TEST RIDE: HARLEY-DAVIDSON PAN AMERICA 1250 S 17
Switchgear is okay, but the buttons could be bigger
For a big bike the Pan America can take on off-roading with relative ease
“This new set up is light and accurate, and you don’t really miss a quickshifter even if you are used to one.”
Adjustable levers on a Harley – finally! The engine starts with a lovely V-twin rumble, but there is no shaking or vibration that you might expect from a Harley. Apparently, the engineers have reduced the vibes with counterbalance weights in the engine to the minimum, but they purposely left a tiny bit in to make the bike feel alive. It’s a good call, and there’s definitely no issue with any vibes affecting the ride. The engine has a relaxed feel. It’s not fast revving, just as you’d expect, and it builds it’s power in a calm way. Benefitting from variable valve timing, it pulls from low revs, but you get more from the engine if you lift the
TECH SPEC Harley Pan America 1250 S
Price: From £15,500 Engine: Revolution Max 1252cc, l/c, V-twin, DOHC Power: 150hp (112kW) @ 8750rpm Torque: 94lb-ft (128Nm) Transmission: 6-speed, chain final drive Frame: Steel trellis frame Suspension: (F) 47mm inverted fork with electronically adjustable semi-active damping control. (R) Linkage-mounted monoshock with automatic electronic preload control and semiactive compression & rebound damping Brakes: (F) radially mounted, monoblock, 4-piston caliper, 320mm dics. (R) floating, single piston caliper, 280mm disc Tyres: Michelin Scorcher Adventure (F) 120/70R19 60V. (R) 170/60R17 72V Fuel tank: 21.2 litres (4.7 gallons) Fuel economy: Claimed 43mpg (15.2km/l) Weight: 258kg (wet) Seat height: Adjustable seat. Without adaptable ride height (ARH): 850/875mm. With ARH: 825/856mm Warranty: 24 months/unlimited miles Service intervals: 5000 miles Roadside recovery: 12 months Contact: www.harley-davidson.com/gb/en
engine speed a bit higher. It’s not too lumpy low down, but you certainly have more fun if you hang on to gears a little longer. Talking about gears, the new gearbox is excellent. It’s nothing like the old Harley boxes that had all the delicate sophistication of a heavyweight boxer on a bad day. This new set up is light and accurate, and you don’t really miss a quickshifter even if you are used to one. The clutch is light too, although with the sweet box clutchless shifting is a doddle. And how about this: the brake and clutch levers are adjustable – that must be a first for Harley. Hurray!
Tech-driven
A good example of the multi-tool approach of this bike’s design are the different ride modes. They give a range of throttle responses, limit the engine power and engine braking, and set the suspension accordingly. You have the choice of Sport, Road, Rain, Off-road ,Off-road Plus, and two custom modes. Our road ride started with small, bumpy country roads. It was (fairly) dry so I felt that the Rain mode was a little too sluggish. The roads were quite bumpy, so I didn’t like the Sport setting either as the throttle response was too sharp and suspension hard. The perfect middle ground was the Road mode, with nicely controllable power and suitably soft suspension. As the roads got bigger, dryer and less bumpy, the Sport mode was the one to go for, providing ample power and stability.
Brembo brakes scrub off speed effectively
