New 2023 Harley-Davidson Nightster vs Special: Which Is Better? 

Bought this bike 2 months ago and it’s so much fun. Highly recommend for anyone shopping for a cruiser. Super comfortable and handles well. Tons of power when you open it up.

The Nighster special is for me an admission from Harley that they got the specification of the original Nighster wrong as there is no market justification in having two models. It just does not sell that well!. I prefer the S to the standard. Now if they put the 1250 engine from the Sportster S into the Nighster S and upgraded the suspension then it would become a very interesting motorcycle. Otherwise its a motorcycle most Harley enthusiast will ignore, and at its price point its not going to attract many new riders to the brand.

I've been riding the Nightster Special for about a year and I love it. First thing I did was install an S&S Grand National exhaust which really improved the exhaust note and seems to produce a little more power and torque. The ride quality and handling are really good and I like the riding position with mid-controls. I will probably change the seat as I would like my butt a little more forward, like 2 inches would be perfect. Still waiting for Harley to offer a screaming eagle tuner as I suspect the motor is running a little lean stock. I was expecting to get a little flack from the old school Harley riders but have been getting lots of complements and questions about it which is cool. The V-Rod guys in particular seem most interested in it.

They're both rad looking bikes, and I love the feel and look of them. Most of the flack is from people who wouldn't buy a Harley anyway, or those that prefer the traditional look and aren't interested in water-cooled, non-pushrod twins. When these bikes are 8-9k used, I'll be looking to pick one up.

Bought the Nightser Special the day it arrived at my local dealership. I don't care that it doesn't sound like an old man's harley and I love the look of this bike. But this thing has way more get up and go than my old 1200 and is a blast to ride especially in the mountains & twisties where I live. It's a bit pricey...but it's a great bike and a great addition to my garage.

Amazing bike from Harley-Davidson. Confort, look,handling, intake sound and motor are exeptional.

I test rode this bike few times now, I really wanted to give it a chance, but frankly nothing, everytime, it felt cheap, even the engine, the sound, the plastic and specially the unfinished left side. My question is, why harley didn't learn anything from Triumph? why completely change that awesome look of your air cooled sportster, that character, they killed it. I recently did test ride the new watercooled Motoguzzi mandelo v100 and they kept well their engine character, pretty interesting and cool engine. I really don't understand what Harley is doing here and wow, that price. Anyway good luck for them with that engine, hopefully Harley will find the right path soon before it’s too late.

Can't imagine these are selling that well at all, wouldnt be surprised if it gets axed in the near future.

Hi, cool vid, beautiful bike! Can you do a freeway test? I’m thinking about getting this bike but I just sold my fz07 because I didn’t like the upright wind blast

For me, its just a less attractive, more expensive honda rebel! Which is mad considering the rebel was aimed at the sporter.

Good luck company. It seems good for light weights and snowflakes.

Clearly aimed at the younger customers. But how can anybode be satisfied with those plastic covers, hoses and wiring? It really looks bad. Especially on the left side. Thank you mr Bob!

I really don’t care about the extra tech, but the risers, the pillion accommodations, and cruise control? I would have to go with the S model. Even if $1500 is too much extra for what you get, imo. Wish they made this with the 1250.

A little pricey, but I've always wanted a water-cooled harley... Alabama is just so hot in the summer

Nice one, Bob ! Not sure about the Lego engine styling ... 🤔

For the same price you could probably buy a Yamaha R1 for 18k cause after Harley tax and cost thats about how much youll pay out the door.

*I've arrived to the conclusion that this bike was made for the European and Asian markets.* When I test rode at various US stores, they jacked up the price $7K to bring it closer to the Street Bob. All of the stores have about 3 Nightsters and rows of the big bikes - their bread and butter. Nightster accessories are few. The Honda ride. Also, it's not a bobber anymore. Now I'm looking at the Indian Scout.

Yep, I confirm … Quad Lock are worth it :) Not your average sponsor. Also bying a sportster next year 😋😋😋

The nightster is a well built machine but not a Harley cruiser, lots of plastic parts and the tank underneath the seat will stop working after the first few months. If I wanted a Honda Rebel 1100 I would just buy one. I have a 2017 Iron 883 and it’s got character and had taken be and gf around on many country rides

HD always have said that a lot of the beauty is on the engine design and always made a feature of it. So ... what happened?

