Starting my new chapter
MCN’s resident hog-hugger welcomes Harley’s new dawn
Speaking very personally, the Pan America is one of the most exciting bikes I’ve been able to test in my entire time at MCN. Why? Because I genuinely didn’t have a clue what it would be like. Most new bikes these days come from a manufacturer with form in that genre. For the most part you know what you’re getting from a new KTM adventure bike or a new Yamaha naked, but when it comes to the Pan I genuinely didn’t have a clue.
It’s even more exciting for me because, and I don’t mind admitting this either, I quite like a Harley. I’ve had a few in the past and still own a 2011 883R now, so I like to think I know what H-D is good at and what it’s less good at (noise, looks, handling, power in that order). But with just a few hundred miles under my belt on the Pan A, it’s clear to me that we all need to forget everything we know about Harleys. For a start, the engine is a real peach. Thanks to its nifty VVT system it feels as happy bumbling along at 3000rpm as it is revving it all the way to its 9000rpm redline. You can’t feel any flatspots on the road and a good twist of the throttle is all it needs to catapult it, you, your luggage, your passenger and anything else in the local vicinity forward at a rate of knots. It’s helped by a delightful throttle connection that’s precise when you want it while also being forgiving when you need it to be.
The semi-active suspension is a stroke of genius, too. I’m about 5’7” if I’ve had a particularly large breakfast, with a 30” or so inside
‘For short riders it’s a genuine gamechanger’
leg, which can make some taller adventure bikes a bit of a handful around town. I’ve got used to it over the years, so it doesn’t cause me much concern, but certain situations (off-camber gravel car parks…) bring that fear rushing straight back. That was until I tried out the adaptive ride height and any worries just melted away. Slow right down and the bike lowers itself by about an inch – just enough to get both feet comfortably grounded. I’m not usually one for heaping praise but for fellow shorter riders, it’s a genuine gamechanger. Early praise also needs to be given to the dash and associated H-D app. Connection is simple and stable, which often isn’t the case. Then, using the app, you plan a route just like you would with Google Maps and it sends it to the dash. If you’ve got something bigger planned, you can even create routes on a computer and via the magic of the internet – it links to the app and then the bike. Of all of the smart things like this I’ve tried from various manufacturers, this is the simplest and most reliable. So what’s next for the Pan America? The big test for me will be seeing if it can live up to its off-road billing. Harley could have easily just phoned it in with the off-road elements but they promise it has genuine dirt ability as well as the looks, so I’m keen to find out.