Harley-Davidson is perhaps the most iconic American motorcycle brand, but it’s also one that a lot of folks can’t afford, as many of its bikes cost more than some new cars. The Motor Company’s cheapest motorcycle starts at $9,999, and the crew at your local Harley dealer will be happy to scrape more than $50,000 out of your bank account if you let them. This is why a lot of riders just buy smaller, cheaper bikes and don’t even consider the bar and shield from Milwaukee. But what if you could have a Harley and not go broke buying it? Harley-Davidson’s greatest modern motorcycle, the Pan America, is practically a steal on the used market right now. How cheap? How about legitimately less than $10,000?
This month, I decided to let go of my 2024 CFMoto Papio SS to buy a dream motorcycle. Admittedly, I liked looking at the little guy more than I liked riding it, and that’s a story that I will tell very soon. As luck would have it, a motorcycle that I have wanted ever since it launched in 2019 has come up for sale in new condition for half of its original MSRP. Again, that’s a story you’ll have to wait to read. But what’s important about this is that I started checking to see if other new motorcycles I loved had also lost a chunk of value.
I was surprised when I scrolled past the work of our friends at RideApart and saw an article noting that Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 prices have spiraled to the point where you don’t have to be loaded with cash to buy one. I know, I couldn’t believe it, either. But I looked for myself, and I have yet to stop drooling, figuratively, anyway. The Harley-Davidson Pan America didn’t capture the hearts of the Harley faithful or sway too many people off of their BMW GS adventure bikes. Yet, I think it’s the greatest motorcycle Harley has built in the past 10 years and one of the greatest Harleys built in the past 26 years.
The Pan America is great because it’s the motorcycle that shows what Harley-Davidson can do when it gets out of its comfort zone of building giant, expensive cruisers. When I tested one in 2024, it wasn’t just a great effort, but one of the most enjoyable motorcycles I’ve ridden, full stop. It even had one accessibility feature that still remains rare today.
Harley Takes On BMW
Why? The Pan America was built by a different Harley, one that wanted to change its image. The motorcycle was a part of an initiative to attract all kinds of new riders into the Harley fray. The Pan America was aimed squarely at the popular adventure-touring market dominated by the likes of the Triumph Tiger and the BMW GS.
Here’s what I wrote in my review:
The centerpiece of the Pan America, aside from a feature I’m going to tell you about in a bit, is its engine. When you lay your eyes on a Harley-Davidson Pan America, you’ll instantly figure out that this isn’t your grandfather’s V-twin. This engine, dubbed the Revolution Max 1250 or “Revmax” for short, is an impressive piece of engineering. Harley says the Revolution Max 1250 isn’t some recycled engine with new parts, but a clean-sheet design meant to blow the competition out of the water. In its talks about this engine, Harley-Davidson details an almost scary level of detail. Engineers went with a 60-degree V-twin with a narrow profile. This was done to centralize the mass of the engine for better handling, improve rider ergonomics, and to allow the engine to fit into compact spaces.
Ok, that’s pretty cool, but the engineers went further. One goal of the Revmax was reducing weight, so engineers used finite element analysis and deployed optimization techniques to minimize mass in cast components. Harley gives the example of engineers finding out how to shave weight from the starter gear and camshaft drive gears.
Further weight was shaved with the use of single-piece aluminum cylinders with nickel silicon carbide-surface galvanic coatings, plus forged aluminum pistons. Even more weight was reduced by using magnesium for multiple large pieces. Finally, one more weight-saving measure comes from the fact that the engine was designed to be a structural member, eliminating the need for a heavy frame to cradle it. Harley’s engineers didn’t stop at putting the engine on a diet. This thing has variable valve timing, independent hydraulic adjustment for the roller-finger valves, and dual counterbalancers. Look, normally these things wouldn’t be much to gush about, but remember that we’re talking about a Harley-Davidson here.
The Revmax 1250 pumps out 150 horsepower and 94 lb-ft of torque. It also spins up to an un-Harley-like 9,500 RPM redline. The firepower coming out of this engine is harder than what the engines in the BMW and Triumph competition make. Yep, this is a Harley that actually makes more power than the companies Harley targeted as competition. The engine is so happy to rev that it almost taunts you to ride it hard and fast. I did just that, riding the Pan America hard all day, and the engine never skipped a beat.
