Don’t Like Harleys? Could this motorcycle change your mind? Why? Harley-Davidson Nightster Review. 

I bought one because of your review, thank goodness I found your channel, we’re the same size and I watched every video y’all have made, and will continue to do so.

I'm 67 years old and bought the 2023 Harley Nightster Special because I don't plan on any long cross country rides but still like to ride. I've owned all the big heavy 800 pound Harley's but just wanted something light (480 pounds), modern technology, to pop around locally. It's fast, light, modern, and still a Harley. I like it.

I live I the US just outside of Santa Fe, NM, am 73 yrs old, own a ‘62 Pan, a ‘73 Ironhead, a ‘19 FLSL Softail Slim and have just purchased the ‘22 Nightster. I also own several vintage Triumphs and a sport bike as well, a ‘21 April’s RS 660 and find your description of this machine as brilliant to be a worthy assessment. The lines are in perfect proportion to ‘classic’, the handling and feel of the ride are both incredible and the division of performance between the ride modes is spot on and am even mapping out a July gypsy tour for several weeks fitted out as we did it in the ‘70’s, no fairing, minimal gear and just a basic direction for the start. I too found the bar, seat and foot control position to be very good but did switch seats to the Harley ‘Sundowner’ which really is a comfortable all day upgrade. Love your ‘every man Jack’ approach to your reviews and look forward to many more…..

I'm 52 years old. This is my 6th bike but first Harley. The 2023 Nightster Special. I'm still waiting for mine to arrive. It's shipped 😊

Like you, I am a fan of the traditional Harley sound and feel. I am 67 yrs and have ridden motorcycles for over 52 years. Recently traded my 2018 Ultra Limited for a 2022 HD Tri Glide for passenger comfort on long trips. (happy wife, happy life) but am looking for a town cruiser. After your honest review, I think I have found my around town bike. Well done, Ol' Man, best review of this bike that i have seen to date! Thanks!

You nailed it, I’m not a harley person but I’ve just put a deposit down on one. Great bike, and converted me to the harley brand.

the church was absolutely beautiful. Architecture in that area is just breathtaking. Almost made me forget about the bike. Bike is nice too.

Excellent review. Great balance of your opinions and riding. Beautiful countryside and churches. Thanks!

Best review of the Nightster on RU-vid. I am 70 and age and mileage mean I want a lighter bike now. I am done with riding the old bulls and a racehorse is more my tastes now. This is definitely on my list!

I don’t see why I would ever choose Nightster over Rebel 1100. To me it’s a very similar proposition to the Honda BUT it’s much less affordable, and I wouldn’t trust reliability on Harleys with all technology and that new motor. I have been looking for my first cruiser for quite some time and the Rebel has definitely been catching my attention. In the end I bought a Sportster Seventy-two. My reasonings was: If I wanted that genuine Harley experience (shaky and load) the Rebel wouldn’t cut it. I’m also a Honda guy so reliability is something I did factor in and I don’t want all that technology that eventually break or get obsolete. Great video and channel btw! Cheers

Well mate you did a good job showing the Nightster but the bike screams plastic when I look at it. Now they did pick a good name for the bike, Nightster because that's the only time I would ride it is at night so nobody would see me riding it. I would rather ride a Speedmaster Gold a bike that is good on the eyes and I could ride it in the daytime. Love the R-18 too mate.

I was hearing birds chirping, and i thought they were coming from your idyllic background, until i finally realized they were coming from my garden Lol

Having ridden all the rev max models , I bought a Pan America, and like the Nightster quite a lot better than the Sportstars S. Cool vid.

Great review! Now bring out the motorcycle all the non-HD riders really want… THE BRONX!!!!

