The Harley-Davidson Nightster Is The Most Powerful Cruiser Under $10,000 In 2025

Over the years, American manufacturers shifted their focus to making bigger, more powerful cruisers with higher profit margins. Prices for these bikes have edged above the $20k mark in some cases, leaving most buyers out in the cold. Harley tried and failed to offer a budget cruiser a decade ago, then Indian hit back more recently with the affordable Scout range.

While the Scout certainly has its merits, the best alternatives in the sub-$10k space were largely metric, with several good bikes from Japan offering more value. Harley-Davidson finally hit back in 2021 with the Nightster. Unfortunately, they got the pricing wrong and, to make matters worse, it still had a fair few teething issues. With those problems rectified, and a significant price drop, the Nightster now offers more bang for your buck than any other cruiser in its class.

The Harley-Davidson Nightster Is The Most Powerful Cruiser Under $10,000 In 2025

MSRP: $9,999

Harley-Davidson

It would be easy for Harley to say that the Nightster’s price drop was pre-planned, but we can’t help but feel that it was a response to Indian launching an updated Scout Sixty range. While it may have been easy to justify the higher price tag, we are glad that the powers that be made this competitive decision. What it did was bring one of the best modern cruisers within reach of more budget-conscious buyers.

Indian Motorcycle

The Scout Sixty is obviously the most direct, American V-twin competitor. It only falls a few horses short of the Harley, and makes for a genuinely good alternative. Only the Bobber sells for under the magic $10k figure, and while its traditional design will appeal to some buyers, it won’t appeal to everyone. Honda offers the Rebel 1100 for a good $500 less than the two American bikes, yet it offers more features. The only drawback is that you have to make do with a parallel-twin, but it still packs a very decent punch and comes with Honda reliability.

The only other similarly powerful bike competing in this space is the Triumph Bonneville Bobber, but it is significantly more expensive. It offers retro charm and a level of quality that is certainly worth paying for. If you are sticking to a budget of $10k, you will need to accept the fact that the other bikes simply won’t have nearly as much power. In that sense, the Nightster is part of a pretty elite club. Realistically speaking, buyers will most likely only be choosing between the Rebel, Scout, and the Nightster if horsepower is a top priority. All three bikes have their merits, and to be fair, all offer great value. The Harley just has a tiny bit more power.

Rivals

• Honda Rebel 1100
• Indian Scout Sixty Bobber
• Triumph Bonneville Bobber

The Nightster Has A Powerful Modern Liquid-Cooled V-Twin

Power: 91 Horsepower

Harley-Davidson

Harley-Davidson is not doing nearly enough with the Revolution Max 975T engine. It is fairly clear that this was destined to be a multi-platform development, but for now, only the Nightster and Nightster Special get it. It is a fantastic modern V-twin, comparable to almost any new middleweight motorcycle – let alone cruiser – in terms of overall power output. With 72 pound-feet of torque, it isn’t exactly short in that department, either.

Engine Specifications

Over the years, balancing tradition and modern innovation has been one of the biggest challenges for Harley-Davidson. It is a brand with a huge following, and whenever a new model is launched, there always seems to be some sort of blowback. This liquid-cooled V-twin is more complex than the average air-cooled engine, but it is a significantly more efficient engine that has a very high performance ceiling. For a brand that desperately needs to reinvent itself, we hope to see more bikes make use of this platform.

The Nightster Is Not Your Average Entry-Level Motorcycle

Fewer Features, More Fun

Harley-Davidson

This is currently Harley’s most affordable option, and while it is the only “entry-level” bike in the lineup, it is important not to confuse it with a beginner-friendly motorcycle. This is by any measure a middleweight bike, which is a good bike to step up to, but it is too powerful for new riders (unless you live in a part of the world where a low-power version is on offer). If you are in the market for your first bike, there are several better alternatives.

Harley-Davidson

The Nightster is a modern bike with modern safety features like ABS and traction control, as well as a few ride modes, but it is not a feature-rich motorcycle. It has a simple dash, and unless you are willing to add a decent amount of cash, it only comes in one color. It doesn’t even get a passenger seat at this price. If you want more, you need to pay more, and get the Nightster Special. While its added features will appeal to some, the base model Nightster offers a lot of value to the right buyer.

Chassis, Suspension, And Weight Specifications

What you get with the Nightster is a back-to-basics riding experience from what is still a very modern motorcycle. It has a good chassis to complement that potent V-twin, and while the suspension is relatively basic cruiser fare, it is competent enough to handle a wide variety of shapes and sizes. It is also light for a cruiser, and will be fun to ride on a canyon road. It certainly isn’t a sports bike, but it will make several similarly-priced cruisers feel slow and clunky by comparison.