2021 Harley-Davidson Pan America Launch Review

Let’s cut straight to the chase: the 2021 Harley-Davidson Pan America is the real deal. In fact, you could even call it a game changer, not only for H-D, but also the adventure segment. Seriously.

When the Motor Company announced its first legitimate adventure tourer, the response was savage. The cruiser crowd claimed Harley was forgetting its roots, while the adventure warriors refused to believe H-D could make a dual-sport machine.

And yet, here we are. Harley-Davidson hasn’t just made a good adventure bike, it has made a bloody great one. And it is going to have a lot of rusted-on adventure riders swallowing their words.

Harley has long been known for its V-twin cruisers and big American muscle, and it’s a formula that worked flawlessly for over 100 years.

But the Milwaukee firm recognises a need for change and, as a result, we have been given the electric LiveWire, and the dual-sport Pan America – two bikes that couldn’t be any further from the Harley-Davidson ethos. The diehards were up in arms, but the decision to enter two completely new segments is so bold, that it might just work.

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The road to the Harley-Davidson Pan America has been a long one. In fact, H-D representatives argue that it has been 118 years in the making.

If you watched the official Pan America reveal back in February you would have heard Bill Rodencal’s sharp response to criticism that H-D is late to the adventure segment. “This is our game,” he said. “This is the game we’ve always played.”

The argument is that Harley was born in a time where there were no roads – it was all dirt. And, in addition, throughout the company’s history, touring – albeit on big V-twin baggers – has always been a major focus for the brand. And don’t forget that H-D technically gave life to the Buell Ulysses XB12X. The Ulysses experiment actually helped inform the development of the Pan Am.

So, in essence, adventure is in Harley’s blood – according to Harley itself, at least. As Hollywood star Jason Momoa put it in his rousing monologue for the Pan Am’s promo video: “Why call it adventure touring, when it’s human nature to seek beyond the limits?” Inspirational, huh?

Of course, this is all just marketing spin – the reality is that the Pan America is the first adventure bike from a bona fide cruiser company, and its success (or failure) could make or break the struggling business.

Make no mistake though, it’s not just a stab in the dark – the Pan America is a genuine adventure machine built from years of knowledge and development. And Harley has done a mighty fine job.

Still don’t believe me? Just keep reading.

The all-new 2021 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250, with the basic Vivid Black colour scheme, arrives in Australia with a premium starting price tag of $31,995 ride away. That price jumps to $32,290 for a colour version, and $32,640 for the two-tone version. You can also add $1485 to the total if you opt for laced-wheels and the adaptive ride height function (more on that later).

Yes, that is a lot of dosh, but you get what you pay for. Australia is only getting the full-fruit ‘Special’ variant, and when you compare that to other bikes in the segment, the price tag is reasonably fair.

The centrepiece of the new Pan America is the new liquid-cooled 1252cc Revolution Max V-twin engine. It puts out a significant 150hp at 8750rpm, and 127Nm at 6750rpm, and runs double overhead cams and independent variable valve timing (along with many other cool features). Harley is synonymous with V-twins, but the Rev Max feels like no other Harley-Davidson engine before it.

Naturally, the engine has been set up for dual-sport performance, which means ample, but manageable torque, and plenty of high-RPM horsepower. The result is an engine that feels unique, but which is an absolute thrill to ride.

As soon as I opened the throttle, I realised I wasn’t in Kansas (or Milwaukee) anymore. Rather than the classic V-twin rumble, the Rev Max lets out a sort of snarling growl – it sounds fantastic. The engine is super smooth and it likes to be revved. Low-rpm work is a bit of a chore, but the bike really comes to life in the mid-range, where all its best work is done. While it is super torquey, it is also manageable, and perfect for its adventure touring application.

If there was one area where I thought the Pan America would fail, it was suspension. I was very pleased to find that wasn’t the case. The bike is held up by a 47mm Showa inverted fork and a linkage-mounted monoshock, both of which are semi-active and feature electronic adjustment.

