If you want to learn more about the Pan America 1250, check out Spurgeon’s first ride article on Common Tread! rvz.la/3vVGWcU Want to see how The PanAM compares to the BMW GS? Zack has you covered! rvz.la/3I4gxMj
I'm a sport bike guy myself but howerver, ive had the chance to test ride one of these at my local dealership and the thing that suprised me the most is how light the bike feels. i exoected the typical Harley roadglide weight but that was simply not the case. cool fun bike for sure, i think everybody should give it a ride just for the heck of it.
As someone who commutes by motorcycle whenever I can, and someone who has to be to work before the sun comes up, I would love it if you gave a brief mention of headlight effectiveness in your Daily Rider segment. Otherwise, comprehensive review, as per usual. Keep up the great work!
i ride almost every single day... it's either going to be dark on my way to work or on my way home, depending on the season. so yeah, i'd like to hear about headlights too.
It does have a lean function as he said. So considering they put that much thought in the headlight does mean that it has to be on par with other ADVs IF not better.
My old car had worse projection than my FZ1. I felt safer on my bike than in that thing at night. It's definitely important. Though I admit a car's lights and seating position are much lower than the FZ1 and most bikes.
This! I've asked Zack in previous vids to please tell us about headlight effectiveness. He doesn't need to show us, but even if he just reports that they're good/bad/better than average/great/dangerous etc that would be fine.
Even if it’s not THE new king of ADV bikes. The simple facts that it can fight for a place on the podium is crazy coming from HD. I just wished Harley Davidson kept on progressing and innovating… YES I want to see the Bronx Harley !!!
There have been three daily rider bikes so far and it's outranking a Tiger 660. I'd wait for literally every other ADV to be tried on daily rider before running out and spending tens of thousands of dollars on something like this. Would recommend checking out their HD pan America and BMW GS comparison from a few months ago. It paints a solid picture of where that bike stacks up with the name brand big engine refined advs. Don't get me wrong though, it's a dope bike. I think the platform just needs some more time to differentiate and settle. I feel similarly about the Indian FTR
It's a good alternative if you don't want the typical German thing or the Austrian or Italian things that keep breaking... I love how he wheelies the Pan Am too.
Agree. It doesn't have to be the best, it's their first attempt. The fact their first attempt is even a contender in the conversation about "Best ADVs" is an absolutely incredible feat. Never been a Harley guy but I love these, really hope they keep refining them and branch out further in the segment.
I love my Softail, but I’m super happy to see the HDMC actually innovating while also keeping the traditional lines alive, too. It gives me hope for the brand’s future.
Trying to buy one right now. Test rode one for two days. Put 450 km on it and no knee pain, hip flexor or back pain. It's fast comfortable and good on fuel if you can stay out of the throttle. Great bike! Absolutely great bike!! I urge lots of people to try this bike. It's just WOW!🤯🤯
Update; Bought a new to me 2021 Special with 4000km on it. Put the ultimate trekker package on it, sundowner seat and pillion, also a Vance and Hines 450 HO exhaust. In Gauntlet Grey, Absolutely love the bike! I urge anyone to ride this bike, you would be doing yourself a disservice to pass this bike by.
@@JamesVoorhees-wm8gsAny experience with offroading or camping? I'm really into this bike and hope they keep fine tuning the issues on it. Could see this being my next bike, something to save up for
@wlt3585 I got the bike 1st week of Dec. Only put around 500km so far. So, no major trips or camping yet. Though after around 1000km between two of them. I am just loving it more!! I know it could have problems. However, I feel like the Pan America attributes far outweigh the issues. People LOVE Corvairs and Pintos, yet they were problematic and even labeled death traps. I would buy this bike over again in a heartbeat. All that being said, it's the dealers that make or break the experience. Too many dealers simply aren't interested in supporting the Pan America or the New Sportster. My dealer wants to sell bikes! They want more customers, they do that by keeping current customers happy!!
Thank you for explaining the suspension system 10 times better than the salesman ever could. I had lots of questions and they couldn’t answer most of them
typical, you should definitely walk in knowing as much as you can about the bike you want. bc a lot of the times they don't know much about what they are selling.
@@robertw31968 I've never had a salesman know more than I do about a vehicle. Ever. I honestly don't know who they are selling anything to. That being said I had a former riding student come in already owning a new MY ZX6R. Salesman told him and his friends it was the easy "starter bike" and he would get bored of anything smaller... He was too scared of it and took the class to learn. Luckily he seemed smart enough to not kill himself, when I offer to ride with him and show him a few roads.
2 роки тому+4
...And you find surprising that an H-D salesperson would struggle with explaining motorcycle technology? Most Harley are still air cooled. For them an innovation was when they added fuel injection to their engines and things like cruise control, ABS or ride modes are beyond the realm of the average H-D rider. Well, to be honest the only exception is the sound system. 😝
"Given the headstart that every other company in the world has had... Pretty darn good!" perfectly sums up the PanAm. Is it the best ADV? Probably not, but the fact that question even exists is a testament to the quality.
I commute 45 minutes each way all highway...This would be a great daily rider ..Currently own a Tiger 1200 Alpine, and it too is a great daily rider. Top box for lunch and sidecases when I go out of town. Its also great down gravel roads and construction sites. Hats off to HD on this PanAm !!!
Interesting. I am waiting to pay off my SGS to buy the Pan Am and have two bikes for different riding styles. Will keep the comments in mind. Test rode the Pan Am and love it. Awesome ride and the adaptive height is too cool for a vertically challenged individual like myself. Tried the African Twin and BMW GS and liked them but dealing with the height was a struggle.
Ok man...:( i have a 2022 Road Glide Special, just bought a 2024 Suzuki DRZ 400, and now realize how much fun adventure/dual sport is!! ) now i want a PA!!!:):)
Bought my PA Spec last May...used it as my daily commuter until i had to put her up for the winter in mid-November. I am still loving it as much as the day I picked her up. As far as not as good as the KTM/BMW, all that I can say is that it does everything I ask of it perfectly. Additionally, if i ever needed dealer support, you cant swing a dead cat without hitting a HD dealer vs. its euro competition.
Every ADV rider I know complains about the weight of the PA but my 17 Africa Twin is pushing 550 with crash bars, skid plates, racks and doesn't nearly have the tech the PA does. Harley did an excellent job. People just love to hate on them.
Although I have always thrown a lot of shade on Harleys and the culture built around them, man I must say that the innovation and effort they put in PanAm is awesome. Congrats on this bold move and I really hope this bike does well sales-wise.
Later on this year they are announcing the rest of the Sporster lineup. Am crossing my fingers, but not holding my breath, that they either announce or tease the Bronx.
I honestly want one, and my daily is a Softail Springer. I love my old school stuff, but I also like going on fishing trips and my baby doesn’t like dirt roads very much. I’m super happy to see Harley innovating. I’ve never seen why they couldn’t keep tradition alive with the Softail line while also taking new and innovative steps with experimental lines, but my fellow HD fans cry bloody murder any time they do. (*cough* VRod *cough*)
Agreed. Honestly I'd never buy a Harley no matter how good it is just because of the awful culture, but they definitely seem to have done a great job with this one.
