Harley-Davidson Looks to Revive the Nightster Nameplate

In the wake of last month’s Pan America reveal, Harley-Davidson has applied for trademark rights to the name “Nightster” in an orchestrated effort to gain control of the moniker, which to our mind suggests a plan to use the badge on the upcoming custom model also using the 1,252cc Revolution Max engine. While manufacturers constantly apply for and protect trademarks, the new Harley application is notable for its breadth; applications have been made in the USA, the UK, the European Union, and Australia, all on the same day. That sort of coordinated approach suggests a serious intention to use the name soon, provided there are no objections during the application process.

As you’d expect from Harley, the Nightster name is intended to be used on “motorcycles and structural parts therefore,” so it’s not simply something that’s being introduced for clothing or accessories. This is a name that’ll be seen on a bike, and when it comes to candidates the clear front-runner is the upcoming 1250 V-twin machine that’s currently listed on the firm’s “Future Vehicles” webpage as being “planned for 2021.”

First shown in 2018 as part of the ambitious “More Roads to Harley-Davidson” strategic plan, which has since been superseded by the greatly toned-down “Hardwire” roadmap for the future, the bike has always simply been called the “High Performance Custom Model” in official literature, with little else by way of details in the intervening years.

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As the model’s launch nears, it’s becoming increasingly clear that it’s part of a series of bikes that will effectively replace the Sportster range. Harley has already withdrawn the entire Sportster lineup from the European market, where the existing 883 and 1200 models no longer meet emissions regulations, leaving a gaping chasm in The Motor Company’s portfolio. The water-cooled, DOHC, 1,250cc “High Performance Custom” will go a long way toward plugging that gap, particularly if it can match the competitive pricing of the Pan America adventure bike that shares the same engine.

If you’re thinking, “Wait, didn’t Harley already sell a Nightster?” you’re right. The name was used on a model in the Sportster range from 2007 to 2012, which introduced the stripped-back, single-seat, low-bar, bobbed-fender style that’s carried on to this day by the Iron and Forty-Eight models. But Harley has since allowed its trademark rights on the Nightster title to lapse. Like the aforementioned “High Performance Custom Model,’' the original Nightster had low bars, an ever lower seat, and short fenders, as well as a distinct shortage of chrome. Even its launch color scheme—white over black with black wheels, black cylinders, and graphite gray engine covers—matches the graphics of the new 1250 custom model as it was originally shown.

During the official presentation of the production Pan America last month, Harley gave a few more clues about the upcoming 1250 custom. The snatched glimpses of a more production-ready version of the bike at the end of the Pan America’s introduction video showed a revised exhaust, new instruments, bar-end mirrors, and changes to the styling including new radiator shrouds and redesigned wheels that give a much more showroom-ready look than the original concept.

With the firm’s “Future Vehicles” website tab still listing the bike as coming this year, it can’t be long before there’s an official reveal including confirmation of the final name. While Nightster has got to be among the favorites, there’s also a chance the bike will simply carry the Sportster title, and Harley also has trademark rights to unused names including Bareknuckle (believed to have been registered as an alternative for the now-canceled Bronx streetfighter) and 48X, which is clearly a play on the existing Forty-Eight and thus another front-runner for the branding of the new water-cooled machine.