Santa Barbara, California. Like the Pan America and the Sportster S launched last year, the new 2022 Sportster Nightster is another part of the extremely interesting transition Harley-Davidson is currently going through. And like the other two, the Nightster’s mission is also to convince new customers to finally take a look at the Motor Company’s products. How it goes about achieving that, though, is quite different.
Unlike the Pan America which entered Harley in an entirely new class and the rolling concept that is the Sportster S, the Nightster’s role is to bring together the before and the after of Harley-Davidson’s transition. It accomplishes this by combining a totally new mechanical base with classic styling characteristics borrowed from various air-cooled Sportsters, particularly the 883 Iron and 1200 Forty-Eight. The latter are especially close to the Nightster in terms of general proportions and ergonomics. The styling of the «gas tank» (it’s actually an air box cover; the fuel cell is located under the seat) the fenders, the seat and the bikini fairing also closely tie the Nightster to the 883 and 1200. The excepted effect is achieved as these features do indeed instantly create a sense of familiarity when you first take a seat on the newest Sportster.
Under a classic shell, all-new stuff
The sensation is, however, short-lived and pretty much ends the moment the starter button is pushed. Instead of the various primitive noises and heavy pulsing of the rubber-mounted Evolution V-Twin, on the Nightster, the rider is welcomed into a mechanical ambiance defined by the discreet tone and smooth operation of the rigid-mounted Revolution Max V-Twin. This all-new engine was launched on the Pan America in a 1252 cc, 150 hp version, then used on the Sportster S in a 1252 cc, 121 hp «T» version. The Nightster is the first model to get the lower displacement 975cc , 90 hp version called the Revolution Max 975T. As on the 1250, the T indicates the motor is tuned to maximize torque, which in this case peaks at 70 ft-lb at a low 5000 rpm. Horsepower peaks at 7500 rpm, 2000 rpm before the 9500 rpm rev limit. By comparison, the old Evolution V-Twin was most pleasant and useful between idle and about 3500 rpm. With liquid cooling, 4 valves and 2 cams per cylinder, an integrated 6-speed gearbox and a relatively high-revving nature, the Revolution Max shares no characteristic whatsoever with the Evolution. Rather, it’s directly comparable to most modern Japanese or European Twins. The American engine is somewhat set apart by a narrow 60 degree Vee that helps keep its length in check, but its most interesting feature is the central role it plays in the chassis architecture. As with the Sportster S, the Nightster doesn’t really have a frame, but rather uses a pair of steel front and back structures directly bolted to the engine; they act as mounting points for their respective suspension. According to Harley-Davidson, some flex is built into the attachment points to help handling.
The combination of the frameless architecture and the compact new powertrain cuts weight by about 35 kg vs the Sportster 1200 Forty-Eight. While the Nightster’s 218 kg curb weight is very reasonable for a cruiser with almost a liter of displacement, once on the road, the new Sportster reveals a remarkably lighter than expected feel thanks to efforts to centralize mass, like the under-seat positioning of the fuel cell. The result is a bike that’s very easy to lift off its stand and light to maneuver both at slow and high speeds.
Great performance, much improved handling
Another combination, that of the reasonable weight and the V-Twin’s 90 hp, gives the Nightster the ability to accelerate hard enough to even satisfy an experienced rider. Actually, because of the relaxed riding position and some mechanical limits —like the short travel of the rear shocks— along with the pleasant torque available at almost all rpms, it never feels like more power is really needed when riding the Nightster. To put this in perspective, the Sportster S’s 121 hp are enough to lift its front wheel under full acceleration in first gear, which gets almost frightening because of the extreme feet forward riding position. Fortunately, the Nightster’s ergos are way more tolerable thanks to its mid-mount footpegs. The additional inch of rear-wheel travel vs the Sportster S (3 in vs 2 in) is also truly welcome. It definitely doesn’t turn the Nightster into a touring machine, but at least, unlike the Sportster S, the rear suspension doesn’t mercilessly hammer the rider’s back, a much appreciated improvement.