The more of your reviews I see the more I like them, please keep them coming 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

I think it has its own place in the bike market, while a lot of HD enthusiasts dislike the newer stuff I personally believe in order for them to stay in business they need to branch out like this. I personally don't like it that much but the more traditional models are still there should someone wish to get them. A note on what was said about how it was designed on a computer, allowing for everything to be snuggly fitted like the fuel tank.. That's all well and good but when you start wrenching on it, it makes it so much more difficult to access certain things, like having to take off half the bike to reach one part for example. (Not saying that's definitely the case with this bike tho, will have to wait and see)

I'm primarily a sport/naked rider but I love Harley's--- they're just simply cool and they serve the purpose of cruising around looking cool and listening to a good engine soundtrack.... but they're not underpowered, they've got real torque and pull nicely so there's nothing boring about them. Are there any real motorcyclists that still don't like HD at all? Not even one of their bikes? I don't think so lol

Hey "Old Man", absolutely enjoyed this video presentation! Took us on a ride/tour of it. Scoped out an old church, interacted with some bull cows! This video was a well done change of format, great style! Nice to see you on the channel again👍🏍️! An avid viewer of the reviews you do. I'm looking at getting a Harley-Davidson for my first bike, am 57 years old now. Never had a motorcycle beforehand,so now I'm taking the plunge into MC ownership. My friends says that I drive like an old lady( Never above the speed limit) so the bike I get will be treated well, and, cared for well.🏍️👍 More as time warrants. Doug🧸😁🤓

I am a woman 5'2" and I am (up there in age) over 50 (thank you very much) I had gotten my endorsement last year... being a shorter rider, not many choices of bikes that are available for newer riders (not a good idea for a new rider to get something that is way too heavy)... I first purchased a 2022 Iron 883 sportster.... I do love it.. it's mean.. sounds like your traditional Harley, well for the most part.. later in the summer I went to test drive the 2022 RH975 Nightster... I really liked it. So I purchased it.. It has an entirely different feel from the 883... and it is a lot lighter, I really like the way the Nightster handles. I have had it lowered.. now I have the best of both worlds (tough and sporty)... I also want to say... Took the Nightster on a long road trip from Colorado to New Mexico... and it was a surprisingly comfortable ride, Last year I did ride the sportster to Sturgis and it is also a comfortable ride. Long story short, I simply LOVE both my bikes

It looks nice and sounds like a Honda shadow I think But I own a 1200 sportster and it probably wouldn’t get me off that almost vintage feeling machine but I love vintage bikes

I agree with you . The bike looks very good in person than on pictures. The price is high compared to other competing cruisers ( Honda Rebel) but then it’s a good bike . I like the space each HARLEY bike has plus the belt drive. I don’t want to sit and clean chains and appreciate space, customisation options and that different set of design and attention to detail which Harley is second to none. Just comparing with cruisers at its class this bike makes value and a good option. I wish cruise control was standard. Good review . A long one to my taste though.

It's a great looking bike I agree. A product of the new management team at HD I would think. To broaden Harley's appeal to a wider age group this is the type of bike that was needed. And the countryside looked beautiful. What a location!

I'm 30, not a harley fan but not against them. I got the nighster special this weekend after a test ride. Has everything I want on a bike as far as electronics and I actually think the engine has way more character than my z900(traded in) I was set on a 1100 bolt but this just looks so much better and a few more upgrades. Highly recommend for anyone coming from a Japanese bike.

Here in Thailand a Nighster 975 is like 30% cheaper than a Street Bob. I also got it with 15% discount which made it cheaper than a Triumph Bobber or an Indian Scout. The buyer also get 20% discount for accessories. Basically the best deal I ever had on any bike purchase. I have nothing to complain. Loving it !

Another splendid review. Loved the church walkabout

Hats off to HD for sticking their neck out and building an "alternative" Harley, same style, completely different feel. I'm guessing this is the same engine as in the new smaller version of the Pan American? I'm surprised it sounds so anaemic. I guess the Euro5 regs have a lot to do with that although my Euro5 spec Street Scrambler sounds lovely as standard. Success in the mainstream motorcycle industry is all about moving with the times and catering for as many tastes as possible. Standing still and turning out the same old recipes is what wiped out the British bike industry. I'm with you on the interest in old churches Ol' man. They're like time capsules and call it morbid if you will but I like walking round old graveyards, reading the headstones and trying to imagine what life was like when those long gone were still alive.

