Night rider

Harley-davidson’s new Nightster promises to be more like a proper Sportster than the modernised Sportster S. Clear?

When the Sportster S arrived last year, many fans of the old model grumbled. The new Sportster was powerful, hightech and beautifully built – not something the old Sportster was often accused of – but it was also expensive and didn’t look like a Sportster. The Nightster is Harley’s answer.

Will it stifle the grumbles? Well, at £12,995, the 975cc Nightster is £1300 cheaper than the 1250cc Sportster S but it still seems pricey for what Harley describes as their entry level bike. By comparison, the old 883 Sportster was under £9000 before it was killed by Euro5.

The Nightster does look a lot more Sportstery though, with twin shocks at the rear instead of the Sportster S’s monoshock, and a fake tank that looks more like a classic Sportster’s (the Nightster’s actual fuel tank is under the seat, with the airbox sitting above the engine).

As the Nightster’s price suggests, the engine and chassis is a generation ahead of the old 883’s. The 975cc V-twin is the smaller brother of the 1250 powering the Pan America and Sportster S which means you get a liquid-cooled, 60-degree motor with double overhead camshafts and variable valve timing. Power is claimed to be 89bhp at 7500rpm, with 70 lb.ft of torque at 5000rpm – not earth-shattering, but you can bet it’ll be a roll-on monster. The engine has twin balance shafts to reduce vibes and like all current Harleys the valve clearance is adjusted automatically to reduce service costs. The engine is a stressed member, so the headstock bolts to the front cylinder, while the swingarm and rear aluminium subframe attach to the rear one. This reduces weight to 221kg (wet). Like the Sportster S, the Nightster comes with all Harley’s latest electronics. There are three rider modes – Sport, Road and Rain – which alter the throttle response and power. Sport gives you the full beans while Rain knocks the edge off everything and Road fits somewhere in between. Traction control is standard though it’s not lean sensitive as per the Sportster S. The Nightster will be in showrooms by the time you read this, with the grey and red versions costing £13,370.

‘When the Sportster S arrived fans of the old model grumbled’

The new Honda Hawk 11 has provoked bemusement from some Honda dealers who can’t understand why it’s not coming to the UK. The new bike – based on the engine and frame of the NT1100 tourer and Africa Twin – is not scheduled to be brought into Europe.

‘I think there would be a market for something like this and I’m surprised it’s not coming,’ says Honda dealer John Hunt, owner of Hunts Motorcycles in Manchester. ‘I could imagine selling 300 of them a year. It’s very strange. The engine is Euro5 compliant because it’s from the Africa Twin so that can’t be the reason.’

The bike’s retro-classic nose fairing is clearly based on the 2017 CB4 Interceptor concept, and looks similar to the single-headlight design of Triumph’s Speed Triple RR and MV’S Super Veloce. Except with curious wing mirrors bolted to the fairing subframe. Detailed specifications have yet to be announced, but the engine looks to be the same 101bhp, 77 lb.ft unit used in the NT1100 and Africa Twin, though fitted with a deeply unpleasant end can. When the bike was unveiled at the Osaka Show in Japan, Honda wisely replaced it with a chrome Moriwaki silencer. The steel frame is lifted from the Africa Twin and NT1100 and the NT provides the swingarm and 17in wheels. The forks are new – but similar – Showas.

Honda UK told Bike they don’t know why the Hawk isn’t coming into Britain, but several dealers speculated it’s because

‘Internet twonks say Honda copied Speed Triple RR…’

the new Hornet – we had plenty of enquiries about that.

‘I know the NT1100 is a completely different market to the Hawk, but it’s the same platform and the reaction to that was very strong. Before it had even gone to the NEC Bike Show we’d already taken orders. Now, I can’t get the things in here quick enough. Our demonstrator is constantly out on the road and everyone who’s ridden has bought one. I’ve sold so many NTS…’

ELECTRONICS Traction control, drag torque slip control (stops rear locking up during hasty downshifts), three rider modes, ABS. ENGINE 975cc version of the Pan America and Sportster S engine. Variable valve control, 60-degree V-angle, liquid-cooling, 89bhp. The tank is only 11.8-litres, which makes for a 117 mile range at 45mpg. SUSPENSION Showa forks at the front, twin rear shocks. The swingarm is made of steel tubing. CLOCKS Sportster S’s posh TFT unit gets downgraded to a round analogue speedo with an inset LCD.

Back to basics for Harley, including the information relay dept

of negative feedback from customer research. ‘It looks fantastic,’ said Ian Gladman, general manager of Doble Motorcycles in London. ‘But I guess Honda have done their research and decided it’s not viable here. ‘I can’t imagine loads of dealers knocking on Mr Honda’s door asking for them to bring it in. I haven’t had anyone ring me up about it, whereas after the 125 Dax was announced I had loads from people asking when it was coming. It was the same with the taster videos of

Main frame looks identical to that of the Africa Twin and NT1100 – that means a steel double cradle around most of the engine, with just a single central beam past the header pipes. Suspension is Showa back and front. These appear to bolt on to the nose fairing subframe. It’s either a genius idea or an afterthought… LCD and looks to have been made specifically for Hawk Well, the Africa Twin is £13,049, the NT1100 is £11,999 and the CB1000R is £11,649 so if the Hawk 11 came to the UK we reckon it would be around £12,500. As per the NT1100: 310mm discs at the front with Nissin 4-piston radial calipers.