The new Harley-Davidson Nightster looks pretty slick, and will be the first Hog to get the Milwaukee firm’s 975cc, DOHC, liquid-cooled V-Twin engine, producing 90 bhp and 9.7 kgm of torque; it’ll have variable valve timing as well, but only on the intake valves.
As far as the chassis goes, it’s a steel tubular unit that uses the engine as a stressed member, which means that a significant weight saving has been pulled off; at 218 kg, the Nightster is a lot lighter than the Sportster models of the last generation. Suspension duties are handled by a 41-mm Showa telescopic fork and a monoshock at the rear (the Sportster gets a 43-mm fork). A 320-mm four-piston caliper front disc takes care of the braking aspect of things.
This is a low-slung bike, so the 705-mm seat height isn’t surprising; ground clearance hasn’t been officially quoted. The fuel tank can take 11.7 litres, and you can expect some electronic riding tech as well as LED lights. For all this, expect an ex-showroom price of around Rs 15 lakh. As always, we’re keen to ride it when it shows up here in the next few months.
