The up-spec Harley-Davidson Nightster Special has just landed in Australia. Zane has been checking out the H-D that could convert sportsbike riders to the cruiser life... Photos: Impact
The Harley-Davidson Nightster promises to be the new entry point for riders looking to get into the brand. Powered by the Revolution Max engine and packed with heaps of tech on the Special model, it’s one of the least recognisable H-D’s ever… Which might be a good thing.
The Harley-Davidson Nightster promises to be the new entry point for riders looking to get into the brand. Zane spent some time with the new Nightster Special, check out what he thought of it.
When you think of a Harley-Davidson, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? For me, it’s the thumping torque, a distinctive rattle, stripped back to the bare basics and engine dimensions that make Japanese bikes self-conscious of their size. What if I told you there is a new Harley on the block that is the opposite of everything I just wrote?
Read our review of the Standard Nightster here…
The new Nightster came onto the scene as an option for riders to ease themselves into the brand. I understand it’s quite daunting to go from something like a 600cc sportsbike onto a humongous 2000cc+ bike. I personally have never had an issue with the power application of some of the big Harley-Davidsons, but I can see people being intimidated by it.
This is where the new Revolution Max 975 comes in handy, throwing a leg over the new Nightster S and cranking the starter to find a quiet and low vibration engine is a seriously strange feeling on a Harley-Davidson. The choice to go with dual-overhead cams instead of pushrods contributes to the Rev Max’s smooth nature.
Taking off from Fraser Motorcycles in Wollongong and the unchartered territory of the Nightster S continues, this thing loves to build power up until the redline!
Taking off from Fraser Motorcycles in Wollongong and the unchartered territory of the Nightster S continues, this thing loves to build power up until the redline! Historically, Harley-Davidson have always been proud of their torque figures but left their power figures a bit of a mystery. This is one of those bikes they really need to pat themselves on the back for how sporty the engine is.
I instantly feel like I want to hit the twisties and a quick Nasho run is on the cards just 30 minutes after picking the bike up. Not feeling the need to constantly change gears to access the grunt of a conventional Harley-Davidson, you enter turns with confidence as you pile those revs on out of the corners. It soon becomes evident that the Nightster is not your typical H-D.
The Nightster actually feels faster than it’s claimed power of 67kW! It’s the surprising nature of a Harley-Davidson motor that actually revs quite hard…
The sound it makes sounds closer to an Italian V-Twin rather than an American one. Yes 67kW@7500rpm is not the most impressive spec sheet but it’s certainly not slow at all. It has plenty of up and go in the “Sport” mode and it’s still not lacking in the torque department with 95Nm@5000rpm…
“The overall fun character of the Revolution Max would be heavily improved by a quick-shifter or any shift assist at all.”
The overall fun character of the Revolution Max would be heavily improved by a quick-shifter. The shifter actually gets fatiguing on the foot after a while and causes your foot to hurt on up shifts because it really needs to be slammed into gear. I know it’s characteristic of Harley-Davidson to have a real mechanical feel to their gearboxes, but it doesn’t match this engine…
“I can’t believe these words are leaving my fingers, but man is this Harley sporty. These forks are spectacular for such a big bike…”
I can’t believe these words are leaving my fingers, but man is this Harley sporty. These forks are spectacular for such a big bike, the way the front-end tracks through the twisties with such confidence inspires the Nightster S to be seriously playful as it holds its line through the turns and tips from side to side with ease. It just goes to show that SHOWA know how to tackle a wide range of chassis’ to make them spectacular to ride!
“The way the front-end tracks through the twisties with such confidence inspires the Nightster S to be seriously playful as it holds its line through the turns and tips from side to side with ease.”
I’m not a massive fan of the shocks, they do perform decently through the twisties but overall comfort could be improved greatly with a longer stroke and some more rear wheel travel. You can really feel the potholes at the rear and because the forks do such a great job soaking them up the back feels worse.
The overall ergonomics of the Nightster are accessible for a wide range of riders, short, tall and everyone in between. The seat height is quite low, meaning you can firmly plant both feet on the ground. Something like this is uber confidence inspiring for a rider making the switch onto their first “big bike”. With that being said, there isn’t a sense of being cramped on the Nightster. At 183cm my knees don’t hit anything but there’s still a comfortable reach for the handlebars.
“There isn’t a sense of being cramped on the Nightster. At 183cm my knees don’t hit anything but there’s still a comfortable reach for the handlebars.”
The stand is your typical Harley-Davidson Jiffy stand which will give you a heart attack the first few times you put it down. The bike won’t start in gear with the stand down, but it will allow you to engage a gear and ride away with the stand down. Riding with the stand down is a safety hazard and H-D’s are some of the only bikes that wont cut the power when you put it in gear. Another oddity is the seat hinge is on the stand side, meaning when you fill the tank you have to lift the nozzle over the bike and 99 per cent of the time you’ll drip fuel on it! You have to park leaning away from the fuel bowser.
