Harley-Davidson FXSTB Night Train reviews

I've had my Night Rod for a year and just turned 10,000 miles. I just replaced the tires with Metzlers which are supposed to ride and handle better plus last longer - we'll see. I ride with a club usually 3 times a week so that is why I've put so many miles on in a relatively short time. I get many compliments on the bike and am very happy with everything about it except the small fuel tank which has been corrected in the 2007 model (but is not interchangable). The bike has a great combination of power, speed, and handling that no other Harley has except the Street Rod, but the Street Rod doesn't have the highway pegs which I use much of the time. I do use the mid-controls for hilly and curvey roads and like having the two options of foot placement. I've been getting about 42-44 mpg and the farthest I've gone on a tank has been 130 miles. All-in-all, I can't think of another bike that could replace my Night Rod and I've had many bikes over the years including a Goldwing and a custom chopper. Show less

This bike is every bit as tuff as it looks. Have yet to see a photo that does this bike justice. It is the meanest, nastiest bike out there and gets tons of looks and compliments. The transmission is silky smooth and the power band on this thing is crazy... This motorcycle is super fast from start to finish. I have been riding forever and have rode everything from dirt to sport and this is by far the most wonderful motorcycle I have ever had the pleasure of riding. It's a pure joy... However, if you ain't tuff, don't even think about it. This motorcycle is not for every one. It has a bad boy image and if you ain't bad, then you got no business on the back of one of these beasts. This motorcycle kicks and if you ain't kickin then your gettin kicked. that's just the nature of the beast. I hope you all have a chance to see one soon and if your BAD enough and TUFF enough, just ride one out the doors and go start kickin!!! Show less

I have ridden my Honda Magna for years and I love it. But I have watched the V-Rods since the day they came out. I wanted to trade, but I wanted to see some reviews first. I don't like learning the hard way. This is the V-Rod to have. It has the easy to use clutch and brakes with real gripper brakes. They way out-perform my Honda. The trans is smooth and quiet, I thought my Magna was good, but this Night Rod is the smoothest I have seen. Makes the other Harleys seem like a tractor to shift. No clunk, no jerk, just smooth shifting. The seat is very comfortable but I would like front control. But these are fine. It has the front pegs to do the highway cruise. It is a good ride, not as soft as a big Harley highway model, but very nice. I can ride it longer than the Magna without getting a back problem. But I would not want to take it on a 1000 mile trip. 200 or 300 would be fine, or 1,00 with frequent stops every 100 miles or so. You have to stop every 120 miles for gas anyway. This is the biggest problem with this bike. Power is great and is twice my Magna, but very easy to use and very friendly. My Magna is built for 10,000 RPM, but the Magna transmission sucks big time. You can use every other gear and do fine and the engine is reving too high at 70 MPG. The Night Rod has very nice transmission spacing and allows you to use all the gears and to cruise at low RPM on the highway at 75 MPH. The lowness of the Night Rod keeps the wind from pushing you like the earlier V-Rods and wheels have gaps in them to allow the air to pass thorugh. So this helps on side winds. I love my Magna and it is great, but it will not be ridden at all anymore. The Night Rod is about as perfect a bike as I can find. I am glad I waited until Harley got it right and fixed the height off the ground problems, the squeeky brakes, the hard clutch handle, and the weaker brakes. It all seems very good now. It may be a bit too much power for the entry level guy or gal, but after a few 1000 miles on something else, you will move up to this one and be very happy. First timers, go by a Magna or something cheap and get the feel of a strong low cruiser, and save your money until you can plunk down the $$ and walk out with a Night Rod. Some dealers will go low if you get a hungry sales person in Nov - Feb and bring in payment. It worked for me. Show less

I have had my new Night Train just over a week and have had no issues. I am happier than I would have guessed. I was really nervous about making the move away from a foreign bike because I ride around 18K miles per year. I really liked the look of the Night Train and could not find a close second when it came time to buy a new bike. I do all of my service work at home so I am hoping to find comparible operation expenses with this cycle. Show less

