2023 Harley-Davidson Nightster Review From A Sportster Owner
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- Опубліковано 27 січ 2023
- #Ryda #YourFavoriteMotovlogger
As a long time Sportster owner I had to compare the Nightster to see how it stacks up to take over the Sportster legacy.
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I was looking at getting a nightster last year but after getting a price quote which started at $13,500 and ended at $18,000 plus I decided I would wait and see what other options are available. Then the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 came and that is nice bike with more reasonable price.
I gotta check it out out. Have you ridden one?
I'm 72 y/o and ride FLH's. The Meter650 has caught my nostalia eyes. The Interceptor is tempting as it reminds me of my 650 BSA Thunderbolt I rode in the late 60's, but the super meter is more cruiseresq which I dig!
You made the right choice. There’s no justification to letting the dealerships make you pay $18k for a $13k bike. Out the door should be no more than $15k. Just sounds like they charged you a market adjustment fee or a dealership fee. If so don’t do business with those guys. They want to steal from you.
Same here. I went to check out a Nightster and realized that Harely can't sell you tons of add ons on the new bikes. The Rev Max engine is high tech and you just can't throw a Big Bore kit, different handlebars (the electric system is fully integrated into the bars), etc. so Harley wants to "make up" the margin by adding an extra $3-4k to the price.
R.E. makes two affordable dual sport bikes.
*The Nightster is on it's THIRD model year and there's barely any custom parts for it.* I think the Nightster was made to serve two purposes: 1) lure new riders into stores so they can be up-sold the larger bikes; and, 2) provide Europe and Asia with a "real" American cruiser that works just like what they would normally buy.
As a European, I don't think that is what we're looking for in an American cruiser. I just looked up pre-owned prices for both the 975 Nightster and Sporty S (from private sellers) in my neck of the woods and it's not rare to find very young, low mileage examples for around 25 percent off MSRP. Almost like with any other used, non-H-D motorcycle .. :) Granted: The Sportster S in particular is quite a bit overpriced in my country IMO (€18k or USD 19,900), but I think my point stands. Plus the more popular XL Sporty variants still hold their value incredibly well in my market, even very early, low mileage 48s are still at least 10 to 12k. This, and as you pointed out, the fact that there aren't very many aftermarket parts available seems to point to the market not really embracing these new bikes. Which isn't all that surprising. Neither the V-Rod nor the Street were huge successes for H-D AFAIK and the new Sporties remind me more of these two bikes than of the OG Sporty they're meant to replace. I don't mind the fact that they're liquid-cooled or come with modern features and driver-aids, but I do mind the way they're designed and finished.
Bought this bad boi as a starter to work on my credit/first bike.
Heidi and I were just talking about this bike last night and commenting on what a good looking bike it is. I've never ridden one, but I've heard that it's a blast....like you said. I really hope that these new Sportsters are successful. Great video!!!
Same here. You gotta ride one. It’s so fun. Thanks again
Yo I’m glad to be getting back to riding soon! I laid my 48 down last year due to a stupid driver on a cell phone. I gotta make a video about it but man it’s just too cold here! Ride safe and as always, great content!
Appreciate it. Ride safe.
Hello from sunny Singapore! Thanks for sharing and honestly i enjoyed your Nighster review so much as compared to others. I'm planning to get my first Harley and this should be the bike for me after your review. I'm 47 yrs old and have been riding my Yamaha SR 400 for a while. Thanks again.
Glad it helped with your decision. It’s a blast to ride.
Thanks Ryda , I’m a traditional Sporty boy (old geeser ) now I have to go and test that Nighster , it looks more like a Sporty than the S , it might be a monster with the 1250 engine 🤔
It has the 975 but it’s so fast
Gotta say I like the look of the nightster
Same here
I've seen the S model, and it's a nice looking ride. The wheel and tire combo looks great, it gives the bike a different look. This particular bike reminds me of my VRod.
They are so fast
After having sporsters for 10 years as much as I miss that evolution engine and the sound harley . bought the nightster and love it got to move with the times
True.
This bike looks exactly like the one I bought in September. (I'll see your VROD as a redheaded stepchild, and raise you the 750 Street Rod I traded in) I've added a pillion seat and pegs. I was able to get mine on sale, so instead of 15k it was 12k otd which was a little easier to handle. I've been very happy with it so far. It's smooth, it's reasonably fast, and corners like it's on rails.
When I first got the bike home, I didn't realize it was in "rain mode", and was disappointed with the power. Once I saw how to adjust the riding modes I was pleasantly surprised with the power it had in "road mode", and it's excellent for commuting over the bad roads between my house and work. Sport mode is great fun, the whole tone of the engine changes. No complaints about this bike.