This bike I've owned for three months but not the XT version. I love v twins because of the power and torque down low, this bike does not disappoint in that department. My only 2 complaints are that the power is down about 25hp from the corking epa BS and the fact you can't turn off at least the rear abs is a big disappointment. I ride agressive and enjoy "backing" it in. Other than that this bike is solid, dependable and likes corners!
Very important feedback! Thank you for sharing! Being able to lock up the rear on a big bike solves a few problems when you really need the bike to rotate in a tight spot ! An ABS cut off button would be a simple thing but speaks to HD’s lack of participation in the ADV community. The built a fantastic niche bike within the adv spectrum but didn’t think of 1 simple technical riding maneuver most off-roaders need every so often and most riders want every so all the time 😂😂😂
UPDATE: I just watched the review on “Jake the Garden Snake” channel and a HD guide showed him how to press and hold the MODE button for “off-road 2” which removes rear ABS and decreases TCS. Pretty cool ! HD in fact did do the right thing! Try it out and see if that works !!! Let me know please. Last bike was an Africa Twin. I have my second Versys 650 for crushing miles but thinking of this HD for days I want to play. Keeping my little Versys though! Its a good throw around bike!
Also if you are touring across America. There are Harley dealers everywhere and they’re very good about getting you in if you need a quick oil change while on the road.
This is the 1st HD that I've seen since I dumped my POS Sportster 12 in 1984. I've cordually hated HD ever since. I've test ridden one of these from Savannah HD in Richmond Hill, GA. I was deeply impressed because I took it on a very muddy road just west of the dealership and road it hard. Once my fiance manages to escape from Afghanistan (Thank you Brandon!), we're going to buy one and use it to explore North America.
In all my years of loathing H-D's thanks to their noise and the annoying "tough guy" posers that ride them I've never actually wanted one until now. Kudos H-D!
@@usmcson3 I might not mind the sound so much if it wasn't for all the wankers that twist the throttle as if they're trying to rub one out between every UPSHIFT and sitting at every single stoplight. Rev rev rev... rev rev... LOOK AT ME... rev rev... LOL, POSERS.
The Harley sound is patented. Loud tough guy posers? Though somewhat amusing and I’m a fan of adventure sports. Did you notice no off road tires? BMW adventure sports are touring bikes with knobby tires. This bike isn’t. For a daily commuter I need hard bags and a real fairing. Baby boomers like me made HD rich. I don’t know if they’ll actually have a market once we’re gone. Millennials and beyond will never have the disposable income for a 30k bike.
@@xHawgRyderx Patented eh? Hmm, I tried to post a link disproving that assertion but it was removed. It was in the LA Times, Hardley Ableson apparently gave up trying to patent their "potato potato potato" sound. I could be mistaken but as I understand it, the bikes come stock with sensible mufflers but are modified afterwards to make them super loud. And yes, they are posers. For some reason they want to be associated with greasy lowlife gang members that get into bar fights and shoot at each other, hence the endless "merch" - which is often stickers they put on other vehicles to remind everyone else of what they're NOT riding LOL! $30k? Sweet Jesus... You could get TWO Yamaha Tracer 9 GT's for that. With a fairing, hard bags, IMU goodness, and a sweet bulletproof triple engine to boot!
Besides the fact I live in Europe I am a RevZilla customer. You guys are a reference, even outside US... I know that we are not your biggest demographic clientele, I I'm not asking the hosts to do this on the fly while they are talking...... But with simple video editing magic, you guys can very well put the converted units to metric.... It would go a long way for anyone outside US who consumes your brand..... Thanks for the content!
@Revzilla, I need to know, please, Are Ari and Zack getting another season of Throttle Out? It's the wholesome two-wheeled Top Gear I didn't know I needed.
I have a 2021 PanAm Special in the orange color. I've only been able to put about 2k miles on it. The ARH is pretty great, you don't notice it in the default mode at all, it lows at the stop and pulls up as you accelerate and you don't ever really notice it. The electronics on the PanAm otherwise can be a bit janky. It won't always start on the first go round, the clock might not keep time, connecting your phone/blue tooth headset to the bike doesn't work very well either. I've used the default seat, the high seat and the sundowner seat all from HD. I much prefer the Corbin seat that I've put on it, a much better position and feel for me on long trips. The sundowner seat is very slick and my butt was sliding all over the place while on the bike. I love this bike, the engine is great, it rides great, it handles amazing. The aftermarket is starting to put out good products for support. I just wish the electronics worked the way I expect them to.
I think H-D knocked it out of the ball park with this bike. I got to test ride one loved it. As far as the looks of the motor, the right hand side is rather clean, the left hand side looks "very busy".
This is the exact same complaint with the new Nightster, somehow it seems like the designers got tired and just gave up when circling around to that left side.
I had the chance to test ride both PA models back in 2021. The heat coming from the right side was noticeably hot. The fit and finish we’re not up to the quality of the Ducati and GS and even the AT. The main thing it has going for it is the Network of HD dealerships in America for maintenance is a huge benefit to the competitors. I found it a fun ride…put plenty of smiles during the miles I twisted it. But I’m going to give them a few more years before I consider one. This week I just finalized a nice trade of my 2016CRF1000 DCT for a newer demo 2021 CRF1100 ATAS ES DCT. That should give me many fun years and plenty of fun rides before revisiting the PA again.
I agree, I was keen to buy the PA, but ended up with the AT after test riding both. The PA build finish was inferior to the AT and I thought the AT motor and gearbox were far better on the AT. I'd like to buy a PA, but I don't think they are there yet.
I love that color combo. Never owned a HD before but as soon as my dealer gets that blue in, I will write a check. Great review, Thanks for the suspension info. Probably the best explanation ever on how it works. Great videos and a big podcast fan.
I appreciate your open minded opinion of the bike. I have an arrange of bikes at home from a hyper to a Harley. No one seems to understand me, I just love bikes and all different the different ranges of bikes. Good job!!
Honda used to put a self lower setup on their Goldwings years ago. I think it was the air bag ride models that would allow you to dump the bags. No, it’s not new. It’s just that no one is using fur reasons, mostly costs and complexity.
Kudo to Zach and let's not forget Revzilla for allowing the creative and interactive content. You guys really are the end all be all for motorcycle stuff. Best in class.
Great review, as always! For $20,000+, I think you can and should be picky about things like heat output of the grips and the tactile feel of the buttons. This is meant to be a flagship product.
Hope they improve on this in it's 2nd iteration, not excusing them for not getting right the first time. Guess as a Harley fan in general, I will cut them.a little slack as I could see them going cheap on the buttons not knowing how well the bike would be received. But not a good look when you say your bike is going up against BMW and Ducati.
I'm not a mechanic at all. So for me the Pan America wins out over the BMW GS ( I owned a BMW R 1250 RT and it was a pain to find shops), Ducati or Triumph simply due to the fact that I have 5 dealerships within 100 miles of me versus 1 dealer with the others in over 250 miles. :( On top of that most of them are mom and pop shops that don't even keep in stock the stock tire for the motorcycles that they sell. :( So if the Pan America is a solid bike I'd rather own it it versus the others. Don't get me wrong I loved my BMW but damn it was a major nightmare to get it worked on. Lack of dealer support is an issue. The only other bike I'd consider in this class might be the Kawasaki. Edit: BTW I meant to mention how much I love your videos Zack of riding these bikes. As someone about the same height and build it gives me good insight on what to expect as a baseline from these bikes. Often I have no idea about the height of a tester unless they mention it and many don't which is irking. You do so often enough to keep that fresh in my mind. Thank you for that.