I'm not a Harley Davidson fan, nor hater. In my opinion, they are overpriced. The first time I saw a V-Rod, I knew if I ever owned a Harley, it would probably be that bike. Still, it was overpriced in my mind so I would go on admiring, but not willing to shell out the dough. The Night rod was a step in the right direction, but I guess you could say it wasn't black enough for me. Then came the Night Rod special! I bought this motorcycle because it's the baddest looking motorcycle I can almost afford, and is not known to be slow. I have owned 2 motorcycles prior to this one, a 2002 Honda Nighthawk 750, and a 2004 Haybusa that I've ridden for two years now. My first impression riding it was the riding position. This is my first cruiser, and the position, at first, is very relaxed and comfortable. That is until I'm on the highway at speeds of 65 mph or more. I found myself fighting wind with my legs, something I never even thought of. I knew I'd be fighting wind with my chest and head (especially with a helmet), but didn't expect my legs to be as sore as they were. The wind wants to pull them apart, and since I havn't used a thighmaster since never, I wasn't ready for it. After a few days, however, they don't remain sore, though it's still uncomfortable after a few minutes on the freeway. Perhaps I'll get used to it, and if not, I've learned to hang my feet on the pegs so I don't have to strain so hard to keep my feet in front of me. I also found that sharp bumps, even large abrupt bumps are handled very well by the suspension, but large dips will bottom out the rear shocks and that is not fun when all your weight is directly on your butt. While I'm on the subject(literally, as I type this I'm sitting on it) I want to say that after an hour in the saddle, it starts to hurt. The seat is fairly soft, and comfortable, but without getting off of it for an hour or more, it can feel like a rock. This may be common for a cruiser, but I'm not used to it. I'm not sure if I can give an accurate review of performance. I've never ridden a cruiser before for one, two I've been on a Hayabusa for the last two years, and three I'm still breaking it in, so I haven't really gotten hold of the throttle yet. I can say it's definitely not slow, but it's definitely not a Hayabusa. I must admit I tried cornering it like my Busa and scraped the pegs pretty good. All in all, it's a nice bike. It looks mean, it has a lot of power, and is fun to ride. What I really like most is that this bike, although not considered by most Harley enthusiasts a true Harley, is the epitome of the Harley Davidson spirit that Harley lovers claim to have. For some, I've heard, riding a Harley gives a feeling of being an outlaw, an outsider that dares to be different and doesn't care if he or she's accepted, a true American. Well when you are riding a bike that even the outlaws don't accept, the feeling's multiplied times ten. It really is the blackest sheep of them all! Show less

Here was my dilemma: I wanted something fast, sleek and appealing to the eyes that was still American made. On the other hand I didn't want to ride something that everyone else on two wheels had. Where do you go? Victory? Great looking bikes but very limited dealer network with a still unknown resale record. Harley-Davidson? V-Rod? Yea, seemed like a logical choice. Now that I've made the plunge there's been no looking back. My Night Rod grows on me more each time I saddle up. I really enjoy the looks and comments but more importantly I really enjoy the SCAT this bike has. Do the math. One horse for each five pounds. Maybe it's not as quick as a V-Max but it's plenty quick for me. At six foot two inches I'm not the shortest rider but the bike fits like a glove. The mid mounted controls take a little getting use to but the addition of the factory pegs gives plenty of latitude and a cruiser feel out on the open road. On the If I could change anything list here are my gripes: 1) the fuel tank is a bit small. 2) If you don't let the engine warm up before ridding you'll suffer bucking at low RPM. 3) The seat is only good for solo riding or for taking someone along who you really don't like. All in all, it's a great cruiser and I'm looking forward to many warm sunny days to come. Show less

I have been living in Tokyo Japan for a little more than a year. Two weeks ago early June, I bought new 2006 Hi Gloss VRSCD Night Rod from the local dealer in Shibuya. It took sometime for both of us to understand each other, the sales man and me. Luckily my wife was there, she speaks the local language much better than the I. Once they realized I was a serious buyer, we began ordering accessories, shirts, Jackets and other items... Whoo Hoo! A week later, I showed up with a hand full of cash and we had a motorcycle. My previous Harley was a 1993 FLSTC Heritage softail. There are noticable differences in these motorcycles... I am very impressed with the power and handling of this Motorcycle. It calls you to ride... AWESOME MACHINE!!! Show less

I have owned many bikes in the past with 25 years of dirt bike experience and 14 years on the road. This bike will certainly get the looks, but thats the main reason you either bought one or are looking at it now. Start looking early because they are a little hard to find. Deffinately go Stage 1 and pipes, and stage 2 if you can swing it. I have over 9000 miles on this in less than a year and have loved every mile. Having ridden "dead head" from Phoenix to Salt Lake (700mi) and the longest ride to date, Salt Lake to Spokane in one day (832mi) I feel iI know this bike well. First, after 300mi your butt will go numb so you might want to upgrade the seat or get a gelpad. Overall it's a great bike though. Deffinately a true cruiser. Show less

I have a 2005 FXSTB ,Betty as you well know is the VIN designation BTY and mine is Black cherry. I have driven Harleys since 1988 and this is the incarnation of my favorite HD my first big tiwn the 1990 fxstc which I got rid of. With the exception of the upgrades HD has made(o-ring gaskets, twin cams, secure charging system connections)Whew. I love her. Show less

Out of all of the bikes H-D makes, this one definitely takes the minimalistic approach on overall looks and lines. Before Choppers became the perversions that they are today, it was all about taking a motorcycle and making it unique to the bare minimum. This bike fulfills that image. Well, this bikes has the lines, an attitude, and a unqiue feel from all of the other H-D bikes. A low rise (seat height) of 25.2 inches, a decent rake, drag bars, and sleek, long profile makes this a monster on just about any type of riding environment. Strong curves, open roadway, etc. You take it there, it will eat it up. Bottom line, it's more of an around the county and surrounding towns kind of bike. If you're going to go the distance, medium height apes might do you some good. It has a killer, low maintenance sleek look. It won't disappoint, I unofficially guarantee it! Show less