2008 Harley-Davidson XL1200N Nightster
Old Skool Sporty
The Motor Company's cheapest chopper is also its coolestJesse James once remarked that the look of his custom choppers wasn't half as important as the riding position. If the customer felt like a Brando-grade badass in the saddle, James had done his job. According to the James Scale of Relative Motorcycle Hardness (one being a Honda Metropolitan scooter, 10 being a rigid '48 Pan), the Nightster ranks a solid 9.5. Slouching into a scooped-out saddle hovering just 26 inches above the tarmac and grasping a low-rise, flat-track handlebar, the sensation is pure Hell's Angel. The Nightster is easily the most attitude you can buy for under 10 Gs.
The Nightster's look should please the patch-and-vest crowd, too. The backstreet-inspired tail, with no discernible taillight (stop lights are integrated into the turn signals) and a folding, side-mounted license plate, has us wondering who H-D roughed up at the DOT. Old-school rubber fork gaiters, lightening holes in the belt guard and front fender supports, vintage "ham can" air filter, and plenty of matte and flat finishes (including the patented "Rawboned" treatment on the Evolution engine) give the Nightster fistfuls of curb cred.
Even after the improvements applied across the Sportster line in 2004 (which included rubber mounting a revised Evo motor in a stiffer frame), riding the 51-year-old Sportster platform is still a hardcore experience, especially on the Nightster. The solo saddle is thin and firm, and the shorty rear shocks make long trips an exercise in brutality. The slammed ride height also affects cornering clearance-Sir Nightster touches tarmac early and often, especially the front muffler mounting bolts on the right side. Rubber-mounted or not, you still feel enough Evo thrum through the saddle and footpegs to remind you that you're riding a piece of Americana, though clutch effort has been reduced substantially for '08, making it more pleasant to work your way through the industrial-strength gearbox and take advantage of the satisfying, 79 lb.-ft. of torque to blat from stoplight to stoplight. The 1203cc powerplant will even deliver you north of 110 mph, but you really don't want to do that with the arms-out riding position, lack of wind protection and the relatively unimpressive, single-disc front brake.
But going fast, or far, or even for long, is not the point of a chopper. These bikes are all about attitude and amplitude, and on those fronts the Nightster is better than brass knuckles in a bar brawl. Short of a used Sporty, a Sawzall and a can of Krylon Hamm-R tone, you can't beat the Nightster for under $10K.
Price: $9695
Engine type: a-c 45-degree V-twin
Valve train: OHV, 4v
Displacement: 1203cc
Bore x stroke: 88.9 x 96.8mm
Compression: 9.7:1
Clutch: Wet, multi-plate
Transmission: 5-speed
Claimed horsepower: 64 bhp @ 6250 rpm
Claimed torque: 79 lb.-ft. @ 4000 rpm
Frame: Tubular-steel double-cradle
Front suspension: 35mm telescopic fork
Rear suspension: Twin shocks
Front brake: Single two-piston caliper, 292mm disc
Rear brake: Single one-piston caliper, 292mm disc
Front tire: 100/90-19 Dunlop D401F
Rear tire: 150/80-B16 Dunlop D401
Seat height: 26.3 in.
Wheelbase: 60.0 in.
Fuel capacity: 3.3 gal.
Claimed dry weight: 545 lbs.
Contact: www.harley-davidson.com