LAUNCH TEST – 2021 HARLEY-DAVIDSON PAN AMERICA 1250 - JUST BIKES

LAUNCH TEST – 2021 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special

Words: Phil Suriano

Photos: Incite Images, courtesy of Harley-Davidson ANZ

The Pan America 1250, Harley-Davidson’s first true adventure bike, has arrived. Many have been curious to see what the iconic cruiser brand would bring to the hottest segment of the new motorcycle market. As an adventure rider myself, I was one of the curious, so gratefully accepted an invite to the Pan America’s Australian media launch this past May.

LAUNCH TEST – 2021 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special

All-new... Really!

To provide a bit of background on the Pan America, an adventure tourer has been in Harley-Davidson’s think tank for years, and while there have been adventure-ish models offered in the past, like the XB12x Ulysses from Buell, the Pan America is all different and all-new.

When I say “all-new,” I mean it’s genuinely new from nose to tail, including key componentry like the engine and frame.

The official unveiling of the Pan America back in February didn’t really present the full picture of what this bike is and what it’s aiming to do. As such, I arrived at the Australian media launch with no preconceived ideas.

First thing I learned about the Pan America is that there are two variants – the Pan America 1250 and Pan America 1250 Special. Both share engine, transmission, frame, wheel, tyre and braking componentry, along with similar suspension, electrics and rider assistance technologies. The main difference between the two is that the Special adds more kit, starting with simple things like a centre stand, engine bash plate and radiator guards, but also including a ‘cornering’ headlight, semi-active suspension and additional riding modes. The Special also offers options not available on the base model.

Harley-Davidson ANZ are only bringing the Special to us and our Kiwi cousins. However, should the Pan America take off and dominate the market the way Harley expects it to (more on that shortly), that may change.

Mild Max

At the heart of the Pan America 1250 Special is the ‘Revolution Max’ engine that’s true to Harley’s v-twin ethos, but different in just about every other way. Yes, it is water-cooled like the V-Rod. And yes, it does share the same bore, stroke and v-angle as the V-Rod, but the two engines share absolutely no componentry.

At 1252cc capacity, the Revolution Max (RevMax for short) has been designed to deliver lots of bottom-end torque and the sort of low-speed throttle control you need on an adventure tourer.

Thanks to internal balancers, there’s minimal vibration, with other engine features including double overhead camshafts, four-valve heads, hydraulic valve lifters, dual spark plugs per cylinder and dual downdraft throttle bodies. Those throttle bodies are fed by a 1.1-litre airbox with a filter that requires some knowledge to access (see breakout).

LAUNCH TEST - 2021 HD Pan America 1250 — The standard Daymaker Adaptive Headlamp activates additional LEDs, depending on lean angle, to better illuminate your path through corners.

The engine hooks up to a six-speed gearbox with slip-assist clutch and chain final drive. That’s noteworthy, as I can’t remember the last time a new Harley was offered with chain drive.

Listed maximums from this package are 112kW (150hp) at 8750rpm and 127Nm (94ft/lb) at 6750rpm. Providing a power output figure is noteworthy, too. Harley hasn’t provided power numbers for a long time, so there’s “new” all over with the Pan America!

AIR FILTER ACCESS

If you’re taking any adventure bike into remote areas of Australia, you’re going to encounter dust – lots of it. The Pan America will be no different, which means being able to remove and clean the air filter yourself is essential.

The manual recommends servicing by a Harley-Davidson dealership, so I asked technicians at Harley-Davidson’s Sydney office how to get to the air filter for servicing and replacement.

The H-D technicians were very helpful and showed, step by step, how to access the air filter. Those from a dirt bike background, used to tool-less filter removal, will be surprised at how complex this operation is.

