For the past few years, Harley-Davidson has suffered from a self-inflicted problem. The company had entirely ignored the entry-level motorcycle market, focusing on bikes tagged at $13,000 and up. Now, the company has finally realized the error of its ways, and as of this year you can now buy a 2025 Harley-Davidson Nightster for $9,999. For the first time in too many years, there’s now a such thing as an affordable Harley, and the Nightster is actually a pretty cool bike.
Motorcycle manufacturers are desperate for more youthful riders to swing their legs over their iron horses. However, a lot of young folks aren’t sitting on $30,000 in the bank to buy the latest gigantic touring cruiser. Many motorcycle manufacturers, notably the likes of Honda, Royal Enfield, and CFMoto, have found a successful play in selling cheaper, yet still fun motorcycles. These companies all sell bikes for $10,000 and cheaper to anyone who wants to experience the thrill of buying a new bike, without having to resign themselves to eating ice cube soup for eternity to afford it.
Notably absent from any list of motorcycle manufacturers selling affordable bikes has been Harley-Davidson. The Motor Company from Milwaukee decided to spend most of the 2020s thus far focusing on high-end machines.
What might help Harley is its latest move: slashing the price of its cheapest bike, the Nightster, down to $9,999. Now, it has a price right on par with its Honda and Indian competition and might give a reason for younger riders to darken the black and orange showrooms.
Harley’s Entry-Level Problem
Normally, a motorcycle manufacturer reducing its prices wouldn’t be much news. However, this is an important move for Harley-Davidson. For a long time, Harley-Davidson had a strategy of selling a cheaper bike to a rider when they were young, locking them into the Harley life, and then selling that same rider a big cruiser once they were older and had more money.
This was one of Harley’s goals with its ownership of Buell Motorcycles. The idea was that a young rider would learn on the ultimate beginner bike, the Buell Blast, and then maybe they’d buy a Buell sportbike or a Harley-Davidson Sportster before moving on to a big cruiser later in life. Harley wanted to get riders hooked at an early age.
In the mid-2010s, Harley-Davidson expanded on this idea even more with the affordable Street 500, Street 750 (below), and their derivatives. At launch, a 2014 Harley-Davidson Street 500 was $6,700. Notably, the Street 500 was $1,200 cheaper than even the cheapest Sportster, which again, was a pretty big deal.
But it wasn’t meant to be. In 2021, Harley killed the Street series. At the time, a Street 500 was $6,899 and the Street 750 was $7,599. This left behind only the old Harley-Davidson Sportster platform, which had an entry price of $9,499 to get you an Iron 883. That wouldn’t last either, as the Sportster was killed off in 2022 and technically replaced by the $15,999 Sportster S and today’s bike, the Nightster.
This bike is based on Harley’s awesome Revolution Max platform. The RevMax, as it’s sometimes called, is a clean-sheet 60-degree V-twin architecture where engineers used modern techniques like finite element analysis to shave as much weight as they could from the engine. The engine sports forged aluminum pistons, nickel silicon carbide-surface galvanic coatings, ample magnesium parts, and Harley even engineered the engine to work as a structural member. The RevMax even has variable valve timing, independent hydraulic adjustment for the roller-finger valves, and dual counterbalances.
That doesn’t sound all that crazy given today’s technology, but that was practically space-age tech for Harley. The Revolution Max 1250 is even cooler when you look at its spec sheet. It’s an engine that makes 150 HP and 94 lb-ft of torque and all of that power comes on right before the engine’s 9,500 RPM redline. Yes, a Harley that revs to 9,500 RPM!
New Bones, Still Expensive
This engine found homes in the Pan America and Sportster S. Harley wanted to shake the old Sportster’s reputation as something dated and slow, so the all-new RevMax-based Sportster S went straight for power cruiser vibes. The RevMax under the tank pumped out 121 horsepower and 93 lb-ft of torque, which is some nice power for a bike of this type. Personally, I think Harley hit the Sportster S out of the park. It’s a brilliant machine.
But a problem came with the Sportster S, and it’s that the price ballooned to what is currently an MSRP of $15,999, which isn’t cheap by any measure. Harley’s solution came that same year with the Nightster. This blacked-out menace first made its appearance in 2007 and sold until 2012 on the old Sportster, but now it was making a comeback as a more affordable version of the new Sportster S power bike.
