HD PanAmerican specs revealed

[kingoffleece]

Don't be surprised at the low "stripper" spec bike.  They do the same thing with the GS.  The delux will outsell the stripper by 10 to 1.  Watch.

[Canuck750]

Don't be surprised at the low "stripper" spec bike.  They do the same thing with the GS.  The delux will outsell the stripper by 10 to 1.  Watch.

Absolutley!

then the buyer adds another couple thousand of Touratech accessories on to the full spec bike. The GS boys seem to like lots of farkle on their rides. I used to work with an engineer that had plenty of gadgets on his GS and wore the full BMW multi colour riding gear for his trips around town, usualy to head to the coffee shop. As far as I know he had never taken the bike off pavement or far from home.

Ewan and Charlie have really poured the KoolAid into a few cups.

[DaveJT]

And a face only a mother could love

I loved it in Robocop 2

[TimmyTheHog]

<SNIP>
BMW R1250 GS  - 591 lbs wet / 136 hp / $17,995 base
</SNIP>

Where you find a GS that cheap? base price around Vancouver are 22K start before anything else.

Either way, still priced up there lol...

Never mind, saw your other prices are in US lol...

[bad Chad]

US base price 2021 R 1250 GS
From $17,995

[Seventy One]

I tip my hat to HD for branching out and taking on the crowded big adventure bike market, but for an unproven design and new to the segment I think they have missed the boat on price. I don't think the class leaders need to worry to much about the Pan America.

HD Pan America - 534 ~ 560 lbs wet / 150 hp / $20,999 base ~ $24,199 special

BMW R1250 GS  - 591 lbs wet / 136 hp / $17,995 base

KTM 1290 Adventure R - 530 lbs wet / 160 hp  / $18,599 base

Honda Africa Twin Sport ES - 501 lbs wet / 100 hp / $14,399 base

I just don't get the big heavy adventure bikes, they are all pretty limited to pavement and packed gravel for most riders capabilities, it takes a very strong and fit man to handle a 550 lb cycle in the sand or dirt and most of these get loaded up with another 50 ~ 75 lbs of luggage. I have witnessed how poorly the big bikes handle on the sloppy and loose stuff.

Agreed 100%. Even my 800XC was a handful off-road and that was listed at 474lbs. I know that bike was well over 550lbs with all my accessories, gear and luggage on it. The other problem I had is that 500lbs + 100hp + knobbies = $$$.

I imagine 560lbs + 150hp will be much, much worse. 

These heavy weight Adventure Touring bikes are just fine with street rubber and maintained gravel. The problems begin when you spoon some knobbies on 'em and try to take 'em off-road. Tip overs on my 800XC generally resulted in flattened crash bars, busted hand guards, gouged cases and bent levers. These are NOT dual sport bikes.

That being said, I would consider the base model Pan American. It's just a few thousand more than a V-Strom 1050XT and it doesn't need the spendy valve checks.

[Ncdan]

Agreed 100%. Even my 800XC was a handful off-road and that was listed at 474lbs. I know that bike was well over 550lbs with all my accessories, gear and luggage on it. The other problem I had is that 500lbs + 100hp + knobbies = $$$.

I imagine 560lbs + 150hp will be much, much worse. 

These heavy weight Adventure Touring bikes are just fine with street rubber and maintained gravel. The problems begin when you spoon some knobbies on 'em and try to take 'em off-road. Tip overs on my 800XC generally resulted in flattened crash bars, busted hand guards, gouged cases and bent levers. These are NOT dual sport bikes.

That being said, I would consider the base model Pan American. It's just a few thousand more than a V-Strom 1050XT and it doesn't need the spendy valve checks.

I agree 100% as I’ve attempted to make this point on several occasions, as this subject has raised its head several times. I know these bikes a popular, even here with our MG family. The elephant in the room is that these, luggage and loaded Behemoths weighing in at 600 pounds + are at best dirt road capable motorcycles. Any experienced rider with the physical capabilities can ride their street bike in the majority of places the duel sport can be ridden.

