Text by Hiroaki Numao, Photos by Webike and Harley-Davidson
*This article was originally published in Best Car Web on April 26, 2022.
Harley's most mass-marketed series, the Sportster, has shown such popularity that the air-cooled final model sold out immediately at the end of last year. A new "Nightster" equipped with a 975cc liquid-cooled engine has been announced.
This is the 2nd model in the new generation of the series following the liquid-cooled 1250cc Sportster S and is the successor to the 883 (Papasan). With its Harley-like appearance and price of less than 2-Million Yen, is it sure to be a hit? I asked Mr. Noda, president of Harley-Davidson Japan, about its prospects.
- First "975cc" V-twin, different from the two preceding liquid-cooled 1250s
- A true selling line: "cool, light, and easy to ride".
- Good foot grounding for a 164cm-tall woman, with both feet touching the ground up to the heel.
- 1,000 units of Nightster to arrive in the Japanese market, the same as the Sportster S.
- Finally, I asked about the introduction of naked and 400cc that I was interested in.
First "975cc" V-twin, different from the two preceding liquid-cooled 1250s
"Harley is in great shape this year."
On April 15th, the launch of the new motorcycle in Tokyo, Harley-Davidson Japan (HDJ) President Kazuo Noda opened the event with the following statement.
Japan Harley registrations in January-March 2022 were 1.7 times higher than in the same period last year. This represents the 2nd highest volume on record after the bubble period, and for the first time in 6 years, HDJ results were positive with respect to registrations from April 2021 to March 2022.
The reason for this is that the dealerships have been open for business despite the Corona disaster, and most importantly, the new models have been well received. Two water-cooled models, Harley's first Adventure Pan America 1250/S, launched in June 2021, and the Sportster S, introduced in January 2022, have boosted sales.
Pan America ranked 2nd last year in the over-liter adventure segment, where the CRF1100L Africa Twin Honda and the R1250 GS BMW were among the strongest competitors. Orders for the Sportster S also reached 1,000 units within 4 months of its release. This figure of 1,000 units is quite impressive, and it is calculated to be one of the top 10 sales of 401cc and larger in Japan in 2021.
This is where the 2nd liquid-cooled Sportster, the Nightster, will be added to the newly announced lineup.
While the two water-cooled models already on the market were powered by a 1252cc 60-degree V-twin called the Revolution Max 1250T, the NightSter was the first to embrace a 975cc V-twin.
The air-cooled Sportster series consisted of the 1200 and the 883, nicknamed "Papasan.
In the new water-cooled series, the Sportster S took the place of the 1200, while the Nightster was positioned as the younger 883.
The air-cooled Sportster, which has a 64-year history since its first generation, was finally converted to water-cooling in order to meet Euro 5 equivalent emission regulations. Harley has been increasing the displacement of its larger-displacement big-twin models year after year in order to increase power, and this trend was followed by an increase of 100cc from the 883.
Following the Sportster S, the Nightster is the 2nd liquid-cooled Sportster.
It features a design that combines traditional and modern styles.
Priced from (approx.) 13880 USD to 14110 USD
A true selling line: "cool, light, and easy to ride".
Another topic is its classical styling. While the Sportster S, which went on sale earlier, was a futuristic sports model, the Nightster's design is in line with the conventional air-cooled series, with a traditional peanut-shaped tank, rear dual suspension, and down exhaust system. Although the engine and other parts of the model have a modern feel that differs from the existing air-cooled models, it can be said to be the legitimate successor to the Sportster.
President Noda is also proud that it is very cool. He also gives the stamp of approval that it is very light and easy to ride.
The vehicle weighs 221kg, thanks to a structure that utilizes the engine as part of the frame. Compared to the air-cooled Iron 883, which weighed 256kg, the weight was reduced by 35kg. It is also 4kg lighter than the Sportster S. Furthermore, the normal fuel tank location is a dummy, and the fuel tank is mounted under the seat. This promotes a low center of gravity and makes the motorcycle very light to handle.
The area where the tank is normally located is a dummy, with an air cleaner box inside.
