Motorcycle specifications Harley-DavidsonPan America 1250 2024 The century of trails

Faced with the elements, the results, the promise of escape, the time has come to throw ourselves wholeheartedly into the trail arena. With its 1250 Pan America, MoCo has opened up a whole new world. A true revolution in multiple dimensions. Everything... EVERYTHING is new for this American maxi-trailer, Harley's first; America's first.

the dirt, the dust, letting the wheels get excited on the skin of the ground, we've known that for decades at HD. It's been so long that the XR 750 has been making ovals in the dirt, much to the delight of Dirt-Track. A totally useless experience for the manufacturer, given that it's now entering a new and unknown field: trail riding.

And not the small kind, like DR or XT. In fact, the big one, with large displacements, high-level references, lots of power and sometimes decades of development. Pan America arrives in a bath of fierce, accomplished gladiators. We're going to have to shake things up to make our mark. But above all, it will have to shake up the brand's fundamentals.

designing a trail bike has never been an easy task. Few are suave or delicate enough. The Harley is no better. As sleek as a coffee machine, it looks like a Russian tractor fed on German beet. Whether you like it or not, it's all about ruggedness, stylistic emancipation and the audacity of a new terrain. To calm the nerves, think back to the BFG or the BM K1.
However, on closer inspection.... It looks well thought-out, well laid-out; the codes of the genre are there; the adventurer aspect is obvious; the com' is assured with Jason Momoa as guest-star; the bike has obviously been cogitated for a long time.
The Harley-Davidson logogram is discreet, reduced to an undemonstrative HD, but there's a touch of the house recipe here, with side panels as well-integrated as those on the Electra Glide, and a large center console running over the 21.2-liter fuel tank. At the front, highlighting the orthogonal light, the lip is thin as well as strange with that micro bull bar under the headlight.
The cocktail is confusing - so much so that once you remove the branding, it's impossible to identify it as a Harley-Davidson.

now hang on, we're into some unsuspecting mechanical acceleration. Fans and enthusiasts of Harley-Davidson technical history, hold your breath and belch. The shock will be even more intense than with the 1130 V-Rod.
There's no question of Milwaukee Eight, Twin Cam, Panhead or any other engine perpetuating the 45° twin-cylinder entangled in tradition. The Pan America's block is of a different calibre, benefiting from the most modern technologies. For its inauguration, it hits hard with 150 horsepower - yes, 150! It's the most powerful block in the range, with 50% more power than the larger 1923 cm3 M8. With a hand like that, the Pan America doesn't challenge the Africa Twin or Suzuki V-Strom, but goes straight for the hypertrails. The first Harley trail bike to go head-to-head with the Ducati Multistrada or KTM Super Aventure, it's sure to leave a lasting impression.

it' s called Revolution Max. Its specific features are such that it bears no resemblance whatsoever to a Harley engine... or rather, to the brand in a parallel dimension where it would have persevered and capitalized on the first Revolution engine of the name. It's a twin (H-D identity obliges) open at 60°, acting as a load-bearing element for the chassis, with three frame components anchored to it to build the skeleton of the bike. The crankcase covers and main case are made of magnesium.
Another striking technical feature is the super-square dimensions, with a bore of 105 mm and a stroke of 72 mm - the same values as on the 1250 V-Rod. It forgets the techniques of yesteryear and embraces modernity with liquid cooling, dual ignition per cylinder, forged aluminum pistons, a high compression ratio (13:1), cylinder heads with 4 valves per cylinder, double ACT, a hydraulic valve adjustment system and even variable valve timing.

let's set the scene. Which motorcycle manufacturers exploit variable valve timing on their models? BMW, Suzuki, Ducati, formerly Kawasaki, and Harley-Davidson. That says a lot...
The American VVT acts on intake and exhaust valves, with a 40° range of offset. It advances or retards camshaft timing to broaden the power range and torque management; secondarily, it facilitates starting by reducing in-cylinder compression. The intake is retarded to the maximum, while the exhaust is fully advanced.
A few details on the mechanics, equipped with dry sump lubrication, an 11-liter airbox, two balancing weights to eliminate most vibrations, an anti-dribble clutch with assistance to reduce lever effort, and 90° timing for better traction and a distinctive sound.

aware that most riders will use the Pan as a Grand Touring trail bike, we fitted 19" and 17" aluminum spoked wheels, shod with Michelin Scorcher Adventure mixed tires developed especially for this model. Spoke wheels and studded tires are available as optional extras.
It also needs substantial suspension travel. This is 190 mm, front and rear. The associated components are a Showa 47 mm inverted fork, adjustable for preload, rebound and compression. The Japanese manufacturer also supplies the monoshock, which can be adjusted in all directions. For braking, Harley uses Brembo brakes from Italy. The equipment consists of a double brake disc at the front, each measuring 320 mm and bitten by 4-piston monoblock radial calipers. Smaller but respectable in diameter, the rear disc measures 280 mm, with a piston to calm it down.
Let's not forget the swingarm, made of aluminum.

