Meet Harley-Davidson’s First Adventure Bike—The Pan America 1250
A whopping 150 horsepower from a 1,250cc liquid-cooled V-Twin is ready to blast Harley’s latest bike into your next wild ride.
Time to temporarily forget the images of Fat Boys and Street Bobs you know from Harley-Davidson, because the new Pan America 1250 is nothing like its hogs.
The new model is the Milwaukee bike giant’s first dedicated adventure bike, and it looks like a massive game-changer for fans of the orange-and-black wings.
The heart of the new Harley is a new 1,250cc, liquid-cooled, 60-degree V-twin dubbed the Revolution Max. The engine contrasts starkly with the air-cooled V-twins that H-D built its brand on.
Performance specs are as follows: a hefty 150 horsepower and 94 pound-feet of torque at 9,500 RPM. While the large displacement is mostly responsible for the high output, CNET’s Roadshow reports that the implementation of variably timed, maintenance-free valves help dial-up the juice as well. The Revolution Max also doubles as a part of the chassis, which cuts down on weight.
The Pan America 1250 is available in two trims, the first being the base. H-D worked with Michelin to design a Scorcher Adventure tires for the cast aluminum wheels to work on paved roads, dirt or gravel. Brembo provided a new size of radial four-piston calipers for dual front brake and single rear brake rotors. The Showa front and rear suspension offers 7.48 inches of travel from front to back.
In another uncharacteristic move for Harley, the Pan America 1200 and 1200 S are also loaded with a suite of rider assist functions dubbed Cornering Rider Safety Enhancements, which includes electronically linked braking, ABS, traction control, drag torque-slip control, and hill hold control. Many of these settings are adjusted across four pre-loaded ride modes and one customizable ride mode.
All instrumentation and infotainment functions are displayed on a tilting 6.8-inch TFT touchscreen that disables while in motion, but supports Bluetooth and navigation via and app.
In addition to the 1250’s features, the 1250 Special gets premium bits. Though only a factory option, among the coolest is an adaptive ride height that automatically drops 1-2 inches at a stop to accommodate shorter riders—a blessing to the vertically-challenged who usually don’t feel comfortable on tall, high-clearance adventure bikes. Harley says that the technology is an industry-first.
Other 1250 Special upgrades include a semi-active front and rear suspension with load control, an active headlight that adjusts based on lean angle, a tire pressure monitoring system, compact center stand, two-position rear brake pedal, protective brush guard, skid plate, heated grips, and a steering damper to absorb impact during aggressive riding.
Set to arrive at dealers this spring, the Harley-Davidson Pan Americaa 1250 and 1250 Special start at $17,319 and $19,999, respectively.
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