The May 2007 issue of Fast Company magazine has a nice piece about Rich Christoph, the 27 year old lead designer of the new Harley Nightster. You can find the link here.
In the article, Christoph says his goal with the Nightster was to create a bike that people were inspired to ride. He didn’t envision the Nightster owner as one to just have this bike to polish and show off.
He goes on to talk about the design of the bike by saying:
A lot of the cues are from the ’50s and iconic to that era. I’m trying to salute that rebellious generation, because they invented cool. After World War II, servicemen would take their military Harleys and cut off the parts they didn’t want. It gave them their own identity and kind of started the custom-bike craze on a mass volume. Now it’s an integral part of the Harley-Davidson experience. The holes in the fenders, belt guard, and axles, as well as the pared-down rear fender, make it so visually clean that it’s a great blank canvas to start with.
In closing, Christoph says he designed the bike to appear made from individual parts that cause people to wonder, ‘… is it legal?’. By doing so, he feels he has accomplished his mission.
Fast Talk: Rebel With a Hog [Michael A. Prospero via Fast Company]
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