Did big sur from LA last week. My buddy and I, mine r18 and his rented Pan America. We switched the bikes a few times. This is my over a 100 a mile on open road, twisties, and city drive thoughts: 👍 Less vibration Punchy Snappy (very very fast bike) Seat can be lowered for city and back up Nimble Looks sexy (subjective) 👎 Heavy Gets really hot (medium rare between your inner thighs in city) Side kick stand sucks! Non keyless entry (2021) Wind screen vibrates a bit... Handguards are of low quality Price-
It's a phenomenal tourer and an excellent daily rider. Haven't really taken it off-road, but that trip is in the works. For me, it came down to the Multi V4S and the PanAm. The Multistrada fit me a bit better, but I plan to do some touring on this bike, and you just can't beat the ubiquitous HD dealer network (if you're touring in the US). Very happy so far. My big gripe is the POS kickstand it comes with - it's way too short, it's downright flimsy, and the foot is so small that it sinks into even soft asphalt.
Really impressed with HD's first attempt with an ADV, given a few more model years and let's see if they can resolve the fit/finish obstacles to become the new replacement to the 1290 Adventure/GS.
Loved the review as always Zach! Your daily rider videos are always such a gift. I look forward to the next one! And no worries on forgetting a few things here and there this video. Still a great and informative video!
Hey, Zack. With the electronics on bikes getting more feature laden every year, what do you think about doing a separate video for the electronics on the bikes you get to test ride? Maybe 10-15 minutes showing close-ups of the screen and a more in-depth walk through of stuff you can customize and, most importantly, how well it all works in the real world? How easy is it to actually use all the features listed in the sales brochure, does it all work, and how do different manufacturers compare against each other?
Gotta admit, until now I've viewed this things as a bagger on stilettos, but this completely changes my perspective. The marketing shots make it look a lot more bloated and top heavy than it really is and it seems to be a much more more manageable platform than I expected. I could see, 20K notwithstanding, riding this. Color me impressed.
Another awesome review by Zack. No surprise here. And this was a bike I was looking forward being reviewed in the Daily Ride segment. Now, Harley-Davidson, please give what the world has been longing for. Give us the Bronx!!!
Great review as always, Zack. Those “little things” are even smaller when weighed against the 2 or 3 innovative advancements that those who have been doing it 40 years plus never brought to the table. BTW, one of these days all that talking with your hands is gonna end up with a phone call to the local mental health dept. to come get the crazy on the bike!
I have absolutely no idea about the layout of LA, however I have watched most of the Daily Riders. This specific video had me trace the entire route on Google Earth from start to finish with a little detective work, and immediately made myself jealous as to the ride one can make to work, albeit a little extravagant! Great to see HD being more and more innovative and reaching broader audiences!
@@davestephens3246 the 975 cc version of this engine is more than likely getting announced later on this year when the rest of the Sporster lineup is announced. Fingers crossed that they either announce or tease the Bronx release.
@@jimperry4420 I believe they weigh more, and can make it more challenging to get the valves to open fast with an aggressive cam, so they aren't as good for max power. Harley seems to be getting plenty of power, though, so IDK, maybe I'm wrong. I know they have been more common on pushrod engines and less so on overhead cam; my Miata has solid lifters, for example.
Love this series just had knee replacement surgery & not riding plus it's late fall heading into winter here in Montana. Just one thing, your getting way to serious with the leader board , watching you agonizing over where to place a given bike. Yo give it up. Just keep it tongue in cheek . All fun, which is why we ride. Loving the whole RevZilla concept!
This is a bike I hope to get one day. Can't afford it yet, so maybe they will refine more of the little things before I get it. This year they already started by fixing the font size on the display.
Honestly, it always shocks me how much he can remember during his rides. Sure, I can remember my own vehicles specs, but he doesn't get the live with them for THAT long.
Could be selective H-D negative bias and opps I forgot allot of stuff... sorry 😉 Oh, and if you think professions don’t have unconscious dislike of a subject or what have you... good for you 🥸
He admits to owning a $20k plus GS adv bike, I’m sure he is justifying his choice of personal bike while comparing it to the Pan Am. He also said that the Pan Am is a great adventure bike from top to bottom.
It's a good bike with some minor issues. I owned one for about 6 months before I decided I was done with HD as a company bought a Rocket 3 GT for riding like a hooligan, and a Goldwing for long distance touring. Fast bike, decent handling, lots of power at highway speed, pretty agile at low speed on the street, but had a lot of small electronic issues, a leaky exhaust that almost melted my boot and HD's customer service was lackluster. My original pan-am special came in with a dud 1st cylinder, so they gave me a different, but identically spec'd bike. Then that bike had some issues and the guys at the service department were just like "we don't know when we can fix it because it's so complex to work on." Shame too, cause it was a blast to ride. If I get another ADV bike in the future, I'd probably get a Triumph Tiger. The BMW GS is just a bit too bulky for my liking, and the Africa Twin is just a bit too tall/top heavy for me.
I had an opportunity to ride the Pan America offroad during the Giant Loop Rally, I dont think everyone got to go on the rocky trail, But I was already riding it as fast or faster than my GSA, It kept this big boy up in the suspension. The only major difference was brake feel; my GSAs brakes are unmatched in my experience
As a whole, it's a great bike. But when you spend $20K+ you're right, you want the little things to be right. I think HD has some room to grow there. I went from an older generation GSA to the PAS, but after six months, it was the little things that drove me crazy, and I ended up trading it in on a modern GSA and haven't looked back. Way better in terms of refinement, but you can do that over the course of 40 years.
I'm NOT in the market for the PanAm, instead looking at the Tiger 900 Rally Pro....but I watch ALL your reviews anyway....cause you're pretty darn good at these reviews things LOL...and I learn a lot, about how to review and evaluate various qualities of a bike. Cool to see how well you do them AND...anytime somebody makes something look super easy and natural, you know it's a real talent. Keep em coming.
My advice to anyone looking at this bike in Britain 🇬🇧 is stay clear , it will be rusty in 12 months, i kid you not ! All bolts especially around the headlight area , also the exhaust discoloured very badly indeed ! Only 4000 miles in and just over 12 months old 😉👍
I see a few potential problem with the radiator and rectifier placement. It lacks a dirt deflector which means dirt and rocks will get shot onto the radiator. Cleaning tiny rocks stuck in the slots gonna be fun. A large enough rock thrown into the radiator might even puncture it. Rectifier placement is good for cooling but probably won't do good in wet weather. Most have their electronics potted but repeated heat cycling will eventually let water through. Battery placement probably gonna be corrosion heaven especially if some deicing salt gets on the terminals.
Re heated hand grips not being very hot, this from an article from the Philippines form May 2021. According to Harley-Davidson, these hand grips are controlled with a military-grade resistor and utilize a thermostat to adjust heat output, relative to ambient temperature. Simply put: More comfort when twisting the throttle.