Like the new engine characteristics, handling has also been modernized on the Nightster. While the lower weight and mass centralization efforts pay significant dividends, other factors also bring important handling improvements. One of the most interesting is simply increased ground clearance. The few additional cornering degrees available may not seem like much on paper, but on the road, their effect is considerable as they allow the bike to lean just enough to enjoy a twisty road, something that just may never have been said about a Sportster cruiser before. A good portion of the new model’s press launch itinerary was spent on Route 33, East of Santa Barbara. It’s one of those great California roads that snake through mostly uninhabited mountains where traffic is light and every corner exit reveals an even cooler vista. It’s the type of road that becomes a perfect playground for a sportbike ridden hard, but normally offers no more than a nice ride opportunity to a cruiser. The Nightster surprised by welcoming a pace that may not have been spectacularly fast, but remained fun nonetheless. The limiting factor in corners is still ground clearance as various parts do end up touching down left and right, but at least, it doesn’t happen prematurely and even allows for long bends to be ridden at quite high speeds. This, in turn, revealed the solid feel of the chassis, excellent stability and both light and precise steering. Again, not exactly the kind of compliments normally associated with Sportsters. As for braking, despite the single disc at the front, it’s perfectly sufficient.
Finally, as almost all modern motorcycles do, the Nightster offers 3 ride modes: Sport, Road and Rain. The first two maintain full power with a smoother throttle response on the second, but Rain cuts power by about 30 percent. With about 63 hp left, accelerations are considerably mellower, making Rain mode an interesting feature for new riders potentially intimidated by the full 90 hp. ABS, traction control and a rear wheel lock prevention system round up the electronic rider aids the Nightster comes equipped with.
A complex verdict
To conclude the Nightster test with a clear verdict isn’t as simple as it normally would be. On the one hand, in every dynamic metric, important improvements versus the previous generation are as numerous as they are obvious: performance is way up, handling is much improved, ease of riding makes a significant jump and the engine is infinitely more modern, smooth and refined. All this is enveloped in elegant styling that doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, but rather respectfully celebrates traditional Sportster design cues.
On the other hand, it is very much possible to see things differently and feel that the new motor unfortunately loses the uniqueness that the previous V-Twin’s rudimentary architecture guaranteed, even if the price to pay for this strong character was lower power.
The way one perceives the new Nightster’s progress, then, is intimately linked to the relation one had with Harley-Davidson products up to this point. For hard-core fans of the brand who’ve been riding the Motor Company’s bikes forever, the shock of a V-Twin very similar in feel to what Japanese or European manufacturers offer might just be too much. It’s not impossible they simply choose to give the cold shoulder to this new Sportster generation. We’ll see. Harley-Davidson is well aware of this and reminds its customers that air-cooled 883 and 1200 Sportsters are still part of the lineup, at least for now. Harley also points out the fact that an immense number of air-cooled Sportsters have been sold, so if someone should absolutely need one in the future, the used bike market will offer a vast choice.
In the end, it’s pretty obvious the new Nightster just hasn’t been built for riders whose relationship with Harley-Davidson is borderline religious, but rather for the rest of motorcyclists who, for the longest time, have relentlessly expressed their dislike at the perceived antique architecture of the Milwaukee brand’s air-cooled engines and the general lack of refinement that became a Sportster trademark. To these potential new customers, Harley-Davidson not only offers an entirely reengineered product, but also one that’s been improved by specifically addressing those aforementioned «regular motorcyclist» issues. Which doesn’t mean the Sportster Nightster is perfect either. For example, the rear suspension is still harsh on bad pavement and fit and finish could and should be better (many apparent wires, cheap-looking plastic parts, stuff that shouldn’t be visible at the bottom of the «gas tank», radiator that should be better hidden) considering the higher $16499 price —$2500 more than the 2022 Sportster 1200 Forty-Eight.
Harley-Davidson gambled several times these past few years. Some bets paid big, like the Pan America, while others didn’t get the hoped-for success, like the Livewire. The new Nightster will probably end up somewhere in between, but only time can tell where exactly.