I couldn't be more happy with my 2021 FatBob.

Just a caveat.Nothing beats the sounds, smells, and character of old Harleys,Indians,and every British bike I loved as a kid.That cemented my love for motorcycling and motorcycles ever since.😊

I think this is the first time I've ever seen blue sky in your videos.

As I told you in another recent video, I am really liking this whole style you two are giving your reviews. They're just very informative, while also showing true emotions and staying away from pure specs. Also, I really like that beautiful scenery and the other in between comments yo do, such as the visiting churches thing. It all creates a fantastic video overall. Congrats!!! I'm pretty sure you guys will achieve 100 k in no more than a year

Having not ridden for years, I recently went to the MCN show at ExCel and have to admit that the Nightster ended up being my surprise choice of the bike I would go for. I love the styling of the R18 but never realised how huge they are. I like the Triumph Bobber but would need a different saddle because it hurt my rear just sitting on it. The Kawasaki Vulcan was okay, as was the Royal Enield Super Meteor but my mates saw me on the Nighster and gave that nod that says that's the one for you. And your video only makes my choice even more valid. Many thanks.

I just test rode a nightster on Sunday, let me tell ya my opinions I had are gone and the price is justifiable!!!! This is the future and I’m excited!!!

The destinations in the video are cool. Nice accent to the bike review.

Your review is on point - it's an amazing ride, 3rd bike, first Harley. This thing is a beast!

I’ve owned a couple of Sportsters in the past and this looks good with great performance but it’s missing the Harley 45 engine note. For me a very important part of the Harley experience.

One day I will get me a HD as a second bike as I like the concept and comfort of a cruiser. Great vid as usual and love the visits to the churches…very different 👍

I’m a random passerby but I got to test ride one yesterday and yes it did change my opinion of Harley and yes now I am considering buying one.

Thanks for the best version of a Harley-Davidson Nightster Review I've seen so far. Entertaining, informative, and The thoughts about the bike and other stuff make sense.

Really good review, brought everything to the point. 👌

So glad you showed that old church. Your 100% correct, riding a motorbike is about the adventure, not just the destination. About the bike though have seen it in the flesh and it looks good, but here in Australia they are $24,500, there is a massive choice of machines in that price range. HD need to be careful they don't price themselves out of the market.

Great review I seen one in person today I was impressed by the looks of the bike after watching your video I'd like to have one

A great bike , review that will widen the appeal for the Brand. Agree we are obsessed with cut and tidy am growing my own wild flower meadow out the front. 😅👍

Hopefully this bike turns on some younger riders or maybe people coming from sport bikes to Harley. I need potatoes with my Harley but I'm 51. I do sorta like the looks of the Nightster. I still don't get the short fenders thing. I appreciate the countryside ramble.

Appreciate the review, your style is different and importantly seems to be honestly based on your experience of the machine, not what someone else wants you to say! It just looks cheap to me, can’t imagine it being around in thirty or forty years! Loving the countryside where you live, not so keen on the gravel in the middle of the lanes, lol.

Great review. I absolutely love this bike, and hopefully will be riding one soon, and purchasing soon after. I've been riding for over 20 years. I love bikes in general, and I currently own 2 Sportsers. The Sporty has always been a bike I love. Harley is by far my favorite brand, and I love the full concept of the Nightster.

Another great video! Especially like your off-road exploration and commentary. Also, refreshing to get a real honest review without getting an earful of spec sheet data. I currently have a 2021 HD SGS with Reinhardt DBX pipes/headers. Can't match that sound and feel anywhere else. Though, this new Nightster may be just right for my lady ; ) and an occasional ride for me!