With gas prices climbing, many non-riding friends are asking me for a recommendation for a simple, easy to ride Motorcycle for daily commuting. Some of the bikes I am suggesting are either a Honda PCX 150 scooter or a Honda CB300 ABS (after taking the MTC course). But are my suggestions good Daily Riders? Dunno because Zack has not daily ridden them. I also think it would be helpful if Revzilla did a video special specifically on 4 or 5 bikes that are good for new riders.
The heated grips display is backwards. It took me a few rides to figure out that one chili is very hot two is hot and three chilis means warm. That's why you weren't impressed with the heated grips
Don't go to the forums, the general consensus is electrical issues, fall to start, bad batteries etc. The prices in the dealers are outrageous and the used market has a lot of low mileage PAS for sale. I applaud the effort but there's no way I'd give up my GS for this.
Eh, I've got a '23 Pan Am and have experienced none of these issues. I participate pretty heavily in Pan Am forums/groups and I'd roughly estimate it's only about 10-20% of bikes that have these issues. More than it should be for sure, but there's plenty of perfectly fine Pan Ams out there. The biggest issue in my opinion was the kickstand being bolted directly to the motor; not an issue normally, but prior to 2023 the kickstand bracket they used was insufficient. The bolts would back out and eventually one day you'd put the bike down on the kickstand and that pressure would crack the engine. This was resolved in 2023 with an updated bracket that can be installed on earlier models. Starter issues were resolved in the late-2022 Pan Ams and onward (this fix can also fit earlier models), theoretically the battery/charging systems issues have been resolved with the 2024 model (this can be fitted on earlier models, though it requires some serious work to do. Some dealers will install the 2024 battery/charging system on an earlier model year bike if there is a warranty claim associated with the charging system), the only common failure that should still be present is fuel pump failures around ~20,000 miles and if the bike is still under warranty, it will be replaced at no cost to you (there may be a $50 deductible for warranty claims, i'm not sure). There's still some minor gripes and small-scale issues and I would recommend anyone with concerns to get a warranty. For instance, Zack mentions the heated grips not being very warm - some of the bikes have had that happen where the heated grips only output like 30-40% of what they should. Easily warrantied and HD will swap out the grips at (I believe) no cost to you as long as you're within the warranty period. Mine on level 3 absolutely meet that "this is too hot i have to turn this off" criteria if it's above 50-60 degrees out. They're awesome motorcycles that are competitively priced and I recommend them to anyone looking for a full-size ADV but I do think it's important to understand the quirks and potential failure points. The only way I wouldn't splurge for a warranty though is if I got a 2024 and didn't plan on doing more than ~5k miles per year (with the idea being if your fuel pump goes at 20k miles, it will have cost you less money to just replace it than it would to pay for the two years of extended warranty).
Not a big fan of the battery being in the skid plate .....on an adventure bike.... I understand wanting to put weight down low to keep center of gravity as low as possible for handling but a battery that physically sits where that one does, seems like a major failure waiting to happen. Go bouncing the skid plate off some stones and you could beat the living daylights out of the battery and rectifier and then have a water crossing. Worst case scenario, of course, but neglect can cause as much damage in deterioration over time as trauma can in a single event
Let me get this straight: this is an adventure bike entirely dependent on electronics with the bits that keep those electronics alive mounted at the bottom of the bike. Brilliant, wait until the rider has to cross the first river or hits the first rock. Never mind, I take it all back,99% of these bikes will never leave asphalt. Carry on.
Plenty of rivers have been crossed and lots of rocks have been hit in the last 12 months with this bike, the battery location has not been an issue except for access
Some of Harley's touring models have a shut-off on the heated grips so they shut down at a certain temp which may be why they didn't seem very hot on your 64° day
Excellent review. here in there UK the Pan has had quite a bad press due to teething problems, however they seem to have been for the most part resolved and it is now a far more popular chaise, even amongst old school hardened Harley riders.
Motus actually was the first to put hydraulic lifters on a motorcycle. But now that they are defunct, the HD is now the only current model with that technology
Nice review Zach! Seems like a nice machine, but that front end look just doesn't work for me (maybe it's better in person???). That tank shape looks like it would work nicely with a cowl shape different than what's on there. Hoping someone in the aftermarket can fix this in the future.
Having wanted to work for H-D as a kid, I did have a chance to work at the Menomonee Falls, WI Powertrain Operations plant as a casual employee (getting hired is hard) seeing H-D dipping their toes into other markets is great to see. I still am sad that we won't see the Bronx in production.
Battery down low is nice in theory for center of mass , but for ADV .. that battery / Rectifier gonna get smashed or submerged in water. This bike is more a sport touring bike then an ADV.
Ty so much for your videos. I’m also 6 2 and it’s nice to hear reviews from someone that is my height to hear how I will feel on the bike. Also like you I challenge my self every stop sign like you!!
Honestly, the best HD has so far made. Still not quite the polish found on other $20K+, but if it proves it's reliable, could be a great bike to ride the wheels off of.
My 22 PA handlebar does not reach the windscreen or height control as shown here. Seems like that was fixed. Also, the turn signals are self-cancelling which may explain why they seem to come back on when you touch the stalk after a turn.
Does the suspension lower in gear or do you have to be in neutral? It seems to wait a beat after clicking to a stop before it activates but do you find that it could be a tad eager to squat in time you wouldn't need it to be? Its such a cool feature, but as the first thing I'd look at long term having issues/breaking it seems if it were overactive it would wear even more prematurely.
If you want to learn more about the Pan America 1250, check out Spurgeon’s first ride article on Common Tread! rvz.la/3vVGWcU
Want to see how The PanAM compares to the BMW GS? Zack has you covered! rvz.la/3I4gxMj
Compare it to the s1000xr 😉. I went with that over the GS as I ride more road than dirt ... Mucho happy with her so far.. and she's more fun..
still waiting for your Daily Rider MT-10
Never woulda thunk it!
I'm a sport bike guy myself but howerver, ive had the chance to test ride one of these at my local dealership and the thing that suprised me the most is how light the bike feels. i exoected the typical Harley roadglide weight but that was simply not the case. cool fun bike for sure, i think everybody should give it a ride just for the heck of it.
Well ok, but this bike is actually at the bottom end of the ADV large bikes.
As someone who commutes by motorcycle whenever I can, and someone who has to be to work before the sun comes up, I would love it if you gave a brief mention of headlight effectiveness in your Daily Rider segment. Otherwise, comprehensive review, as per usual. Keep up the great work!
i ride almost every single day... it's either going to be dark on my way to work or on my way home, depending on the season. so yeah, i'd like to hear about headlights too.
Definitely under valued in motorcycle reviews. Living in deer country it literally could be life or death seeing them in time
It does have a lean function as he said. So considering they put that much thought in the headlight does mean that it has to be on par with other ADVs IF not better.
My old car had worse projection than my FZ1. I felt safer on my bike than in that thing at night. It's definitely important. Though I admit a car's lights and seating position are much lower than the FZ1 and most bikes.
This! I've asked Zack in previous vids to please tell us about headlight effectiveness. He doesn't need to show us, but even if he just reports that they're good/bad/better than average/great/dangerous etc that would be fine.
Zack is probably the only motorcycle reviewer that I watch the entire video every time.
Even if it’s not THE new king of ADV bikes. The simple facts that it can fight for a place on the podium is crazy coming from HD.