To match the fun character of the suspension and engine, a brake upgrade is really needed. The braking system is handled by Brembo which feels excellent, having another disc and caliper on the front would heavily improve the sporty nature of the Nightster. A little too much pressure on the lever is needed and it’s not the most pleasant feeling that’s for sure. The rear brake has plenty of feeling to it though, leveraging it makes the Nightster S feel weightless as you ride at low speeds.
The changeable riding modes are a nice addition to further improve rideability for customers making the switch to the brand. The power maps can be changed to allow for a smoother low-down torque application, eliminating some of the fear from those thumping V-twins.
The Nightster Special has a plethora of assists included, a nice change from the minimalistic nature of a typical Harley.
The Drag-Torque Slip Control System (DSCS) and Traction Control System (TCS) do an awesome job to stop the rolling burnouts that these bikes have been famous for. While the lesser-torque figure does contribute to an inability to lose traction of the rear, even while trying to drop the clutch the assists do an epic job of cutting in.
“The interface on the Nightster S is seriously one of the easiest I’ve ever used… there’s separate buttons for almost every feature which allows you to know exactly what to hit.”
There isn’t actually a lot that separates the Nightster S from the standard Nightster, the main thing is the TFT dash and all the goodies included with it. Now, my pet-peeve among manufacturers is that they expect everyone is tech savvy. Even though I’m 23 and should know my way around most electronic devices, I do still struggle with some interfaces on bikes.
This is where Harley-Davidson have really shined, the interface on the Nightster S is seriously one of the easiest I’ve ever used. Part of what makes it so simple is the integration of clearly labelled buttons, there’s separate buttons for almost every feature which allows you to know exactly what to hit.
Touring on the Nightster S is a breeze thanks to all the gadgets you can play with on the fly.
Connecting a phone is an absolute breeze, the Bluetooth system instantly picks it up and there is no real need to download a separate app to use the screen. In addition to this, connecting my Cardo Spirit HD to the bike saw an equally easy task. There are buttons on the righthand side of the handlebars that allow you to scroll through your music, activate the voice-command and change the volume. The only gripe I have with this is the fact that the bike doesn’t allow you to increase the volume on your music high enough to hear it clearly, especially considering I’m so hard of hearing.
There are separate pre-sets for what you want up on your screen: A classic cluster, bike analytics, GPS map, music screen and settings. I could not get the GPS to work during my test, it seemed to be lost. The rest of the dash displays all the info you need super clear and simply.
Touring is made even easier thanks to the addition of cruise control on the Special model…
The cruise control is simply spectacular! Again, I’m going on about the buttons, but they’re seriously so easy to use, change and control your speed. It holds the speed you set within 1km/h above or below and it sorts out any speed increases down hill with that adjustable engine braking system included.
If you’ve read any of my other reviews, you already know my feelings on key-less bikes. Something I always test is how far away you can get from the key before the bike tells you it’s no longer nearby. You can’t start the Nightster S unless you’re actually pretty much on it and praise be you cannot even ride 10 metres before the bike actually tells you its gone. One of the most interesting things about the Nightster S is that it’ll cut the revs when there’s a notice on the dash, making you look down and hit ok before you keep going.
Completing the changes for the Nightster S are the styling choices. That retro emblem on the tank looks absolutely spectacular and Harley-Davidson have removed the faring around the headlight on the standard model to make it a Special addition only. The S has those beautiful split spoke wheels, higher handlebars and comes fitted with a pillion seat. Overall, the Nightster S looks absolutely epic…
The bones of the Nightster S are the same as the Standard model, but include some epic tech for not a lot extra.
At $25,995 rideaway it’s actually better value for money than some of the other models in the range, it makes it accessible to a wider range of customers at that price too. We appear to no longer be receiving the standard model here in Australia. But, for the international audience: Would I buy the Standard over the Special to save $2000? Absolutely not.
“The Nightster feels extremely far away from what you expect a traditional H-D to feel like, which was the case with the Street 500. But unlike the Street 500, they haven’t missed the mark with this entry-level machine…”
Harley have done something really smart here. Instead of making a bike cheap and giving customers a taste of what a full-on HOG might be. They’ve taken a leaf out of the sportsbike book and made something fun to ride, something that will draw customers in from their “crotch rockets” to make the switch to the brand and dive into the world of cruisers.
“Harley have taken a leaf out of the sportsbike book and made something fun to ride, something that will draw customers in to make the switch to the brand…”
I enjoyed my time on the Nightster S, each time I ride a Harley-Davidson I question my existence and what I actually enjoy when it comes to motorcycles. I seriously love riding them and I still have yet to ride a H-D that I don’t enjoy. The Nightster feels extremely far away from what you expect a traditional H-D to feel like, which was the case with the Street 500. But unlike the Street 500, they haven’t missed the mark with this entry-level machine…
Tech Talk, Harley-Davidson Nightster
At the heart of the Nightster is the Revolution Max 975T powertrain. It is a liquid-cooled, 60-degree V-Twin with a torque curve that stays flat through the broad powerband. The length and shape of the intake velocity stacks, combined with the airbox volume, are tuned to maximise performance across the rev range, contributing to this is also the DOHC and Variable Valve Timing phasing on the intake valves. Hydraulic valve lash adjustment ensures quiet operation and eliminates the need for costly, complicated servicing procedures.