Great Ideas, Fun Ride
Then there’s the rest of it. Harley-Davidson gave the bike the look of something Master Chief from Halo would ride. But my favorite feature? For an extra $1,200, you could get your Pan America with a system called Adaptive Ride Height. This smart system automatically lowers the seat to as low as 28.1 inches at stops so short people like me can comfortably get their feet on the ground. When you take off, the system lifts the seat back up. Here’s another snippet from my review:
I hopped on board the Pan America, used the plastic lever to adjust my windshield, and set the ride mode to Sport. I wanted to go whole hog right out of the gate. Only, I discovered instantly that this doesn’t ride like a hog. It’s more like strapping yourself to a Falcon Heavy. At least, upon twisting the throttle, I uttered a word that sounded something like “falcon.”
That was because the Revolution Max 1250 hits like a hammer early on in its rev range. It hits so hard that if you aren’t prepared, you will do a wheelie. This is non-negotiable; the Pan America’s power comes on hard, heavy, and doesn’t relent until you hit that rev limiter. If you have a chance to gather your thoughts, you’ll look down at the touchscreen just to read the “Harley-Davidson” displayed on it. No, the bike hasn’t changed since you hopped on board. This really is a Harley and oh my god is it astonishingly quick.
Now, I’m going to be quick to clarify that this isn’t the fastest ride on the block. There are motorcycles that hit harder and fly faster. My Triumph Rocket III scoffs at the Pan America’s mere 94 lb-ft of torque. But then you go right back to remembering that hey, this is from Milwaukee. This kind of performance with the Bar and Shield badge is just something else. I won’t say it’s as fun as my Rocket III or as diabolical as a 325 HP Sea-Doo, but if you aren’t smiling on a Pan America you probably need to see a doctor.
All of this is to say that the Pan America blew me away. If I had the money, I would have purchased one the moment I got home from that press trip. But I didn’t because I couldn’t. The base price of a Pan America is $19,999, and that’s before you tack on another $1,200 for the adaptive ride height. For much of the Pan America’s run, it was more expensive than BMW’s GS, the establishment leader in the category. Nowadays, the GS has a higher base price of $20,395, but these are still very expensive bikes to buy new.
Great Deals On The Used Market
Unfortunately, rave reviews from owners and journalists haven’t translated into sales for the Pan America. Apparently, resale values haven’t been great, either.
A very quick search of motorcycles for sale on Facebook Marketplace and within 500 miles of Chicago shows about seven Pan Americas for sale for $10,000 or less. The cheapest near me (above) is only $9,000, and I bet you could get it down further with negotiation.
If you expand into a nationwide search, the deals get better. There’s a Pan America on Cycle Trader right now for $8,499. Really, there’s no shortage of Pan Americas for $10,000 or less on Cycle Trader.
It’s not exactly known why Pan America values sink so quickly. As RideApart notes, there are really only theories. One is that the Pan America was the subject of a bunch of recalls when it first came out, and that tarnished its image. But the bikes on sale today should have been fixed. Another theory noted by RideApart is that, allegedly, Harley-Davidson and its dealers don’t give much support to existing owners and don’t try very hard to sell new units, either. Sort of like the old Buell days, apparently, the dealers would much rather sell and service a Street Glide.
I couldn’t find a confirmed reason for the low resale values, but maybe it just goes back to the fact that the Pan America isn’t exactly Harley’s hottest model to begin with. But I wouldn’t let that stop you from getting one of these for way cheaper than new.
I have no doubt that you can get a Pan America for under $8,000 if you try hard enough. Sure, these motorcycles will have some miles on them, possibly some scratches, and maybe even questionable mods. But at the same time, these things are listed for less than half of their original MSRP despite some of them being only a few years old. That can be a crazy good deal. A used Pan America is pretty much less than half the price of the cheapest new car, despite it having the price of a new car when it rolled off the dealership floor.