The biggest change here is the Revolution Max 975T. This V-twin is the RevMax but sleeved down. You’re still looking at 91 HP and 70 lb-ft of torque, which isn’t bad at all. The rest of the spec sheet wasn’t too bad, either. It weighs 481 pounds when loaded and the seat sits at just 27.1 inches when a rider is on it. Like the old Sportster, the Nightster is incredibly accessible for a wide variety of riders.
What wasn’t so accessible was the price. In 2022, the Nightster had a starting price of $13,499. Yep, the cheapest Harley in America had a starting price thousands more expensive than the competition. Harley did manage to get the price down to $12,000 by 2024.
The Harley’s primary competition came from the Indian Scout Sixty Bobber (above) and the Honda Rebel (below). In 2024, a Scout Sixty Bobber cost you $10,749 and for that price, you got a similarly-sized V-twin good for 78 HP and 65 lb-ft of torque. If your liter-size power cruiser didn’t need to come strictly from an American brand, Honda was willing to sell you a Rebel 1100 for $9,549. For that price, you got a bigger engine than what you got with Harley and Indian, but 80 HP and 70 lb-ft of torque.
Amazingly, not only does the Harley Nightster have the most power of its most direct competitors, but lower weight, too. Sadly, as Cycle World found out in a three-way performance test between the bikes above, the Harley was still the slowest. It wasn’t slowest by much, but the cheaper bikes did edge it out.
Time For A Change
This year, American bike manufacturers have clearly thought it’s time for a change. First, Indian Motorcycle dropped the price of the Scout Sixty Bobber to $9,999. Meanwhile, Honda has stayed the course with its Rebel 1100’s price of $9,549. But Harley? It decided to drop the price of the Nightster a whole $2,000 down to $9,999.
Now, after three years of being on the market, the Nightster has a price that’s truly competitive against its rivals. This is great. In the past, you might have chosen the Honda because it was $3,000 cheaper. Now, the Harley is only $450 more expensive than the Honda and is the same price as the Indian. Keep in mind that Honda dealers are notorious for markups, so it’s entirely possible you might find a Nightster for cheaper than the Rebel 1100.
So, all of this is great, right? Yes, with one caveat.
As of now, Harley is pitching the Nightster as its beginner bike. As our friends at RideApart report, Harley has a juicy incentive attached to the Nightster. If you learn how to ride through Harley’s Riding Academy or a similar learner course and can prove it within 180 days, you’ll be eligible for “Rider Training Graduates 5.99% APR financing,” which is offered through Harley-Davidson Financial Services.
This is wild. Many newbie riders train on little 125cc or 250cc motorcycles. If they learn at a Harley Rider Academy, they’ll ride a Harley 350cc X350 RA which makes about a third of the power of the Nightster. Moving directly from one of these puny bikes to a brand-new Nightster is a terrible idea.
To be clear, the Nightster sounds like a fun bike with a few drawbacks. Here’s what Cycle World said:
Here in the hills the Nightster came alive. The Rev Max 975T engine’s song was perfectly smooth from 4,000–6,000 rpm with strong roll-on power to pull you out of each turn. Suspension was taut and composed. The bike easily changes direction and holds through banked turns with just a little inside bar pressure. Small bumps mid-turn are easily disregarded and even larger square-edged hits are eaten up by the suspension with little disturbance. Brake performance is adequate, though more stopping power would be appreciated. Here’s where we finally felt connected to the Sportster, riding it hard and flowing left and right up the mountain. Flat spots at low rpm and traction control tuning matter little while you try to squeeze the most juice out of the ripe 975T.
When you go into a training class your instructor will tell you it’s best to start on a smaller bike and work your way up. Some coaches will go even further and say that you should skip the brand-new bike anyway because you’re likely to drop your bike while you’re learning. It hurts a whole lot less to drop a two-decade-old Kawasaki than it does a brand-new Harley.
So, I’m not sure you should take advantage of Harley’s new rider incentives as a new rider.
Ignoring that, it’s awesome that for the first time in too many years, Harley finally has a motorcycle with a starting price that could be considered affordable. Yes, I know there are a lot of cool bikes that you can get for under $10,000, but I dig this. It’s especially cool considering that you’re getting a modern platform and for the most part what sounds like a fun bike.
I’m not sure if this will save Harley’s slumping sales, but it’s sure a great start.
