Skip to main content

Harley-Davidson drops the Nightster price to less than $10K

The Nightster's standard equipment enhances rider safety

By Bruce Brown Apr 9, 2025 11:45 AM

2025 Harley-Davidson Nightster right front three-quarter view. — Harley-Davidson

If the $110,000 price tag of the 2025 Harley Davidson CVO Road Glide RR convinced you that you’ll never be able to buy a Harley-Davidson because the prices are astronomical, Harley-Davidson has another model with down-to-earth pricing. The 2025 Nightster is priced $500 less than the 2024 version, dropping from the Nightster’s starting price from $10,499 to $9,999.

Why a sub-$10K Harley-Davidson matters

Rider on a 2025 Harley-Davidson Nightster right side view.
The new Nightster’s list price is only a buck under $10K, but perception matters. The Nightster is Harley’s entry-level bike. Unlike lower-cost Harley-Davidson models in the past that lacked the V-Twin engines that provide the torque and the distinctive, rumbling “Potato-potato-potato” sound at idle, the Nightster’s liquid-cooled Revolution Max 975T V-Twin motor qualifies it as a “real” Harley.

Recommended Videos

Prices have risen in the past few years, and U.S. motorcycle sales aren’t growing at the rates seen in Europe and Asia. If all Harley-Davisons cost more than $10,000, that removes the brand from consideration from first-time motorcycle buyers whose selection filters include “has to cost under $10K.” The reality is there are too many fine motorcycles from other brands that start below 10 grand for the company to miss out on the new buyers considering a Harley-Davidson.

What you get with a 2025 Nightster

2025 Harley-Davidson Nightster right front three-quarter view parked on wet pavement.
Like all other Harley-Davidson models, you can accessorize and personalize the Nightster extensively, choosing from a deep selection of factory and dealer-installed options and upgrades. But you don’t have to. The standard Nightster is a complete, very nice package.

The Revolution Max 975T V-Twin motor produces 91 horsepower with ample low-end torque. Ready to ride, the Nightster weighs 481 pounds, and its 27.1-inch seat height doesn’t challenge smaller riders or first-time buyers.

The Nightster’s standard equipment has several features that enhance rider safety, including antilock brakes with Brembo braking components, traction control, selectable Road, Rain, and Sport ride modes, plus LED lighting.

The 2025 Nightsteris is available now at Harley-Davidson dealerships. The $9,999 starting price is both the bike with black trim and Brilliant Gray paint. Color options with black trim are Vivid Blav=ck for $500 and Whiskey Fire for $750. You can also buy a Nightster with chrome trim and Snake Venom finish for an extra $900.

Bruce Brown Contributing Editor As a Contributing Editor to the Auto teams at Digital Trends and TheManual.com, Bruce… Read Full Bio

Topics

Auto News

Cadillac celebrates 125 years with the Escalade-V

cadillac celebrates 125 years with the escalade v my27 collector img 1620

The Cadillac Escalade has been a symbol for decades. When you think about those who made it out of the neighborhood and into the more affluent parts of your home, you think of them in a Caddy. The Cadillac image has always been the go-to for those who want to showcase their success and their ability to rise above the average. The Escalade became the harbinger of wealth when it became the status symbol of the urban and hip hop cultures.

Now the Escalade is the vessel Cadillac is using to celebrate 125 years with the Escalade-V.

Porsche wants to teach you how actually to drive their cars

Porsche

A Porsche is one of the most recognizable cars on the road. You always know when you are looking at one. So, it stands to reason that people love them, right? Of course they do. But loving a car and knowing how to drive one are very different. What is it that Ja Rule said in The Fast and the Furious? “We know a few things. And one of the things we knows is, it isn’t how you stand by your car, it is how to drive your car. You better learn that.” How do you learn to drive a Porsche? At the Porsche Track Experience, which has offered programs on everything from a single-day basics class up to a three-day advanced course.

Now, the team behind PTX is expanding into new offerings for the car.

The next evolution of the sports car: Porsche redesigns an icon

City, Car, Transportation

Authenticity. It is what we are looking for nowadays as consumers. Thirty years ago, we looked for brand names. We strived for status and letting all those around us see that what we wore, where we lived, where we dined, and finally, what we drove, symbolized our success in life. Then all of that started to stumble, and every industry felt the recession. Of course, the recession was temporary, but the effects of it were not. What we started to look for after that was something real. We realized that stuff…was just stuff. Now, when I look at cars, or suits, or restaurants, I ask myself: What is this going to make me feel?

That is what the new Porsche Mission S does; it makes me feel like vintage New York and the upstate escape.