Other points are mainly design related, so they are really a matter of personal opinion. The bike is dominated by the size of the exhaust (the standard manufacturer size), which really draws the eye – some people will really like that and others maybe not so much; also if it came with a pillion seat as standard then I think it would appeal to more people instead of being restricted to solo use, assuming pillion pegs could be fitted.
The other main question mark for me is the price point; as the bike seems to be designed to replace the old model Sportsters, it is quite a jump in price, particularly if you wanted to add pillion riding capability and saddlebags, which would make it a more useable everyday bike. I haven’t ridden the more new Sportster yet, so I’d like to try that to see if the higher specification justifies the extra money it costs over the Nightster or not.
Looking at the bike from the point of view of a customiser, I can see an obvious path towards giving it an attractive café racer look with clip-on handlebars, rear pegs and a café style seat and maybe spoked wheels rather than cast alloys. With the earlier Sportster range there was obviously a huge range of options for customisation; I guess it is early days for the Nightster so we will have to see what the options are for different exhausts, seats, and other parts to personalise it.
So, would I buy one? Personally, being over six feet tall and 16 stone, the bike is just a little too small for me, although I can really appreciate the power and the handling, and the liquid cooled engine is clearly a move in the right direction. Even though I’m not the target customer, I thoroughly enjoyed the Nightster, and I think it would really appeal to the smaller rider looking for a fast and great-handling bike. I also think there is huge potential appeal to female riders. In fact, my wife is learning to ride at the moment, and she can plant her feet firmly on the floor with the Nightster, which is a huge advantage. We’ll be looking for something for her in the near future, so who knows, there could be a Nightster joining the other bikes in the garage! |