I just wished Harley Davidson kept on progressing and innovating… YES I want to see the Bronx Harley !!!
There have been three daily rider bikes so far and it's outranking a Tiger 660. I'd wait for literally every other ADV to be tried on daily rider before running out and spending tens of thousands of dollars on something like this.
Would recommend checking out their HD pan America and BMW GS comparison from a few months ago. It paints a solid picture of where that bike stacks up with the name brand big engine refined advs. Don't get me wrong though, it's a dope bike. I think the platform just needs some more time to differentiate and settle. I feel similarly about the Indian FTR
It's a good alternative if you don't want the typical German thing or the Austrian or Italian things that keep breaking... I love how he wheelies the Pan Am too.
Agree. It doesn't have to be the best, it's their first attempt. The fact their first attempt is even a contender in the conversation about "Best ADVs" is an absolutely incredible feat. Never been a Harley guy but I love these, really hope they keep refining them and branch out further in the segment.
I have a life-long fantasy of a Harley motocross team. Go team black!
I love my Softail, but I’m super happy to see the HDMC actually innovating while also keeping the traditional lines alive, too.
It gives me hope for the brand’s future.
Trying to buy one right now. Test rode one for two days. Put 450 km on it and no knee pain, hip flexor or back pain. It's fast comfortable and good on fuel if you can stay out of the throttle. Great bike! Absolutely great bike!!
I urge lots of people to try this bike. It's just WOW!🤯🤯
Update;
Bought a new to me 2021 Special with 4000km on it. Put the ultimate trekker package on it, sundowner seat and pillion, also a Vance and Hines 450 HO exhaust. In Gauntlet Grey,
Absolutely love the bike! I urge anyone to ride this bike, you would be doing yourself a disservice to pass this bike by.
@@JamesVoorhees-wm8gsAny experience with offroading or camping? I'm really into this bike and hope they keep fine tuning the issues on it. Could see this being my next bike, something to save up for
@wlt3585 I got the bike 1st week of Dec. Only put around 500km so far. So, no major trips or camping yet. Though after around 1000km between two of them. I am just loving it more!! I know it could have problems. However, I feel like the Pan America attributes far outweigh the issues. People LOVE Corvairs and Pintos, yet they were problematic and even labeled death traps.
I would buy this bike over again in a heartbeat.
All that being said, it's the dealers that make or break the experience. Too many dealers simply aren't interested in supporting the Pan America or the New Sportster.
My dealer wants to sell bikes! They want more customers, they do that by keeping current customers happy!!
Thank you for explaining the suspension system 10 times better than the salesman ever could. I had lots of questions and they couldn’t answer most of them
typical, you should definitely walk in knowing as much as you can about the bike you want. bc a lot of the times they don't know much about what they are selling.
Vehicle sales people typically don’t add value to the transaction
@@dank9288639 that’s so true.
@@robertw31968 I've never had a salesman know more than I do about a vehicle. Ever. I honestly don't know who they are selling anything to. That being said I had a former riding student come in already owning a new MY ZX6R. Salesman told him and his friends it was the easy "starter bike" and he would get bored of anything smaller... He was too scared of it and took the class to learn. Luckily he seemed smart enough to not kill himself, when I offer to ride with him and show him a few roads.
...And you find surprising that an H-D salesperson would struggle with explaining motorcycle technology? Most Harley are still air cooled. For them an innovation was when they added fuel injection to their engines and things like cruise control, ABS or ride modes are beyond the realm of the average H-D rider. Well, to be honest the only exception is the sound system. 😝
"Given the headstart that every other company in the world has had... Pretty darn good!" perfectly sums up the PanAm.
Is it the best ADV? Probably not, but the fact that question even exists is a testament to the quality.
I commute 45 minutes each way all highway...This would be a great daily rider ..Currently own a Tiger 1200 Alpine, and it too is a great daily rider. Top box for lunch and sidecases when I go out of town.
Its also great down gravel roads and construction sites.
Hats off to HD on this PanAm !!!
I think the tiger you got is a better bike
I commute 45 minutes a day on my pan am. I love it. Does great in the wind too.
I've owned my 2021 Pan Am Special since Sept. 2021. I traded in a a Road Glide and haven't looked back. Best of both worlds (long distance & off-road)
Similar boat here as well, My Road Glide just sits in the garage now, I love my Pan America, might have to sell the Glide this summer
Interesting. I am waiting to pay off my SGS to buy the Pan Am and have two bikes for different riding styles. Will keep the comments in mind. Test rode the Pan Am and love it. Awesome ride and the adaptive height is too cool for a vertically challenged individual like myself. Tried the African Twin and BMW GS and liked them but dealing with the height was a struggle.
Ok man...:( i have a 2022 Road Glide Special, just bought a 2024 Suzuki DRZ 400, and now realize how much fun adventure/dual sport is!! ) now i want a PA!!!:):)
@@telefrk49get all three Bruce Wayne
Bought my PA Spec last May...used it as my daily commuter until i had to put her up for the winter in mid-November. I am still loving it as much as the day I picked her up. As far as not as good as the KTM/BMW, all that I can say is that it does everything I ask of it perfectly. Additionally, if i ever needed dealer support, you cant swing a dead cat without hitting a HD dealer vs. its euro competition.
Every ADV rider I know complains about the weight of the PA but my 17 Africa Twin is pushing 550 with crash bars, skid plates, racks and doesn't nearly have the tech the PA does. Harley did an excellent job. People just love to hate on them.
Although I have always thrown a lot of shade on Harleys and the culture built around them, man I must say that the innovation and effort they put in PanAm is awesome. Congrats on this bold move and I really hope this bike does well sales-wise.
I agree. I usually don’t like HD’s but this one seems really cool in my opinion.
Later on this year they are announcing the rest of the Sporster lineup. Am crossing my fingers, but not holding my breath, that they either announce or tease the Bronx.
I honestly want one, and my daily is a Softail Springer. I love my old school stuff, but I also like going on fishing trips and my baby doesn’t like dirt roads very much.
I’m super happy to see Harley innovating. I’ve never seen why they couldn’t keep tradition alive with the Softail line while also taking new and innovative steps with experimental lines, but my fellow HD fans cry bloody murder any time they do. (*cough* VRod *cough*)
Agreed. Honestly I'd never buy a Harley no matter how good it is just because of the awful culture, but they definitely seem to have done a great job with this one.
@@csolivais1979We'll, they fired the CEO spearheading the innovations, and the new CEO seems bent on taking Harley into the luxury brand grave.
Zach seems like he'd be a super freaking cool person to have as a friend.
@@keithquinn5624
So? He's a likeable dude.
Or a cool uncle
@@keithquinn5624 noone asked
@@alithejumbo he’s lying. If you look at his comment history all of his comments are the same on diff videos or just bullshitting. Zach has a girl.
@@gavin8859
Checked it up. You're right! This a-hole is just a troll.
I love how every one of Zach’s videos starts with him looking at the camera as though he doesn’t trust it.
It’s to gain report with doubtful people.
It’s called salesmanship.
It’s actually a thing.