Great review of this bike, beautiful country when the sun does shine LOL, I’m a Harley rider, my feeling on this bike is that this is a test run for the Harley’s of the future, I believe that this is the engine they will eventually go with for all of their bikes, of course nobody can say when exactly, but it’s the technology on this machine especially with the radiator, hold on to your traditional Harley’s, they will all be antiques one day, buy the way have you heard any news when the BSA, will be available for test rides.

My problem with this bike is that it’s put itself up against the Indian scout with a slightly higher price tag. I don’t think it beats the Indian in any area when you put the two against each other

Purchased one recently. Never been a Harley person at all but fell in love this. Put on a Jekyll and Hyde pipe on it. Sounds fantastic. Rides even better. Great review.

Great video! I'm a student of history, and had a real sense of the UK. Thank you. Motorcycles have gotten so high tech, in a way I miss the old school Motorcycles. I had a 1972 Norton Interstate, before the electric starter and the last one before the gear shifter was moved to the left side.

tough for harley, most harley guys hate looks and sound, other people who would be open to it , hate on it for the price being higher than the japanese offerings.

Aesthetically, I think if I was going for this more modern take on the cruiser/bobber type bike it'd be the Honda Rebel I'd go for. I think this new Harley is struggling a little to marry the classic and modern look unlike the Rebel which seems happy to stand out and do it's own thing.

Im a Southern boy from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, ( its amazing how your countryside favors ours here in the Blue Ridge) and Im new to your channel. But I have to tell yall Im very impressed with the detail and info yall have in your videos. Very, very, fun to watch, and as a Harley guy (2011 Road King) I love all the Harley Reviews, but I love all bikes, no matter the make. Anyway God bless yall and Godspeed!!

I’ve been a police biker for 27 years and tested and ridden almost everything, now retired. Traditional Harleys have never appealed to me, I love the sound of this bike, like its looks and the fact it’s modern and up to date. I’m test riding one next week so I’ll see if I end up buying one. Thankyou for the great review. Update- test rode and bought one- lovely bike great fun to ride and nippy.

One of the reasons why I like your channel is because you live out in the English countryside which has got to be the most beautiful place on Earth. I'm from the States but I would love to ride a motorcycle around there. I don't think my Washington State endorsement counts in Britain though.

Was chatting with people outside the belfast Harley Davidson and it seems the people who don’t like the traditional chrome Harley’s do like them. The purists surprisingly seem to be accepting of them too. Knowing Harley need to branch out into other sectors to keep the brand strong.

58. Been looking at getting back into biking and been studying the latest from Japan and Italy. I like in the US, but always ruled out Harley’s due to there laid back riding position. This Nightster looks perfect!

Excellent review and you're the best man for Motorcycles Reviews✌️👍

Great video thank you. I am thinking what should I buy for my next bike. I am currently riding a rebel 500 so the 1100 is on my list but I do like the nightster and the Indian scout rogue. Which of the three would you buy? Thanks again take care

This video is my favorite review for this model to answer your question .i have been riding sport bikes all my life i always liked how Harleys looked but never liked anything else this new platform is exactly what iv been looking for . I would definitely buy one .because im getting older now .and feel silly on sport bike .

Stumbled upon your channel by chance and I'm glad I did. The scenery!! Reminds me of where we love to ride along the Mississippi River valley here in Western Wisconsin. Beautiful and fascinating, love the church tours, we like to find really cemeteries and church yards as well on our rides. The UK jumped up many notches on my must visit list! And your reviews are very informative. Cheers!

Subscribed. Really enjoy your style and approach. Thank you.

I was able to take a Nightster for an extended ride this past weekend. I really appreciate HD's efforts to innovate, and I think the Revolution Max is a fantastic engine. But at the end of the day, I was still very happy getting back on my Triumph Speedmaster afterward. I could see myself on a Rev-Max HD of some kind eventually, but far as the Nightster is concerned, I still prefer competing models.

Great review. Thanks for the insights/views and I love the bike. It just seems like we ought to get a lot more for the money. That or it should come at a much better price.

