Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special

Harley’s first take on the adventure bike is rather good

Story: Anosh Khumbatta Photography: Sanjay Raikar

This has been a long time coming. harleyDavidson have been hinting at a departure from their staple diet of laid-back cruisers for years now and we’ve been waiting with bated breath to see what the motor company has up its sleeve ever since the Pan america was announced. i was lucky enough to see a prototype in the flesh at eicma 2019, although it was enclosed in a glass case at the h-D stand; so, getting hands-on wasn’t an option. last year saw bmW motorrad launch a salvo into the heart of h-D territory with the introduction of the massive r 18, looking for a slice of the american cruiser market, making this the perfect time for harley to respond in kind, with a motorcycle aimed directly at the bmW gs and its hold on the adventure touring market. the Pan america has been received very well in international markets and now, almost two years after that first sighting in milan, it’s finally standing here before me.

as is clear from these photos, the harley-Davidson Pan america looks the part of a formidable, no-nonsense machine. that striking design is sure to polarise opinions, and its tall, rangy attitude seemed quite out of place at the h-D dealership. there’s no prominent beak up front, like we’ve come to expect of adventure bikes these days; instead, the boxy bodywork and wide, lowmounted headlight share a family resemblance with the road glide and Fat bob models, and give the Pan am an unmistakeably harley-Davidson visage. above the main headlight is a panel for the cornering lights that illuminate the inside of corners as lean angles increase while, further up, the squarish screen does a great job of insulating the rider from the elements. an h-D bar and