84 to 86 Honda CB700 Nighthawks hydraulic lifters also never needing adjustment
any sportster or big twin
This bike I've owned for three months but not the XT version. I love v twins because of the power and torque down low, this bike does not disappoint in that department. My only 2 complaints are that the power is down about 25hp from the corking epa BS and the fact you can't turn off at least the rear abs is a big disappointment. I ride agressive and enjoy "backing" it in. Other than that this bike is solid, dependable and likes corners!
Very important feedback! Thank you for sharing!
Being able to lock up the rear on a big bike solves a few problems when you really need the bike to rotate in a tight spot ! An ABS cut off button would be a simple thing but speaks to HD’s lack of participation in the ADV community. The built a fantastic niche bike within the adv spectrum but didn’t think of 1 simple technical riding maneuver most off-roaders need every so often and most riders want every so all the time 😂😂😂
UPDATE: I just watched the review on “Jake the Garden Snake” channel and a HD guide showed him how to press and hold the MODE button for “off-road 2” which removes rear ABS and decreases TCS. Pretty cool ! HD in fact did do the right thing! Try it out and see if that works !!! Let me know please. Last bike was an Africa Twin. I have my second Versys 650 for crushing miles but thinking of this HD for days I want to play. Keeping my little Versys though! Its a good throw around bike!
Also if you are touring across America. There are Harley dealers everywhere and they’re very good about getting you in if you need a quick oil change while on the road.
Your Wheelies and off road tests really give us the feel of what the bike has to offer. While you are cruising, they all look the same! Great job!
This is the 1st HD that I've seen since I dumped my POS Sportster 12 in 1984. I've cordually hated HD ever since. I've test ridden one of these from Savannah HD in Richmond Hill, GA. I was deeply impressed because I took it on a very muddy road just west of the dealership and road it hard. Once my fiance manages to escape from Afghanistan (Thank you Brandon!), we're going to buy one and use it to explore North America.
Why in the world would they put the battery there??
Jeeeeez modern bikes and all the buttons and electronics. Bonkers !
In all my years of loathing H-D's thanks to their noise and the annoying "tough guy" posers that ride them I've never actually wanted one until now. Kudos H-D!
Turns out deviating from your core brand can net you new customers, who'd have thought?
Lol I like any bike with two wheels, but harley sound is the one thing yhey got going for them over other bikes. But that's my personal taste.
@@usmcson3 I might not mind the sound so much if it wasn't for all the wankers that twist the throttle as if they're trying to rub one out between every UPSHIFT and sitting at every single stoplight. Rev rev rev... rev rev... LOOK AT ME... rev rev... LOL, POSERS.
The Harley sound is patented. Loud tough guy posers? Though somewhat amusing and I’m a fan of adventure sports. Did you notice no off road tires? BMW adventure sports are touring bikes with knobby tires. This bike isn’t. For a daily commuter I need hard bags and a real fairing. Baby boomers like me made HD rich. I don’t know if they’ll actually have a market once we’re gone. Millennials and beyond will never have the disposable income for a 30k bike.
@@xHawgRyderx Patented eh? Hmm, I tried to post a link disproving that assertion but it was removed. It was in the LA Times, Hardley Ableson apparently gave up trying to patent their "potato potato potato" sound. I could be mistaken but as I understand it, the bikes come stock with sensible mufflers but are modified afterwards to make them super loud.
And yes, they are posers. For some reason they want to be associated with greasy lowlife gang members that get into bar fights and shoot at each other, hence the endless "merch" - which is often stickers they put on other vehicles to remind everyone else of what they're NOT riding LOL!
$30k? Sweet Jesus... You could get TWO Yamaha Tracer 9 GT's for that. With a fairing, hard bags, IMU goodness, and a sweet bulletproof triple engine to boot!
It's a bloody tank of a motorcycle and is probably the heaviest ADV bike out there!!!
Besides the fact I live in Europe I am a RevZilla customer.
You guys are a reference, even outside US...
I know that we are not your biggest demographic clientele, I I'm not asking the hosts to do this on the fly while they are talking...... But with simple video editing magic, you guys can very well put the converted units to metric....
It would go a long way for anyone outside US who consumes your brand.....
Thanks for the content!
@Revzilla, I need to know, please, Are Ari and Zack getting another season of Throttle Out? It's the wholesome two-wheeled Top Gear I didn't know I needed.
I got mine shortly after this video. It is an amazing daily rider. Loving it!
I have a 2021 PanAm Special in the orange color. I've only been able to put about 2k miles on it. The ARH is pretty great, you don't notice it in the default mode at all, it lows at the stop and pulls up as you accelerate and you don't ever really notice it.
The electronics on the PanAm otherwise can be a bit janky. It won't always start on the first go round, the clock might not keep time, connecting your phone/blue tooth headset to the bike doesn't work very well either. I've used the default seat, the high seat and the sundowner seat all from HD. I much prefer the Corbin seat that I've put on it, a much better position and feel for me on long trips. The sundowner seat is very slick and my butt was sliding all over the place while on the bike.
I love this bike, the engine is great, it rides great, it handles amazing. The aftermarket is starting to put out good products for support. I just wish the electronics worked the way I expect them to.
I think H-D knocked it out of the ball park with this bike. I got to test ride one loved it. As far as the looks of the motor, the right hand side is rather clean, the left hand side looks "very busy".
This is the exact same complaint with the new Nightster, somehow it seems like the designers got tired and just gave up when circling around to that left side.
I had the chance to test ride both PA models back in 2021. The heat coming from the right side was noticeably hot. The fit and finish we’re not up to the quality of the Ducati and GS and even the AT. The main thing it has going for it is the Network of HD dealerships in America for maintenance is a huge benefit to the competitors. I found it a fun ride…put plenty of smiles during the miles I twisted it. But I’m going to give them a few more years before I consider one. This week I just finalized a nice trade of my 2016CRF1000 DCT for a newer demo 2021 CRF1100 ATAS ES DCT. That should give me many fun years and plenty of fun rides before revisiting the PA again.
I agree, I was keen to buy the PA, but ended up with the AT after test riding both. The PA build finish was inferior to the AT and I thought the AT motor and gearbox were far better on the AT. I'd like to buy a PA, but I don't think they are there yet.
I love that color combo. Never owned a HD before but as soon as my dealer gets that blue in, I will write a check. Great review, Thanks for the suspension info. Probably the best explanation ever on how it works. Great videos and a big podcast fan.
I think it's the first time I'm actually excited to see an HD daily ride! 😅
I appreciate your open minded opinion of the bike. I have an arrange of bikes at home from a hyper to a Harley. No one seems to understand me, I just love bikes and all different the different ranges of bikes. Good job!!
Honda used to put a self lower setup on their Goldwings years ago. I think it was the air bag ride models that would allow you to dump the bags.
No, it’s not new. It’s just that no one is using fur reasons, mostly costs and complexity.
My only gripe; What's with the junkyard paint job? Two colors are okay, but the white on the fairing looks out of place.
Very comprehensive breakdown on the dirt glide, nice job Zack.
Kudo to Zach and let's not forget Revzilla for allowing the creative and interactive content. You guys really are the end all be all for motorcycle stuff. Best in class.
Great review, as always! For $20,000+, I think you can and should be picky about things like heat output of the grips and the tactile feel of the buttons. This is meant to be a flagship product.
Hope they improve on this in it's 2nd iteration, not excusing them for not getting right the first time. Guess as a Harley fan in general, I will cut them.a little slack as I could see them going cheap on the buttons not knowing how well the bike would be received. But not a good look when you say your bike is going up against BMW and Ducati.
