2022 Harley-Davidson Nightster - Sportbike In A Cruiser Chassis

The 2022 Harley-Davidson Nightster feels like a sportbike in a cruiser chassis, but will the high level of performance be enough to justify the huge shift in Sportster design? The 2022 Harley-Davidson Nightster is a balance struck. It’s a machine defined by its backward-looking silhouette, but also a machine developed with strict performance requirements. This bike performs at a level far exceeding any Evo Sportster, but it’s a different motorcycle with a new look, sound, and feel. Willie G. Davidson was fond of saying that form follows function, but both report to emotion. Will 2022 Nightster’s vaguely nostalgic silhouette be enough to satisfy traditionalists? Or is the quality of the ride good enough for the new bike to overcome these changes in form and succeed on its performance merits? The first time I saw the full production Nightster in the metal was on a foggy morning in Santa Barbara, California. I was obviously not looking at the monoshock chassis of the Sportster S; this looked like something more familiar, at least from across the parking lot. Two shocks mount to a rectangular steel swingarm and struts on the rear fender. There’s a fuel-tank-shaped metal piece in front of the seat reminiscent of the classic Sportster peanut tank. But as I got up close, it was more difficult to see traces of the old Sporty. That “fuel tank” is actually a cover for the airbox, and connectors and wires are visible underneath. Under the seat and extending to below the swingarm is a 3.1-gallon matte black steel gas tank—essentially stuffed into the center of the bike—somehow looking bulbous and out of place. I wondered if such a technical and performance-driven shift in Sportster design would be justified by the bike’s level of performance. Then I got on the bike and rode out of the parking lot, and visible wiring and gas tank placement didn’t cross my mind until I got off again. Engine At the heart of this new Nightster is the Revolution Max 975T engine. The first we heard of a 975 RevMax was in the Bronx streetfighter concept, and this engine’s character is definitely more typical of a sportbike than a cruiser. It revs up quickly and doesn’t hit the limiter until over 9,500 rpm. It delivers a claimed 90 hp and 70 pound-feet of torque, though that torque isn’t delivered in the immediate fashion seen in air-cooled V-twins. Instead, the Revolution Max revs up to deliver close-to-peak torque in the 3,000–6,000 rpm range. The liquid-cooled 60-degree V-twin differs from the 1250T in the Sportster S in several ways. Along with a decrease in displacement, the smaller Revolution Max received new cylinders, pistons, and camshafts. The Nightster’s engine has only one spark plug per cylinder where the Sportster S gets two, and its four-valve heads get variable valve timing on only the intakes. Nightster chief engineer Kyle Wick said these features were left off because from the company’s perspective they did not provide enough value to the customer to justify the costs. The 975T is also balanced differently than the 1250T, with three counterbalancers tuned to deliver a feeling reminiscent of past models, transmitting more engine pulse and vibration to the handlebars, seat, and footpegs. Ride Modes It was only a short ride into town, about 10 minutes along the coast road. I put the bike into Rain mode, which reduces power delivery and maximizes traction control. I did not stay in that mode long, but could appreciate it as a nice welcome point for newer riders beyond its obvious use in inclement weather. Sport mode was next, and was the mode that I expected to enjoy the most, but it turned the throttle into more of an on/off switch and required (too) precise control while attempting to avoid a jerky ride. Road mode was where I preferred to spend my time, as it most accurately reflected my right hand’s action on the throttle. Both Road and Sport modes showed excessive traction control intervention on even mildly aggressive launches, the engine hesitating for a second as the bike slowly moved off the line before jumping forward. I experimented by turning off TC and launching with identical technique, and it didn’t result in detectible wheelspin or any loss of control, so it appears to be conservative tuning on H-D’s part. Traction control is not independently adjustable, but can be easily switched off which, after this test, I did every time I restarted the bike until the end of the day. Leaving town, I headed up Highway 33 toward Ojai for lunch. In a mere moment, the cliffs and beaches of Santa Barbara were behind me and I was carving the winding blacktop toward Los Padres National Forest. Full story here: https://www.cycleworld.com/story/motorcycle-reviews/harley-davidson-nightster-first-ride-review-2022/ Subscribe to Cycle World Youtube: /c/cycleworld Read more from Cycle World: https://www.cycleworld.com/ Buy Cycle World Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/cycleworld

Category