The Harley-Davidson Street motorcycle series was announced by Harley-Davidson at the 2013 EICMA show in Milan for 2014 introduction, Harley's first all-new models in 13 years,^[1][3] including Harley's first lightweight motorcycle since the 1974 Sprint.^[6] The 750 is powered by a 749 cc displacement version of Harley's 60° SOHC V-twin, water-cooled Revolution engine dubbed the Revolution X. The Street 500 has a 494 cc engine with a smaller bore but is otherwise identical.^[1] Production for sale in the United States and Canada is done at Harley's Kansas City facility; production for the rest of the world, including engines, is done at the Harley-Davidson India subsidiary in Bawal with indigenous components.^[3][7] Street series bikes are positioned as Harley's entry-level models, with a price point that is the lowest for Harley's US lineup by over $1,200.

For 2017, Harley released the Street Rod based on the 750 Street model. This new model introduced new features such as higher output Revolution X engine 68.4 hp (51.0 kW) @ 8,750 rpm and 47.2 lb⋅ft (64.0 N⋅m) @ 4,000 rpm, 43 mm inverted front forks and piggyback reservoir rear shocks, drag-style bars and 17 inch wheels.^[8] The new model, responding to market feedback that demanded a sporty standard, was meant to compete with bikes like the Yamaha FZ-07 and FZ-09.

The Street 500 replaced the Buell Blast in Harley-Davidson's rider training program.^[5]

Speculation about Harley "outsourcing" production of 500 and 750 cc models (called small-displacement in US press^[9]) to India began at least as early as 2011, along with harsh criticism that by not offering smaller bikes there, Harley "doesn't understand emerging markets".^[10]

The New York Times also opined that Harley's move towards medium-displacement echoed that of other manufacturers for the developing world.

The midsize is becoming a point of convergence. Commuter motorcycles are getting larger and more complex; from the other direction, Harley-Davidson recently unveiled its lighter Street 500 and Street 750 models.

— Samanth Subramanian, The New York Times, January 3, 2014^[11]