After teasing constantly and fueling the rumors about a new motorcycle, Harley-Davidson finally dropped the 2022 Nightster, the 1250cc Sportster S’s baby brother. The new Nightster puts the old model to shame as it brings the new Revolution Max 975T motor. There is much to say about the 2022 Harley-Davidson Nightster.

The 2022 Harley-Davidson Nightster looks unmistakably like the Sportster S

In early 2021, the motorcycle company filed a trademark for the name ‘Nightster.’ It was still unclear what Harley-Davidson would name the Custom 1250 concept. Still, rumors swirled about the company’s intentions to bring back the Nightster nameplate.

As it turns out, the speculation was somewhat true. Although the 2022 model isn’t the S, the Nightster is a newer version of the Sportster S. The company launched a base model version of the liquid-cooled Sportster S. While the Nightster and the base model version have some key differences, they do share some similarities.

The Nightster has a smaller engine than the Sportster S but is still related to Sportster S’s liquid-cooled V-twin, even with a Revolution Max 950T engine. The Nightster also looks similar to the Sportster S in terms of the dual outboard shocks. However, the deeper you analyze the bike, the more you realize that the similarities stop at design.

According to MSN, the Nightster handles better and makes it easier for the rider in terms of foot control, seat adjustment, and handlebars movement. The lower seat has increased in popularity with shorter riders. Additionally, engine vibrations don’t reach the bars, allowing for a smoother ride.

The 2022 Harley-Davidson Nightster gives way to modern surprises

Harley-Davidson enthusiasts know their way around a bike, and while the gas tank in the Nightster might look familiar, it’s a fake one. If you squint a little, you might notice that the company put in what seems like a peanut-shaped gas tank. You’ll be interested to know that it’s not a gas tank but an airbox. The bike’s 3-gallon tank is located under the cruiser’s hinged locking seat.

The Nightster also drops some of the Sportster S‘s features, like the fully adjustable monoshock. The cruiser has preload-adjustable twin rear shocks and non-adjustable forks. Additionally, the bike has an analog speedometer with a multifunction LCD instead of a TFT gauge as with the Sportster S.

The Nightster doesn’t make any concessions with electronics. It has the most standard features of Harley’s Rider Safety Enhancements, such as traction control, ABS, and rear-wheel slip control. The bike also comes with three riding modes: Rain, Road, and Sport, which adjust the power delivery, ABS intervention, throttle response, and engine braking traction.

The Nightster outdoes the Sportster S in imitating vintage Harley styling and comes in other colors, including red giving riders more choice than the blacked-out one they are used to with most H-D bikes.

Will the Nightster replace the Iron 883

Harley-Davidson’s decision to introduce a new liquid-cooled Sportster S poses a dilemma for another bike, the Iron 883. The renowned bike company recently got rid of the Street 500 and Street 750, and with those gone, the Iron 883 became the cheapest Harley bike in the US market.

H-D had to halt its air-cooled Sportsters sales in foreign markets last year as the old bikes could not meet the Euro5 emission regulations. The Sportster S gave Harley a divine opportunity to make a killing overseas, but they didn’t price it as an entry-level bike. The 2022 Harley-Davidson Nightster, however, changes that and might become an adequate replacement for Iron 883.