New Nightster Redefined by Custom Master

Talented World

With utmost secrecy, Harley-Davidson undertook a covert project before they revealed the next chapter in the Sportster legacy. To stir the imagination and showcase possibilities, pre-production examples of the 2022 Nightster were quietly sent to select custom builders around the world. Among them was Hideya Togashi, a talented builder and owner of Hide Motorcycle in Kawasaki, Japan.

Photos courtesy of Hiromitsu Yasui.

Vaunted Decades

Togashi was a natural choice for the Motor Company's hush-hush project. Intimately familiar with the Nightster's predecessor, the long-running XL model, Togashi has over one hundred builds to his name. He is known as a Sportster specialist in the custom bike community. In business for over two decades, Hide Motorcycle is also a constant presence at the vaunted Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show.

Nervous Details

Harley-Davidson did not provide any details when they extended their custom project offer in December 2021. Togashi was only told that it was for “an upcoming new model.” He explained, “The Nightster name was not mentioned, because it hadn’t been launched yet. I was nervous, not knowing the details of the bike, but I didn’t need long to accept!”

New Fidelity

After Togashi agreed to the challenge, he was given just sixty days to build his custom. The new Nightster arrived a few days before Christmas. He soon realized that the plans he had first envisioned were not going to work. While the Nightster bears a lot of fidelity to the previous XL lineup, it is, as Togashi put it, “a completely new Harley.”

Custom Aspects

Undaunted, Togashi enlisted the help of business partner Naoya Watari to conjure up a new design. Togashi recalls that the “time we spent working on the concept was unthinkably long.” The central idea was to infuse the contemporary-styled Nightster with select aspects of Japan's own custom motorcycle scene, especially ones that had influenced custom bike culture in general.

Strong Cornerstone

After many long nights and a pile of sketches, the duo decided to build a street tracker. Togashi elaborated, “It’s a style and term that emerged from the Japanese custom scene in the late 1990s and early 2000s. This style has had a strong influence on custom bike culture and it’s the cornerstone of Harley-Davidson custom culture in Japan.”

Popular Shell

To give the Nightster a distinct look, Togashi, and Watari settled on a Tracy Body. The sleek look was popularized by surfboard builder Tracy Nelson, who first designed the widely popular motorcycle add-on in the 1960s. With no aftermarket parts available, Togashi had to improvise. They mocked up a shell with Styrofoam and clay before hand-hammering aluminum sheets.

Tubular Makeover

With the body narrowed, a front cowl was added to reduce attention on the voluminous radiator. Painted in corporate colors, the flowing monocoque creates a whole new look, one with pleasing lines and visual balance. Togashi admits that while it was a difficult project, he was happy with the results. Paired with a custom exhaust, this Nightster's 'tubular' makeover is truly masterful.

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