At the heart of the 2022 Nightster model is the new Revolution Max 975T powertrain…
The Revolution Max 975T powertrain is the central, structural component of the Nightster’s chassis, which significantly reduces weight and results in a stiffer chassis. The tail section structure is lightweight aluminium, while the swingarm is formed of welded rectangular steel tubing and is an attachment point for the dual rear shocks.
Front suspension is 41mm SHOWA Dual Bending Valve conventional forks. The rear sees features dual outboard emulsion-technology shocks with coil springs and a collar for pre-load adjustment.
The Nightster is equipped with a Rider Safety Enhancements suite by Harley-Davidson. The systems are electronic and utilise the latest chassis control, electronic brake control and powertrain technology.
- Antilock Braking System (ABS): The ABS operates independently on front and rear brakes to keep the wheels rolling and prevent uncontrolled wheel lock.
- Traction Control System (TCS): The rider can deactivate TCS in any Ride Mode when the motorcycle is stopped and the engine is running.
- Drag-Torque Slip Control System (DSCS): Designed to adjust engine torque delivery and reduce excessive rear-wheel slip under powertrain-induced deceleration, which typically occurs when the rider makes an abrupt down-shift gear change or quickly reduces the throttle while on wet or slippery road surfaces.
The Nightster has selectable Ride Modes, each Ride Mode consists of a specific combination of power delivery, engine braking, ABS and TCS settings. Selected through the MODE button on the right-hand controller to change the active ride mode while riding or when stopped, with some exceptions.
- Road Mode: Intended for daily use and delivers balanced performance. This mode offers less-aggressive throttle response and less mid-range engine power than Sport Mode, with a higher level of ABS and TCS intervention.
- Sport Mode: Delivers the full performance potential of the motorcycle in a direct and precise manner, with full power and the quickest throttle response. TCS is set to its lowest level of intervention, and engine braking is increased.
- Rain Mode: Designed to give the rider greater confidence when riding in the rain or when traction is otherwise limited. Throttle response and power output are programmed to significantly restrain the rate of acceleration, engine braking is limited, and the highest levels of ABS and TCS intervention are selected.
The things that set the Nightster Special apart from the Nightster include:
- Full-colour TFT with Bluetooth and GPS
- Cruise Control
- Pillion Seat
- Split Spoke Wheels
- Headlight Fairing
- 5in Handlebar Rise.
- Vintage Harley Badging
2023 Harley-Davidson Nightster Special Specifications
Price: From $25,995 Ride-Away
Warranty: two-years unlimited km
Colours: Vivid Black, Black Denim, Bright Billiard Blue or Industrial Yellow
Claimed Power: 67kW
Claimed Torque: 95Nm@5000rpm
Wet Weight: 225kg
Fuel capacity: 11.7L
Consumption: 5.1l/100km (claimed)
Engine: Revolution Max 975T, 975cc, 97 x 66mm bore x stroke, 12.0:1 compression ratio, ESPFI, 2-into-1 exhaust; catalyst in header.
Gearbox: Six-speed, primary drive: 48/89 ratio.
Chassis: Trellis frame, lightweight aluminium rear section. Engine used as a stressed member.
Rake: 30° Trail: 137mm
Suspension: 41mm SHOWA Dual Bending Valve conventional forks. Aluminium triple-clamps, (f) Dual outboard, direct-acting (no linkage) emulsion technology shock absorbers with coil springs and a threaded collar for pre-load adjustment, (r)
Brakes: Single front rotor with Brembo four-piston caliper, single rear rotor and single-piston caliper, ABS
Wheels & Tyres: Aluminium Split seven spoke wheels. Dunlop Harley-Davidson Series Bias Blackwall tyres, 100/90-19 57H (f) 150/80B16 77H (r)
Dimensions:
Wheelbase: 1545mm
Seat height: 705mm
Ground clearance: 110mm
Overall Length: 2250mm
Instruments & Electronics: Full colour TFT with changeable riding modes, Bluetooth and GPS. ABS, TCS and DSCS.
Editor’s Note: If you are reading this article on any website other than BikeReview.com.au, please report it to BikeReview via our contact page, as it has been stolen or re-published without authority.
The Verdict | Review: 2023 Harley-Davidson Nightster Special
Fun!
The up-spec Harley-Davidson Nightster Special has just landed in Australia. Zane has been checking out the H-D that could convert sportsbike riders to the cruiser life…
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