Harley Somehow Snuck This Classically Cool Sport Cruiser Under $10,000

Thanks to a surprise price cut, there’s never been a better time to buy a Nightster.

By Steve Mazzucchi

Published March 17, 2025

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Updated March 17, 2025

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One easy way to make a product more compelling is to add new features that increase its appeal.

However, an easier way to do so, even after the product has launched, is to decrease the price, ideally below some commonly understood benchmark that suddenly juices the proposition.

2025 harley davidson nightster beauty — To paraphrase Henry Ford’s line about the original Model-T, you can get the new Nightster for $9,999 in any color you want, as long as it’s Billiard Gray.

Kinda outta the blue, Harley-Davidson has done exactly that with what is already the brand’s most affordable bike.

In a rather unprecedented step, just a couple months after announcing its 2025 lineup, Harley dropped the base price of its Nightster sport cruiser to $9,999.

Nightster moves

A modern, streamlined spinoff of the Sportster (a great bike Harley still makes and improves), the Nightster already boasted classic good looks, reliable performance and a nice price.

While the shaving of $500 is not that much cash (a roughly 5% reduction), the idea of a four-figure Harley gets my attention, with two caveats.

Combine the Nightster’s seat height and running weight with its narrow profile and low center of gravity, and you’ve got one super stable and even confidence-inspiring ride.

First off, that sticker price only applies to the Billiard Gray colorway. The other options — Vivid Black, Whiskey Fire and Snake Venom — all jack it up significantly.

Second, with taxes and fees there’s no way you are rolling out of the dealership for less than five figures.

Still, there’s no doubt now is a better time to seriously consider one than even last week. Here are a few elements that jump out about the bike, beyond the price slice.

1. Easy approachability

Both beginning and shorter riders can keep reading, because as intimidating as a Harley sport cruiser might sound, the Nightster is one of the brand’s most approachable bikes.

With a seat height of 27.1 inches, it’s easier to throw a leg over than many alternatives.

2025 harley davidson nighter seat — The Nightster’s seat height is fairly low, while its sinewy silhouette and bold badging echo classic Sportsters.

Heck, that’s two inches lower than the seat of Royal Enfield’s Super Meteor 650, a bike largely aimed at newer and female riders and generally embraced by them. The running weight of 481 pounds is also significantly lower than that moto’s 531.3.

Combine those traits with the Nightster’s narrow profile and low center of gravity, and you’ve got one super stable and even confidence-inspiring ride.

2. Punchy power

Just because the Nightster is beginner-friendly doesn’t mean it isn’t ready to rumble, though. After all, it still packs not-inconsiderable liquid-cooled Revolution Max 975T engine.

Rocking the brand’s iconic V-twin design, this power plant makes 91 horsepower and 72 ft-lbs of torque at 5,750 RPMs.

2025 harley davidson nighter engine — “Nothing sounds like a Harley” is a sentiment that applies even to the brand’s smaller engines, including the 975T.

That’s more than enough juice to zip around a cityscape, throttle out of tricky spots and saddle up for a day trip out on the highway.

That being said, I would imagine you’d find the most joy on this bike riding some place a bit quieter, like a long and windy two-lane country road, with no particular place to go.

3. Ride-friendly tech

As with most more affordable bikes, the Nightster’s dashboard is pretty stripped down, streamlined to a single round gauge displaying the classic orange-handed speedometer, neutral indicator light and a few other key data points.

I happen to love the largely analog nature of this set-up, but in a boon especially to less-experience riders, this Nightster still packs a few handy modern touches.

2025 harley davidson nighter action — The Nightster’s rain mode should help you stay upright even when the streets are slick.

First, it has three ride modes — road, rain and sport — that automatically adjust settings for optimal situational performance.

Second, the Nightster comes with both an anti-lock braking system and traction control, standard.

Together with dual-outboard rear shocks and premium Brembo brakes, those features will help even the newest riders achieve the most fundamental motorcycling goal: keeping the shiny side up.