The fuel tank is under the seat.
Good foot grounding for a 164cm-tall woman, with both feet touching the ground up to the heel.
It also has excellent leg room. President Noda's air-cooled Forty-Eight Final Edition, which was released on December 5, 2011, and sold out in 20 minutes, had a seat height of 710mm, which provided excellent leg room, but the Nightster has a lower seat height of 705mm. Even a female rider of 164cm height straddling the seat can have both feet firmly planted on the ground.
In addition to ABS, the model offers a full range of electronic support functions, including three driving modes, traction control, and a drag torque slip control system that suppresses excessive engine braking. Compared to the simple air-cooled Sportster of the past, the new model offers enhanced functionality and ease of use.
While he said that there are still hidden gems in the air this year, this is the first chapter of new products with the three new water-cooled models. President Noda says that this is the beginning of a new era.
both feet are firmly planted on the ground even for a 164cm tall woman.
The handlebars are slightly low, so the upper body tilts slightly forward.
The model is Yuki Takahashi, a freelance announcer who is also a rider.
1,000 units of Nightster to arrive in the Japanese market, the same as the Sportster S.
After the presentation, I was able to speak directly with President Noda. President Noda was appointed president of HDJ in December 2020. He is the first Japanese president in 10 years and was previously the president of Triumph Motorcycles Japan.
The company's strong performance is largely due to "Hardwire," a sales strategy launched by the new CEO of the U.S. headquarters, who will take office in 2020. The new CEO is Jochen Seitz, former CEO of the sporting goods giant Puma. Hardwire consists of six pillars to rebuild Harley, which had been suffering from sluggish sales, and the strong sales of new models are also influenced by the sales strategy.
In line with the strategy, we have changed our sales methods to convey the advantages of our products and improved our customer service. President Noda believes that strong sales are due in part to these synergistic effects.
Note that despite the high price of Pan America, which starts at 2,745,600 Yen (approx. 20200 USD), 520 units were sold in Japan last year. 1,000 units of the Sportster S have been ordered, and 1,000 units of the Nightster are expected to arrive. The Nightster is priced 59,400 Yen less than the S and is the second cheapest in the current lineup after the Softail Standard at 1.87 million yen. It is expected to be a hotly contested race.
Japan sales of the air-cooled Sportster ended with 1,300 units of the Forty-Eight Final Edition.
Deliveries began at the end of March. Actually, air-cooled Sportsters are still continuing in countries with lax regulations.
Finally, I asked about the introduction of naked and 400cc that I was interested in.
As for the future strategy, he wants to make sure that they bring new parts of Harley to the customers. He displayed the Panamerica at the motorcycle show, and there were still some people who were surprised and did not know it existed. On the other hand, there are parts that are new but unchanged. He says that he wants to convey the fact that Harley is becoming more and more interesting.
He plans to be active in events this year. HOG Touring and Blue Sky Heaven are under consideration. He would like to hold these events as long as there are no major problems. One of their strategies is to let people know about new Harleys. If he can do that, they believe the performance will naturally increase, said President Noda.
Speaking of future developments, he is also interested in models scheduled for release in the near future.
When asked about the liquid-cooled 1250cc Sport Naked Bronx, which will be announced in the fall of 2019, the company said it is still watching trends in the genre, which has many rivals.
There have also been rumors of introducing an under-400cc model, but they are considering various ideas.
They responded that they would like to gather feedback from the Japanese market as they gather feedback from the Japanese market, and provide feedback to the head office.
If 1,300 air-cooled finals are added to the 1,000 units of the Nightster, HDJ sales in 2022 should increase significantly. Could it exceed the bubble period? Frankly speaking, they would like to see more Nightster units arriving in Japan, but the market seems to be spreading around the world, making this a difficult task.
In any case, I can't wait to experience the light driving performance of the Nightster, which President Noda has also been praising.
The "Bronx" is Harley's first streetfighter with a liquid-cooled engine.
It was supposed to be released in 2020, but was postponed to the following year and remains unreleased to this day.
Original Source [ Best Car Web ]