Looks amazing but I’m not a Harley fan and never have been

Watched this to see how many times the ugly side would be shown. Not many. Apparently, HD designed the right side with aesthetics in mind. The left side? They just gave up.

Can we remove that headlight cap from nightster s That look will be great

At 07:13 - Is that a license plate OR a STREET SIGN? Oh my God !! 😮

Hey motobob 👋🏽

i could not image paying HD prices for a bike similar to the honda rebel. the special costs 15K USD. the rebel 1100 costs 9.5K USD. really?

Makes me appreciate my carbureted, Screaming Eagle piped 05, all the more.

They should have launched the Special first, then the base model.

Nice

"if you plan on travelling a little further afield..." not too much further with an 11L tank range. It's just not very "special".

If it was like the old sportster people would say it is old and dated.

They’re cute. They look like zippy little European café bikes.😊

We need a new XR1250

Great looking bike but there is a brake disc missing from the front wheel

Im no Harley hater, currently own a Road King and had a Sportster but if i was in the market for a new lighter cruiser i would get the Bonnaville Speedmaster or Bobber or the Royal Enfield new cruiser. Lets face it if you want a cruiser you are not looking for tech or performance. You want laid back riding and classic character wich the new Sportsters just dont have while the Triumphs and Royal Enfields really do have and are much cheaper to boot.

I'll be honest, HD looks disoriented about their model lineup, even trying to lose fanboy loyalty. Rather, it would not be bad to follow Triumph's successful water-cooled engine development. I'd rather buy a Rninet than a Sportster S, and I'd rather buy a Honda Revel 1100 than a Nightster 975.

The problem with the nightster it's the price, that's not entry level Harley price, for little more you can get an M8

Despite your slightly contrived enthusiasm for the Nightster, this is not the bike for me. The engine has potential, but in this case it's in the wrong chassis. The old Sportster was reasonably competent and could easily modified to be quite a decent sports bike (in it's own way), the Nightster is not a cruiser, and not a sports bike either.

Give me these new engines, specifically the 1250 in a stripped down, Sporty styled bike with less electronics and I'd be all over one of these. As is, there's just too much going on in these. The engines have amazing power but feel soulless in their delivery, but damned if they don't still feel nice twisting the throttle all the way.

I wonder how reliable these will prove to be.

Special 🎉

Special might not be better value but it's better.

Porsche: There is no substitute-

OK who in the world thought having a fuel tank under your seat was a good idea? Also how low is the fuel tank? Isn't that dangerous?

I'd rather take a Rebel 1100

in my opinion there is one thing that makes harley special. they are the bikes you can ride all day. I have another bike which weighs less than 500lbs, and smokes harley at most things. But -- after 60 miles i am ready to get off of it. my harley I could ride all day. so for them to make a new lighter, modern bike is great. for them to make a new modern bike that i also want to get off of after 60 miles puts them in competition with bikes they can not compete with. period.

12 litre .. isn't that to small ?

IMO, the Special should have AT LEAST 10 more HP, preferably 15 or more than the base model.

2:37 The fact that the fuel tank sits directly below the seat and being exposed directly to the ground like that just doesnt sit right with me. Seems dangerous.

No exhaust or engine sound the WHOLE video.

Neither. Fuel tank is right in front of the rear tyre. Wonder why no big bike makers have done that before 😅

You should have shown it from the absolute ugly side, that would put anybody off buying this bike. HD should tidy the left side up to make it more appealing

Harley really should just make their new engines and bikes look exactly like their old ones... they've made the engines so ugly looking the whole bikes suffer... other brands have made vtwins that have fins and look like the classic air cooled engines, but are liquid cooled... why didn't Harley? They went with cheaper looking stuff, and raised the prices...

When you have a 1100 rebel this is pointless

One word Shotgun, Royal Enfield Shotgun.