I have no problem with the modern models, as long as HD does their due diligence,and quickly drops what isn’t selling.Being stuck in the 60’s and 70’s, a Sportster,Road King,(Electra Glide),Springer softail, and full dresser is all I’d ever need.I have nothing but time now, so learning to wrench more on even earlier years would be great fun.Thanks gents, your tops!!👍🏻👍🏻

I think the sportster line is more comparable to the Indian scout now. Especially the Rogue. Would be cool to watch a review comparing them.

So if you have a look at the 2023 Harley lineup the nightster is not available also they have done a revamp and are possible going to bring a S version of it. 😮 so it sold so well it’s been already reviewed and revamped. Just saying. Meanwhile my iron 883 evolution is doing fine

Nice review. That new engine doesn't make a very nice noise. I noticed quite a lot of valve train noise when I test rode the Sportster S last year...

First of all sorry for my English, I was one of those ones that was hating on this bike, hardcore air cooled hd engine lover, I've being riding an Sportster 883 since 2012, 60k km now, I test rode one nightster yesterday, and now I'm obsessed with the thing, it's just beautiful in person, low and long, dark, imposing , nothing "plasticki" about it, but some covers, they put (the hd dealer) smartly an S&S slip on on the demo bike, the power, handling, torque, brakes...oh my god, the suspension, firm, never bottoned, extremely well planted at high speed, and just riding it like an air cooled hd, changing gears between 2500 and 3000 rpm was perfect, but from 3000 to 4000 it's just a torque demon, beautiful shift of the gears, no, now you don't have the "clonk" and perfect finding of neutral, the mode that suits me better was road, sport mode was awful for street riding with a very abrupt and artificial entrance response when throttling off and on of power. I test rode the fat bob 114 a couple of years ago and this one felt superior to that on for me in every posible way. Believe me you have to test ride the thing, my only minor gripe it's the left side of the engine, that should have the same small vented cover that the sportster s has covering the "nest" of wires over the radiator, but it should easily being work around like on the 1250 engine.

amazing bike. Thanks for the review👍

The church Rider channel;) love it !

I’m a older rider and after my test ride I bought a 2023 Nightster 975 I loved the power and the handling of it did I get the Harley sound no but this bike is so easy to ride and lots of fun I would say give it a try

Great review again! I prefer the air cooled big twin Harleys, though!

I’m probably a similar age to you Old Man and also own a couple of traditional Harleys, which I love. I also own and ride a Yamaha MT07 , which is fun as hell. I’ve been waiting for something like the Nightster to take the place of the Yamaha. Your review was genuine and straightforward- Thank you - definitely want to ride it- it sounds amazing -Tom

Hello from the US! Loved the church tour. Please add more scenic "tours". Really enjoyed that part. As you said riding is about journeys.

Hands down the best Nightster review yet. Also I want to commend your wildflower observations. By the way my last Harley was a 2017 Dyna low rider. Didn't enjoy it at all. This on the other hand has my interest piqued.

The Indian Scout is liquid cooled and looks much more tidy.

Hi great stuff. I ride a Harley Davidson street 750 it’s stage 1 with a power vision tuner. I’ve very recently done a 1300 mile round trip and the bike handles it fine. I have had a hour or so on this new Harley nighters and absolutely loved it it’s so light and handhelds very nice.

Thanks keep up the honest reviews. 👍🏻

I can see why so many people don't like it. It's definitely not your traditional Harely. It's not supposed to be though, it's supposed to go up against the Rebel 1100 or the Bonneville range. Bikes that look old school but that have smart modern design running right through them. I personally think Harely Davidson have nailed it with this, but then I liked the Vrod so dont listen to me. I clearly don't know what I'm talking about. My only problem is the price. It looks like a much cheaper bike than the Sportster S but isn't actually that much cheaper. Yes I get that this can be A2 restricted and the Sportster S can't but why anyone with a full licence would pick this over it's stablemate is beyond me. At £10k, yeah and £11k maybe but at £13k no thank you.