It’s not like you’d be suffering, either. I thought that the Pan America absolutely nailed the assignment of an adventure-touring bike. It was comfortable, almost like a cruiser, but didn’t have to stick to paved roads. It was happy to pop wheelies and ride like a hooligan, but it also didn’t mind going slow. Add in the thoughtful self-lowering seat and the style, and I think you’d have a winner. It’s a shame I had only enough money to buy one dream motorcycle this March, because I would have happily brought one of these home, too.
So, if you, like me, think that the Pan America is a fantastic ride but just a bit too expensive, now might be the time to act. The Pan America is a great, deeply underrated motorcycle, and with these prices, you don’t have to be rich to afford it.
Top graphic image: Harley-Davidson
My god these are ugly, with a capital B. For Butt.
“Harley-Davidson’s Greatest Modern Motorcycle”
The least smelly poo is still a poo, though.
Every time I see one of these I think – If Buick made a motorcycle it would look like just like this monstrosity .
The Pan America suffered from the same problem that legacy automakers selling EVs have encountered – dealerships are stuck in their old ways and unwilling to attempt to try selling something new, no matter how good it is.
The Pan America is the only Harley that has ever interested me. I think it’s super cool and love the adaptive ride height idea. I don’t like that it has a chain instead of a driveshaft, but I could overlook that fault.
The loss in value isn’t surprising. Anything in the adventure bike segment that isn’t a GS loses value like a luxury EV. I got my 2017 Triumph Tiger 1200 for well under $10,000 with only 17,000 miles on it, and that was over three years ago.
I think the Pan America is amazing value for money and definitely worth a look for anyone who wants a bike in this segment and doesn’t want to pony up the $$$ for a GS. Unfortunately, having ridden a GS, they are annoyingly so good that everything else falls short, but whether they are worth a lot more money is a very personal decision to make.
I bought a VSTROM 1050 with all the bells and whistles under 10k miles for the same price a few years ago.
That is to say, there are way better options with proven drivetrains in this segment.
I’m really excited to see motorcycle content here – great article. I have to agree on this bike, and the Revolution motor which is a REVelation. I’m a brand agnostic rider owning Harley, BMW, Triumph, even a Norton, and they all bring something special to the table. I don’t have an adventure bike, but if I went down that road, this would be the one for me no question about it.
Forget the Pan-Am, I can’t wait to hear more about Mercedes’ new bike!
Herein lies the problem bed that HD has made for itself. Build your brand around an image, for quite literally decades and when you attempt to break free of that image you’ll get hammered by the customer base you built.
V-Rod. Street Series(500 & 750). Sportster 883.
Pan-Am you’re probably next.
If it’s not a bagger or cruiser it’s doomed.
This or a V-Rod.
I’ve been waffling back and forth.
Both of Harley’s most recent stepchildren are very interesting when well-depreciated in the used market.
I loved my Buell, too.
My Uly is the only bike I truly miss.
But it’s still a Harley, so.. no thanks.
Not even if you paid me.
First, the styling Ever wonder why all the press photos are of the right side of the bike? The left is a mess, it looks like a faired bike with the bodywork off; like it was left unfinished. Then there’s the front end that looks like a laser printer sucking on a cathode tube.
I got a chance to see one of these monstrosities show up at our local track day some years ago. A fat old white guy in a Harley company polo pulled it out of a big Harley trailer and started taping up the lights. He came in after the first parade-lap and said “the engine made a loud noise and no power” so the bike was done. (Isn’t that just normal HD engine operation? All loud, and no go?) Yeah, the rep from HD who was there talking up how impressive the bike was – and it couldn’t complete *half a lap* before eating itself.
We can get to HD as a company and all their bullshit – like demanding twice the displacement of the metric bikes to race their XR1200, and still getting spanked. Then demanding their own race series of just the XR1200 – and having the balls to claim “brand victories” in their company literature.
