Pan America

[Bone Stockman]

I'm waiting in line....

[Fe Butte]

Look at you, going to leave it stock? Right?

[vafatboy]

[Bone Stockman]

They even made it sound like a Harley.

https://www.harley-davidson.com/us/e...ler/p/65600389

Now put this motor in a new touring frame with all the gee-gaws and call it a Road Glide!

[Infidel!]

Thinking about it...

[Backroad Mike]

Originally Posted by Bone Stockman

They even made it sound like a Harley.

https://www.harley-davidson.com/us/e...ler/p/65600389

Now put this motor in a new touring frame with all the gee-gaws and call it a Road Glide!

Which version did you order?

I see the Special has Adaptive Ride Height to lower coming to a stop for those vertically challenged.

Other things like center stand, heated grips, TPMS and a couple other things.

[Bone Stockman]

Originally Posted by Backroad Mike

Which version did you order?

I see the Special has Adaptive Ride Height to lower coming to a stop for those vertically challenged.

Other things like center stand, heated grips, TPMS and a couple other things.

Orange Special with laced wheels and the Adaptive Ride Height, which I don't necessarily need, but it'll make it a bit easier to handle when I'm 2-up. Added the metal cases, aux lights, and the Stage 1 stuff. The initial plan is to keep the Road Glide, but I'm curious to see how many miles it gets once this thing comes in.

[Fe Butte]

Have you sat on the seat of one yet?

[Bone Stockman]

Originally Posted by Fe Butte

Have you sat on the seat of one yet?

They're not released until late May.

[Bone Stockman]

Swung by the dealer today and placed my P&A order. Pretty much got everything available, so mine will be a full-boat RA1250S. Dealer's doing right by me on the P&A stuff. No updates on delivery, only that they're expecting their shipment in late May/early June. They're nearly as excited as I am.

[Infidel!]

Where are you taking it first?

Sent from my SM-G998U1 using Tapatalk

[Bone Stockman]

Originally Posted by Infidel!

Where are you taking it first?

Home.

If I have it in time for Pony Tacos, it'll be there.

[PeaceKeeper]

It's been a while since I've been to these parts, but I check in from time to time. I rode the beast, it's pretty badass.

I really like the bike, it has a raw industrial American personality from appearance to performance. It reminds me of my old Hemi Road Runner. The ergonomics are typical upright adventure bike style, I had to adjust the seat to its highest level to be comfortable and it was still sloped forward a bit. I would need to modify the seat for my own butt. The footpegs are small and rearward. They felt a little awkward at first but within a few miles, I had forgotten about them. I would replace them with something better. The dash panel is set up like a large screen phone or iPad. It's easy to read and fairly functional. The mirrors are terrible, they are too small and too far inboard. I found myself constantly adjusting them and I still never got them right. They would be the first thing to hit the trash can. The fit and finish are really good, typical Harley quality without all the bling. For me, the bars could use a set of 30mm up and back risers, I have long arms and I was still reaching a bit. THE BIKE IS NOT TOP HEAVY, not even close. It is well balanced with the motor weight down low, the thing just falls into turns and handles great. The suspension is surprisingly good for a factory bike. Wind protection is sufficient, this is subjective based on the rider but it was good enough for me. I wouldn't need to make any mods there. The factory rack appears built in a way that is going to make it difficult for the aftermarket to allow us luggage options other than the Harley branded SW Motech stuff. I'd find a workaround somehow to mount up my Monokey tail bag. The transmission is sweet, it shifts smooth and firm and 6th gear seems to be a true OD for those long highway hauls. Neutral was a bitch to find, It may be because the bike is new but of any bike, I have ever ridden this was the most difficult to find neutral. I just eventually gave up and kept it in gear. The motor, Holy crap. Harley hit a grand slam with this motor. It spins up like a bullet and what I find interesting is it seem like you are always on the power band, from off idle to redline the torque and power are just waiting on tap. It feels like more than the spec 150 hp. It's quicker than my VFRX, the acceleration is almost spastic. It's not as smooth and refined as my VFRX but it spins up quicker. This thing is going to give the MTS a run for its money. I've ridden both now and I wouldn't bet on either. The thing is quick, Not H2 quick of course, but for an adventure bike, it's quick. The engine is quiet, with no mechanical or clutch noise at all. The ABS seems to work well, I tried to activate it and I really don't know if it came on or not. Same with the TC, at WOT I couldn't get the front wheel to lift. The TC keeps it planted but you don't feel it. It is by far the best TC system I have ever seen on a bike. You don't even know it's doing its thing when it activates. I think as more people ride this and word gets out sales will take off and this bike will be a big hit for Harley. Set up for me it would be about 20K and since I have college tuition and med school coming up for my daughter I'm out. If I were shopping for a big bore adventure bike I would buy this over a GS, MTS, or KTM in a heartbeat. It's not as refined as the euro bike but it has that raw industrial American muscle car feel. It is not boring, it is a really fun bike to ride compared to the euro and Japanese bikes. If I was still on the Strom I would probably buy it but saying that there is not enough difference between this bike and my VFRX to justify the added expense. If I was going to spend 20K on a bike it would be a two-up bike that I could take the wife on day trips with like an Ultra or a new DCT Wing. Harley hit it out of the ballpark with the Pan Am, I am pleasantly surprised and pleased they did it. Unfortunately, it's coming to market 3 years too late for me. If someone stole my VFRX today, I'd take the insurance money and but the Pan Am tomorrow without reservation. But for now, I am settled with what I have and happy to have it, but ya never know.

