PANNING FOR AMERICAN GOLD
Test ride the excellent new adventure bike that’s redefining Harley-Davidson
Riders around the world are going wild for the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 and Pan America 1250 Special. Equipped with ground-breaking tech like adaptive ride height and riding modes that genuinely change the character of the bike, the Pan America 1250 models are do-everything, all-thetime, anywhere machines. Sitting at the heart of this new adventurer is the all-new 1252cc Revolution Max engine, which produces 150bhp @ 8750rpm and 94lb.ft @ 6750rpm. How have Harley done it? They’ve built a whole new liquid-cooled V-twin – featuring variable valve timing – from the ground up. The engine architecture is very different compared to previous generation Harleys, with their propensity for long-stroke (undersquare) design abandoned in favour of a shortstroke (oversquare) design. But where things get seriously exciting is in the electronics department. Not only does it have all the usual suspects, including hill-hold control, cruise control, cornering ABS, lean-sensitive traction control, tyre pressure monitoring, semiactive suspension, riding modes and a 6.8in touch-sensitive full colour TFT screen, but it’s the suspension that really moves the game on. The firm’s innovative Adaptive Ride Height (ARH) system automatically lowers the suspension by up to 50mm when you come to a stop, meaning the less leggy amongst us get a huge confidence boost in terms of surefooted control at junctions and off-road. It’s a £600 option.
Get booking
You don’t want to miss your chance to experience the Pan America, and the easiest way is to book a free no-obligation test ride. The Harley UK and Ireland website has a simple, three-stage booking system of: 1) Choose Your Ride, 2) Find a Dealer, and 3) Enter Your Details. Then the nearest Harley dealership will contact you to arrange your test ride. Book now at: testrides.harley-davidson. com/en_GBbooking.
Be aware that not all the Harley range is available at all of its dealerships, but H-D will do its best to meet your needs. Of course, you could also call your nearest dealership to get some more information and book a demo ride. You can find out more at www.harley-davidson.com/gb/ en/tools/find-a-dealer.html
Come prepared
Don’t turn up for a test ride in shorts and T-shirt to take a test ride, though. Even if the weather is hot – or you ride your own bike like that – the dealership won’t be able to let you swing a leg over one of Harley’s demo fleet without the right kit – which means a helmet and CE-approved trousers, jacket, boots and gloves. If you’re light on the right kit, get in touch to find out if your dealership has gear you can hire for your test ride.
‘Things get exciting with the electronics’