One of the perks of working at West Coast is witnessing new and ground breaking models come into the market. The Nightster® is no exception. Sian and Bruce were lucky enough to travel to Harley-Davidson UK to see the Nightster® in the flesh... or rather metal!
As a long standing Sportster owner, it takes quite a bit to turn Sian's head from her modified XL883R - but the new Nightster® may have just done that.
I love the character, styling and performance of my original Sportster® , of course I needed to modify it in order to get what I wanted but I'm genuinely intrigued to ride the Nightster® . Style wise, the profile is more Sportster centric, with the twin shocks on the back, the shape of the tank. bar shape, even the wheels all hark to my era of bike - but it's cleaner in styling. The fuel range is a big deal for me, I currently get around 100 mile to the tank, so each ride commands a stop off and top up. The Nightster® has a larger capacity, taking a tank full to around 140 miles, even better still, the tank is under the seat, providing low slung weight adding to dynamic handling. The power output looks pretty impressive too, with ride modes to choose from - I can't wait to take for a blast! Crucially for riders on restricted licences, this model can be configured to comply with A2 regulations too, add to that a low seat height, this really is an accessible model. Says Sian.
First thing that struck me was the traditional look of it - it was good to see the twin shock arrangement and a conventional looking lay out - it looked like a proper Sportster® should do. More than anything it looks fun to ride. There are some busy parts to the design, which you wouldn't see on a traditional sportster but then again, it's a whole new set up. The fact that the fuel tank is beneath the seat rather than the conventional position is going to give a lower centre of gravity resulting in better handling. Having ridden the Pan America® and the Sportster S® the revolution max engine is a gem, for those used to revving out their engines get ready to twist your wrist further because this Nighster® revs out to 9500rpm - it puts the sport back in sportster. I can't wait. Says Bruce.
Whilst you could say we're writing with a tiny bit of bias, the Nightster® has received quite a warm welcome by the press. Bennets review was one of the most comprehensive we found, you can watch it here
So, when do you get to see it? Our Nightster® is on the water as we type this and will arrive towards the end of May - there are limited numbers making their way to the UK so if you want to be one of the first to experience the ride or in fact own one - you can go ahead and register with us now sales@westcoastharley.com
Want to read more on the Nighster® ? Full details are right here