When I was trundling back from Delhi to Belfast on an Enfield Bullet in 1998, I never thought I’d see the day when I’d describe a one-litre motorcycle as a great little bike.
Well, that day has arrived with the Nightster, the latest and finest incarnation in the 65-year history of Harley Sportsters.
Last year, it looked for a moment as if that history was coming to an end when Harley, strangled by Eurocrats who made it almost impossible for air-cooled engines to pass emission tests, dropped the air-cooled Sportster 883 and 1200.
Then the company surprised everyone by announcing the 1252cc, 121bhp Sportster S, which looked good and went like stink in a straight line, but was let down by a huge, fat front tyre which meant it took a hefty shove to get it around corners.
When I asked Harley bods about this, they freely admitted that it was more about design than handling.
Well, they’ve got it right this time with the Nightster, a name Harley took out and dusted off after last using it on a Sportster 1200 bobber in 2007.
It looks like a proper Sportster, for a start – a bike stripped down to the basics of an engine, two wheels and a seat.
Oh, and a fuel tank which isn’t a fuel tank, which I’ll get to in a moment.
Climb aboard, and that sculpted single seat welcomes your buns like the concierge of your favourite hotel. As opposed to the seat of the BMW CE 04 electric scooter which you’ll be reading about in a bit, which looks like a plank and feels like one.
Anyway, with my buns gratefully welcomed, that left me free to admire the fabulous bar-end mirrors. If you’re a pervert who likes looking at your elbows, these can be swivelled upside down.
The instrument panel is a little beauty of classical form and contemporary function – small and circular, but with all the info you need, including which of the three modes you’re in, Rain, Road or Sport.
Rain reduces power by 15%. Sport gives the most aggressive power delivery and engine braking, and Road snuggles comfortably in between.
There’s a strange slot in the dinky cowling which Harley claims is for airflow, but is actually a letterbox so that you can send postcards to Milwaukee saying how much you like the bike.
Even better, although it’s a compact machine, with a low seat and mid-mounted pegs, it proved entirely comfortable for a spirited morning’s ride even for your average normal 6ft 7ins gentleman motorcyclist.
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The engine’s 89bhp means it can be limited to 47bhp for A2 licence holders, and while it’s not as much as the 121bhp of the Sportster S, it’s more than the piffling 51bhp of the previous Sportster 883 and 67bhp of the Sportster 1200.
And it’s a peach. With 89bhp propelling 220kg of bike towards the horizon, progress even in Road mode is satisfyingly lusty, accompanied by a deliciously visceral snarl from the exhaust to remind you, if you need reminding, that a V-twin is probably the most satisfying sound in the motorcycling world.
With variable valve timing, power delivery is silk-smooth and linear all the way to 9,000rpm, helped by a light clutch and slick six-speed gearbox which is light years away from the clunky Harley contraptions of old, on which engaging first gear was like dropping a spanner in a bucket.
But the best bit is yet to come. As I mentioned above, the fuel tank isn’t a fuel tank, but houses the airbox, although the fuel tank which isn’t a fuel tank is still steel, which will be good news to anyone like me who still has the magnetic Oxford tank bag I used for that Delhi to Belfast ride.
The fuel is actually below the seat in an 11.7 litre tank which Harley claims gives a range of 148 miles, although I suspect enthusiastic riders will get 120 or fewer.
With that and the low seat making the centre of gravity lower than a dachshund’s undercarriage, and an engine which is part of the chassis structure making it stiffer, handling is gloriously light and agile.
There’s only one brake disc up front, but it’s adequate, although the back brake is a little wooden for accurate trailing into downhill twisties, of which there were, by my estimation, four and a half trillion on the launch in the hills above Girona in Spain.
At least a slipper clutch means the back wheel won’t lock under aggressive downshifting.
Right, time for Sport mode, which made acceleration even more enthusiastic, although at the expense of slightly snatchy fuelling at low revs.
Other minor points are that the front suspension is fixed, and the rear manually adjustable, which is slightly surprising on a fairly pricey entry to the Harley stable, although on PCP with a 20% deposit, it’s a very tempting £125 a month, and as with all Harleys, about a squillion accessories.
All in all, this is a superb bike, a joy to ride, the best Sportster yet, and a fitting birthday present from Harley to the motorcycling world on the model’s 65 th anniversary.
