This story is from January 16, 2018

Middleweight cruisers: Kawasaki Vulcan S vs Harley-Davidson Street 750

Highlights The newly-launched Kawasaki Vulcan S 650 has been priced at Rs 5.44 lakh (ex-showroom)

The 2018 Harley-Davidson Street 750 comes with a price tag of Rs 5.17 lakh (ex-showroom)

Both the cruisers are powered by twin-cylinder engines Both bikes feature conventional telescopic forks at the front; however, Kawasaki has better cycle parts

DESIGN AND APPEARANCE

Both the Harley-Davidson Street 750 and the



The Street 750 goes with a traditional base like a teardrop fuel tank, rounded headlamp and a V-twin engine. However, the bike gets some sporty elements like a cafe-style fairing for the headlamp, alloy wheels and a modern tail section with LED tail lamp. The bike is more focused on an optimum combination of street and highway and that's why it continues with a commuter-like single seat.



The Vulcan S, on the other hand, is a much modern cruiser with a host of interesting shapes like inverted triangle headlamp, tapered handlebar, unique alloy wheels and an offset rear mono-shock absorber (monoshock). Housed within a perimeter frame, the cruiser gets a wide comfortable rider seat while the pillion seat is removable like the bigger Harleys.

Kawasaki further offers an 'Ergo Fit' option with the Vulcan S, so the rider can get the handlebar, seat and the footpegs placed according to rider’s body stature for best comfort.

ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION



The Harley-Davidson uses its most advanced and liquid-cooled Revolution X V-twin. Powered by a single-port fuel injection system, the 750cc motor makes 59Nm of peak torque at just 3,750rpm. The engine comes mated to a six-speed gearbox and the power is delivered to the rear wheel through a smooth belt drive.



Supplying power to the final chain drive of the Kawasaki Vulcan S is the same 650cc, parallel-twin engine that powers its range of middleweight sports bikes, including the Ninja 650, Z650 and the Versys 650. The motor uses a dual port fuel injection system and develops 63Nm of torque at 6,600rpm which is managed by a six-speed gearbox.

CYCLE PARTS AND EQUIPMENT

Both bikes feature conventional telescopic forks at the front; however, Kawasaki has better cycle parts.



The Harley Davidson Street 750 receives twin hydraulic shock absorbers at the rear -- which are not adjustable -- and 7-spoke alloy wheels. The 17-inch front and the 15-inch rear alloys come shod with 100/80 and 150/70 section tyre respectively. To control the motorcycle, a 300mm disc with a 2-piston caliper has been fitted each on the front and the rear wheel and the setup further gets ABS (antilock braking system) as a standard feature. The single-pod instrument cluster gets an analog speedo with a small LCD screen for rest of the information.



Like the motor of the Kawasaki's cruiser, its cycle parts are also inspired by sports bikes. The Vulcan S features an offset laydown rear monoshock which is adjustable for preload value and its alloy wheels are also more interesting and larger than the street 750. The 18-inch front wheel comes shod with wider 120/70 section tyre and the rear 17-inch one also gets wider 160/60 section rubber.

The Braking duties are handled by a 300mm front and a 250mm rear disc brakes and the Vulcan S too gets a dual-channel ABS as standard. The Instrument cluster looks modern and is much more informative with an analog tachometer and a big LCD screen for a host of data.

PRICES AND VERDICT

The Street 750 starts at Rs 5.17 lakh (ex-showroom) which is a fair deal for owning a Harley-Davidson motorcycle which offers a satisfactory performance along with some decent features. On the other hand, the Kawasaki Vulcan S comes with a price tag of Rs 5.44 lakh (ex-showroom), which makes it slightly expensive than the most affordable H-D. However, the Japanese cruiser offers a more premium styling along with some better parts and equipment along with a more comfortable seating.

Harley-Davidson was solely ruling the middleweight cruiser segment, especially with its Street 750 model, as the Hyosung's Aquila Pro and ST7 aren’t so popular in India. But now, Kawasaki has introduced a potential competitor of the most affordable Harley in the form of its Vulcan S cruiser. Both the motorcycles come from a well-known brand and get quite similar specifications, so let's find out where do they differ from each other.Both the Harley-Davidson Street 750 and the Kawasaki Vulcan S follows the conventional design philosophy of a cruiser like a low seat, raised handlebar and forward-set foot pegs.The Street 750 goes with a traditional base like a teardrop fuel tank, rounded headlamp and a V-twin engine. However, the bike gets some sporty elements like a cafe-style fairing for the headlamp, alloy wheels and a modern tail section with LED tail lamp. The bike is more focused on an optimum combination of street and highway and that's why it continues with a commuter-like single seat.The Vulcan S, on the other hand, is a much modern cruiser with a host of interesting shapes like inverted triangle headlamp, tapered handlebar, unique alloy wheels and an offset rear mono-shock absorber (monoshock). Housed within a perimeter frame, the cruiser gets a wide comfortable rider seat while the pillion seat is removable like the bigger Harleys.Kawasaki further offers an 'Ergo Fit' option with the Vulcan S, so the rider can get the handlebar, seat and the footpegs placed according to rider’s body stature for best comfort.The Harley-Davidson uses its most advanced and liquid-cooled Revolution X V-twin. Powered by a single-port fuel injection system, the 750cc motor makes 59Nm of peak torque at just 3,750rpm. The engine comes mated to a six-speed gearbox and the power is delivered to the rear wheel through a smooth belt drive.Supplying power to the final chain drive of the Kawasaki Vulcan S is the same 650cc, parallel-twin engine that powers its range of middleweight sports bikes, including the Ninja 650, Z650 and the Versys 650. The motor uses a dual port fuel injection system and develops 63Nm of torque at 6,600rpm which is managed by a six-speed gearbox.Both bikes feature conventional telescopic forks at the front; however, Kawasaki has better cycle parts.The Harley Davidson Street 750 receives twin hydraulic shock absorbers at the rear -- which are not adjustable -- and 7-spoke alloy wheels. The 17-inch front and the 15-inch rear alloys come shod with 100/80 and 150/70 section tyre respectively. To control the motorcycle, a 300mm disc with a 2-piston caliper has been fitted each on the front and the rear wheel and the setup further gets ABS (antilock braking system) as a standard feature. The single-pod instrument cluster gets an analog speedo with a small LCD screen for rest of the information.Like the motor of the Kawasaki's cruiser, its cycle parts are also inspired by sports bikes. The Vulcan S features an offset laydown rear monoshock which is adjustable for preload value and its alloy wheels are also more interesting and larger than the street 750. The 18-inch front wheel comes shod with wider 120/70 section tyre and the rear 17-inch one also gets wider 160/60 section rubber.The Braking duties are handled by a 300mm front and a 250mm rear disc brakes and the Vulcan S too gets a dual-channel ABS as standard. The Instrument cluster looks modern and is much more informative with an analog tachometer and a big LCD screen for a host of data.The Street 750 starts at Rs 5.17 lakh (ex-showroom) which is a fair deal for owning a Harley-Davidson motorcycle which offers a satisfactory performance along with some decent features. On the other hand, the Kawasaki Vulcan S comes with a price tag of Rs 5.44 lakh (ex-showroom), which makes it slightly expensive than the most affordable H-D. However, the Japanese cruiser offers a more premium styling along with some better parts and equipment along with a more comfortable seating.