner rode my 750 and said it "pushed" in a turn. His opinion was based upon yeas of experience in professional motorcycle road racing and, while valid, it compared a street motorcycle with a professional road racing motorcycle.


I read, for example, in Car and Driver that the 2012 Fiat 500 was "under-powered" and I purchased one anyway. My stock Fiat 500 easily reaches over 60 mph on a freeway onramp and has more than enough power for any normal street application.


My Sportster is a 2007 XL50 and has zero braking problems and I've found zero braking problems with my Street 750.


If you want braking problems you should have driven my 1928 Oldsmobile with mechanical brakes. Press the brakes and pray was what stopping was like. You actually had to use the emergency brake in many normal braking situations. LOL

 

[Puneet]

Well compare with a Honda CBR of the lightest classification and you know the difference.

And of course my 100-150cc Hondas felt better in Braking.

And Street 750 is a real laggard when I compared it with Royal Enfield Continental GT which comes shod with BREMBO Brakes at front. You really feel the difference when you compare the two.

At one time I decided to opt for Royal Enfield Continental GT it's such a fantastic bike but decided for competition to pour in.

But I do feel in Harley world the thing is Customisation. They give you a Mediocre bike on which you spend unnecessary money in the name of Customisation.

When it comes to Japanese you expect everything to be perfect and flawless. Constantly hear words like Character for European, American Machinery & Boring for Japanese. I think by 'Boring' they mean "Boringly Reliable".

Fact is if you are used to the standards set by Japanese then that becomes the Quality you expect of others.

My experience with European machinery especially FIAT is very fun to drive but equally high on maintainence; breaks down and we have owned our first FIAT 1100 nearly 40 years ago when cars were just dreams here in India and second PALIO 1.6 in 2001 after the economy opened up and a Maruti/Suzuki 800 inbetween. Now I have owned a Honda car for the first time but it's reliable like anything. Everything is just so perfect. It's about solid engineering, no Pedigree Stuff and any of that loose talk.

Only Germans have the same Aura but they command Premium. No matter my Father bought a VW Polo. But my Honda Jazz/ Fit is butter smooth though VW has it's own attributes being more solidly built.

 

[bbally]

Brakes are pathetic on Street 750. Basic reason I cancelled the Bike.

Not true. I can at any time brake hard enough to over come tire to road surface tension causing the tires to skid. Gravel or straight pavement. Plenty of brake on this machine.

 

[StoneFree]

Well compare with a Honda CBR of the lightest classification and you know the difference.

And of course my 100-150cc Hondas felt better in Braking.

And Street 750 is a real laggard when I compared it with Royal Enfield Continental GT which comes shod with BREMBO Brakes at front. You really feel the difference when you compare the two.

At one time I decided to opt for Royal Enfield Continental GT it's such a fantastic bike but decided for competition to pour in.

But I do feel in Harley world the thing is Customisation. They give you a Mediocre bike on which you spend unnecessary money in the name of Customisation.

When it comes to Japanese you expect everything to be perfect and flawless. Constantly hear words like Character for European, American Machinery & Boring for Japanese. I think by 'Boring' they mean "Boringly Reliable".

Fact is if you are used to the standards set by Japanese then that becomes the Quality you expect of others.

My experience with European machinery especially FIAT is very fun to drive but equally high on maintainence; breaks down and we have owned our first FIAT 1100 nearly 40 years ago when cars were just dreams here in India and second PALIO 1.6 in 2001 after the economy opened up and a Maruti/Suzuki 800 inbetween. Now I have owned a Honda car for the first time but it's reliable like anything. Everything is just so perfect. It's about solid engineering, no Pedigree Stuff and any of that loose talk.

Only Germans have the same Aura but they command Premium. No matter my Father bought a VW Polo. But my Honda Jazz/ Fit is butter smooth though VW has it's own attributes being more solidly built.

Many make the mistake of trying to compare motorcycles (and cars) with different motorcycles (and cars) that are not in the same class. I knew going in that the Street 500/750 would not be comparable to riding my XL50 Sportster because the Sportster is a much larger and heavier motorcycle. Of course the handling is far superior to my Sportster and the braking is also different because they're different classes of motorcycle.


Some people do choose to make changes to their Harley's but most do not with the possible exception of a few appearance items (or none at all). Yes, Harley owners do like to personalize their motorcycles because they can but there's no compelling reason to do so. Outside of a removable windshield and removable luggage rack/sissy bar (that I use for touring) I've done absolutely nothing to my XL50.


The Fiat 500 of the 1950's is not comparable to the Fiat 500 of today anymore than a 1950's Harley is comparable to a Harley of today.


While I don't know this for a fact I've heard that Harley intentionally made the brakes "soft" on the Street 500/750 because the targeted sales were for new riders. Overly sensitive brakes (without ABS) can be a serious problem for a new rider because it's too easy to locke them up and a new rider doesn't know how to handle a motorcycle very well when the brakes lock up and the bike goes into a skid.


Of course the solution is easy for the experienced rider that wants better braking. Simply change the brake pads to a softer pad and those pads are already available. There's nothing wrong with the rotors or calipers and the brake pad selection for the stock bike was intentional based upon the targeted market of new riders.

 

[Puneet]

What I have been reading from various quarters of motoring journalism is that Harley's generally had Soft Brakes. So anyone who has grown up on a diet of Harley's won't find the brakes on lesser side.

But then there are other brands with better performing anchors and ridden by newbies. I think it's just another way of saying CUSTOMISE. Already Harley is charging $40 for a $4 set of Brake-Pads in India. Overpriced Stuff Here & Below Par......

 

[Mr.Fantasy]

Maybe thats a problem with the Indian market and not with Harley Davidson in general...

steel braided lines will up the pressure and help do away with the mushy lever feel. Worst case upgrade the master cylinder...

 

[Crilly]

Steel braided lines. Move the brake lever to the left, that way you are grabbing more at the end of the leaver. More leverage. I now can get my front tire to chirp.

 

[Street500owner2]

You are right, the brakes have been intentionally made “soft” as you call it because newbie’s to motorcycle riding over power their braking. Sensitive brakes need ABS but H-D felt that because of the way the brakes are set soft, ABS was not an issue with the Street.

I have tested the brakes on panics stops and for me they are just fine. Will test them at the DMV’s panic stop test to see if they conform to their standers. For those that think these are soft or bad brakes… try drum brakes on a Vespa. :crying: Real bad!