I wouldn’t expect this bike to be around for long, the new HD CEO killed any innovative project in the works to focus on making 14 flavors of Screaming National Road Eagle Glide for boomers and elderly Xers. The Pan America is *still* using a narrow V-twin engine despite the entire industry being able to prove with math why it’s a dumb f—in’ idea that results in poor performance and more vibration. The HD engine is on-par with the performance of my 13 year old Multistrada – an engine that’s several generations obsolete and it’s still making the exact same horsepower as this turd – and it does it with less vibration because Ducati manages to have brand identity and “heritage” without trying to use ancient engine geometry and passing it off as “heritage”.
How is my old Ducati more reliable with equal or better performance than a brand new bike in the same class?
You nailed it on the styling. I’m the last person on the planet that would buy a bike, but I do appreciate good styling, and have always liked how “cool” many sport bikes look all the way back to playing Road Rash on the Genesis as a kid.
This thing looks completely unfinished from any view other than the side. The front is most egregious as you said. What is going on with that chunky black plastic piece between the painted body and the windshield (visor? I don’t know bikes). It’s unpainted, it has a gaping hole in the middle like there should be a light or something there, and it has ugly exposed screw holes. The HP printer next to my desk is better designed than the front of this thing.
As someone who typically ranks aesthetics as a 1A alongside performance of 1B when deciding on a car, I would not consider this thing even if it were free.
The gaping hole under the windscreen is a vent that allows some air through and almost eliminates buffeting. That front end works great for rider comfort.
It is something that Harley got right even if it looks odd.
Oh, I’m sure it’s functional, but that doesn’t mean they got it right.
If I google “2025 motorcycle front”, I see plenty of vents, but don’t see a single other bike with blocky black plastic trim just sitting on top of the bike, completely un-integrated with the body.
I don’t know anything about bikes but the way you just tore through this subject, I believe everything you said and it was thoroughly entertaining so thank you for making the comment.
Oh, this was my toned-down HD rant.
I skipped over working a race weekend at WSBK where the XR1200s had two races scheduled. First, about 1/3 of the field DNF’d due to mechanical issues, it took the rest of the field so long to complete the race distance due to the slow pace that they cut off the last two laps and threw the checkered flag early because the race was already over time. People in the stands were actually getting bored during a lap because it took so long for the bikes to come around. The worst part is the tolerances are looser than (insert your-mom joke), so they were blowing a constant spray of oil out the exhaust; you could smell the hot oil in the air every time they went by. That oiled the track and the next race up had about 8 riders crash in the first three turns; race is red-flagged, angry racers stormed up the control tower stairs to lodge safety complaints, and the entire day was further delayed as they brought out the soap solution, brooms, and jet dryers to clean *every corner of the race track* before racing could resume.
Race control then punted the XR1200s to the very end of the day where they couldn’t hurt anyone and the stands emptied while they were two laps into their final race of the day.
Then we come to Harley’s emissions cheating just to make their ancient tractor motors idle without dying and run without overheating. Or their absolute love of a narrow-twin common-pin crank engine geometry that hasn’t made sense since the 1950s (and even that’s questionable, which is why the US Army demanded Harley build copies of captured BMWs for North Africa in WWII). Or that they refused to use liquid cooling until caught cheating on emissions and being forced to finally design an engine that doesn’t need to shower itself with a rich mix just to avoid overheating. Or the embarrassment of printing a bunch of big floor-to-ceiling banners celebrating their “flat track heritage” and proudly featuring a Triumph in the photo. Or, my personal favorite: all the absolutely silly merch they slap their brand on – want HD frozen hamburgers? They will gladly sell you those.
Say what you will about Harley Davidson, no t-shirt company builds a finer motorcycle.
I could listen to HD rants all day, they have got to be the most unintentionally funny company in the United States.
> Yep, this is a Harley that actually makes the most horsepower in the competition
Assuming the competition doesn’t include KTM. The 1290 Super Adventure of the same era had 160 horsepower, with plenty of headroom for more with some tuning.
Or the Ducati Mulstistrada V4 that does 170 bhp and 124 Nm of torque…
So basically it has similar power to a BMW and more than the notoriously underpowered Super Tenere and Africa Twin.
Never got a chance to ride one but that sounds fun as hell.
It can blur the line between “fun” and “this is scary-fast” – but it can also blur just about everything else around you when you twist the throttle.
