Dive into the tech on H-D’s new PanAm with its creators
Harley-Davidson have pulled out all the stops for the new Pan America
1 Mechanical innovations
One of the Pan America’s most important features is the new 1252cc Revolution Max engine. Harley’s aircooled engines have 45° cylinders, with the pistons sharing a single crank pin giving that distinctive uneven 315° – 405° firing order, but that wouldn’t work on the Pan America.
“What we have with this engine is a split crank pin, so imagine you take a single pin with two rods but in the middle you offset them from each other,” says Michael Carlin, Chief Powertrain Engineer. “This gives you a 30° split pin on a 60° V, resulting in an even 90° firing order.”
The 90° firing order was decided on after research showed that it gives good traction and is one of the most pleasing engine notes to the ear. Harley have also added a computer controlled Variable Valve Timing system that both improves performance and has other neat functions too, such as shifting the cams for easier starting.
“One of the main reasons we wanted to add VVT was so that you have a super wide torque band for use off road,” says Alex Boxmoski, Chief Engineer. “So if you’re in rough terrain or you need to get out of a rut you don’t have to coax the bike into it.”
Harley have also carried over the hydraulic valve actuation from their air-cooled big twins, which means the valves automatically adjust their own clearances and even the camshafts have been designed to be replaced easily for future performance hikes. Other engineering work has been done to maintain the Harley feel, so it’s got two balancers: one in the crank and one in the head. The one in the head runs off the phasers, so the team have been able to tune in a level of imbalance that not only gives the bike some ‘soul’ but also gives the rider feedback, so you don’t have to stare at the tacho to know what’s going on – you can feel it.
2 How low can you go?
The Special is fitted with semi-active suspension as standard but there’s also an option for adaptive ride height. “It’s a concept that we’ve been working on and dabbling with over time, and now is the time when we have the right bike and tech to bring it to market,” says Bjorn Christensen, Chassis and Suspension Engineering Manager. “So the bike senses when you’re coming to a stop, anticipates that, then seamlessly lowers to inspire that level of confidence that you might not have. It’s also great for getting on and off. Adventure bikes can be intimidating for people who aren’t that tall, so being able to mount the bike easily is huge.”