It’s been a busy day for the good people at Harley-Davidson. Today saw the launch of the new Harley-Davidson Nightster Low Rider ST and the next generation of the companies Pan America. While the first bike broadly falls into the Sportster category this model is a giant leap forward in performance and design while still remaining quite an accessible entry point to motorcycling and the H-D brand.
This is a completely new motorcycle. The team have combined a classic Sportster model silhouette with the performance of the new Revolution Max 975cc, 60 degree V-Twin powertrain. There are a host of contemporary electronic rider aids and features. This is the Sportster experience for a whole new generation of riders.
ABS, traction control, a choice of fuelling maps and a learner legal engine that comes with power as well as character are all standard. But that’s not all that happened today.
The latest Pan-America has got a refresh. This sees new colours for the new season as well as an entirely new quick shifter as an option from the companies Screamin’ Eagle collection of accessories. Putting out 150 hp and 128 Nm of torque makes this one of the gathering storm of bikes that the American giant has been pulling away from tradition with over the last number of years. They seem quite determined to make their mark on this busy market segment.
Then there’s the Low Rider ST. This is probably the most interesting of the three. And it’s been inspired by those builders who take the companies Dynas, Softtails and FXR models and make them their own. What we have here is a bike that sits taller and more comfortably under a rider who will, perhaps, demand a little bit more from their steed than they would, perhaps, have done in the past. There’s the standard S model and then there’s the ST with it’s fairing and panniers.
Powered by a 1,923cc Milwaukee 8 engine which produces 168nm of torque and 103 horse power, the new Low Rider has the looks and the tech to make it a very special bike. We really like the digital ‘tech gauge’ that sits in place of a traditional set of clocks. While the seating position is dictated by the perfectly comfortable bars and the whole thing is black on black in the detail department.
Both the front and rear suspension offer a lot more ground clearance. It can be adjusted to give the rider as much as one degree of extra lean in either direction. Lifting the rear to be taller than the other bikes in the range also makes for a more comfortable ride. ABS is standard and our old friends at Michelin have developed a set of Scorcher tyres that work perfectly on the new steed.
There is a huge suite of accessories for all three machines, they’ll be in the shops from later this month.
