EXIT LIGHT, ENTER NIGHTSTER

Since Harley-Davidson's Evolution-engined Sportster range was killed off, the new-for-21 Sportster S didn't quite fill the void, and many fans of the Milwaukee brand were waiting for a model that was a little more traditional in style and attitude than last year's S proved to be.

- Dave Manning

Harley-Davidson Nightster

The new Nightster is set to be the bike to fill the void in the Harley range, heralded by the company themselves as being the replacement for the Sportster range, regardless of the fact that last year's new 'S' was the first to be announced! Of course, the Nightster isn't actually a new name, as it was used a decade-and-a-half ago on a version of the air-cooled Evolution Sportster, but it can be considered as being the real start to the story for the water-cooled Sportster.

While the Nightster's powerplant is of 975cc capacity (which is presumably going to be the new equivalent of the old Sporty's 883cc), it is actually a development of the 1252cc Revolution Max engine fitted in the Sportster S and Pan America, and is referred to as the Revolution Max 975T. While the full-bore version has variable valve timing on both inlet and exhaust cams (both being overhead cams), the smaller motor has it just on the inlet. Essentially, this is a combination of reducing costs and complexity while still having the flexibility required for enough power and, crucially, the correct emissions levels for a bike that has a projected long-term future ahead of it. And, yes, that does mean that the factory has great plans to expand the range... it's been suggested that the VVT aids in fuel consumption (which factory figures state as being 55mpg), although the 975cc version only has a single spark plug per cylinder, while the larger version has twin plugs per pot.