WIDE APPEAL

A sporty Harley sounds like an oxymoron. The Nightster disagrees

- Anubhav Sharma

Legacy, tradition and heritage are strong words in the Harley-Davidson world. That’s not surprising when you are a 120-year-old company. Over the years, Harley has built itself quite a reputation with its big V-twins, leather-clad riders and its distinct ‘potato-potato’ sound. Success brings along competition and many have tried to unseat Harley from its haloed position. Some have succeeded, while most have just copied, or been inspired, if you will. Times are changing, though, and younger generations, especially in India, do not always want a big, heavy motorcycle for their Sunday morning chai run. Harley is moving with the times and the Nightster is a step in that direction.

Folklore (blogs on the Internet) tells me the Sportster family was launched in the ‘50s to counter the sporty café racers from British marques. The Nightster is obviously not the first attempt, with the Iron 883 being the most recent., but what makes the Nightster special and important is the new Revolution Max 975T engine. You may feel it lacks presence, but that’s just down to the Nightster not being that photogenic — but it gets the same attention on the road as any Harley would.