Does Harley make a better ADV bike than BMW make a cruiser?

[twowheeladdict]

Zak and Ari have a hilarious video to answer that question.

https://youtu.be/28BnphAq4Cg

[Beowulf]

Seems like Harley really did a good job on the pan America. BMW is pretty impressive but I wouldn't be interested in any of their cruiser segment. Love the scramblers from BMW. Having rode the GS it was nice but not what I wanted in a bike at the time.

[JJ]

Have not seen a new HD Pan America in person...but have read good things about them. 

None of the local HD dealers has any in stock...and they say they are *SOLD* before they even hit the floor.

That video on YouTube sums it all up!

[wymple]

I like that R-18 better than anything Harley has ever made.

[Moparnut72]

I was offered a ride on the R18, I should have taken it. I told them I wasn't buying but they offered nevertheless. Maybe I'll go back and take them up on the offer.
kk

[jackthebiker]

I like that R-18 better than anything Harley has ever made.

You would be in the minority.

[twowheeladdict]

I like that R-18 better than anything Harley has ever made.

How does it ride compared to Harley, or are you just going by the video?  The foot position looks cramped and if Ari and Zak are saying that the Harley is better I definitely believe them because they are not cruiser guys at all. 

[Scout63]

I’m a standard vintage bike guy, but if I were to get a cruiser, it would have to be a Harley.  I’m more open about ADVs but the GSs are SO competent and just, well, German. Kudos to both companies for their willingness to develop the bikes.

[ScepticalScotty]

The PanAm looks much better in the flesh than in the pictures, especially the green one. I believe they are selling OK.  Not my cup of tea, but neither is the R18 or indeed any type of cruiser thingybob. My idea "adventure" type bike if I was a few inches taller is the Tenere 700. Or maybe the V85TT.

[wymple]

You would be in the minority.

Guzzi riders always are.

[Canuck750]

That was predicatble ...... BMW built a bloated cruiser with poor cornering clearance and uncomfortable ergonomics, they should know better but obviously missed the boat, HD has nothing to fear with respect to BMW eroding the cruiser market. The first time I saw a R18 at a dealership I was let down by final product that differed from the prototype, the prototype front end in particular was much nicer.  The R18 is advertized as 761 lbs. wet.

The Softail Slim advertized at 671 lbs, aint no lightweight, thats only 100 lbs lighter than my K1600 GTL, a whale of a bike in its own right.

I found it interesting that the HD Pan America was out run by the BMW with lower horsepower, ironic that for once HD advertized the horespower rating of one of their bikes only to be outrun by a BMW with higher torque  , for decades HD touted torque over horsepower. I am not a big fan of the BMW GS bikes but if I was looking for a 550 lb.+ adventure bike it would be the GS (590 lbs advertized)

[jackthebiker]

Top gear roll ons is more about gearing than engine power. The top gear is for low rpm and good mpg at highway speeds.

[twowheeladdict]

Top gear roll ons is more about gearing than engine power. The top gear is for low rpm and good mpg at highway speeds.

Yep, but it makes the results skew in favor of the creators preference.  LOL! 

I know I can't even put the V7III into sixth gear until I am going over 65 mph and at 65 mph there isn't much acceleration at all.  Now if I downshift, game over.

When I had my Voyager 1700 that I personally put 60,000 miles on, both 5th and 6th gears were overdrives.  6th was only used at 70 and above. 

[Scud]

Top gear roll ons is more about gearing than engine power. The top gear is for low rpm and good mpg at highway speeds.

Agreed. A more interesting roll-on test would be to get both bikes at the same speed, then select the gear that gets each engine a bit below the peak torque RPMs. Then open them up and see what happens.

All that said, the BMW GS motor is impressive - and I have no experience with the Pan American engine.