If Harley wants to compete with the competition they need to price their bikes closer to the competition. Gone are the days when people would pay huge premium just for the Harley-Davidson name especially when the new Harleys are looking and sounding more like the competition.

Just finished all the the paperwork for the '22 module in the same trim as the video. Take my Safety courses at the dealership next week and faking it home this up coming Friday! Cant wait!!

The boys right here!!! My favorite part was the church. Thanks for that😁

I'm really on the fence about this bike. The first thing I noticed was the horrible looking exhaust, it reminds me of my Garden leaf blower. Would be the first thing to get changed. The wheels look terrible. The fake tank reminds me of the old Suzuki Across 250 that had the fuel tank under the seat, at least the Fuel tank was used as an extra storage compartment for your helmet. You mentioned it had a fake cover as well on the side under the tank. Is anything real on the bike?. As for sound I'm not fussed. Power it seems to have plenty. Price wise HD ain't cheap. But I do like the more relaxed Riding position on this model. The 2023 model in Aus sells for $26,300.00 Ride Away, Way too much which will kill sales.

Hmm not my thing. Tnx for review!

Btw..congrats on flying past 50k subscribers! Well deserved imho.

It is what it is. Enough profundity, certainly some people will like it, probably younger people. The pramcam view somehow took me back to riding to school with my dad on his old Norton. Love the mix of review and exploration.

The 975 has 90HP. The Rebel 1100 has 86HP. They’re both very similar bikes to be honest but here in the US the Honda is just under $10k while this new HD is about $14k. Even you said yourself if you had to guess what you were riding you’d probably say a Honda! Although it does look a bit better than the Rebel and I can tell you from riding a 500 every day that I really hate the Honda digital speedometer as I can’t hardly see it in the sunshine. So I think from this review the 975 is probably the better bike than the 1100 but I’m not seeing $4k worth of better🤷‍♂️ and then you need to consider the Indian Scout which comes in at $12k also has 90HP and just looks BAD ASS!!! If I ever upgrade that’s one of the bikes I’ll be considering or maybe a HD Softail? By the way Brother, you should try to go past 70mph sometime! Maybe even 73mph🤭 LOL Great Review! God Bless

I was between the nightstar and the sportster s. It won’t be any of the two: the 2023 Harley prices in Germany became insane. Bye Harley!

One of the best Harley Nightster reviews thus far. I have test rode this bike twice the Nightster and the Special great bikes. I m just waiting to see the 2024 model year. I do agree with the right side how your knee can't touch the air tank for a bit better control. I pretty sure they will change that for 2024 model year. However awesome bike!

Awesome review. I either want this bike or the Low Rider S and I cant pick!

Oh i do like them just not their price 😊

I like Harleys and maybe this is a good bike but the price of all new Harley models are getting seriously up there……………..

Fair review. It’s aimed at a newer market. I like the standard HD. Love adding a destination to the ride. It really is about where it takes you.

Brilliant video as always James! Watching this and making a note to visit that church whilst I have my morning coffee and book In at your holiday let for the end of next month! 😊👍🏻

If i want a bike like that i can buy a Rebel 1100 for half the price.

Not for me I'm afraid. Too expensive for what it is. It looks like a Honda Rebel rip-off. Seems we've gone full circle when Harley are copying the Japanese manufacturers! Way too busy on that left hand side - look at the Triumph Bobber (yes, I'm biased!) the only thing that gives away the water cooling is the radiator and if you don't embellish it nobody notices. I love Harleys, always have, but when I park the Bobber in amongst them it's the Bobber that gets the question and answer session. NJAH (not just another Harley!)

I want this bike because of your honest opinion!! Good job sir!

I would have thought the UK had license plate readers everywhere by now so they could dump the parachute plates. I liked what Thunderbike did with that bike. I didn’t notice if they hid the wiring or not. On the dealer floor it’s certainly stands apart from the rest of the lineup.

Try the new Indian Roque and do a comparison.