That is not an attractive motorcycle.
It’s all blocky and oddly shaped.
That was my first impression too. But then I did a few days of a skills course with a guy who had one. It looked better each day. By the end I wanted it.
The Pan America is both the best motorcycle Harley has made in years – and also not a very good motorcycle. It is cheap because it isn’t competitive and is known to have a history of electrical gremlins.
I’ve rented a Pan American twice – both for a week trip. The first rental ended 1 block from the rental company when the dash on the Pan American lit up like a Christmas tree with a bunch of warnings. Took to it back to the rental company who then took it to the service department of the attached Harley dealer. In an hour they could not fix it and instead swapped me over to a BMW 1250GS which preformed flawlessly for the rental.
I decided to give the Pan Am another try last thanksgiving with another week long rental. First the praise – the windshield worked great with no buffeting. Also the engine has hydraulic valves that don’t require periodic adjustment. That is the positives.
Negatives – too much vibration at highway speeds. Both the rider and passenger seats were horribly uncomfortable. Glitchy navigation app / bike connection.
The biggest disappointment was the active suspension. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. Completely random. Sometimes it lowered when I started up the bike after falling to lower when I came to a stop.
Then there is the problem of a ride height that varies by 2 inches and a sidestand that is a fixed height. With the ride height up the sidestand is too short and the bike just about falls over. When it is lowered the side stand is too long and the bike is almost vertical and easy to knock over. You also have to lean the bike to the right to get the sidestand up.
Then there is the fact that the active suspension doesn’t raise electronically. It uses repetitive compression of the shock and fork to slowly pump it backup to regular ride height. However, if you are riding on a smooth road with good pavement it doesn’t raise up at all and you are riding around with a bike with no ground clearance.
Harley came at the king and missed. There is no good reason to buy a Pan Am instead of a GS.
I’ll chime in the other side, having ridden both a F800 and R1200(or maybe it was 1150?) – the engine vibrations are not what I could consider acceptable in that class of touring bike. Honestly, a Triumph Tiger was far more comfortable
The last R1150GS was sold in 2004. The R1200GS (oil cooled) replaced it and then was replaced by the liquid cooled 1200Gs that sold until 2019.
No doubt BMW was benchmarking a R1200GS LC when designing the Pan Am and it compares favorable. The problem for Harley is that BMW didn’t stand still and released the R1250GS, R1300GS, and then the 2026 R1400GS.
The Tiger 900 has a peach of an engine and is fun for riding single but the passenger accommodations are lacking. Small seat, cramped legroom, and an exhaust can tucked right under one’s thigh.
The Tiger 900 starts at $15,000 and the F900GS $14,400. More than $5,000 less than the Pan Am. A lot can be forgiven for $5,000.
You’re comparing a brand new bike to one that’s old enough to vote. Might as well compare a Mk IV Supra to a car from 1973.
This sounds very on-brand for HD and the Pan America. I got to watch one ingest it’s own engine half way through the track-day’s sighting lap.
This is the best and most accurate assessment of HD I’ve read in a long time. HD is the peak of branding over substance.
The problem is, if Harley continued investing in it and improving it, the way BMW does with the GS, the Pan Am would be amazing today. The starting point was very high for their first swing at an ADV bike. But like Jason said, then competition kept improving while Harley stood still.
Everything you said sounds like reasonable complaints… but why is “no ground clearance” (which is still much higher than any street bike) bad if you are on a smooth road with good pavement?
Ground clearance adds lean angle which is needed for corners on a motorcycle. The Pan Am has wide footpegs (which is another nice feature)
Wonder if it’s the same difference in lean angle between the ST and the Special (37° vs 42°) or if it’s even worse.
I’ve been on a video watching streak for the last few months watching reviews and adventures with the Pan America. Strange that the bike shows up here, of all places.
The PA is an amazing bike that outdoes even the Germans in an adventure bike. The problem is that H-D doesn’t seem to know how to market it. It’s not part of its core audience, but it’s a great bike that needs a very different approach to selling it. It’s not the type of bike that works for the area I live in – this is just too much of an urban area to make sense for an adventure bike, but I still love that it exists.