[Geezer-Glide]

Nice write up Dave. Now you two bastages have me thinking............

[Bone Stockman]

Rode one today, the reviews are pretty much all spot-on. Bottom line, this absolutely feels like a Harley, but it's vastly different than anything Harley's done before.

The engine's got a not-quite-balanced feel to it, so it's not a smooth sewing machine like a UJM. The clutch friction point is a bit further out than I'd like, but the feel is good. The transmission's like butter. The brakes bit well, and will probably improve with some break in. The controls feel substantial, but not as substantial as the Touring line. There's a ton of buttons. The display crams a lot of information on it, but it's legible (mostly). I'm 6'2" with a 34" inseam. The stock windshield is probably fine, the stock seat needs to be in the high position (it was in the low for the test ride), and I definitely need the taller risers, as I could feel more weight than I wanted on my wrists....and that would be amplified with the seat sitting 1" higher.

The fit & finish is gorgeous. I'm glad I picked the 2-tone, as it's stunning in person. The ARH is completely transparent. The seat was comfortable for the 30 minutes I rode. I noticed no issues with the fueling, but I kept it below 4,000rpm as this thing was fresh off the truck. I was riding in a borrowed helmet and work clothes, so I didn't go nuts. It's 80 today, and I felt some warmth on my right wingtip, but it wasn't egregious.

I started in "Road" mode, and spent most of the ride there, as I wasn't really dressed for riding, it was rush hour, and it was a fresh bike that hadn't been broken in. The engine's a gem. If/when Harley puts this thing in a Touring bike, they'll sell them as fast as they can build them. It pulls cleanly, and is happy to lub-dub along at 3,000rpm. Nice engine braking when you're decelerating. It's got character, but it's quiet....If you're coming from another brand, you're not going to blow your eardrums out with the stock pipe. I spent about 5 minutes in "Sport" mode, and it's a fire-breathing beast. I predict his bike will embarrass a lot of very serious hardware out on the backroads.

The suspension is just sublime. The roads around here suck, I went over 2 sets of train tracks, and across 2 wooden bridges. The bike just swallowed them up. It dives into a corner like a playful dolphin. I was expecting the wheelbase to limit how sharply it turned in, but (granted, fresh bike, not mine, and not dressed for it so I wasn't killing it) it was surprising how nimble it was. At no point did I feel the need to fiddle with it in "Road" mode. In "Sport" mode, it was like a scalpel.

Wind protection was okay to my torso and head, but there's not much blocking the wind to the legs. You're going to get soaked in the rain.

I've got until Friday to figure out whether or not the Road Glide's staying. This bike is awfully good, and I could see having this as my only "big" bike.