Nice. Did you upgrade the exhaust
I purchased a 2022 Nightster last October. Traded my 2021 883 and I love the Nightster. Go get one
Nice. I’m still holding on to my EVO but if I get some extra cash I’d definitely buy one.
I never thought an evo sportster was heavy. The only time I felt the weight was when I rode on deep gravel. I never thought the weight felt too high.
I own one and love it
I bought the he Nightster special and don’t plan on changing anything. Such a fun bike as is. Added a couple saddle bags but that’s it. It’s my go to bike and and I have two sportsters and a fat boy.
Did you add an exhaust?
I have a 2022 model and I actually like the look of the left side... gives off that skeletal look to me
You know i ride a evo sporty , and love it , would i get rid of mine to get on h$ll no , would i get one to ride its poss. Not big on exhaust , but everything else i can deal with
That exhaust needs desperately upgraded
Great review of the bike. You did you had a vrod. I owned 2 vrods and loved them. How does the nightster compare? Vance and Hines had not made atuner available yet or exhaust and that concerns me.
It’s a different ride than the Vrod. I’d say it’s dinner and handle better.
I was comparing the Nightster to the Scout Rogue last year and test rode both. I ended up with the Rogue. The Nightster wasn't a bad motorcycle. It was fun to ride and handled well, actually a little better than the Rogue. I also liked the little features it came with too. But, the Rogue had a more comfortable seating position and it's styling is much better. But ultimately it was the "Harley tax" combined with the fact the Nightster I test rode started leaking transmission fluid after pulling into the parking lot that sealed the deal for me.
I get that.
Which of the two (sportster and Rogue) felt more powerful?
This is my first bike and I like it 🤷🏻♂️
I love it
I sat on a Nightster at a HD dealer while my 2022 48 was getting it's thousand mile servce. Can't believe i'm thinking about trading it in on a nightster.
Keep the 48 and buy the nightster
Im a EVO 1200 sportser kinda dude.
I am also but this Nightster is fast.
Here is Australia the model is selling fast and no stock with few dealers. I have a street rod 750 and it is such a great bike(revolution Max is good)
Nice. Have you ridden one
@@theinfinitryda nope. I have not taken any test rides on nightster. I’m happy with street rod 750 which I have mod for all my needs.
Hey I went and checked one out yesterday. I'm 6'1 and it fit good . But man it felt so cheap. Not solid. Did you get the same feeling compared to your Quin?
It’s just lighter material like all new bikes
I like the bike, just traded my 2022 Nightster in for a 2023 Nightster Special... I like the upgrades especially the 2" higher and 1" back handlebar riser, 4" infotainment display and cruise control... wish it sounded more like a Harley but it will in due time...
Nice. I plan on riding one soon
Did you find the special worth it over the base nightster?
Nothing is ever going to make the RevMax engines sound good. It's in their design.
@@alexv5581 yes, I really like the display and cruise control sold me on the upgrade… plus it comes with a passenger pillion and foot pegs…
S&S makes I nice slip on for it 😊
i went for the nightster special love everything about it except that damn leaf blower lol
Lol. Gotta get rid of that leaf blower. I thinks it’s some exhausts out for it now
I've had 103, 114 baggers, 107, 114 AND 117 soft tails, BMWs and a Vulcan.
THE NIGHTSTER S is the fastest, most nimble one yet for the mountain twisties. I am putting on S&S Slip ons. Should be here before next weeks 6 day trip in the Blue Ridge Twisties.
Nice. These bikes are a blast to ride and extremely quick.
I brought a @)@# Nightster Special have fitted a S&S Grand National Slip on Muffler with the dB reducer removed much better Sound . still nothing like a big V twin . it is a very quick bike . has more high tech features on it compared to the Nightster . I also ride a 2019 Softail Slim since new 73000kms on it now . Love my new Nightster Special . far better bike than my old 883 Iron
Nice. I love the display on it
i want the new nightster s
I can’t wait to see that one in person
We need more innovation. I was disappointed we didnt get more new models for the 2023 run but the fact that these liquid cooled bikes are coming stock with numbers we have to dump thousands of extra dollars into staging out an evo to get close to, is a big move in the right direction.
Definitely. But I do still love my Sportster
@The Infinit Ryda Same. I'll never trade or sell my evo. Ill have that bike forever. Ive put so much money and thought into mods and customization that bike screams me.
Nope... its the nail in coffin for Harley. The woke mob has killed the all American Iron brand.
