2024 Harley-Davidson Nightster Special: A Comprehensive Guide On Features, Specs, And Pricing

Harley-Davidson first rolled the Nightster Special as a MY2023 model and carried it into the 2024 lineup with new colorways and performance enhancements. That’s on top of an engine that puts out roughly double the horsepower as the Evolution-based Sportster engine it replaced with no shortage of torque on tap. This ain’t your daddy’s Sporty to say the very least. The Nightster Special comes wired for H-D’s infotainment system and rolls with a handful of items off the RDRS menu to give it electronics that are on par with much larger, and more expensive, motorcycles.

This bike is part of a natural, continuous evolutionary arc that started in 1952 with the flathead-powered, H-D K Model, and would go on to carry small-displacement engines that shared its casting with the transmission as a unit. The Ironhead engine was the Shovelhead-based mill that would power the Sporty line up till 1985 when Harley retired it in favor of the then-new Evolution or Blockhead engine. It saw service through 2020 when H-D retired this plant to make room for the new generation of Sportsters, powered by the new Revolution Max 975 engine.

What’s New For 2024

Since this model first saw the light of day last year, it’s completely unsurprising that the factory pretty much rolled it over into MY24 with little to choose between the two. The most notable difference is the engine tuning, which delivers one more horsepower and two pounds o’ grunt, all without any major mechanical changes. The bodywork and overall mien are both thoroughly modern with only a cursory nod to its forebears, but this was necessary to make the Sportster more attractive to the new generations of riders. Even the engine balances look and function with the classic V-twin layout and a modern performance profile complete with liquid cooling and fuel injection. H-D’s Reflex Defensive Rider System comes stock for some right-off-the-floor safety.

2024 Highlights

• Powerful new engine generation
• Café racer-like headlight housing
• Decent electronic rider safety systems
• H-D infotainment support
• 70s-style tank bad

2024 Harley-Davidson Nightster Special Performance And Capability

This new Revolution Max design is really rather interesting. Sure, it’s a V-twin, which is pretty much obligatory for Milwaukee at this point, and the engine and transmission share a common casting in the finest Sportster tradition, but the similarities end there. Liquid-cooling gives it thermal stamina the likes of which its air-cooled forebears could only dream about, plus it mitigates the mechanical noises from inside the cases for quieter operation.

Power delivery is a tad more tame than the Nightster, but if you give it a good twist, that performance is right on point. The 2024 H-D Nightster Special produces 91 horsepower and 72 pound-feet of torque. That’s up from 90/70 for a marginal improvement over last year. Torque tops out at 5,000 RPM, but because of the Variable Valve Timing feature, much of that grunt is available just above idle for a deep torque well indeed. Power flows through a slip-and-assist clutch for some anti-hop protection at the rear wheel, while the Drag-Torque Slip Control System adds to the protection for the rear contact patch. A six-speed transmission and belt-type final drive complete the drivetrain. As for electronics, you can flip between a trio of Riding Modes for quick personality changes on the fly. Traction Control is part of the bundle to complete the protection for the rear contact patch.

Performance Specifications

Design And Styling

The factory borrowed elements from Sportsters past to pay appropriate homage where it’s due without remaining a slave to convention. Abbreviated sheet metal over the wheels gives it a performance-custom flair that’s reinforced by the liberal use of blackout paint just about everywhere except the faux fuel tank. That’s right, the teardrop tank is a lie. It’s actually an airbox cover. The 3.1-gallon fuel tank tucked away under the seat contributes to a low center-of-gravity that pays dividends in the handling department.

A bullet-cowl around the headlight gives it a bit of a West Coast or gangster feel. Behind the bullet, a round, four-inch color TFT screen handles all the mundane metrics along with the RDRS and infotainment controls, all in one location. Seat height sits at 27.8 inches off the deck unladen, but if you weigh at least 180 pounds, it will squat down to 27.1 inches high. The pillion pad and folding footpegs come stock, so you can share the fun with a friend right off the showroom floor. Unlike the Nightster with its more aggressive riding posture, the Special has short-rise bars and mid-mount foot controls that put the pilot in a comfortable, confidence-inspiring posture that should accommodate a wide swath of body types.

Specifications And Dimensions

Chassis And Handling

H-D relies on the strength of the mild-steel tubing and frame geometry for much of the structure of the Nightster Special, but in a rare move for The MoCo, the engine serves as a stressed member to keep overall weight down. To that end, the bike weighs 483 pounds wet, and when paired with a low center-of-gravity, this makes it handle quite well, especially at slower speeds. The swingarm is a full-yoke member with an I-beam cross-section for rigidity with the Sportster-typical dual coil-over shocks for support. Adjustable spring preload on the rear shocks is the only manual suspension tweak at this time. While the front forks aren’t manually adjustable, the factory tapped the 41 mm Showa stems to float the front end, and they come with the Dual Bending Valve technology that delivers event-driven, automatic damping for a ride that is superior to plain vanilla forks.