[Canuck750]

I agree 100% as I’ve attempted to make this point on several occasions, as this subject has raised its head several times. I know these bikes a popular, even here with our MG family. The elephant in the room is that these, luggage and loaded Behemoths weighing in at 600 pounds + are at best dirt road capable motorcycles. Any experienced rider with the physical capabilities can ride their street bike in the majority of places the duel sport can be ridden.

Remember when the press panned the GL1000 (1st gen) as being a very heavy motorcycle, it reportedly weighed 584 lbs dry. I would take the GL1000 with its super smooth motor and low center of gravity on most of the gravel roads these big 'Adventure' bikes would be limited to travelling.
Years ago I heard a Canadian took his GS1150 Beemer down to the bottom of the copper canyon in Mexico and couldn't ride the thing out, he had to get locals to load it onto a trailer to get back out. One can get into a lot of trouble quick with an overweight motorcycle in the wrong conditions.
I use to think hauling a 220 lb enduro out of the mud was hard, and that was 40 years ago!

My 1st Adventure bike, ok it wasn't technicaly street legal but it did see the odd bit of asphalt, mostly dirt trails, wish I was twenty one again, even for a day to be able to ride one of these again in their element. A 175 seemed like a big enough bike back then, we thought a 500 enduro was a useless whale.

[timonbik]

I think HD would have wiser to make a 750 version of the Pan America.  Take a Street Rod engine, tweek it for a little more grunt and make a 750 that comes in around 450 pounds.   I think HD has entered another dying market.   Riders are looking for lighter alternatives to the big ADV bikes.  If I wanted big and heavy I'd certainly select the BMW over the Pan America but a midweight ADV bike would be of more interest to me.

[Darren Williams]

Obviously this isn't the bike for some of you. Would I take one where I play on my WR250, no. But that's not what these bikes are designed for. I've taken my Stelvio (600+ lbs) and my R1200GS places my street bikes couldn't go due to ground clearance, not to mention suspension travel limitations. And I enjoyed both of those bikes on the Ozark curves just fine. Would they keep up with my CBR600RR, no, but I think I could come close to matching the pace of my Griso on either of them.

If I was in the market to replace my GS, I would definitely consider one. Looks like HD got the specs right, and price point is in the ballpark. Kudos to HD for coming up with this bike!   

[timmythecop]

HD Pan America - 534 ~ 560 lbs wet / 150 hp / $20,999 base ~ $24,199 special

BMW R1250 GS  - 591 lbs wet / 136 hp / $17,995 base

KTM 1290 Adventure R - 530 lbs wet / 160 hp  / $18,599 base

Honda Africa Twin Sport ES - 501 lbs wet / 100 hp / $14,399 base

Your facts are not correct. The Pan America base is 17,300 and the special is 19,999.

[kingoffleece]

Does anybody know anyone who owns a BASE GS?  I'm a member of a large active BMW club and nobody has a base model.  Nor when my buddy was a BMW bike dealer did he ever have a base bike on the floor.

If and when I move west and think about that kind of bike it'll be a Guzzi but I'd get the H-D over a BMW every time if it's even remotely capable.

[Darren Williams]

Does anybody know anyone who owns a BASE GS?  I'm a member of a large active BMW club and nobody has a base model.  Nor when my buddy was a BMW bike dealer did he ever have a base bike on the floor.

If and when I move west and think about that kind of bike it'll be a Guzzi but I'd get the H-D over a BMW every time if it's even remotely capable.

Mine is the "base" model, if by that you mean not a GSA. I do have the crash protection and full set of Vario cases.

[Canuck750]

Your facts are not correct. The Pan America base is 17,300 and the special is 19,999.

Refer to my corrections further down, I had mistakenly shown the Canadian MSRP for the Harley.

[usedtobefast]

I think they are going to be a big hit and sell like crazy.  Guys in a local forum are putting down deposits (like 4 people already).