They have literally brought themselves down to the Polaris, I mean Indian level of quality and shitty fit and finish. These are throw away junk bikes. Good luck
1000cc with 90 HP? What’s the redline?
I honestly didn’t check. I’ll find out
Only thing that makes me upset about the Nightster, there’s little aftermarket support for anything other than exhaust
I think you left this comment before
That looks like a 2022. I didn’t think 2023 came in red. Well, red isn’t on the website as an option.
Correction red isn’t an option on the 23 Nightster Special.
Yeah. It’s the regular Nightster
My evo sportster was a good entry bike or race bike I have a buell s1 with a sportster 1200 engine and I have a evo fat boy
Nice. I bet that Buell moves
I like the vrod. Lol
I liked it too
I have the 2022 nightster and I absolutely hate it. I use to ride all the time and now my bike sits in the garage collecting dust cause it brings no excitement to me. Looking to go this week and trade it in… think I’ll stick to sports bike.
What do you hate and what did you have before
Is this a rebel 500 or 1100
Lol. Really?
Did Harley give the Nightster more than 2" of travel in the rear suspension? Or, will to kill your kidneys like its earlier cousin does?
Not sure but it definitely won’t kill your kidneys. Lol
I like this bike. I like innovation and modern performance. I HATE the price tag!!! I waited two years for it and when it came out I said “Hell No!” This bike should be $11-$12k and the special $13.5k. Especially with these surcharges and freight and dealer fees! I bought a Low Rider S instead and I’m most likely done buying new Harleys until they make some major changes.
I agree on the price.
Amen buddy
The problem for me is they have taken away how much customising you can do with that false tank i like to do longer rides
but don't want a bike that ways 300kg but as is you cant put a bigger tank on this bike spoils it for me also hoping they do a 1200 version.
Agreed
Welcome to modern motorcycle design and performance
Hmmmm.
Just buy all three colors of the air box and just switch them out when you get bored with one color.
That’s a good idea. Lol
ill never sell my 06 sporty last year of the carb
I have an 07 and will not sell it either
they could have covered up the eyesore from the front of the tank to the neck
Agreed
The main thing that got me into Harley's was they were bikes you could wrench on yourself in your own garage. These new Sportsters sound like something you can't work on yourself and if I have to always let the dealer work on it that doesn't sound like something I would want to own.
I've also seen a few videos of these Revmax Sportsters with aftermarket pipes and they sound really bad. The stock pipe is probably your best option on that engine.
Sound is absolutely terrible and it's a dealbreaker.
Also don't know why they shelved the nice graphics on the airbox in favor of that bare logo. Much uglier.
Yeah they definitely aren’t as easy to work on as an EVO Sportster
Stop living in the past. The bike actually is a sports cruiser as a Sportster should be. The 883 was a slow, heavy, aging bike.The nightster shedded a lot of weight, gained power, more refined, sounds good. What's the problem here ? I am not a Harley guy and I am objective, I like good motorcycles. Good job Harley Davidson for actually innovating. Now people around my age are interested in this brand.
@@alexv5581 The points I made have nothing to do with living in the past. It has to do with priorities, standards, and not liking motorcycles that look and sound like crap.
If I wanted a bike that looked and sounded that way I could save thousands of dollars and buy from a brand that does that type of bike better.
@@alexv5581 I agree with shedded weight, gained power, and refinement. They also handle wonderfully.
It absolutely does not sound good, it sounds like shit. It also isn't close to the old 883 in build quality with materials, fit & finish, and paint, yet it's more expensive. I agree Harley should've innovated, but they went about it in the completely wrong manner, they basically made a better-looking and nicer Rebel but are charging quite a bit more for it.
There's no reason they couldn't have made a powerful liquid-cooled engine that still sounded the part. They did it with the Revolution in the V-Rod over 20 years ago. Indian's liquid-cooled engines still roar. This was a conscious choice to release an engine that sounds absolutely weak, and it matters. I ride an Evo, I'm all for an upgrade and I would've bought a Nightster, but it's a dealbreaker for me.
Gas tank could be an open storage box
It’s the airbox
The left side still not finished
It’s finished to them. Lol
Beware of crooked dealership. Never buy a H.D. get a used one on Facebook & still get screwed!
I LOVE the looks of the Sportser S, performance is awesome, handling and braking all awesome but the exhaust note is the worst of anything i have ever heard. Its like nails on a chalkboard to me for some reason lol I have heard all sorts of aftermarket exhausts and that just makes the horrid noise louder, not better in any way. The looks of the nightster just looks very cheap to me. I'm not a anti plastic guy at all, i have a 2009 XR1200 which got a lot of hate from the Harley guys when it came out for the plastic look, but it still felt like quality. These new sportys look so cheap and it was like Harley rushed a product out there unfinished. Then the price for these new worse soundin sportster is much higher then previously. HD better find a way to make these new rev max engines sound good is all I can say or they are gonna have another "street" repeat.