I’ve been away from motorcycles for a long, long time but I drool over the Sportster S. That’s one that fits my area and from all I’ve seen is a heck of a bike too.
I think that’s the problem: Harley people don’t want it and the people who would want it don’t want a Harley. Hence why resale values are what they are.
I don’t disagree with that, but I also think that is one of the most moronic reasons not to get one of the best bikes in its segment. This hang-up that some people have about brand image is infuriating.
Sometimes when a company breaks out of its existing niche to go after a different market, you get some of the coolest products.
2+ decades ago, Subaru decided it wanted to go rallying and released some iconic performance cars of that era that were uncharacteristic of the brand. Buick released the Grand National in the 80s and it became an instant legend even though the division was known for dressed-up Chevys for old people. Toyota introduced its luxury Lexus brand in 1989 and the entire industry had to rethink what luxury meant.
The spec sheet sounds great – but the actual ride doesn’t. The biggest plus for the Pan Am is the hydraulic valves as something like the BMW GS requires a $1,000 service every 12,000 miles. The large (but shrinking) Harley dealer base is great too.
However, the Pan Am simply is not a $20,000 to $27,000 bike. It is overpriced for what it is or needs work to make it competitive with similarly priced bikes. They also need to work on the quality control but It will be hard to recover from the absolutely horrible roll-out.
The Revolution motor bikes are Buell all over again. Try something, do it at 80%, charge a premium, and then wonder why people don’t buy the bike.
On the other hand the Nightster is worth a look because it is priced at $10,000. Unfortunately nobody seems to rent it. I’m an Eagle Rider member but the vast majority of locations only offer the Harley big twins. The Nightster would need a lot of chassis / ergonomic work but one gets the Revolution motor for a decent price.
“It is overpriced for what it is or needs work to make it competitive with similarly priced bikes.”
How do you figure? I watched a lot of reviews when this bike came out (as well as more recently) and they put it up against the equivalent BMW and most reviewers were incredibly positive toward the HD with most reviewing it above the BMW. If the BMW is somehow worth its lofty price and this H-D beats or matches it, then how can you claim its not worth that price?
“I watched a lot of reviews”. …. and I actually rode the bike. I’ve also ridden every generation of GS from the 1150 to the 1300. (Never owned on though just rent them)
I read and watched the same reviews and was super excited about the Pan Am. As mentioned above I’m an Eagle Rider member which means I rent from them on a regular basis. Unfortunately since they partnered with Harley most of the other brands bikes have been purged from the rental lineup. So I was stoked when Harley added a modern ADV to their lineup and a bunch of rental locations stocked them.
Then I actually rode the bike and it just isn’t there. It is maybe 80% done with a good core but unfinished details. It makes no sense to put a fancy adaptive suspension on a bike that doesn’t work. Mirrors should not vibrate so much you cannot see traffic behind you on the interstate. The bike should pair with Harley’s app every time.
I don’t buy bikes that cost as much as a car that aren’t finished. If Harley had continued on and keep refining the Pan Am I’m sure they could have made it match a current BMW (or KTM, Ducati, Triumph…) but they didn’t. They haven’t done really anything at all with it over the last 5 years as the rest of the market moved on.
While I might give a Pan Am another go if riding single – my wife put it on the banned list as it was that uncomfortable.
I better go back into reviews from happy owners who have had their PA for a few years and tell them they’re clearly wrong.
Or you can understand that different people have different opinions.
Yup. Same thing with Genesis. Ppl were deeply skeptical. Not sure we’re there quite yet but soon enough it will be Korean Lexus (and to be clear, they’re not reinventing the luxury segment, in part bc Lexus already did that so they can just copy/paste the formula)
I have a Sportster S and it’s diabolical. I made 2 modifications – Exhaust, and tail tidy – otherwise stock and absolutely terrifyingly fast and fun to ride. Highly recommend my friend.
This is not what I want to hear. I mean it is… but it isn’t. Especially with spring time coming. Those 70 degree days it takes all my willpower not to go down to the local dealer and take one out for a test drive. But its not the bikes that have kept me off, but rather the shitty drivers that made me give up on riding. But that’s one sick looking bike.