(Note: Sadly, the fun chameleon Nightster in the topshot is only for illustrative purposes. If you want that paint color, Harley will want more cash than the cool $9,999. Otherwise, you’re stuck with the monochrome ones shown in the body of the article.)
The best bike for a new rider is the most sensible bike that exists: A Honda w/DCT and ABS
Everything else removes convenience, adds risk, and owing to popularity differences also add cost! A CTX700 for example has plenty of twist and they’re half the price of any of the above bikes mentioned. The seat height is also low which gives a feeling of security and the manual shift mode allows them to grow into the rider mindset
I agree 80hp is much too much “Go” for an inexperienced rider, and Harley trying to chase that demographic is going to literally manufacture squibs at an industrial rate. There will be casualties as a result.
As a brand new rider, $10k is eye watering for anything occupying the same paragraph as the words “entry level.” Yes, I passed my MSF rider test. Yes, I had plenty of butthole-clenching moments that probably could have initiated cold fusion. Therefore, no I do not want to constantly worry about how freakin’ much it would cost to drop a bike that probably OTD’d for $12-13k after dealer shenanigans.
Allow me to offer a solution that takes advantage of a current market vector (and not just because it’s a selfish desire of mine
which it is): Harley up until WW2 was something of a gentleman’s motorcycle. “The Silent Gray Fellow,” they were called. Unafraid of “feminine” connotations. And then in the ’60s, they responded to Honda’s “you meet the nicest people on a Honda” campaign by pursuing the meatheaded machismo strategy done much later (and still going strong) by Dodge.Therefore: chase the retro standard market. Go up against Royal Enfield. The Triumph Speed 400. The Kawasaki W-series. And I mean standard. No hunchbacked, hyena-proportioned caricatures for their entry-level line. Something where you sit upright with a comfortable rider’s triangle. Slay all the sacred cows and go for approachability, serviceability, light weight, fuel efficiency and low power that’s delivered as linearly as possible. I’m talking 40hp or less. Stick as many asses on it during the Harley rider events as you can and sell it for $6k-6.5k out the door.
But then again, I’m just some goober who doesn’t own a bike. But I’d like to.
Mercedes, any interest in doing a comparison test between this Nightster and the last Harley to bear that name, which I want to say went out of production somewhere around 10-15 years ago?
I like the bike, looks sort of like it was designed by HR Giger (just add dicks).
But I don’t want a bike associated with HD at any price.
“Amazingly, not only does the Harley Nightster have the most power of its most direct competitors, but lower weight, too. Sadly, as Cycle World found out in a three-way performance test between the bikes above, the Harley was still the slowest.”
How is that even possible??
Gearing.
And/or where in the RPM range the power comes in.
Good point.
As stated in the article this is WAY too much for a new rider. New riders shouldn’t have this much weight OR power. It might decrease the number of riders if inexperienced folks try them out, drop or lay it over, and decide to get out while they’re ahead. Seems like a cool bike* but The Motor Company just can’t get it right.
*minus the nationalist dogma attached to a machine built largely in SE Asia
Sounds like the way to get one is look for the 1-2 year old bikes that newbies bought, realized it’s too much bike, and sell them. May come with a dent or 2 in the gas tank from being dropped…
HADDALAYERDOWN. That’ll buff out.
So first off rev max production was supposed to move to Thailand. Is the 10k nightster made in the US or Thailand? Didi Zeist actually give a break to the consumer?
There was a rumored smaller displacement Pan America with the 975 but Zeist opted for the ST without the lowering device.
The ST Pan Am does have the Adaptive ride height
It does. My mistake, I need to stop listening to influencers
Just yesterday, I was searching on all the Japanese motorcycle companies, websites and configurators and there are just so many fantastic bikes between five and $10,000. I just couldn’t see buying into the lifestyle that comes with a motorcycle versus buying a good motorcycle that I know will be a great bike. I used to live close enough to the York Harley plant to take out of town visitors on tours. I just don’t wanna be associated with the Harley riders that I know that are awful to people who don’t ride big Harleys because everything else to them is…… well. I’m not gonna go there.