[kingoffleece]

Darren,
You're the first I know of.  Bet it's Very few and far between.  My regional rep friend says almost nobody orders one.  In the North East, dealers for a time needed to order a stripper bike from Germany as the Easton warehouse stocked exactly zero  base bikes.  They don't really WANT  to  sell them that way.

And base does not mean GS as opposed to GSA.  It means bare bones with none of the packages BMW offers.  Like several autos, the buyer needs to add several option packages to get  the features they want.

[Scout63]

I like the Pan American a lot, and I hope Harley sells a s$#@ ton of them! 

My riding buddy who owns a Triumph X1200E Scrambler wants me to sell my Milwaukee Road Sofa and buy one.   

That picture makes me want to buy a Harley Dave.  I’ll read up on the PA but the picture posted makes it look like a Rokon.

[timonbik]

That picture makes me want to buy a Harley Dave.  I’ll read up on the PA but the picture posted makes it look like a Rokon.

Careful, you are insulting the Rokon!!!

[jas67]

The price and specs vs. the competition are definitely encouraging, especially given the lack of need for valve adjustments.

I'm not a big ADV bike kind of guy, and was really eager for the now cancelled "Bronx" model to hit the showroom floors.

Maybe if the Pan America does well, they'll revive the Bronx.   That is a model I'd definitely consider buying.

[kingoffleece]

The PanAm looks much better in person.  Not nearly as unbalanced as in a 2D picture.

[skippy]

Jump-in Jesus on a Pogo stick! This machine appears to be the real deal. I had know idea Harley-Davidson had it in them to build such a bike. I just watched several of the gleaming Youtube intro's to this with all of the specs and such and ,wow! this is such a huge departure from the norm of Milwaukee I honestly didn't think it would come to fruition at this level.
I know this is a Guzzi board but damn! the apropos that needs to be heaped upon H-D are rightly deserved.
This makes me wonder about the likelihood of liquid cooling as the natural progression/evolution of the small block platform. I mean, with the basic architecture of the motor being the same, what is the potential of a liquid cooled top-end? 1000 cc's? 1150? What kind of grunt and power?
I, for one, don't insist on keeping to the air-cooled lineage as a absolute given. Water cooled heads and or cylinders can be given the air cooled look and do in fact contribute to the total cooling of the motor. But I digress, Harley didn't even to pretend to bring the artificial look of air cooling to the table on this one.
Truth be told, it is a rather ugly bike butt you wouldn't know it from the saddle. Even I can admit the Jackle, Stone , Aluminum... bikes where ugly as f@#$ in my eyes when they came out but I bought one anyway because they rode and handled so damn well.

Skippy         

[Gappy]

I think the Pan-Am is a brilliant piece of engineering . It utilizes a few  proven design concepts used by other bike manufacturers that is not seen in any HD made to date. The engine being a part of the frame comes to mind. Looking at the engine- transmission is what really jazzes me. Dual downdraft throttle bodies, variable valve timing, overhead cam V twin water cooled, with 150 hp. The clutch pack looks accessible in minutes. When used off road, adventure bikes eat clutches. First generation oil head GS clutch replacement was about 10 hrs at a shop.very expensive. Through redesign of the transmission bmw moved the clutched to the front of the engine making it serviceable on the road in about 3hrs, that’s if you can find a bmw shop for parts. HD is everywhere. GS suspension is very good but very high, a lot of people order the lowered model. Pan-Am lowers itself, I have an idea on how they do it but will see when I get a first hand look at the bike. Some of you have called the Pan-Am ugly, well the GS is no beauty queen either. If I owned one I think I would take a saw and cut that beak off to begin with.

A couple of things come to mind on the popularity of the Adventure touring bike. BMW got their aging riders who road the heavy K bikes to try GS. It is powerful, lighter weight, comfortable, awesome suspension, and very dependable. They could keep riding for a few more years in stead of giving up riding all together. Great marketing to tap into an already loyal customer base. Younger people understood its capabilities and now it’s probably BMW’s most popular bike. The other metrics bike makers have been offering the same. I have noticed on a couple of HD forums, lighter bike topics will come up. Harley owners are loyal to the badge, for the most part. I see Harley trying to tap into their customer base as well as get a new generation of riders. I think Pan-Am is a winner. All motorcycles have an Achilles heel. We will have to wait to see what Pan-AM’s is.

