TYPE approval documents from Australia have highlighted that a new variant of the Harley-Davidson Nightster could be heading this way. The news comes from the US website Motorcycle.com, which has shared the images of the bike on its social media channels.
The images show a bike instantly recognisable as H-D’s middleweight cruiser, and digging into the type approval documents, there doesn’t seem to be much going on beneath the skin. The engine is reported to be the same 975cc VVT-equipped Revolution Max V-twin as before. That means it should have in the region of 90bhp, and 70lb-ft of torque. Leaving the motor stock is no bad thing in my mind, after all, it’s a great little unit, with punchy delivery and usable character.
The current Nightster from the launch ride earlier this year
What does seem to be new is the look and exterior spec of the bike. The Nightster landed in single-seat form, with no as-standard option to carry a pillion passenger. As is the Harley-Davidson way, you could spice up your bike with an after-market seat from the accessory range. Opting for the new ‘S’ model though, and you’ll already have that covered, sort of. While it might not be the most expansive pillion seat on the planet, the Nightster S does seem to come equipped with a pillion pad and passenger footpegs. If your backseat rider would like a bit more security, we’d expect the sissy bar from the existing Nightster accessory range to slot right on.
Another change for the S model looks to be the wheels of the bike. The current Nightster runs seven-spoke wheels front and rear, while the bike shown in the Motorcycle.com images is wearing different items. They are still cast, although much more complex and eye-catching in their design, and a nice uplifting feature of the bike. The final thing that looks to have changed for the new model is the paint. The bike shown is wearing a very fetching, and historically important gloss black paintjob, complete with retro graphics.
We might not have to wait long to find out more about the bike though, as Harley-Davidson is holding a 2023 model year launch event on January 18th. Visordown will be keeping a close eye on proceedings and will bring you all the news as it happens. To keep on top of what’s happening on the day for yourself, head to the Harley-Davidson website.