I had a Sportster in the 90s and can confirm that riders of the larger Harleys absolutely looked down on anybody who wasn’t on one of the Big Twins. The bike was the right size for me. I loved it but hated the Harley culture. Sold it and got a BMW K75 which, ironically, was looked down on by “real BMW” riders because it wasn’t an air cooled one. Motorcycle culture can be quite silly. Now I ride mountain and gravel bikes.
Hogriders are the only bikers that don’t wave to other bikers.
Can’t totally agree with that. Sure Hog riders don’t often wave to me on my WR of FJ-09 but rocket racers on tricked-out stunt-looking bikes with a mohawk on their helmet NEVER wave
I rode a Yamaha Roadstar for about a decade, which looked and sounded just like an HD, and always got waves from Hogs. Been riding a boring-ass Honda NC700X commuter bike for the last decade and get nothing back from them. The squids are still friendly though.
A big issue for Harley is that the culture is filled with vocal, nasty gatekeepers. Owning just any HD is not enough, even if it’s new.
I recall someone telling me that, in the film “Wild Hogs”, they deliberately gave William H. Macy a brand new Sportster 1200 because “it was for losers”.
Imagine dropping $10k on a gorgeous, brand-new bike and being told that’s not enough. This is why Honda succeeded where HD failed.
It’s a huge shame, too, because it seemed that Levatich understood that Harley’s image as the brand for wannabe hells angels riders stopped being a good thing. But his plans wouldn’t have brought those short-term gains everyone loves so much..
My buddies in laws are old school HD guys who do their own airbrushing of N&^de women on their gas tanks and they are so hateful and misogynistic to anyone who doesn’t ride a giant Harley Davidson.
In my experience, they’ll happily wave to *cyclists*. Figure that one out. ‘Two wheels good’, I suppose?
So I went to their configurator and the only one that is $9,999 is blacked out with a gray tank. If you want all black that’s $500 more, and if you want an orange tank it’s $750 more. If you want the TVR paint job pictured in the lead it’s $900 more.
Our graphics guy chose the chameleon one for illustrative purposes only since the base model is a sea of black. I’ll drop a note about that in there.
What’s that old line about Keke Rosberg being shown a NASCAR?
“it weighs how much?”
Buell was a great idea for Harley, and it should have been the start of Harley building the “entry level bike” under a new name to separate it from the big brand. Instead, they ham-fistedly believe that everyone wants a Harley, even a cheap one. I’m not saying there aren’t buyers of bikes who want to try a new Harley for cheap, but most people are probably buying a used Sportster and then moving up to a new Road Glide or Fatboy if they want a new Harley.
If Harley were smart, they’d make these cheap bikes under a sub-brand so they could sell the Pan American, the Bronx (RIP) and whatever clean sheet design that wouldn’t sell well in Orange and Black. Make cheap, competitive bikes with Harley engineering to offset costs and do direct sales with maintenance and warranty work covered by Harley dealers. Best of both worlds, IMO. Call it “Wings” or “Knuckle” or “Freedom” or any other American heritage B.S. and you’d have a winner on your hands.
Hell, Harley could have Livewire, Harely, and a cheap sub-brand to cover all 3 markets. Instead they piss it away with the Nightster, which as you said, is not a great idea to move up into if you’re a new rider. Imagine a Harley sub-brand selling 300-800 cc bikes for new riders and those looking for a more economical option. If only, if only…
You mean like the Aermacchi Harley Davidson Sprints?
Weren’t those only 250’s? And sold in the 60’s?
A friend is a design professor, and one of his students was a designer at Harley during one of their many phases of trying to attract new riders. He had talked about how they would develop designs that new, young riders liked far more than typical Harleys—anything from clean sheet designs to just color/graphics packages. However, despite them being much preferred to traditional Harleys they still weren’t liked nearly as much as just about every other brand of bike.
For most people buying a new bike, the first branch in the decision tree is whether to buy a Harley or not. Most people who want a Harley absolutely do not want an “entry-level” model. The whole point of wanting a Harley is to get something massive and antiquated. It has been said before that Harley is a cultural brand, one that many people want nothing to do with. Those who do want the association also want big, loud, antiquated, and expensive.
I want nothing to do with the biker gang look. I have no idea what makes a wealthy dentist or accountant want to put on a costume and pretend to be a criminal.
Yeah, as a brand that is 99% fashion-based, I sure don’t want to associate with one that can be accessorized with the Confederate flag without anyone blinking an eye.
