Bad Boys Garage’s Nightster From Motor Bike Expo  

Italians do it differently. They look at two wheels, a motor, a chassis and everything that comprises a motorcycle and their approach is well… just different. Where others might take a more practical, straightforward modus operandi, Italians tackle projects from a different lens: top, bottom, left, right, front, center, far away, up close, you name it… They painstakingly dissect every little component individually, every little nut and bolt, every nook, every cranny, and rethink how to make every piece come together in order to flow into something beautiful. Such was the case with Ivan Rovelli’s 2022 Harley-Davidson Nightster from Bad Boys Garage (BBG) that was completely reimagined.  

Backing up a bit… It’s been a few years since we attended Motor Bike Expo (MBE). Our first trek to Verona, Italy was in 2012. And we were absolutely floored by the city that is home to Romeo and Juliet (Casa Di Giulietta). The city was mind-blowing, to say the least. But it was very inspiring to see what the Europeans (mostly the Italians present at the show) were doing with American iron. There were so many great bikes on display that our necks were sore by the end of each day. After that first visit, we made it our goal to revisit MBE every year from then on, and we did so until 2019.  

After a little hiatus, we were honored to attend Motor Bike Expo in Verona, Italy again this year, and this Nightster was the bike that stood out immediately. No joke, we were roaming the halls of Motor Bike Expo for about 30 minutes when out of the corner of my eye I noticed this silver number where the owner of Bad Boys Garage, Ivan Rovelli, was demonstrating the adjustable seat for an event attendee. I stopped what I was doing, sped over to also take part in the demo, and that was that. I’d already picked my favorite bike for the Hot Bike Pick at Motor Bike Expo. It wasn’t hard. It didn’t take long. And that’s when I knew it was special. Then I started analyzing everything about this motorcycle.  

First of all, the overall bike has a nice balance. It’s not bulky, or bulbous. The lines flow seamlessly. The stance is strong. You can tell there was a lot of thought and effort that went into the tank shroud because the Nightster doesn’t have a traditional fuel cell. It’s an airbox cover. In case you didn’t know, the fuel cell is located under the seat. The tank shell is purely cosmetic. And I love how they incorporated the high performance air cleaner/filter into the shell to showcase that’s what it is.  

Next, the heft was ditched for a more minimalist approach. You can see the bulky radiator shroud is gone, the stock bodywork is completely gone and was replaced with a one-piece steel sculpture made from 1mm thick stainless steel sheet that was cut, formed, welded, and finished into what really makes the bike. Plus, the seat was incorporated with a nifty little hinge to lift up for filling the fuel cap with ease.  

The sub-chassis was also ditched for a much more svelte and functional single-sided swingarm built from scratch from the Bad Boys. The single-swingarm is a functional piece for racers so swapping wheels/tires in a jiff makes it much easier. While we’re not sure if the BBG Nightster plans on seeing any track time, we’re definitely certain we’d like to run a couple of laps with it!  

We awarded the Bad Boys Garage Nightster with our Hot Bike Pick at the 2024 Motor Bike Expo event because it was different. There were a lot of great motorcycles from the show, but this one was unlike anything else. And that’s exactly why we loved it! To lead the pack.  HB

Words: Jordan Mastagni  Photos: Mattia Negrini for Bikers Life Magazine