for its first foray into the world of highly reinforced riding aids, the Pan America is equipped with just about everything found on the competition's bikes. Which is quite a step forward. Harley had already introduced them in various models, including the LiveWire and Touring models, but now they're all here. Enough to get the message across without a shaky voice.

let's start by detailing the 5 riding modes:
- "Sport" mode: as its name suggests, this mode offers the elements for the most dynamic riding. Full power to the mill, the most direct throttle response, C-TCS traction control set to minimum and increased engine braking.
- Road" mode: more balanced for everyday driving, with softer throttle response, fewer watts in the mid-range and the ABS / Traction Control duo a little more intrusive.
- "Rain" mode: well, as usual, parameters for taking it easy. Acceleration and power are clearly limited; traction control and ABS are highly interventionist.
- "Off-Road" mode: this is where the fun begins. Power levels are limited, with fewer watts and less torque at maximum rpm. ABS acts on each wheel, with off-road settings. C-TCS is at the same level as in Sport Mode.
- "Off-road Plus": this is not considered a mode in its own right, but rather a derivative of Off-Road. This gives drivers more freedom, especially if they already have some technical experience. Most systems are deactivated. Interconnected braking, residual torque control, anti-wheeling and anti-stoppie are dormant. TCS (at a minimum) and ABS (not on the rear wheel) remain in action, but without their reactivity when cornering.
- "Custom" mode: This is the perfect way to create your own "à la carte" cartography. The rider can adjust engine power and braking, throttle response, TCS and ABS intervention levels.

this is just the visible surface of the active interaction between engine, bike, electronics and rider. Underneath, it's the same kind of gas factory as the best bikes in the category. Where do we start? HHC Hill Hold Control? C-DSCS engine brake adjustment, digesting residual rear-wheel torque on hard deceleration and fine-tuning according to angle? Let's take a look at C-TCS traction control. A relevant feature on a 150-horsepower cruiser. Its role is, of course, to calm rear-wheel spin, but also to control front-wheel lift according to riding style. Thanks to the on-board IMU, it also reacts according to the bike's inclination. It can be deactivated.
Oh yes, I almost forgot. There's a 6-axis IMU inertial unit on board, to inform the ECUs of the Pan's position in space and fine-tune the action of assistance systems. These include cornering ABS with rear wheel lift control. And C-ELB interconnected braking to optimize braking distribution between front and rear.

a llright , maybe.... At all. Don't forget the 6.8" color TFT touchscreen. Over 17 cm diagonal, just a tad larger than that of the BMW R 1250 GS... barely less than that of a Triumph 1200 Tiger.
Harley already impressed us a few years ago with its Boom Box, beating most brands to the punch in the infotainment field. Here's the sequel, with a dashboard in tune with the industry. The basic display concentrates the essential information, without excess; the rider is then free to add widgets to display a wealth of data.
You can also select a theme to know the bike's status, another to control music files from your phone, and yet another for GPS navigation. Maps are not part of the system: the screen can be paired with the phone to dialogue with it, manage calls, and work together via a free app (iOS or Android) to get the navigator. Advantage: it's always up to date; disadvantage: no cell phone, no GPS.
H-D has added security by deactivating the touchscreen when the bike is moving. As a result, operation is via the control pad on the left-hand commodo.

moving on. Let's move on. Once we've specified the presence of cruise control, full LED lighting, and... And stop! There's a lot more to come, but it's all on the Special version.
Let's turn our attention to ergonomics. On this Harley, forget the idea of feet in front of the engine. The rider sits upright, on a seat adjustable to 875 or 850 mm (that's high). The windshield can be adjusted to 4 different heights. The rear features a large luggage rack extended by slender passenger grips. Just below, luggage racks are both integrated and standard equipment.

now to finish off the perplexed and disoriented. The Pan America is surprisingly heavy. 245 kilos - the lightest Harley ever! That puts it on a par with European maxi-trailers! As for pricing, it's right in the middle of the segment, between a Versys 1000 S and an 1100 Africa Twin Adventure Sports.

let's face it , this isn't exactly the first American trail-GT. Buell gave it a try with the XB-12XUlysses. Which everyone has forgotten.
On the other hand, it's a real wobble for the manufacturer. It's a time for literal and figurative adventuring on paths strewn with pitfalls and surprises. Just as Ducati did when the Multistrada was launched. The 1250 Pan America doesn't come empty-handed, and presents a fine set of assets from the outset; but without experience, with a whole world to discover. Between tradition and bivouac, this is a fine challenge for this big Harley-Davidson trail bike.

in its Special version, the Pan-America is Harley's most technologically advanced model. It even claims to be on a par with the best-equipped trails. It features semi-active suspension, adaptive ride height, tire pressure control, all-round protection, heated grips, hand guards, center stand, adaptive cornering lights, additional riding modes and a few other goodies, including a wider choice of colors.

M.B - Manufacturer's photos