If there's one thing bikers know about Harley-Davidson, Inc. (HOG 0.56%) motorcycles, it's that they're big bikes. That's the reason they're called "hogs".
But higher sales and an apparent recovery from the collapse of the financial crisis, has Harley toying with the need to satisfy urban riders of motorcycles. The big-cc Softtails and Dynas might be fine for touring, but city maneuverability, even for a motorcycle, is apparently lacking.
Enter two new lightweight bikes, the Harley Davidson Street 500 and the Harley Davidson Street 750, two runabout models Harley says is perfect for younger, urban riders. They'll also mark the first true lightweights Harley has made since the 1970s when it stopped selling the Sprint, a small 350cc bike, though it built the 250cc Aermacchi motorcycles until 1978 when they sold the line.