42 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDERSTORY: MARK HINCHLIFFE
PHOTOS: H-D AUSTRALIAT
he Harley-Davidson Street —
the fi rst new Harley family
in 14 years — was fi rst hinted
at by company CEO Ma
Levatich at a press conference with
Australian journalists in August 2013 at
the 110th Anniversary celebrations.
We couldn’t believe our ears when
we heard that the traditional makers of
heavy American motorcycles were testing
a 500cc V-twin learner bike. We were
further gobsmacked that Harley was
also considering an electric motorcycle.
It didn’t sound at all like the Harley we
had come to know and love over 110 years.
Wind forward just a few months and
both are revealed to a still-reeling world.
Australia has had to wait an agonising
year for the Street 500 to arrive and who
knows how much longer we will have to
wait for the production version of theelectric LiveWire. Both are considered
learner and novice bikes under our
licensing rules and LAMS bikes are
currently topping the sales charts as
more people fl ock — or return — to
motorcycling for frugal fun.
So the arrival of the Hoglet has been
much anticipated by potential riders,
Harley and the rest of the industry. Just
witness the unveiling at the Melbourne
Moto Expo in November. ARR editor Mick
Matheson posted a video of the unveiling
on Facebook and it scored more than
80,000 hits in a couple of days.
So what’s the recipe for success? The
fi rst ingredient is making the price right.
Harley has done that, bringing it in at
$9995 ride away. Yes, you heard right. A
brand-new Harley for under $10,000.
But is it worth that much, does it feel
and sound like a Harley and what is it
like to ride? Australian Road Rider was
one of the fi rst magazines invited to“Let the clutch out and it romps away, with 50Nm of Harley-
style torque pulling the lightweight 218kg bike swiftly off
the starting line in the traffic-light derby”ARR112_040-046_HD Street 500.indd 42ARR112_040-046_HD Street 500.indd 42 2/3/2015 9:49:25 AM2/3/2015 9:49:25 AM