The steps are:

Remove the rider and pillion seats – easy
Remove three bolts that secure the fuel tank - easy
Disconnect the tank’s two fuel breathers (overflow and tip over) – easy
Disconnect electronic fuel sending connector (a two-stage process) – moderate
Disconnect fuel line (one way action valve) – easy
Disconnect fuel pump connection – hard. This can only be done by feel as it’s under the tank and there’s no slack in the pump’s electrical cord, so you can’t lift the tank up high enough to see underneath. Bottom line is you need to 100% know what you are doing on this step.
Lift off the fuel tank - easy
Disconnect intake air temperature sensor (two-stage connector) - easy
Remove eight screws from around the top of the filter box, then remove top of airbox - easy
Remove air filter by loosening air filter clamp with a screwdriver - easy

Accessing and replacing the air filter took around 30 minutes for a professional technician in a workshop environment, so it’ll take longer for the average Pan America owner to do it themselves – and likely much longer on their first attempt.

Owners will not only need to familiarise themselves with this procedure before they head off the beaten track, but make sure they have the tools with them to do the job, too.

The filter box has a good sealing lip that shouldn’t allow dust in. The factory air filter was small, but I was shown a bigger Screamin’ Eagle filter that I think will become a must-have upgrade.

Once removed, the air filter needs to be washed from the inside out, not the outside in, which is another point of difference.

On the connector that plugs into the underside of fuel tank (Step 6), undoing this would be simpler if the cable was longer, to enable the tank to be lifted further off the bike. I’d like this to become a P&A addition in the future, but that’s unlikely.

I would also like to see a pre-filter option available through the P&A catalogue. There is only one air intake on the Pan America, located directly behind the headstock of the frame, so access to this would be very difficult and therefore make a pre-filter hard to install. Perhaps the aftermarket will develop an intake with a splitter that can be swapped out to allow pre-filters on either side.

The Land Shark

The Pan America’s Australian media launch was held at Kiama, south of Sydney, with the test ride conducted on roads leading into and out of the nearby Kangaroo Valley.

According to Harley-Davidson’s Australian & New Zealand Managing Director, Nigel Keough, the Pan America “will become Australia’s favourite adventure tourer in a couple of years”. Obviously, that’s a HUGE statement, considering the heavy hitters in this segment, namely BMW and KTM, and the big following these brands have.

On seeing the Pan America in the flesh, it was certainly not love at first sight. I actually thought the front headlight and cowling looked like a wobbegong shark with its mouth open!

Compared to some rivals that have gone for sportsbike-style sharp angles everywhere, there’s a more rounded, muscular look on the Pan America that’s befitting of both the Harley-Davidson brand and this bike’s purpose. For what is undoubtedly a big adventure bike, the design of the Pan America made it looked less intimidating.

LAUNCH TEST - 2021 HD Pan America — If you want to push the Pan America’s limits, early indications are that it can take it.

Finish was excellent and build quality looked to be first class. Overall, with features like its wire-spoke wheels, chunky tyres and crash bars, the bike looked rock solid. A point to note here is that alloy wheels with road-biased Michelin Scorcher tyres are standard fitment, with Michelin’s more aggressive Anakee rubber and tubeless wire-spoke wheels optional.

Four colour schemes are offered on the Pan America. Vivid Back is a Harley staple, while Gauntlet Grey metallic and Deadwood Green are arguably more in tune with the adventure tourer market. These two carry a price premium, as does the two-tone Baja Orange and Stone Washed White pearl. The orange and white drew a mixed reaction from the journos on the launch, so it will be interesting to see which colour schemes resonate with the buying public.

Common to all colour options is a large, stencil-style Bar & Shield logo on the fuel tank, but other branding is virtually non-existent. There’s probably some sound market research behind this, and I’m thinking Harley want to go incognito with the Pan America and let it build a following on its own merits without the expectations – and prejudices - that come with the Harley-Davidson badge amongst customers in the adv bike segment.

Below the ‘wobbegong shark’ headlight were what I thought were fog lights, but these were actually the indicators. Style-wise, the indicators were one of the few things that I thought could be better. The fronts aren’t offensive, but the rear ones cheapen the look of the bike, in my view.