I wish they would of just updated the EVO
@@theinfinitryda agreed or at least carried over the evos here in the states since we don't require those stricter emmissions standards like in Europe. I think they should have kept usin that XR1200 engine after they dropped the bike too.
If they could of turned the fake tank into a storage box that would of been really nice
Yeah. But it kind of is. It stores the air box. lol. J/k that would be cool though
They got a lot of things right. But the things they got wrong are really wrong. 1) price, it’s ridiculous. This is a borderline sport bike. Why would I buy this when the Japanese make sport and naked bikes that are better, more reliable, and cheaper. Before, the iron and the evo engine were things that separated Harley’s product from everything else. Now that’s not the case. 2) quality, that fact that the bike looks THAT different from side to side. One side finished and other side just straight up bare and literally unfinished. How did this get approved off the factory line. That was a horrible idea and smth that’s going to bite Harley in the ass. Harley’s are known for being decadent and their looks in general. They really have no idea what they’re doing but ig its new to them. Hopefully they’ll fix the look and make the bike look the same on both sides. They’re being way too ambitious. Nightster should’ve dropped first. And they should‘be put more money into developing the bike FULLY. Not half assing it. I get cost cuttings need to happen but my god. If they keep this up I’ll never get a new Harley even though I really want one. Iron’s and the used market is still they way to go. SMH Shame on Harley for digging themselves in a deeper hole.
Yeah. The price is a little high also. But everything costs more now.
You're talking like a grandpa honestly, love how the bike looks. It's better in every way compared to that dinosaur 883
Looks like the best foreign bike around. Not a Harley! But as long as the Sportster Carrie’s on, I’m OK with it.
I hope others are too
HD calling this a "NIghtster" is a dealbreaker for me.
Why is that
@@theinfinitryda They already have a slick bike called the Nightster.
3.1 gal tank? That's not enough.
Just gotta fill up more often
Same motor as the pan america....sportster is de tuned to 100....hook a PC to it and put it in pan america mode....150 hp
It’s a 975 the pan am has the 1250
That isn't how it works...like at all.
Every time I think I'm starting to warm up to the looks of these new Sportsters, I see a pic of their left side and think "naw... still looks like an unfinished mess".
I agree with that
You'd expect Harley to have an owner's manual
What do you mean?
Its no longer Evolution Its Revolution. Kinda opposite of what Willy G. said once.
Truth
I don't want all the modes. Give me ABS and I'm good.
Gotta have some mods
@@theinfinitryda Well, there's your xtra $4k in the price.
Nightster975 2023 vs Royal Enfield interceptor super method 650 😮😮😮
Hmmmm. I wish I could get my hands on a Royal Enfield. Those aren’t too popular in the states
Rather have an indian scout. The scout at least looks way better than this bike hands diwn and oretty much has tge same engine
I’m not a huge fan of the look of the scout
that is not any type of sporster
It’s the evolution of the sportstet
Lmao this is a slow as hell bike but it’s a perfect beginner or commuter
Oh that bike is far from slow. Have you ridden it
@@theinfinitryda yes my buddy has a Gen 1 and my brother in law has a Gen 2 2023. I have seat time and raced them on my ADV bike and won. They are ok speed and great commuters but certainly not fast by any means. Hell even my bike ain’t fast compared to R1 or similar.
Calling the sportster fast is like calling a Prius fast.
Overpriced, this bike should of been under $10k
Eh
Yea we get it. It's fun, nimble and fast. But try riding it for a few hundred miles, only stopping when you need fuel and then tell us what you think. All these new sportsters/nightsters are just good for around town, barhopping, and little rides through the mountains or up the coast. Useless for all day rides
...okay? They're literally made to do exactly what you said they're good for.
You want to ride all day comfortably, go get a touring bike. You know, the ones made specifically for that purpose.
Comments like this are like bitching that forks are bad for eating soup.
Well that’s what a Sportster is. It’s not a touring bike. Certain bikes are made for certain things.
You're saying nonsense lol
A Sportster is supposed to be fun,nimble, and fast ??
Wtf are you talking about my guy ?
It's like me bitching about my 4runner being bad at taking on corners. Go search up a cruiser smart guy
I'm 50 with a wrecked back and ride my xr1200 all day, maybe you are just a little soft?
@@billwilliamson9842 you sir are awesome