[twowheeladdict]

Has anyone found any information on who the chief designer and chief engineer are for this bike?  I'm wondering if they found people with prior adventure bike experience or if they studied everyone else's designs and thought, "I can improve on this."

[steven c]

https://www.cycleworld.com/story/bikes/2021-harley-davidson-pan-america-1250-first-look/?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=email&tp=i-1NGB-Et-TXR-1GojJU-1c-7caE-1c-1GowQF-l5kdgQdc08-3qScJ

[Vagrant]

Re,, Bmw it's been clearly stated in the rags that they don't bring in the base units! I just gave up when a few years back I looked at one and they told me I had to buy the pre wired Gps package for something like $500. and that was w,o the gps! BS!
The most important thing is Hd has finally fired a real shot at the other Mfgs by proving you can use hydraulic lifters on a 9000 RPM bike! Then they gave it Vvt to boot. No more $1000 low mileage service bills.

[ohiorider]

Oh, and hydraulic lifters - no valve checks!

Not only does it have tubeless spoke wheels, but the spokes can be replaced without breaking down the wheel.

This type of bike (even just a WC motor) is not my cuppa jo, but I have to say there's a lot to like about it.

I really hope it does well and opens the door for Harley to FINALLY branch out. Other bikes built around this modular motor as stressed member platform would be a nice addition to Harley's old world bikes.

The old is forever new!  My 1991 R100GS is equipped with tubeless spoke wheels made by Akront (Spain, I think.)  I believe if one had the misfortune to hit anything hard enough to break a spoke, it can be replaced without removing the tire from the rim.  I think these rims showed up on the US models in 1988.

[timonbik]

The old is forever new!  My 1991 R100GS is equipped with tubeless spoke wheels made by Akront (Spain, I think.)  I believe if one had the misfortune to hit anything hard enough to break a spoke, it can be replaced without removing the tire from the rim.  I think these rims showed up on the US models in 1988.

Those tubeless spoke wheels on the Pan America will run you $500 even on the high specked  model.   I understand they are a $2000 option on the base.

[Bulldog9]

I must have checked the 'contact me I'm interested' box somewhere along the way on this bike because today I received phone call from a charming young woman at a dealership in Tennessee asking me how she could help in my purchase of the Pan American. I told her that I currently lived in Virginia but for a $5,000 discount would give her a deposit right now and drive down and buy one tomorrow :-) She laughed...I laughed... then we both hung up.

I wish Harley the best on this model and hope it is a great success. However, every time I look at it I'm expecting it to transform into a robot or something.

[kingoffleece]

And I quote Edna Moulds, "................tha t's a new feature............ ...."

[Bulldog9]

I tip my hat to HD for branching out and taking on the crowded big adventure bike market, but for an unproven design and new to the segment I think they have missed the boat on price. I don't think the class leaders need to worry to much about the Pan America.

HD Pan America - 534 ~ 560 lbs wet / 150 hp / $20,999 base ~ $24,199 special

BMW R1250 GS  - 591 lbs wet / 136 hp / $17,995 base

KTM 1290 Adventure R - 530 lbs wet / 160 hp  / $18,599 base

Honda Africa Twin Sport ES - 501 lbs wet / 100 hp / $14,399 base

I just don't get the big heavy adventure bikes, they are all pretty limited to pavement and packed gravel for most riders capabilities, it takes a very strong and fit man to handle a 550 lb cycle in the sand or dirt and most of these get loaded up with another 50 ~ 75 lbs of luggage. I have witnessed how poorly the big bikes handle on the sloppy and loose stuff.

You forgot the best of the breed... The Yamaha Super Tenere.

About 80% of my buddies from my FJR days have moved to this bike and absolutely love it. I just don't like the look of the ADV bike. I'll just have to make do with my Stornello  TT.