One for All... Heights

Mounting the Pan America for the first time, I was pleasantly surprised at being able to plant my feet on the ground. This is due to the optional Adaptive Ride Height (ARH) that was fitted to all the press bikes.

A first in the motorcycle market, ARH lowers the suspension when the bike comes to a standstill, then raises it again once forward motion resumes, without impacting suspension travel. Unladen, this changes the seat height from 850mm to 830mm, which is a big difference. The speed of ARH engagement can be adjusted and it can be left in its raised state, too, if required.

Seat height is a serious barrier for many would-be adventure riders, so ARH will certainly appeal to some. ARH is an extra $1,485, but a set of wire-spoke wheels are included in that price.

ARH aside, the Pan America’s ergonomics were impressive, with a relatively narrow mid-section, comfortable saddle, easy reach to the handlebars, adjustable levers and well-placed pegs. All up, it was comfortable for me and my 5’ 11” frame. I did no two-up riding on the launch, so can’t verify if the pillion seat offers the same level of comfort.

Once in the saddle, you have a big 6.5-inch TFT instrument display in front of you, which can be adjusted via a glove-friendly touch screen or the switchgear. It can also be tilted to suit stand-up riding and reduce glare. The default display is a radial revcounter and large speedo numbering, along with odometer and ride mode, while less-important information is relegated to the corners.

With the use of Bluetooth and an H-D app (available for iOS and Android), the screen can display turn-by-turn map navigation, show incoming calls and become your music hub, too, while still displaying essential bike information.

While I haven’t ridden many Harleys, I noticed that the Pan America’s indicators worked off a single, self-cancelling switch and not your typical H-D indicator switch on different sides. I prefer the single switch, but this may offend some H-D purists.

The Pan America’s switchgear is a complex affair and took me a while to get used to, so I expect new Pan America owners will have the same experience.

Ride modes include Road, Sport and Rain for the tarmac, with Off-Road and Off-Road Plus for the dirt, as well as Custom and Custom Off-Road Plus. The first three serve the usual functions of adjusting throttle response, available power, traction control, ABS intervention and suspension settings – Rain mode dulls everything down, Sport mode sharpens it up and Road is in the middle.

In Off-Road mode, all the parameters are adjusted to suit loose and slippery surfaces, so power delivery is reduced, but ABS and traction control intervention is increased. Off-Road Plus deactivates the linked braking, rear wheel ABS and drag slip torque control, while also minimising traction control intervention.

Custom allows individual adjustment of all the different parameters, while Custom Off-Road Plus is Off-Road Plus with rider-selectable engine performance added.

Obviously, that’s a lot to take in and it was too much for me to fully test on the day, but I flicked through most of the available modes to test their impact on the bike’s performance.

On and Off Road

Like most modern bikes, the Pan America offers keyless starting, so with the fob in my pocket, I thumbed the starter. There’s no typical Harley ‘potato-potato’ idle, due to the engine design, firing order and standard muffler. The note is more of a smooth hum, and if you were to sit on this bike blindfolded, I’d challenge you to identify it as a Harley, based on the engine sound and feel.

Recognising that the note may be a little too refined for some, Screamin’ Eagle have a ‘Street Cannon’ muffler that gives a deeper, more stirring sound and is also lighter.

For the launch, we rode on tarmac, gravel, grass and some muddy dirt tracks, which weren’t a real test of the Pan America’s off-road abilities, but first impressions were good.

The torque-focussed Revolution Max engine moved the bike effortlessly, even on greasy trails, while on the road, you could get up to licence-losing pace very quickly. The bike rolled through the gears smoothly, with easy clutch operation. There’s no quickshifter though – not even as an option.

For starting on gradients, there is a Hill Hold Control, which works by squeezing the front brake lever.

On the open road, riding across various speed limits, the bike performed admirably, even when the roads were wet. Although the windshield is relatively small, it provided sufficient protection from wind buffeting at speed.