I am more of a sport bike fan but if you like the vintage aesthetic Marlon Brando rode a Triumph in the Wild One and a Speed 400 (which is also more Indian than an Indian) can be had for $5,195 new. Fuck Harley. Sure a Triumph is not a real Harley, but neither is this or any other bike that does not a have a “Big Twin” to the Harley people, and if your bike does not say Harley you have the advantage of not looking like you are trying to play along. As I allude to above, the cheap Triumphs (and a lot of cheap fun bikes) are made in India, but the Nightster is being/has been shifted to Thailand, so it’s not like it is some kind of made in the USA choice.
Oh hell yes on the Speed 400. Yes, it’s made by Bajaj, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Just like with China, India is entirely capable of making excellent products. The motorcycle is the main mode of transportation so of course you’d expect them to get it right!
My only beef with the Speed 400 is that it isn’t as pretty as the sibling Scrambler 400, which is too tall for a 5’6″ hobbit like me. If they only offered that gorgeous green paint / brown saddle combination on the Speed…
My days of riding big or even moderate displacement bikes are over, but I really like the shade of green on the top picture.
I had a neighbor that had some sort of Harley, and I let him ride my Suzuki V-Strom 1000 for maybe 20 minutes and he was kind of shaken about how much he liked it. Personally, that was my least favorite bike. But it idled with a lot less shake/vibration than his.
And, wow, the clunk getting his bike out of neutral and into first gear at a stop was like an order of magnitude more than the Suzuki. Clutch handle fully in.
Last thought on this topic, the H-D Museum in Milwaukee is amazing and worth a visit if you ever get close.
The museum is very well done!
The Museum changed my perspective on Harley forever. I went into it with a very negative perception of them as a company and left as a fan, which I still am. The Hell’s Angels-cosplaying dentists have really tarnished the image of that company, but Harley has such a rich history and makes genuinely nice, if overpriced, machines. You just kind of need to treat the straight pipe morons as their own thing and just focus on the company itself.
I own an ’07 Nightster, and can confirm this is absolutely the correct takeaway. I love my bike (though there are plenty of faster, smoother models out there) but don’t associate with absolutely any aspect of the “brand” and the rider culture.
> the clunk getting his bike out of neutral and into first gear at a stop was like an order of magnitude more than the Suzuki. Clutch handle fully in.
Yeaaaaaaah my F900XR took notes on that… But not from the Suzuki. I swear sometimes it feels like the bike has good days and rough days. Some days we cruise and it just sings the whole way, never a choppy shift or buck. Some days… Some days are not like that at all.
I wouldn’t call it regret, there’s lots I like, but there’s at least a cautionary tale in there. I’m hoping my next bike is a Rocket 3, at any rate *fingers crossed*
“The Revolution Max 1250 is even cooler when you look at its spec sheet. It’s an engine that makes 150 HP and 94 lb-ft of torque and all of that power comes on right before the engine’s 9,500 RPM redline. Yes, a Harley that revs to 9,500 RPM!”
Those are very typical industry number for the 1,000-1,200cc twin class. Hell, my decade-old Ducati produces those numbers: 150 bhp, 87.5 lb-ft at 7500 rpm and redline of 9250 rpm. And Ducati had that engine in production on showroom floors 20 years before Harley brought out the Revolution Max 1250.
I bet your decade old Duc doesn’t meet the same emissions standards… and it doesn’t have hydraulic valves
I see someone has never heard of desmodromic valves, a positive open and close valve system that eliminates the valve springs and valve float. Ducati has been using it since the mid 1950s and has had hydraulic valves for consumer bikes since they introduced the V4 configuration. Back in the 1990s Honda had hydraulic valves on the CB750, and Motoguzzi has had them for over 20 years. Sorry, my dude, but HD is once again jogging sweatilly behind the technology bandwagon.
I’m well aware of desmo valves. Hence why I made the claim.
Have fun adjusting desmo valves, while you basically never need to adjust hydraulic valves.
But again, your Ducati likely had demso valve (which there’s a reason basically only Ducati used them, and has since abandoned them) and didn’t meet emissions standards of today.
The valves have nothing to do with emissions, and the bikes met the standards of the day – standards HD couldn’t meet, which is how Harley ended up being fined $12,000,000 and having to destroy all their defeat devices.