The suspension settings change electronically based on which ride mode you are in, but you can also create custom ride modes which allow you to choose your desired setting. There are softer settings for comfort, firmer settings for sporty riding, and off-road focused settings. Each setting offers a noticeably different experience.

On the tarmac, the suspension did its job. At times it felt a little bouncy in the softer settings, and it was perhaps a little too firm in the firmer settings, but overall it worked well. On the dirt, however, is where it really surprised me.

The Pan America Special is 258kg wet – which is on the heavier side for this segment – but H-D has done an incredible job of hiding it, because it doesn’t feel that heavy. The bike handles very well for a big-bore adventure bike. It tips from side to side with ease, tackles corners like a champion, and is easy to handle at slower speeds and when maneuvering around the shed.

Its handling performance on the tarmac was on par with other bikes in the segment, and its low centre of gravity (you wouldn’t think it when looking at photos) results in a very agile machine. There is a slight lack of ground clearance, but nothing that will worry you.

Just a quick note on the look of the bike – the Pan America looks great in the flesh. While many internet critics have expressed their disapproval of H-D's styling, I have to say I am a fan. The nose is a nod to Harley's other models (particularly the Fat Bob) and the whole bike is designed to evoke great American off-road vehicles from yesteryear. Don't just say it's ugly because everyone else says so – go and see one for yourself. You might be surprised.

Where the Harley-Davidson Pan America really shines (and earns its $30k-plus price tag) is in the electronics department. The Motor Company has spared no expense in packing the Pan Am with the latest state-of-the-art tech, making it the most advanced H-D model to date.

We’ve already mentioned the electronic suspension, but the Special variant also features cornering ABS, cornering traction control, rear-wheel lift mitigation, cornering drag-torque slip control, electronically linked braking, hill-hold control, five pre-programed ride modes, three custom ride modes, a 6.8-inch TFT screen with Bluetooth-compatible infotainment system, and the innovative adaptive ride height function. Got all that? Yeah, it’s a lot.

Every function serves its purpose to a tee. The ride modes are extensive and each one offers a combination of different suspension, ABS, traction, and throttle settings. The custom modes allow you to configure each setting individually to find the perfect combo. I settled on a custom mode which combined a comfy suspension setting with maximum throttle response. It was epic.

The traction control was impressive. You don’t notice it on the road (as you’d expect), but it also works flawlessly on the dirt. There is a misconception that traction control is bad for off-road riding but, in some cases, it actually enhances off-road performance. When you choose off-road ride modes, the traction control is still there to an extent, but never feels intrusive. It allows you to ride aggressively, while doing just enough to prevent the bike from stepping too far out of line. You can switch it off if you desire, but I felt no need to.

Meanwhile, the adaptive ride height function is a first for the motorcycle industry, according to H-D. It deliberately lowers the suspension when you come to a stop, so that you can easily place your feet on the ground. It’s a nifty and innovative little feature that will help make the bike more accessible to riders of all heights and abilities. And don’t worry – you can switch it off if it's not your thing. The downside is that it is optional, and you'll have to pay extra.

So the Pan Am has a great engine, agile handling, and excellent electronics, but adventure bikes are characterised by their long-distance comfort and hauling abilities. Fortunately, H-D ticks this box too. It's the type of machine you could ride all day.

The Pan Am ergos are just right. The riding position is perfect (for my 6ft 1in/185cm stance, at least) and the seat is super comfortable. You can adjust the 'bar height if you wish, and there are also multiple seat height settings (as well as optional tall and short seats).

The left-hand switchblock features simple and intuitive navigation buttons for the TFT, while the right-side has buttons for the infotainment system (i.e. phone calls, music volume, voice control etc).

Elsewhere, the adjustable windshield keeps you protected, while cruise control and heated grips are perfect for those longer rides. There are also plenty of luggage options, and H-D has actually developed its own luggage which can easily attach to the bike without any tools. Put simply, this machine is made for exploring the planet.