For what is undeniably a large bike, the Pan America handled well and didn’t feel too big once you were underway. It certainly didn’t feel like you were lugging 258kg on a 1580mm wheelbase. The bike’s ability to hold a good line on the open road, or when cornering at speed, was impressive.

Most of the press bikes were running the Michelin Scorcher on tubeless wire-spoke wheels (19-inch front, 17-inch rear). The Scorchers handled the sealed and gravel roads we were exposed to on the launch, but more challenging off-road trails, water crossings, clinging mud and deep sand - what I need to test this bike on next – make the optional Michelin Anakees a must.

In the few off-road sections that made up the launch route, I found the bike handled nicely. I quickly felt comfortable letting the rear end drift out of turns and even experienced a little air over some small rises. Traction control worked well in the off-road sections, but it can be turned off, if that’s your thing. I left it activated, though, as I wanted to see how it kicked in for the various riding modes.

The riding modes were a pleasant surprise, being super easy to use on-the-fly, with clear screen images to show where you were at.

On both tarmac and dirt, the Pan America’s braking was excellent. Of course, the surety of the linked braking, cornering ABS and cornering traction control played a big part in that.

Regardless of how much tech assistance it’s packing, or how good the rider is, it’s a fact that adventure bikes get dropped. Being able to get back on after a spill and ride away, without any breakages, is what makes a good adventure bike.

We didn’t test how durable the Pan America was after a fall, but, as people buy and use this bike, I’m sure we are going to learn how strong some of it’s components are. I’lI be particularly interested to see how the hand guards and windshield cope, as they appear to be the weakest links.

Favourite Features

The semi-active suspension that’s standard on the Pan America 1250 Special means no more manual adjustment of preload – that’s a winner in my eyes. A Vehicle Loading Control system recognises the load (rider, pillion and luggage) and optimises the performance of the Showa front and rear suspension to suit. Maximum suspension travel is a long 191mm at each end, which is what you want from an adventure bike.

The thought that Harley-Davidson has put into the Pan America is reflected in things like the Daymaker Adaptive Headlamp that throws more light into the corner you’re entering by sequentially activating additional LEDs - at 8, 15 degrees, and 23 degree intervals – that essentially light your way through the corner better than a standard headlight.

But amongst all the Pan America’s bells and whistles, the optional Adaptive Ride Height was easily the most impressive. Being able to easily plant your feet on the ground when parking or manoeuvring a big adventure bike makes it so much easier to handle, even for taller riders.

Harley-Davidson have also included tried and proven adventure tourer features, like the rear brake lever, which can be flipped for easier operation while you’re standing on the pegs.

Australia’s Favourite?

The Pan America 1250 Special was due for a July release locally, so should be in Harley-Davidson dealerships by the time you read this. If you’re in the market for a full-size adventure tourer, I’d encourage you to check it out.

There are a lot of standard features with this bike, and being a Harley-Davidson, there’s an extensive range of accessories, too. The list of factory P&A accessories includes three different luggage options (soft, plastic and aluminium) in panniers or pannier/topbox sets which hold approximately 120 litres. There are also high and low seats, bar risers,a taller windshield, heated grips, a heavier skid plate and more. At this stage, there’s no long-range tank, which I think should be offered.

There’s a range of Pan America riding apparel, too, including textile jackets and pants, gloves, boots and helmets for men and women, developed by REV’IT! for Harley.

I came away from the Pan America launch impressed with the bike and eager to push its capabilities further. I am now looking forward to taking one on a longer adventure, through many of the tracks that I’ve ridden in the past to see how it compares against my own bike.

In the big adventure tourer market, the Pan America has to overcome stiff competition from BMW and KTM, as well as Triumph, Yamaha, Moto Guzzi, Suzuki and even Ducati. Given that Harley-Davidson have pegged the Pan America to become “Australia’s favourite adventurer tourer” in only two years’ time, we don’t have long to wait to see if that prediction comes true.