My point is that today, this engine makes the same power as the bike you threw out as an example, but it has nearly infinite valve adjustment intervals, and it meets stricter emissions standards. So saying a bike 10~20 years ago made the same power, isn’t a good example.
Your Ducati requires the valves to be checked (and potentially adjusted) every 15,000 miles and it cost roughly $1,000-2,000 to do it depending on the dealer, with the $1,500-1,600 being a pretty realistic expectation.
Or you do it yourself. And you’re picking on the Ducati that made the same power with “inferior” valves, but missing the 30 year old Honda with hydraulic valves.
Sorry, but no matter how you slice it, HD is behind the curve on tech and they have been since the advent of water cooled motorcycles. Hydraulic valves aren’t used in many bikes these days because advancements in material science has developed more effective alloys for valve springs. Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and BMW(ish) all make motorcycle engines with traditional valve springs that have redlines as high as 17,000 RPM.
Having to do it yourself is still a huge disadvantage compared to not having to do it at all.
You don’t even seem to understand the advantages of hydraulic valves. It’s not spring related. It’s wear/service related. The lack of a shim and/or bucket that is going to wear and need replacing (and thus an inspection at regular intervals) is what makes hydraulic valves great.
High RPM floating with hydraulic valves has been a downside since day one and I don’t see that going away. The idea that springs have been better for high RPM is just a true today as it was 20, 30, 50 years ago. This is the biggest reason hydraulic valves aren’t used in most bikes; they’ve simply never been able to keep up with springs. No recent change in spring technology has changed that at all. That, and bikes are known for more maintenance so advantage of never having to check valves hasn’t been seen as a huge plus.
You can try to slice it anyway you want and act like this is some unimpressive outdated engine; it’s not. Is it the bleeding edge of technology? No. But it is solidly in the top half of new motorcycle engines.
Sorry, but it’s still a HD and I trust them to build a working modern high performing engine about as far as I can shot-put one.
Sure metal and metal can wear, that’s why advances in materials sciences are so important – everything from the metallurgy to the oil in the engine. If you break in a Ducati right, those valves won’t need adjusting – just the occasional check. The fact is that HD has a terrible rep once you get beyond the fanboys who drink that “heritage” kool-aid.
HD can beat their chest when they are on the grid and wining races, until then, they remain a t-shirt company that sells overpriced pig-iron bikes on the side.
Context is important, my friend 🙂
“That doesn’t sound all that crazy given today’s technology, but that was practically space-age tech for Harley. “
I rode this bike when it came out, and it was surprising how much the engine wanted to rev–which is insane for a Harley. And it was legit fun to ride. Here’s hoping the price brings some riders in, because it’s these ‘untraditional’ Harleys that are the most interesting to me
The Harley is a 975cc twin, $10,000 staring price with 91 BHP and 71 lb-ft of torque.
Add an extra $800 and you can get a brand new MT09 with inverted forks, more power, similar torque and better build quality while weighing almost 60 lb less.
Going back to the $10,000 MSRP: Congratulations, for the price of 5 Honda VFR 800s you can make less power and have less performance than any one of them. Or you could have five Honda VFR800s with the best engine configuration for a bike (this is not a question, the V4 is best).
And don’t forget how much less reliability you’ll get compared to pretty much any other manufacturer.
“Harley, Harley, we’re the best! Ride 25 miles and walk the rest!”
I guess this tracks for H-D, that they would be using techniques that have been around for 40+ years and think they’re modern 😛
I had over 10 Honda and Yamaha motorcycles since the very early 80’s. Went to the darkside of HD and picked up a Street Rod 750 ( ergonomically designed for a 150 lb Asian person) and a Ultra Limited which was a beautiful bike with the weight of a small aircraft carrier. Bought a new 2018 GoldWing and will never look back. A superior motorcycle in fit and finish and handling.
Oh, how is the handling on that Goldwing? I’ve ridden the 3rd and 4th gens but not the latest. That double wishbone front suspension definitely sounds interesting, and Honda was confident enough that they did the press launch event at their Motegi race track. I assume it must handle decently but wasn’t sure if it felt that different from traditional forks.
It is truly night and day. I can hit the brakes at any speed and there is ZERO dive. You stop now! It’s still a heavy bike but it feels like a 1000cc over anything those aircooleds are doing. Just a dream.
