As part of the recent Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 media launch, Spencer found himself biting off more than he can chew on a wet grass track. To some of you guys, this may have been child’s play, but for Spencer, not so much…
Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 pricing and specs
Harley-Davidson has launched its first-ever adventure bike, the Pan America 1250, which will hit local showrooms in July in high-spec ‘Special’ guise, priced from $31,995 rideaway.
At this price, the off-road-ready Harley-Davidson is priced higher than BMW’s R 1250 GSA ($28,365), but undercuts high-end adventure models like the Ducati Multistrada V4 S ($35,990).
The Pan America 1250 Special draws power from Harley’s new Revolution Max 1250cc V-twin engine, which in this case is tuned to produce 112kW and 127Nm.
For reference, the aforementioned BMW offering generates a comparable 100kW/143Nm from its 1254cc boxer engine, while the new Multistrada manages 125kW/125Nm from its 1158cc V4 engine.
From standard the Pan America comes well equipped, with 19-inch front/17-inch rear wire-spoked wheels wrapped in Michelin Anakee Wild tyres, large Brembo brakes, fully adjustable Showa suspension, a four-position windscreen and a long-range 21-litre fuel tank.
Tech features extend to a 6.8-inch TFT touchscreen with smartphone integration, full LED lighting, hill-hold, cruise control and five rider modes dubbed Road, Rain, Off-Road, Off-Road Plus, and a configurable mode.
These modes adjust power delivery, engine braking, as well as the bike’s advanced cornering ABS and traction control system.
The Pan America 1250 Special tips the scales at 258 kilograms (wet), which is three kilograms heavier than the base variant that is not coming to Australia, due to a number of added features.
Features above the standard bike include semi-active suspension, tyre pressure monitoring, a centre stand, adjustable rear brake peg, brush guard and skid plate, adaptive lights, heated grips and hand guards, a steering damper and tubeless laced wheels.
As a first for the industry, Harley-Davidson is offering an optional adaptive ride height system, which lowers the bike’s seat height when at rest, without compromising ground clearance when in motion.
The 2021 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special will hit local showrooms in July of this year, available in a range of colours including Vivid Black, Gauntlet Gray Metallic, as well as two-tone option Baja Orange and Stone Washed White Pearl.
Harley-Davidson will also offer a considerable accessories catalogue that includes three luggage systems for varying types of riders, while a new riding gear collection has been specially developed for Pan America buyers in collaboration with Rev’it.
Spencer has a keen eye for hard news, and does some of his best living on deadline day. He loves more than anything to travel on his motorcycle, and is adamant that Melbourne Bitter is a world-class lager. He also knows how to operate the big computery thing in the office. By night, Spencer plays guitar with Melbourne punk outfit LOUTS.
