Harley-Davidson Could Be Bringing Back the Nightster
Harley has applied for the trademark Nightster, which could signal the model's return.
Night Is Coming
Harley-Davidson recently applied for trademark rights to the name "Nightster," a name that's quite familiar to MoCo fans. The last time we saw the Nightster was back in 2012, when it completed a successful run of special Sportster variants that featured blacked-out styling and a series of handling and performance tweaks. Now, it seems like the Nightster might just be making a comeback.
Photos: Harley-Davidson
Strong Clues
Trademarks get filed every day and manufacturers sometimes never use them, but Harley just so happened to file for the rights to Nightster in the U.S., Australia, and Europe, all at the same time. That seems like a concerted effort to secure the name to use on a future model, and sure enough, Harley filed the trademark for "motorcycles and structural parts therefore."
Photos: Harley-Davidson
>>Join the conversation about the Nightster right here in HDForums.
Peek at the Future?
Taking a peek at Harley's future vehicles page also reveals something we've known for a while now - that the motorcycle maker is planning on selling a "high-performance custom model" that was previously planned for 2021. Harley has removed all of the information for that model, but it remains on the page, regardless.
Photos: Harley-Davidson
>>Join the conversation about the Nightster right here in HDForums.
Filling the Void
With the Sportster seemingly on its way out after being cancelled in Europe, now seems like the right time for the 1250cc high-performance custom to be part of a new range that will replace it. Harley had to re-up the Nightster name after letting its trademark lapse, and it would make a lot of sense as part of this new lineup, serving the same role of a stripped-down, blacked-out, bobbed-fender bike as its predecessor.
Photos: Harley-Davidson
>>Join the conversation about the Nightster right here in HDForums.
Telltale Signs
The high-performance custom model seen on Harley's future vehicles page features a lot of the same styling tweaks as the original Nightster as well, and even sports the same color scheme. Of course, this new lineup could simply be called Sportster to keep that long-running model alive, but for now, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Nightster return in some capacity.
Photos: Harley-Davidson
>>Join the conversation about the Nightster right here in HDForums.
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