Great to hear, I really want to try one. But it seems most Japanese bike dealerships don’t allow test rides, even when you show up on a bike that cost as much as the one you’re interested in! Need to see if there’s a Honda demo day or something in my area.
I haven’t ridden the latest Gen Goldwing, but the 5th Gen GW I had for a couple of years, was pretty good. Above about 5 mph, it didn’t feel anywhere near as heavy as it was. The only thing that I wanted was a redline above 6K. Romp on it and it sounded like a Porsche, but the end of that symphony came too soon.
Yeah I guess that comes with the territory for such a heavy bike, the short gearing. I also don’t know why Honda was so, so stubborn in staying with a 5-speed until the latest generation. It’s like they were still thinking the national speed limit was 55 or something.
I realized I had also ridden the 5th gen as well, and yeah I remember it handling its weight surprisingly well. The only instability I felt was at parking lot speeds, a bit of wobble in the handlebars. But I attribute that to the fact that they are swept so far back from the steering head.
the other issue with harley is the bike that you want, the bike that is in your head when you think ” i want a harley” has 4-6k of optional extras that add up real fast. Want to add saddle bags? that will be $1,000. Want a windshield? $750 and so on and so on. And you also can’t simply RIDE a Harley without also wearing a HD jacket, that will be $700! Harley is not a motorcycle manufacturer they are a motorcycle accessories company with a lifestyle and apparel franchise on the side.
HD is the only motorcycle company where I’ve gone to a showroom and there was nothing there but t-shirts and merch. Not a single bike and no one working there knew anything about bikes.
I have to give it to HD, no other t-shirt company makes a better motorcycle.
Hey it works for Ferrari. HD just needs to open up their own theme park.
I’m waiting for them to open it on the Milwaukee shoreline, in typical Harley fashion it’s only open for 5 months a year and costs $200 to enter for a day.
with the Saudi family buying Brands and IP as they try and divest from oil I can actually see them buying HD and opening up a theme park in Saudi Arabia.
That was my entire experience at HD of Orlando. Lots of shirts (SO MANY SHIRTS) but they told me if I wanted to look at a bike I had to go to an actual dealer.
But I guess merch sells so good on them for the income stream, I suppose.
Was that the one at Disney Springs?
For someone who isn’t vertically challenged: many of these “entry” bikes are simply sized for people under 5’8”. I welcome new, “entry”, full sized bikes.
But, I will wholeheartedly agree that a used Suzuki GS500 will be a much better starter bike than this for virtually any new rider. It’s lighter, it’s cheaper, it might have been dropped already (so you won’t cry when you do it), it’s got enough power to get you swiftly to highway speeds but not enough to really get away from you, and it fits a wide array of adult riders.
If it were my money and I couldn’t be dissuaded from a litre-sized cruiser – I’d be shopping the Honda even if it cost me more for the build quality alone.
Well said. My first bike was a brand new ’80 Suzuki GS550. I originally was thinking a 450, but the sales rep told me (at 6’2″) I was going to be cramped on it and quickly want something bigger. I had that bike for five years and put 40,000+ miles on it before I sold it to a brother-in-law for a pittance. It ran fine. The paint on the tank was peeling and I had to replace the exhaust with 4-into-1 system because that was cheaper than the OEM replacements.
I put it down twice in that time. First time going around a corner from a stop light and didn’t see the diesel fuel (very slippery stuff, it turns out) and the second time on loose gravel pulling into my parents’ farm. No injuries and no significant damage to the bike.
I may be way off here but Harley’s biggest problem is its brand image IMO. At least for me the loud pipes save lives crowd just come off as selfish with no concern over anyone around them who want some peace and quiet (this also applies to Mustang’s, Charger’s, 350Z’s, and any other infamous obnoxiously loud vehicle). I say this as someone who’s Dad had Harley’s and grew up with them. Maybe I just had my fill of them.
Harley’s image is its greatest asset and its greatest liability.
Glad that Harley is again open for the starter set.
I’ve never really been a Harley fan, but after a trip to the Harley Museum in Milwaukee last summer, I found myself really wanting a Nightster. I’m not really into big cruisers, I don’t want a sport bike or anything like that, I just want something to ride once in a while that looks cool and is relatively comfortable. The Nightster seems to fit the bill.
Did the museum and Steel Toe tour a few years ago. The factory is surprisingly spartan and basic but it was great seeing bikes being “born…”