It looks very plastic….. maybe even lack luster. I miss the old sportster,… let this model die gracefully…… it’s like the whole point of owning a HD is not included with this new version. The mark was missed. At least it’s $17k out the door. That part, they got right.

Shame it's not £7000 like it should be

Too much $$$$$ in the USA

Trick question - The answer is neither! Ha.

As much as I’m not a Harley guy, I feel for them design wise. They will never be able to keep the old school customers happy. But in reality in 5-10 years from now 50% of their customer base will not be riding motorcycles. Also the old air cooled motors will not pass emission standards so this motor is their lifeline into the future. This bike is around $8000 CDN more than my T120. And in my humble opinion it ain’t any better 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️ Harley I’d going to struggle soon, they have way too many dealerships in North America, that need bike sales to support profitability. Some big changes coming for them soon !!!!!!

No idea who would buy this. Is there even 1 thing about this bike that is better than for example a much cheaper Honda Rebel 1100 ?

How can you *not* compare it to what was built before? 1. The OG Sportster had been around since the 1950s and there are no other successors to it on offer. 2. Harley have always prided themselves on "tradition" and endlessly waved the heritage-/"old school above all"-flag. 3. Probably most importantly: They chose to call these things "Sportsters" - could have just gone with an all new name, IMO. Which I think would've been more honest/appropriate in this case, anyway. A gas-tank looking airbox-cover? Really? I remember when folks were mocking wanna-be H-Ds like the Yamaha 535 Virago for exactly this sacrilege - back in the 1990s. Honestly, I just don't get it. I'm not an engineer, but I would be surprised if there hadn't been a way to produce a more "traditional" upgrade to the Evo-engine (air-cooled, air-/liquid-cooled) that would've met EURO5 emission standards. And even if there wasn't: You could've at least made an effort to make the new engine look less like its cylinders were covered in plastic. AFAIK, Indian managed to modify their Thunderstroke to EUR5 standard - and while that's a newer engine than the Evo, it's still an old school pushrod-job and it is air-/oil-cooled. If it had been up to me, I probably would've stuck with a more traditional, but upgraded and modernized version of the Sportster and offered these new bikes as their own line and under a different name. I just can't help but suspect that these things won't be a huge success for H-D: They're way too pricey, they don't look and sound like what we've been told for decades a H-D should look and sound like and they do seem to follow a design-language that already hasn't really worked for Harley in the past ... twice. Once with the V-Rod and once with those awful "Street" things meant as entry-level H-Ds. And both of those families of bikes have been discontinued.

Notice that none of the reviews spend any time showing the left side of the bike 🤔. It’s because it’s butt ugly ! There’s more exposed plumbing and wiring than a poorly renovated Victorian era apartment building 😱!

Q: New 2023 Harley-Davidson Nightster vs Special: Which Is Better? A: Neither, buy an Indian, Triumph, Beemer and be happy, more bang for you buck(this comes from an H-D family 3 generations deep member).

Superbike

Looks like it was designed by a millennial who never experienced or understood old harleys. Looks totally uninspiring and unauthentic. I think Harely is going to continue its demise.

A pleasant ride. 🙄

It's a harley 😂 😂

Get rid of that dash and all of the other useless tech crap and that silly ass thing around the head lightand get back to basics then maybe just maybe !

Looks like Harley are sponsored by Tupperware now. 😐

실패작

The new Ducati Monster is hundreds less than the base model and will out perform it in every area. And it looks 1,000 times better.

looks awful... what a shame. thanks for the vid though bob.

that is one ugly bike, oof

Designed by Fisher Price.🤮

Please just stop with the in-video advertising…or I’ll stop watching😡

"Without comparing them to what went before..." Welcome to the Great Reset. Where the bar is lowered for arbitrary climate crap, and you have to forget about what came before (which was much better) in order to pretend that what you have is not a piece of crap. The nightster is faster, has better brakes, and handles better than the discontinued Sportster. But it sounds like crap, it shifts like crap, has no character at all, and is not fun to ride at all. The Sportster was a much better bike. Welcome to the future.

No thanks. Ugly exhaust, waaaaaay too expensive for what you get.