Buying a used Harley-Davidson Street 500

With the recent launch of the new LAMS-approved Harley-Davidson X350 and X500, we thought we'd take a look at the Motor Company's previous learner model – the popular Street 500.

Harley-Davidson Street 500 history

Harley-Davidson has had numerous cracks at the learner market over the decades, with bikes such as the Hummer of the 1950s, assorted rebranded Aermacchis through the 1960s and 1970s, plus the Buell Blast of the early 2000s.

It took until the 2014 model year (2015 in Australia) for the motor company to come up with a convincing contemporary learner model, namely the Street 500 or XG500.

Under the paint you scored a fairly contemporary liquid-cooled fuel injected 60-degree V-twin, with four valves per cylinder, running a six-speed transmission.

Billed as the Revolution X engine, it proved to be a willing enough and reliable performer.

While bikes for the Canadian and USA markets were produced out of Kansas City, machines for the rest of the world were produced in the company’s Bawal facility in India.

For many, the real attraction was the introductory pricing, just under $10,000 in the Australian market. It sold until 2020 and has recently been replaced by the X500 parallel twin.

Updates and variants

H-D’s approach to the Street 500 was unique in one major respect: it produced one model – that’s it! Over time we’ve got used to the company creating a dizzying number of variants from all its platforms, but this was the exception.

The Revolution X engine did appear in larger form in the XG750 and we got to see a Street Rod variant of that machine.

Except for a variety of colour scheme offerings across the years, the 500 remained unchanged.

In the saddle

Up until the appearance of the 500, Harley’s 883 Sportster range had been the entry-level machine. And while it did an admirable job, it was nevertheless a bit of a lump to wrestle with.

At near enough to 200 kilos, the XG500 was no lightweight, but it was a far more manageable package and there was good evidence that it had been carefully developed to be benign in inexperienced hands.

The engine proved willing and the feature of peak torque coming in at 3500rpm meant it was a flexible enough real world performer even though its peak power was a relatively modest 27kW (36hp). You would never win a race with the thing, but it was strong enough to be enjoyable and was helped by low gearing.

Handling was benign rather than sharp, with reasonable suspension. What helped it enormously was a sensible ride position which suited riders up to medium height very well. Taller folk found it a touch on the small side.

Braking took some effort and this was the only machine in the H-D range without ABS.

The small fuel tank at 13.1lt raised a few eyebrows, however the Street 500 had a modest thirst, with around 4.5lt/100km within reach.

Finish was okay but showed signs of having been built to a price.

In the workshop

The Street series was subject to an early recall for a fuel pump seal. More serious was a wider recall for corrosion in the brake calipers.

While the brake recall was broad and should have got most examples out there, it would be wise to have a look at the condition of the calipers when you buy and whenever the machine is serviced.

Servicing overall is not too onerous, with valve lash scheduled every 24,000km. It’s done by screw and locknut, which puts it within reach of a competent home mechanic.

Oil and filter are due every 8000km, according to the schedule, though we’d be tempted to reduce that to 5000.

In the market

Supply is plentiful and the prices range from around $5000 to $20,000. With the recent launch of the new X500, albeit a parallel twin rather than a vee, at around $12,000 we suspect some of those sellers are going to have to sharpen their prices.

Some very high prices are being asked for modified examples, and we would question how strong the long-term resale value would be on those bikes.

The reality is that you can get a good XG500 with modest mileage (under 20,000km) for $7000, and that’s where we’d be looking if value for money is high on your list of priorities.

Checklist

Surprisingly for a Harley, a good number of examples have escaped modification, which can make getting a roadworthy certificate a much easier proposition. If it is running an aftermarket exhaust, ask for the original as RWC inspections have become far less forgiving in recent years.

Neglect is likely to be the biggest issue with this model, so ask the seller about what maintenance they’ve done over time. You’re at least looking for regular oil changes perhaps based on time rather than distance.

For:

Against:

ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, Revolution X V-twin
Capacity: 494cc
Bore x stroke: 69mm x 66mm
Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 36.2hp (36.7ps/27kW) at 7100rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 40Nm at 3500rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six speed
Final drive: Belt

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Front suspension: Non-adjustable telescopic forks
Rear suspension: Twin shocks, adjustable for preload
Front brakes: Single disc
Rear brake: Single disc
Wheels: Black, seven-spoke cast aluminium
Tyres: Front 100/80-17, rear 140/75-15

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed wet weight: 222kg
Rake: 32 degrees
Trail: 115mm
Seat height: 709mm
Wheelbase: 1534mm
Fuel capacity: 13.1 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $9995 rideaway
Colours: Black
Bike supplied by: Harley-Davidson Australia,
harley-davidson.com.au
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres