Breaking convention, H-D surprised us all with its refined, robust and well-rounded adventure bike. Ross Mowbray tried it out. Here’s what he thought:
The world’s an ever-changing place, and motorcycling reflects that. Manufacturers are constantly navigating the peaks and troughs of what’s ‘on trend’ and what punters want to buy. That’s why Harley-Davidson can no longer rely on their plethora of cruisers and tourers to bring in the big bucks. A hardcore base of enthusiasts in a fairly specific sector of the motorcycling market wasn’t enough for the American firm so, over the last few years, they’ve been diversifying the range and, most surprisingly, releasing an adventure bike.
It caught me off-guard when I first rode it in 2021, far exceeding my admittedly limited expectations by being a very capable adventure motorcycle. I spent a few glorious days exploring Dartmoor and Exmoor, pottering down quiet country lanes, cutting across wild, expansive moorland, and even managing to search out a few gentle byways to put its off-road prowess to the test. Slowly but surely, I fell for the hefty American bruiser, finding joy in working its un-Harley-like V-twin motor; exploiting its all-day comfort; and making full use of its rich array of rider technology.
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The Pan Am was always going to have a tough time; there’s a raft of established bikes from firms which’ve spent years perfecting their adventure bike. BMW’s much-lauded new R1300GS will likely remain the benchmark, but add into the mix KTM’s 1290 Super Adventure, Ducati’s growing range of V4 Multistradas and Triumph’s ever-improving Tiger 1200, and the H-D shouldn’t get a look in. But it does.
It’s a bit different for starters, and I reckon that counts for a lot. The Pan Am’s looks caused quite a stir when the bike was first revealed, and plenty of potential punters were dismissive of the funny looking front end, but in person it’s refreshingly unusual in a rugged, still-an-adventure-bike kind of way.
It’s packed with technology, too. In addition to the usual adventure goodies (engine guards, centre stand, heated grips, cruise control, rider aids and modes), it comes with Harley’s own Adaptive Ride Height System which lowers the seat height to just under 800 millimetres when the bike comes to a stop. The system is only available for the 1250 Special, because the lowering kit relies on its more advanced Showa electronic suspension package. It might appear a bit gimmicky, but actually, it’s a pretty neat addition – and with a load of other manufacturers implementing their own system in the intervening years since the Pan Am’s launch, it looks as though they were on to something. And anything that’s going to make a big adventure bike a bit easier to manage for shorter riders deserves some praise.
“The rider modes are incredibly easy to flick between – the H-D system might be one of the most straightforward and intuitive I’ve used…”
The riding position’s not quite your typical adventure bike. It has all the constituent parts: wide bars, neutral pegs and a plush seat, but it feels like you’re sat in the bike, rather than on top of it, which makes it feel more like a tourer than an out-and-out adventure machine. You’re encouraged to lean forward a little and reach out to the bars, too. I didn’t find it the roomiest of rides (probably because of my long legs), but it’s perfectly comfortable for long days in the saddle. There’s plenty of protection from the elements from the easily-adjustable screen, and the handguards do a nice job of keeping the cold off. The heated grips are great, too, and a welcome addition when belting round Lincolnshire in October.
The 1252cc liquid-cooled V-Twin motor kicks out a claimed 150bhp and 94lb-ft of torque. That’s plenty to be going on with, and yet it’s quite unlike any other Harley I’ve ridden; still proving itself versatile, while being less willing to chug along in higher gears. Thankfully, there’s still plenty of meat to the bones and enough character to fall in love with, despite it lacking that iconic H-D sound. Ultimately, it feels plenty smooth, while offering a healthy whack of low-down grunt that’ll soon see the scenery blurring and the speed limits bypassed.
Other tests have bemoaned the gearbox for a slightly agricultural feel, but I had no such issues. It’s not exactly light, but I’d sooner have something reassuringly solid fitted to an adventure bike. The Brembo brakes offer ample bite, and even on slippery roads I had no issues pulling the Pan Am up from speed. There’s a little dive under heavy braking, but that’s to be expected with long travel suspension, even if it is electronic.
Those springs are actually one of the Harley’s best features. The Showa electronic system is impressively sophisticated, allowing the Pan Am to both measure and adjust preload and damping as it goes, depending on your speed, load and the riding conditions. Flicking between the rider modes helps to transform the bike from a gentle-ish tourer that’s happy pottering around (Rain) to a corner-hungry beast that feels surprisingly taut (Sport). And the rider modes are incredibly easy to flick between – the H-D system might be one of the most straightforward and intuitive I’ve used, particularly when you consider the raft of stuff you’ve got to play with to help get the most out of the bike. The big screen and simple button layout just work (Honda, take note). It’s not exactly a handling marvel, and the front end does suffer from some of the vagueness you often experience on big adventure bikes, but ultimately it feels planted and composed, though it definitely prefers to be muscled rather than nursed around corners.
I didn’t get on so well with the self-cancelling indicators, and I didn’t love the riding position as much as other adventure bikes I’ve ridden, but they’re both personal things, and neither proved detrimental to my enjoyment of the bike. It’s really good at the end of the day.
Coming in at just shy of £17,000, the range-topping Harley-Davidson Pan America Special is a serious proposition in the saturated adventure motorcycle market, holding its own with some of the more established competition. It’s not cheap – but for a bike loaded with technology and some top standard equipment, it feels like good value.
It’s different enough in its styling, seriously well equipped and decent value for money for its specification. If you’ve never considered a Harley-Davidson before, now’s the time.
Personally, I can’t wait to see what they do with the next-generation version.
Tech spec
Harley-Davidson Pan America
Price: From £15,755
Engine: 1252cc, 60° V-twin, water-cooled, DOHC, variable valve timing
Power: 150bhp (112kW) @ 8750rpm
Torque: 95lb-ft (128Nm) @ 6750rpm
Frame: Tubular steel
Wheelbase: 1585mm
Brakes: (F) Twin 320mm discs, radially mounted, monoblock, 4-piston Brembo calipers (R) floating, single piston caliper
Transmission: 6 speed, chain final drive
Suspension: (F) 47mm inverted fork with compression, rebound & spring preload adjustability (R) Monoshock with compression, rebound & hydraulic spring preload adjustability
Wheels/Tyres: (F) Cast aluminium wheel, 120/70R19 60V Michelin Scorcher radial tyre (R) Cast aluminium wheel, 170/60R17 72V Michelin Scorcher radial tyre
Seat height: 850mm/890mm
Fuel capacity: 21.2 litres
MPG: 5.5l/100km
Weight: 245kg (wet)
Warranty: 2 years
Service intervals: 5000 miles
Contact: www.harley-davidson.com