My biggest question for the Pan Am was its off-road ability, and the fact that Harley Australia ended the media launch by letting us loose on a very slippery grass track suggested it was confident in how its product handles the dirt.

I ended up spending extra time on the grass track because it was simply too much fun. The traction control kept me upright, while the suspension soaked up everything with ease. I did bottom out once or twice, but to be fair I was riding outside the bike’s design brief. You can also feel the weight a little bit, but after a couple of laps, I forgot I was on a 258kg adventure bike and started riding it like a motocrosser.

To say the Pan Am is a superb off-roader would probably be unfair to some other adventure bikes that have a strong off-road edge. But for a premium long-distance hauler, it is more than capable and much better than what I was expecting. There are no two-ways about it – H-D has built a genuine all-road adventure bike.

What about gripes? Fortunately, there aren’t many. There are a few minor build issues that you have to expect on a first-generation model. For example, the side-stand is in an awkward position, the self-cancelling indicators are a little unreliable, and the brakes didn’t feel incredibly strong.

There is also no quickshifter (not even as an option) and I would have liked Harley to have a crack at the radar technology that is sweeping the segment at the moment. But we must remember this is H-D’s first attempt, and these issues will likely be ironed out in coming years.

I get the feeling that, like the LiveWire, many critics expected the Pan America to be a once-off. It seemed like a case of ‘well done for trying, but stick to what you know.’ But throughout the Australian media launch, the H-D crew dropped multiple hints suggesting that the Pan America 1250 is the beginning of much more to come.

Of course, we got the standard ‘we can’t talk about future product’ spiel, but it appears likely that we’ll see other bikes with the Rev Max engine, as well as a middleweight adventure bike at some stage. Personally, I’m still waiting for Charley and Ewan’s electric adventure bikes to go into production. A man can dream, right?

At the end of the day, no one outside Milwaukee expected the Pan America to be this good. If H-D created a good bike, it would have been a win. But the Pan America is a genuine rival to the likes of the BMW R 1250 GS, KTM 1290 Super Adventure S, Ducati Multistrada V4, Triumph Tiger 1200, as well as the the Honda Africa Twin, Yamaha Super Tenere, and Suzuki V-Strom 1050 XT.

Harley-Davidson could have stuck to making cruisers and it would probably have got by (just) on its name alone. But the decision to enter the adventure market could reinvigorate the company and send it in an entirely new direction. I honestly believe the Pan America could be the most important model in Harley-Davidson’s history. And it just happens to be a bloody good bike too.

ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, DOHC, Revolution-Max 1250 V-twin
Capacity: 1252cc
Bore x stroke: 105mm x 72mm
Compression ratio: 13.0:1
Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 150hp at 8750rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 127Nm at 6750rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed
Clutch: Wet, multi-plate
Final drive: Chain

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame type: Stressed-member, high strength low alloy steel trellis frame; stamped, cast, and forged junctions; MIG welded; aluminum forged mid-structure
Front suspension: Linkage-mounted monoshock with automatic electronic preload control and semi-active compression & rebound damping, 191mm travel
Rear suspension: Linkage-mounted Showa monoshock with automatic electronic preload control and semi-active compression & rebound damping, 191mm travel
Front brake: Dual 320mm discs with four-piston caliper, ABS equipped
Rear brake: Single 280mm disc with single-piston caliper, ABS equipped
Wheels: Cast aluminum – 19-inch front, 17-inch rear (laced wheels optional)
Tyres: Michelin Scorcher Adventure

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed wet weight: 258kg
Seat height: 830-875mm (optional low and tall seats available)
Wheelbase: 1580mm
Rake: 25 degrees
Trail: 108mm
Fuel capacity: 21.2 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: from $31,995 ride away
Colours: Vivid Black (standard), Deadwood Green (optional), Gauntlet Grey Metallic (optional), Baja Orange/Stone Washed White Pearl (optional)
Test bike supplied by: Harley-Davidson Australia
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres