Ryan Nitzen | May 20, 2022
I’ll be honest. I want a Harley. I’ve wanted one for a while, actually. Something about growing up watching my old man and his friends ride their big hogs around just seemed so cool. You know, that classic Americana.
Photography by Harley-Davidson
I lost a bit of interest in my teens but later began noticing guys toting their hot blonde girlfriends around on the back and the encompassing Harley scene grabbed my attention, once again. My post-pubescent interest peaked. Now that I’m old enough to afford some toys of my own, I end up staring every time a big Road Glide buzzes past me on the freeway. It was a no-brainer when I got the call from Harley to go ride their new Nightster.
Now, let me be clear: just because I drool over the big baggers at the bar doesn’t mean I have any experience in this realm of the two-wheel world. I’m pretty green when it comes to the street scene, but Rennie and the rest of the Cycle News team assured me this would be a good intro to cut my teeth on. Unfortunately, my leather patch jacket and assless chaps didn’t arrive in time, so I hit the road without them and headed up north to meet the Harley team.
The new Harley Davidson Nightster is the latest member of the Sportster lineup.
The new Harley-Davidson Nightster is the latest addition to the Sportster lineup. In short, it’s a modern take on a classic bike with over 65 years of die-hard heritage in the motorcycle world. The Sportster is the oldest running model in the H-D lineup and Nightster maintains that recognizable resemblance from the outside but blends a plethora of modern technology on the inside.
For starters, the engine. The Nightster is the only bike in the Harley lineup powered by the new liquid-cooled Revolution Max 975T V-twin. It’s the same design we’ve seen in the Rev-Max 1250 engine found in the Sportster S and the Pan America, but a shorter bore and stroke, along with other internal adjustments, drop the displacement down to 975cc. This more manageable 975T still pumps out 90 horsepower, 70 foot-pounds of torque, and is mounted as a structural component of the actual frame. By using the engine as part of the frame, Harley says they made the chassis more rigid and responsive. It rides on a 19-inch front and 16-inch rear-wheel combination and features those nostalgic exposed dual rear shocks out back.
The Nightster cruises comfortably at freeway speeds and easily cuts up the canyon roads.
Updates continue with that classic Sportster fuel tank, sort of. The Nightster’s 3.1-gallon fuel tank is tucked up under the seat, not in front of the rider. That traditional-looking tank up top is now just the airbox cover, with the intake located on the right side of the engine. Positioning the fuel under the seat lowers the center of gravity and improves overall weight distribution. Speaking of weight, the new Nightster sheds 80 pounds from its previous generation. Fully fueled, the Nightster tips the scales at a claimed 481 pounds.
Throwing a leg over the new Harley had me impressed right away. My limited expectations anticipated a bulky, top-heavy machine, but I was pleasantly surprised with how light the Nightster felt under my six-foot-one frame.
The cockpit felt comfortably neutral with a forward riding position, mid-mounted foot controls, and a low seat height of 27.1 inches. Up front, there’s a simple, four-inch analog screen with segmented LCD flip-throughs that are easy to navigate. Rider aids like ABS, traction control and Harley’s Drag-Torque Slip Control System (DSCS) also complement the Nightster’s three ride modes. Rain, Road and Sport modes are all accessible via a mode switch on the right side of the handlebar. I confidently picked the reserved Rain mode to start and followed suit as we began our journey through the mountains of the central California coast.
The Nightster has a comfortable upright seating position.
In my mind, Harley’s have always possessed some mystic intimidation factor. Whether it was the hardened leather-clad rider, or just the sheer size of the bike, something about them always looked and felt imposing. Maybe that’s what made them so cool.
Anyway, I felt relieved after a few miles in Rain mode when nothing about the bike seemed all that intimidating in real life. The smooth power delivery and nimble chassis made for a fun ride as we zipped through inner city Santa Barbara. In fact, the toned-down Rain mode made the power super manageable, and I felt right at home after only a few miles. Due to the bike’s lightweight character, we made quick work of the traffic and headed for the outskirts of town. That’s where my confidence began to grow, and I kicked the Nightster into Sport mode.
The Nightster is the only bike in the Harley lineup powered by the new liquid-cooled Revolution Max 975T V-twin.
Sport mode is what most experienced riders will opt for right away. It offers the most aggressive power curve with the least amount of rider interference. More power, more engine braking, you get the idea. This is what I expected a Harley to be. It hits hard and carries long through the midrange rpm. New riders will welcome the Rain and Sport modes, I did, as rider accessibility continues to be a priority for the modern era of the Harley brand.
But once I found that Sport switch, I refused to turn it off for the rest of the ride. I was smiling all day. Tearing up the mountain roads with a big group of guys on similar bikes was pretty much everything I had pictured as a youngster. Regardless of the smaller engine or not, there’s something deep inside your soul that lights up when you grab a punchy hit of the throttle and hear that deep gurgly grunt.
Modern yet simple.
Another surprise to me was the overall agility of the bike. As I mentioned before, the reduced weight was a welcomed surprise from what I initially expected. The Nightster cruises comfortably at freeway speeds and easily cuts up the canyon roads too. An increased lean angle allows the bike to maneuver side-to-side with little input from the rider. Front and rear brakes provided confident stopping power and the ABS worked without any hiccups. This again minimizes fatigue and makes for a more enjoyable experience for the duration of the trip.
Rider aids like ABS, traction control and Harley’s Drag-Torque Slip Control System (DSCS) also complement the Nightster’s three ride modes.
Over 120 miles later we found ourselves back at the Santa Barbara coastline. My backside felt a bit tender towards the end of our ride, but I’ll just chalk it up to my inexperience in that upright Harley riding position. Overall, the new Nightster exceeded every one of my preconceived expectations. A lightweight character paired with a modern, sporty motor—what’s not to love?
I understand that shifting directions is something die-hard Harley owners might sneer at, but for newcomers to the scene, myself included, this seems like a go-to ride. At a reasonable $13,499 price tag and three available color options, the Nightster will surely cater to a wide variety of customers. And as a new generation of Nightster hits the roads, I personally can’t wait to see how users begin to customize this ride. The only real complaint I had was not being able to take it home with me. CN
2022 Harley-Davidson Nightster Specifications
| MSRP |
$13,499 |
| Engine Type |
Revolution Max 975T |
| Cooling System: |
Liquid |
| Displacement |
975cc |
| Bore x Stroke |
97 x 66mm |
| Compression Ratio |
12:01 |
| Horsepower |
90 hp |
| Torque |
70 ft.-lbs. |
| Fueling |
Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI) |
| Transmission |
6-speed |
| Exhaust |
2-into-1; catalyst in header |
| Front Suspension |
41mm Showa Dual Bending Valve conventional fork |
| Rear Suspension |
Dual outboard shocks, direct-acting (no linkage) with coil springs, preload adjust |
| Front Wheel |
19 in. |
| Rear Wheel |
16 in. |
| Front Tire |
Dunlop 100/90-19 57H |
| Rear Tire |
Dunlop 150/80B16 77H |
| Front Brake |
Single rotor, floating – axially mounted, 4-piston caliper |
| Rear Brake |
Solid uniform expansion rotor – floating, 1-piston caliper |
| Wheelbase |
61.3 in. |
| Rake |
30° |
| Seat Height |
27.1 in. |
| Ground Clearance |
4.5 in. |
| Fuel Capacity |
3.1 gal. |
| Weight (wet, claimed) |
481 lbs. |
