When I first heard about the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250, I was slightly scared of how an ADV bike, from a company that specializes in low-slung cruisers, would fare on tricky terrain and under low-grip conditions. And having never ridden a full-sized ADV, this sure was not my cup of tea.
However, I recently got a chance to swing a leg over the Pan Am 1250 and I'm happy to report that the bike felt like Bruce Banner rather than an angry Hulk waiting to Hulk-smash the life outta you.
2024 2022 Harley Davidson Pan America 1250 - Driven
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- Model: 2024 2022 Harley Davidson Pan America 1250 - Driven
- Engine/Motor: inline-4
- Horsepower: 139
- Torque: 195
2023 2022 Harley Davidson Pan America 1250 - Driven
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- Model: 2023 2022 Harley Davidson Pan America 1250 - Driven
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2022 Harley Davidson Pan America 1250 - Driven
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- Model: 2022 Harley Davidson Pan America 1250 - Driven
2023 Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek
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Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Off-road Experience
Now, don't get me wrong, the Pan America, with its 150 horsepower, 1252cc engine, has more than enough grunt to throw you around if you get a lil' too liberal with the throttle, but the bike feels so smooth and poised that you can almost predict when it'll go into Hulk-mode. Additionally, the throttle calibration is on point, which makes life even easier in tricky terrain, especially for an inexperienced off-road rider like yours truly.
Couple this with the bike's excellent ability to mask its weight and the Pan America feels simply 'easy' on the go. This becomes even more impressive when you think Harley has only made cruiser bikes to date, all of which aren't all that great at masking their heft.
Another thing that makes the Pan America 1250 a breezy ride is its roomy cockpit. In the saddle, the tall windscreen, big TFT, and wide handlebar all make the bike seem massive (which it actually is) but as soon as you stand up on the pegs, you shift into a commanding riding position, as if you're aboard a 150-horse chariot, ready to go all out. Meanwhile, all needful controls such as the rear brake, gear lever, clutch, and front brake are all handy too.
Finally, thanks to all this, the Pan America 1250 inspired so much confidence that I could easily manage to get some airtime with it, and this was on more than one occasion (check out my video below).
Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Final Thoughts
To sum it up, Harley-Davidson has truly outdone itself with the Pan America 1250, creating a fine and easy-to-ride adventure bike that is right up there with the competition.
Here's the video of me jumping around, in case you'd want to watch:
Specifications
Frame: |
Stressed-member, high strength low alloy steel trellis frame; stamped, cast, and forged junctions; MIG welded; aluminum forged mid-structure |
Swingarm: |
One-piece cast aluminum |
Front Fork/ Travel: |
47 mm inverted fork with electronically adjustable semi-active damping control. Aluminum fork triple clamps/ 7.5 in. (191 mm) |
Rear Shocks/ Travel: |
Linkage-mounted with automatic electronic preload control and semi-active compression and rebound damping/ 7.5 in. (191 mm) |
Lean Angle (J1168): |
Right: 42°, Left: 42° |
Rake (steering head): |
25° |
Fork Angle: |
25° |
Trail: |
6.2 in. (157 mm) |
Wheels: |
Anodized aluminum cast, satin black |
Wheels, Front: |
3 in. (76 mm) x 19 in. (483 mm) |
Wheels, Rear: |
4.5 in. (114 mm) x 17 in. (432 mm) |
Tires: |
Michelin® Scorcher® “Adventure”, Radial |
Tire, Front: |
120/70R19 60V |
Tires, Rear: |
170/60R17 72V |
Brakes, Front: |
Dual 320 mm floating, tower- mounted rotors; radially mounted, monoblock, 4-piston caliper |
Brakes, Rear: |
280 mm solid uniform expansion rotor; floating, single piston caliper |
Brakes, Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS): |
Standard |