Mine are super hot. I have no issues with them 🤔
For what it's worth, those are pretty SUBSTANTIAL gloves he's wearing....
I can't even use the highest setting on mine. They get hot!
$20k is not a lot compared to the GS and KTM.
I'm not a mechanic at all. So for me the Pan America wins out over the BMW GS ( I owned a BMW R 1250 RT and it was a pain to find shops), Ducati or Triumph simply due to the fact that I have 5 dealerships within 100 miles of me versus 1 dealer with the others in over 250 miles. :( On top of that most of them are mom and pop shops that don't even keep in stock the stock tire for the motorcycles that they sell. :( So if the Pan America is a solid bike I'd rather own it it versus the others. Don't get me wrong I loved my BMW but damn it was a major nightmare to get it worked on. Lack of dealer support is an issue. The only other bike I'd consider in this class might be the Kawasaki.
Edit: BTW I meant to mention how much I love your videos Zack of riding these bikes. As someone about the same height and build it gives me good insight on what to expect as a baseline from these bikes. Often I have no idea about the height of a tester unless they mention it and many don't which is irking. You do so often enough to keep that fresh in my mind. Thank you for that.
Did big sur from LA last week. My buddy and I, mine r18 and his rented Pan America. We switched the bikes a few times. This is my over a 100 a mile on open road, twisties, and city drive thoughts:
👍
Less vibration
Punchy
Snappy (very very fast bike)
Seat can be lowered for city and back up
Nimble
Looks sexy (subjective)
👎
Heavy
Gets really hot (medium rare between your inner thighs in city)
Side kick stand sucks!
Non keyless entry (2021)
Wind screen vibrates a bit...
Handguards are of low quality
Price-
22 P.A.S daily rider. Just a blast. Good review - agree.
It's a phenomenal tourer and an excellent daily rider. Haven't really taken it off-road, but that trip is in the works. For me, it came down to the Multi V4S and the PanAm. The Multistrada fit me a bit better, but I plan to do some touring on this bike, and you just can't beat the ubiquitous HD dealer network (if you're touring in the US). Very happy so far. My big gripe is the POS kickstand it comes with - it's way too short, it's downright flimsy, and the foot is so small that it sinks into even soft asphalt.
Camel toe
Really impressed with HD's first attempt with an ADV, given a few more model years and let's see if they can resolve the fit/finish obstacles to become the new replacement to the 1290 Adventure/GS.
H-D short in fit amd finish? That sounds crazy!
New replacement to the 1290 GS?
Shake your head bud it's never going to happen.
@@GPz84 I see your point, more of a cross shop alternative, the GS is truly an impressive piece of kit.
@@GPz84 doesn't have the jazz man, a spirit. Feels too utilitarian. Something that you might find in a communist country, like a Lada for example.
Loved the review as always Zach! Your daily rider videos are always such a gift. I look forward to the next one! And no worries on forgetting a few things here and there this video. Still a great and informative video!
Hey, Zack. With the electronics on bikes getting more feature laden every year, what do you think about doing a separate video for the electronics on the bikes you get to test ride? Maybe 10-15 minutes showing close-ups of the screen and a more in-depth walk through of stuff you can customize and, most importantly, how well it all works in the real world? How easy is it to actually use all the features listed in the sales brochure, does it all work, and how do different manufacturers compare against each other?
Am I the only one who sees the resemblance of the new Pan America…
and “Bender” from Futurama?
Gotta admit, until now I've viewed this things as a bagger on stilettos, but this completely changes my perspective. The marketing shots make it look a lot more bloated and top heavy than it really is and it seems to be a much more more manageable platform than I expected. I could see, 20K notwithstanding, riding this. Color me impressed.
Another awesome review by Zack. No surprise here. And this was a bike I was looking forward being reviewed in the Daily Ride segment.
Now, Harley-Davidson, please give what the world has been longing for. Give us the Bronx!!!
Great review as always, Zack. Those “little things” are even smaller when weighed against the 2 or 3 innovative advancements that those who have been doing it 40 years plus never brought to the table. BTW, one of these days all that talking with your hands is gonna end up with a phone call to the local mental health dept. to come get the crazy on the bike!
Thanks for another fun review. I don’t want one, but am always glad for more competition in this segment.
I like your honest opinion. I’m a Moto Guzzi guy. You don’t seem found of anything HD does. That’s a preference.
I have absolutely no idea about the layout of LA, however I have watched most of the Daily Riders. This specific video had me trace the entire route on Google Earth from start to finish with a little detective work, and immediately made myself jealous as to the ride one can make to work, albeit a little extravagant! Great to see HD being more and more innovative and reaching broader audiences!
California is one of the best states ever when it comes to motorcycle riding.
Finally!!!! Hopefully we get to see a XR1250 and a smaller 975 Pan Am!!! 👊🏼🦅
@@davestephens3246 the 975 cc version of this engine is more than likely getting announced later on this year when the rest of the Sporster lineup is announced. Fingers crossed that they either announce or tease the Bronx release.
Pretty rad! My 1985 Honda CB700SC Nighthawk also has hydrolic valve lifters.
I never understood why all bikes don’t have them.
@@jimperry4420 I believe they weigh more, and can make it more challenging to get the valves to open fast with an aggressive cam, so they aren't as good for max power. Harley seems to be getting plenty of power, though, so IDK, maybe I'm wrong. I know they have been more common on pushrod engines and less so on overhead cam; my Miata has solid lifters, for example.
Love this series just had knee replacement surgery & not riding plus it's late fall heading into winter here in Montana. Just one thing, your getting way to serious with the leader board , watching you agonizing over where to place a given bike. Yo give it up. Just keep it tongue in cheek . All fun, which is why we ride. Loving the whole RevZilla concept!
This is a bike I hope to get one day. Can't afford it yet, so maybe they will refine more of the little things before I get it. This year they already started by fixing the font size on the display.
This is definitely the most unprepared I've seen Zach. Hope it's due to too much fun, and not something crappy. Best wishes!
He remembered the stuff in the end which is good. But either way, even the best of us have our off days.
Honestly, it always shocks me how much he can remember during his rides. Sure, I can remember my own vehicles specs, but he doesn't get the live with them for THAT long.
Could be selective H-D negative bias and opps I forgot allot of stuff... sorry 😉
Oh, and if you think professions don’t have unconscious dislike of a subject or what have you... good for you 🥸
@@karamlevi How disingenuous and self-involved can you get? He's just having an off day.
He admits to owning a $20k plus GS adv bike, I’m sure he is justifying his choice of personal bike while comparing it to the Pan Am. He also said that the Pan Am is a great adventure bike from top to bottom.
What a terrific looking machine
So, the first thing a rock hits on the belly pan, is the rectifier. Then the battery gets water, grit and mud. Does this seem a bit iffy?
Great review. I think another plus to the P.A. is the size of the Harley dealer network compared to Ducati, BMW, ETC.
Looks like a good all rounder.
It's a good bike with some minor issues. I owned one for about 6 months before I decided I was done with HD as a company bought a Rocket 3 GT for riding like a hooligan, and a Goldwing for long distance touring.