Cast-alloy wheels round out the rolling chassis with a 19-inch rim ahead of a 16-incher for an offset that is also typical of the breed. They come shod with Dunlop H-D Series Bias Blackwall tires in a 100/90 and 150/80 at the front and rear, respectively. The rake angle is in custom territory at 30 degrees, and with the 5.4 inches of trail factored in, it points to a ride that is stable in a crosswind, even at speed.

A single, 320 mm disc works with a four-bore axial caliper to slow the front wheel, while out back, a 260 mm disc and single-piston anchor take care of business. ABS protection comes stock as part of the RDRS bundle for yet another layer of safety.

Chassis And Suspension

2024 Harley-Davidson Nightster Special Price And Availability

MSRP on the 2024 H-D Nightster Special starts at $13,499. You might be thinking that’s a little high for a Sportster, but I remind you that this ain’t the old-school Sportster. It’s a lot more engine and a lot more bike, so it naturally commands a higher price. The base colorway is Billiard Gray on the tank. Black Denim, Red Rock, and my fave Baja Orange will all set you back another $450. Blackout treatment covers just about everything else to one degree or another.

Pricing And Features

2024 Harley-Davidson Nightster Special Versus Its Competitors

Performance considerations are more important now than ever before. Gone are the days of image-dominant designs above all. The new generations of riders demand more than just brand recognition. With that in mind, H-D is not alone in this sector, and so it gets direct competition from the Indian Scout Rogue and R 12 by BMW.

How The Harley-Davidson Nightster Special Compares To The Indian Scout Rogue

• 	2024 Harley-Davidson Nightster Special	2024 Indian Scout Rogue
  Engine	975 cc V-twin	1,133 cc V-twin
  Transmission	6-speed manual	6-speed manual
  Horsepower	91 HP @ 7,500 RPM	100 HP
  Torque	72 LB-FT @ 5,750 RPM	72 LB-FT @ 5,900 RPM
  Driveline	RWD	RWD
  MSRP	$13,499	$12,749

Indian hits many of the same design points with Scout, the closest family it has to a Sportster equivalent. Bobbed fenders and blackout treatment set the stage, and in the Scout Rogue’s case, you get to choose between no less than eight colorways with the color showing up on the sheet metal to include fenders, tank, and headlight cowl. The modern, liquid-cooled, 1,133 cc V-twin produces 100 horsepower and 72 pound-feet of torque against 91/72 for a slim advantage in ponies. ABS comes stock on all but the non-ABS Black Metallic colorway. Price starts at $12,749, and can go as high as $15,149 for the top-tier paint packages.

How The Harley-Davidson Nightster Special Compares To The BMW R 12

• 	2024 Harley-Davidson Nightster Special	2024 BMW R 12
  Engine	975 cc V-twin	1,170 cc boxer twin
  Transmission	6-speed manual	6-speed manual
  Horsepower	91 HP @ 7,500 RPM	95 HP @ 6,500 RPM
  Torque	72 LB-FT @ 5,750 RPM	81 LB-FT @ 6,000 RPM
  Driveline	RWD	RWD

BMW has its own ideas for a sporty cruiser design, and the new R 12 seems to be fairly representative of the same category. Liberal blackout treatment gives it a similar dark look, though the R 12 carries paint on the tank and both fenders for a tad more color than the Nightster Special. Like the Scout Rogue, the R 12 rolls with a solo seat, so you’ll have skin that checkbook once again if you want to share the fun with a friend.

The engine is a 1,170 cc boxer-twin with 95 ponies and 81 pound-feet of torque, which is close enough to not be a dealbreaker. On the upside, the Beemer rolls with Dynamic Engine Brake Control, ABS Pro, and Dynamic Traction Control to fall closer to the H-D in the electronics department. At the time of this writing, the R 12 price is TBA, but I expect BMW will address that sooner rather than later.

He Said/She Said

He Said

My husband and fellow motorcycle writer, TJ Hinton, says,

“I’ve always had a soft spot for Sportsters, and you can go ahead and pencil me in as “digging it” where this Nightster Special is concerned. It’s got the power, handling, and electronics to put it on par with just about any sub-liter sport-cruiser out there. Let me just say that I miss the days of the $4,995 Sportster from the late ’80s when I look at this particular sticker.”

She Said

“Between the Nightster and Nightster Special, this bike comes two-up friendly with a pillion and fold-up passenger pegs along with more relaxed ergonomics. Compared to the bigger version of the Revolution engine, the 1250, the 975 in both the Nightster and the Nightster Special has a tamer power delivery that’s attractive for inexperienced riders. That doesn’t make this a new-rider bike, but it’s a consideration for folks looking at the 1250 and the 975. Make no mistake, though, give it a firm twist and the performance is lively, especially in Sport mode.”