Not a motorcyclist, but really like the way these look. Sci-fi vibes, reads really macross/robotech to me. Seems a smoking deal if they’re worth a shit, especially given what a GS goes for.
Upvote for the Robotech reference.
Upvote for the Macross reference. F Harmony Gold. With respect. This comment is my own and not meant disparagingly.
Yeah. I also really love how these look, and also have no interest in owning a motorcycle.
Maybe there lies the problem. It’s a motorcycle for people who don’t ride motorcycles.
Harley people generally don’t want an ADV bike. Most other motorcycle people generally don’t want an ADV bike from Harley.
People who want the Pan Am are busy playing Cyberpunk 2077.
I suspect part of the poor sales is because this is the anti-Harley, as unlike a Springer Soft Tail or Electra Glide as possible while still having an H-D badge and a V twin. Being quick out of the box and handling well are also unusual. I guess it’s the brown diesel manual wagon, enjoyed only by cognoscenti.
The Harley Pan Am sold very well the first year then sales dropped off a cliff when reader reports started hitting forums.
good to know, but I still want an R1200RT more than any Harley
I have a 2011 R1200RT. I like it OK but wish I would have spent a bit more to get the GS instead. I find the GS more comfortable.
“Used Motorcycle Cheaper Than New Car” just doesn’t work as well for a headline, I guess.
That was one of three headlines we debated over. I wasn’t so sure about the car part, either. Check out the headline now! It was headline V3 that did not win the debate.
Much better, but probably doesn’t generate as many clicks
I have a 2022 with 14k on it now and I can confirm it is by far the best motorcycle Harley sells right now. The only thing that comes close is a CVO Road Glide ST and those weight 850lbs and cost $45k. I also have a Heritage Softail and a Road Glide, but I tend to ride the Pan America the most because it handles like a dream.
Talk about setting a low bar…
The Pan Americana looks like a Buell.
Which makes sense since Harley bought out Buell in 1998 – then shut the brand down in 2009.
Remember those?
I have one! I still giggle most times I fire up my Lightning, and it makes the Harley “potato” sounds. Some folks have asked me if I’ve engine-swapped it. That blows my mind, but I guess not everyone knew of Buell.
I got the same comments when I owned a Yamaha MT-01 (no, not MT-10). Everyone assumed it was some custom job with a Harley engine shoved into a Yamaha.
I owned one, and loved it. I was sad when HD shut it down, and then again afterwards as Erik tried to make (another) go of it by himself and made kick-ass sportbikes again…that cost near double what the competition was charging for comparable performance.
HD ownership was the only way Buell made any sense in the real world. Sigh.
Buell would have had a chance if Harley would have allowed him to use the Rotax LC engine when he wanted to. Instead they pushed the Blast so they could have a bike for their rider training program. Telling that Erik has the last Blast crushed into a cube.
Then when Harley finally gave a liquid cooled Buell the go-ahead they refused to allow Buell to put a full fairing on it. Buell was mismanaged the entire time it was under Harley’s umbrella.
From today’s perspective, it’s such a sad what if? story – HD could now have a viable sport brand in its portfolio, and Erik could have stayed with what he loved (I understand he’s involved with a French e-bike venture now?) and helped bring HD into the future. Danny Eslick winning the AMA Daytona Sportbike series on an 1125R (right before the end) seemed like a sign that this was actually doable.
It has the engine Erik wanted Harley to build. Still amazing what he was able to squeeze out of the Evo.
Fresh out of a 2005 Aprilia.
…but 10+ years earlier.
I remember being on a group ride with one. The thing had a cooling fan that just kept running and running; someone finally asked the owner if his relay was stuck. The guy explained that the fuel was in the frame, making it very wide and trapping heat next to the engine; this would cause the fuel to boil in the line and vapor lock the bike unless the fan ran off the battery until the engine was cool.
He got as far as “it boils the gas” and people started pushing their bikes farther away from it.
Yep, I would probably have done the same. Maybe it needs to run on kerosene instead of gasoline.