I Finally Got To Check Out The Harley Pan America

By check out I mean see one in person, and would have taken a test ride if I had more time.  The first thing I noticed is, it's tall.

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I'm 5'9" tall and it looks daunting to me though, I'm not used to bikes like that.  The 2021 Pan America is a whole new breed of bike in the Harley line-up.  They say it's an all-terrain long hauler.  Meaning wherever you want to tour with this, including some dicey dirt roads, or even off the road, that's what it's designed for.  The Pan America has things like a skid plate, brush guards, and a steering damper, so they aren't messing around with the capabilities off the beaten path.

The powerplant pushing this bike along is the Revolution Max 1250 engine, which puts out 150 horsepower.  Harley hasn't directly said it's related to the VROD motor that was quite impressive, but being that it's liquid cooled and a dual overhead cam setup it has to be similar in some ways.  The Pan America also features variable valve timing which really helps with the range broadening on the powerband.  The bike also features adaptive ride height which after sitting on it made it feel less tall.  This is because it raises and lowers the seat height based on terrain, keeping that suspension where it needs to be.

I'll be back with more to report on the ride once I have the time to get on it for a bit.  It's not a bike that every Harley person will dig, but it might be enough of a draw for some none Harley off-road enthusiasts to give a go.  I didn't grow up riding dirt bikes like a lot of people and I could see where this might appeal to that crowd too.  You can find out more about the Harley Pan America HERE.