Harley-Davidson has revealed complete details of its Pan America 1250 adventure bike and it looks promising.
New 1252cc, V-twin makes 150hp and 127Nm
Features adaptive ride height option
More expensive variant is called the Special
The big adventure bike is a departure from the cruisers Harley-Davidson has been building all these years. Before we dive into the details, it is important to know that it’s available in two variants - the Pan America 1250 and the Pan America 1250 Special.
Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250: Engine and gearbox
Powering the Pan America is Harley’s 1252cc Revolution Max V-twin. This engine makes 150hp at 9,000rpm and 127Nm at 6,750rpm. While the power and torque figures are quite impressive, what’s more surprising are the high RPM figures. Harley has achieved this by ditching the long stroke design for a short stroke one, which gives this engine a rev limit that’s double that of Harley’s other V-twins. The Revolution Max also uses liquid-cooling, variable valve timing, double overhead camshafts and four-valve cylinder heads. The six-speed, meanwhile, comes paired to a slipper clutch.
Harley has said that “the Revolution Max 1250 engine has been tuned specifically to deliver desirable power characteristics for the Pan America 1250 and Pan America 1250 Special models, with an emphasis on smooth low-end torque delivery and low-speed throttle control applicable to off-road riding.”
Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250: Chassis
The engine also acts as a stressed member and the front frame, mid frame and subframe bolt directly to it. Harley has said that helps bring down the overall weight of the standard model down to 242kg and the Special model to 254kg.
At present, both variants of the Pan America utilise alloy wheels - 19-inch front and a 17-inch rear. Harley-Davidson and Michelin collaboratively designed a Scorcher Adventure tire for the Pan America models to “meet the demands associated with adventure touring”. Michelin Anakee Wild tires with a knobby tread pattern will also be offered as an option.
Braking is carried out by a new radial monoblock four-piston (30mm) caliper. The dual front brake rotors are 320mm in diameter, while the single rear-brake rotor is 280mm in diameter. As for suspension, the Pan America comes equipped with a fully-adjustable SHOWA USD fork and monoshock.
Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250: Electronics
It's in terms of the electronics that Harley has taken a big step ahead. The Pan America features everything you’d expect from a big ADV, including hill-hold control, cruise control, cornering ABS, lean-sensitive traction control, semi-active suspension, riding modes and a 6.8-inch touch-sensitive full colour TFT screen.
The company will also offer adaptive ride height (ARH) as an option which automatically lowers the suspension by up to 5cm when you come to a stop. This feature is a segment first and it will be available only with the more expensive Special variant. The Special also gets other gizmos like adaptive headlights and tyre pressure monitoring.
Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250: Price
While there is no word on an India launch date and price, the Pan America is expected to make its debut in the UK in the second quarter of this year. The standard model is expected to cost £14,000 (Rs 14.25 lakh) while the Special model will likely be priced at £15,500 (Rs 15.78 lakh). These prices put it right in the territory of the popular BMW R 1250 GS.
Also see:
Hero and Harley-Davidson sign agreement for India