Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special test: up to the task

Its atypical look and Harley-Davidson’s inexperience in trails have fueled sarcasm since the presentation of the project two years ago. But here it is, and the scoffers if they are also rollers, will have to agree: this Pan America is damn successful.

We tested this Pan America 1250 Special on the slopes of Ventoux, as part of a press presentation organized by Harley-Davidson. The weather was good. We traveled a little less than 300 km, largely on a secondary network that was very variably paved. A few kilometers on expressways and in traffic jams at the end of the day gave us a glimpse of the Harley Trail from a more utilitarian angle.

In 2021, the Harley Davidson Pan American 1250 Special, what is it?

The first big trail from the American manufacturer.
The first model to carry a new v-twin, which, by the end of the year, will be derived from the successor to the Sportster.
A sharpened cycle part
Electronic staffing up to the competition
A design resolutely against the grain of the segment

First look: 4/5

Stylistically we love it or hate it, but the Pan America has at least one merit: it does not seek to copy the BMW R1250 GS, absolute reference in the maxi trail segment, or even any of the other tenors in the category. And if the design is divisive, the perceived quality has something to bring together points of view: without being in the highest standards of the segment, the equipment is qualitative (monoblock radial calipers supplied by Brembo, large Showa inverted fork electronically controlled in terms of hydraulics …), the surface treatments are, as is often the case with Harley, very good, as are the adjustments. In addition, unlike many trails, the plastic does not invade all the trim (the metal is present, especially at the level of the peanuts type tank, a distant nod to the Sportster).

Two details tarnish, however, a bit the picture, in terms of style: the gray plastic element that runs from the fuel tank hatch to the birth of the saddle, and the left side of the v-twin which gives to see the liquid cooling device, including a radiator fan, fortunately protected on the Special version, by a tubular protection. Despite this, the machine is very rewarding.
The most astonishing remains its size: the photos suggested a bulky machine but in fact, this Pan American is rather compact, narrow, and ultimately not very intimidating. A good point !

Life on board: 3/5

Harley Davidson has carefully studied what the competition does and it shows: in terms of ergonomics, the US manufacturer’s first trail makes a copy without major errors. Due to the relative narrowness of the machine and a height-adjustable saddle, access on board is easy for those under 1.75 meters, and those who peak 10 cm lower, can even count on a unique option on the market: a momentary lowering of the suspensions, triggered electronically when the motorcycle is switched on and when it observes a stop with the engine running (for example at a red light). Beyond this little attention, the pilot and his passenger can count on seats with thick upholstery and on a height-adjustable screen whose protection is effective beyond motorway speeds.

Overall, we are very well installed on this bike. Three points of varying importance are, however, to be deplored. The first, rather minor, concerns the bubble, whose one-handed adjustment mechanism seemed to us to be lacking in fluidity. In use, we quickly come to use both hands, which implies operating at a standstill. The second point is a little more regrettable and concerns perceptible vibrations in the footrests at intermediate speeds. The most detrimental, however, remains the poor readability of the display, the contrast of which is insufficient. It’s a real shame, because in addition, the driver-machine interface is rather intuitive, allowing navigation in the menus via the controls on the handlebars but also the touch screen surface.

Engine: 4/5

This twin 1250 open to 60 ° and cooled by water, is a new unit in the Harley range and must also quickly equip other models (in particular the replacement of the Sportster expected at the end of this year). Given the coat of arms of which it is the custodian, one expects a flattering sound and one is… a little disappointed. On its lowest rotations, the US twin is rather in a lifeless voice. Not unpleasant, but less flattering than that of some competitors. The same goes for its flexibility: it’s enough to drive around town without playing with the selection (otherwise very good) but some competitors are doing better.

What about the couple? Same chorus: 13 mkg strong, the Harley unit is not really a lung but the peak of torque seems to be placed high enough and compared to the excellent references of the segment, in particular the one from Munich, it is a bit weak. below. It is when it takes turns, past 5000 rpm, that the Harley v-twin starts to score big points. There not only, he flies severely, but he also becomes much more communicative, well helped in that, by the sonority of his admission. To sum up, it’s not the brightest in its category (it’s not the bland either, far from it …), but it has a real personality and skills consistent with those of the cycle part: by that, mean that it invites dynamic driving.

Like all of its competitors, it offers different maps (associated with different suspension settings): rain, road, sport and two off-road modes. On asphalt and even at a good pace, we preferred road mode to sport mode for its slightly more pleasant engine / handle connection.

Behavior: 4.5 / 5

With 258 kg all full on the scale (manufacturer data), the Pan America is obviously not a ballerina. But in addition to being relatively compact, the bike shines well. Maneuvers with the engine off, as well as low-speed urban evolutions, of the inter-row type, do not pose any real problems. On expressways, the course is flawless but it is on the secondary network, preferably winding, that the cycle part fully reveals its potential. Knowing Harley’s lack of appetite for sportiness, we feared a clumsy machine, solely focused on cushioning comfort, sensitive to roll. It is not so.

The Pan America turns out, on the contrary, to be very straightforward on the changes of angle, well held in hydraulics on the braking and acceleration phases and on the whole, very balanced. It also appears to be very stable and very reassuring, including on degraded bitumen. We clearly feel that the bike was designed to offer driving pleasure and not just for traveling.

Equipment: 4.5 / 5

The “Special” version that we tested (and on which Harley expects to achieve the bulk of its sales) has clearly been equipped to rise to the level of the leaders in the segment. It thus integrates:

semi-active suspensions
a six-axis inertial unit
a “turn” ABS (modulating its intervention according to the motorcycle’s angle grip), disconnectable at the rear
a traction control also disconnectable
hill start aid
adaptive lighting
a keyless start
electronic tire pressure control
the possibility of accessing the electronic saddle lowering option

It also shares with the standard version:

A 6.8-inch color display, with touch controls, allowing navigation, in bluetooth connection with a smartphone (the map is displayed on the screen of the motorcycle)
LED lighting
A USB type C port (the same as on recent smartphone chargers)
Multiple driving modes: rain, road, sport, off road, off road more …
A speed regulator
The possibility of controlling the musical content of a smartphone

On the other hand, it does not offer either adaptive cruise control (a function recently available from KTM and Ducati) or shifter, allowing you to change gears without requesting the clutch control, which, given the playful nature of the machine, is a bit of a shame.

Verdict

Designed by the world specialist in custom and equipped with a plastic coulter current of the segment, here is one which did not leave a winner. And yet, on the road, this Pan America 1250 is exciting. More than its v-twin, it is its cycle part, very comfortable in dynamic driving, which seduced us. Protection and comfort being within the standards of the maxi-trail segment and the construction of the machine does not call for real criticism, we do not see what would prevent the American from making its place in this very competitive category. . Last point: Harley wishing to focus on the Special version (the most endowed with electronic assistance), it is the latter which was left to us to test. But we were also able to cover a few winding kilometers on the handlebars of the standard version (offered at € 15,990) and its traditional suspensions (but fully manually adjustable) did not seem to us to be outclassed by the electronically controlled elements of the Special…