Fast bike, decent handling, lots of power at highway speed, pretty agile at low speed on the street, but had a lot of small electronic issues, a leaky exhaust that almost melted my boot and HD's customer service was lackluster. My original pan-am special came in with a dud 1st cylinder, so they gave me a different, but identically spec'd bike. Then that bike had some issues and the guys at the service department were just like "we don't know when we can fix it because it's so complex to work on." Shame too, cause it was a blast to ride.
If I get another ADV bike in the future, I'd probably get a Triumph Tiger. The BMW GS is just a bit too bulky for my liking, and the Africa Twin is just a bit too tall/top heavy for me.
I had an opportunity to ride the Pan America offroad during the Giant Loop Rally, I dont think everyone got to go on the rocky trail, But I was already riding it as fast or faster than my GSA, It kept this big boy up in the suspension. The only major difference was brake feel; my GSAs brakes are unmatched in my experience
A HD with 150 horsepower stock. Amazing.
Can you ride this with a leather vest and bandanna?
Dont forget the clip on ponytail! 🍻
Snowing in Pennsylvania today might as well watch Daily Rider. Warmer weather coming soon. Great video too much money for me.
It's so sad that journalists such as those at MCN are finding the Pan America horribly unreliable. I was really rooting for Harley to do well here.
well it's a harley
So… are you saying the “little stuff” does not match the $20k tag? I’d expect more refinement out of that price.
As a whole, it's a great bike. But when you spend $20K+ you're right, you want the little things to be right. I think HD has some room to grow there. I went from an older generation GSA to the PAS, but after six months, it was the little things that drove me crazy, and I ended up trading it in on a modern GSA and haven't looked back. Way better in terms of refinement, but you can do that over the course of 40 years.
Im glad im not the only one who feels the need to no foot stop every bike i ride to feel out how well balanced it is
That's not the only bike with self adjusting valves. The Indian Challenger is built like that, it's been out since 2020 model year.
I'm NOT in the market for the PanAm, instead looking at the Tiger 900 Rally Pro....but I watch ALL your reviews anyway....cause you're pretty darn good at these reviews things LOL...and I learn a lot, about how to review and evaluate various qualities of a bike. Cool to see how well you do them AND...anytime somebody makes something look super easy and natural, you know it's a real talent. Keep em coming.
Great review and great answer for the last question. Congratulations to HD for making an awesome bike.
My advice to anyone looking at this bike in Britain 🇬🇧 is stay clear , it will be rusty in 12 months, i kid you not !
All bolts especially around the headlight area , also the exhaust discoloured very badly indeed !
Only 4000 miles in and just over 12 months old 😉👍
I see a few potential problem with the radiator and rectifier placement.
It lacks a dirt deflector which means dirt and rocks will get shot onto the radiator. Cleaning tiny rocks stuck in the slots gonna be fun. A large enough rock thrown into the radiator might even puncture it.
Rectifier placement is good for cooling but probably won't do good in wet weather. Most have their electronics potted but repeated heat cycling will eventually let water through.
Battery placement probably gonna be corrosion heaven especially if some deicing salt gets on the terminals.
Re heated hand grips not being very hot, this from an article from the Philippines form May 2021. According to Harley-Davidson, these hand grips are controlled with a military-grade resistor and utilize a thermostat to adjust heat output, relative to ambient temperature. Simply put: More comfort when twisting the throttle.
With gas prices climbing, many non-riding friends are asking me for a recommendation for a simple, easy to ride Motorcycle for daily commuting. Some of the bikes I am suggesting are either a Honda PCX 150 scooter or a Honda CB300 ABS (after taking the MTC course). But are my suggestions good Daily Riders? Dunno because Zack has not daily ridden them. I also think it would be helpful if Revzilla did a video special specifically on 4 or 5 bikes that are good for new riders.
The heated grips display is backwards. It took me a few rides to figure out that one chili is very hot two is hot and three chilis means warm. That's why you weren't impressed with the heated grips
Glad to see HD did as good a job on this as I'd hoped they would!
They should absolutely put a 883 variant of this bike on the market eventually, or a smaller and cheaper alternative.
@@fftheblueskys cheap relative to Harleys isn't a huge deal. What about something off-road sub 10k? That would sell like hot cakes, just ask yamaha.
I will take one in 650 cc
Don't go to the forums, the general consensus is electrical issues, fall to start, bad batteries etc. The prices in the dealers are outrageous and the used market has a lot of low mileage PAS for sale. I applaud the effort but there's no way I'd give up my GS for this.
Eh, I've got a '23 Pan Am and have experienced none of these issues. I participate pretty heavily in Pan Am forums/groups and I'd roughly estimate it's only about 10-20% of bikes that have these issues. More than it should be for sure, but there's plenty of perfectly fine Pan Ams out there.
The biggest issue in my opinion was the kickstand being bolted directly to the motor; not an issue normally, but prior to 2023 the kickstand bracket they used was insufficient. The bolts would back out and eventually one day you'd put the bike down on the kickstand and that pressure would crack the engine. This was resolved in 2023 with an updated bracket that can be installed on earlier models. Starter issues were resolved in the late-2022 Pan Ams and onward (this fix can also fit earlier models), theoretically the battery/charging systems issues have been resolved with the 2024 model (this can be fitted on earlier models, though it requires some serious work to do. Some dealers will install the 2024 battery/charging system on an earlier model year bike if there is a warranty claim associated with the charging system), the only common failure that should still be present is fuel pump failures around ~20,000 miles and if the bike is still under warranty, it will be replaced at no cost to you (there may be a $50 deductible for warranty claims, i'm not sure). There's still some minor gripes and small-scale issues and I would recommend anyone with concerns to get a warranty.
For instance, Zack mentions the heated grips not being very warm - some of the bikes have had that happen where the heated grips only output like 30-40% of what they should. Easily warrantied and HD will swap out the grips at (I believe) no cost to you as long as you're within the warranty period. Mine on level 3 absolutely meet that "this is too hot i have to turn this off" criteria if it's above 50-60 degrees out.
They're awesome motorcycles that are competitively priced and I recommend them to anyone looking for a full-size ADV but I do think it's important to understand the quirks and potential failure points. The only way I wouldn't splurge for a warranty though is if I got a 2024 and didn't plan on doing more than ~5k miles per year (with the idea being if your fuel pump goes at 20k miles, it will have cost you less money to just replace it than it would to pay for the two years of extended warranty).
Not a big fan of the battery being in the skid plate .....on an adventure bike.... I understand wanting to put weight down low to keep center of gravity as low as possible for handling but a battery that physically sits where that one does, seems like a major failure waiting to happen. Go bouncing the skid plate off some stones and you could beat the living daylights out of the battery and rectifier and then have a water crossing. Worst case scenario, of course, but neglect can cause as much damage in deterioration over time as trauma can in a single event
@@davestephens3246 ok bud 👌 whatever you say.....
@@shenanigansofmannanan just the fact through water crossings the reg rect and battery will be under water isn't a great design.
Let me get this straight: this is an adventure bike entirely dependent on electronics with the bits that keep those electronics alive mounted at the bottom of the bike. Brilliant, wait until the rider has to cross the first river or hits the first rock. Never mind, I take it all back,99% of these bikes will never leave asphalt. Carry on.
Plenty of rivers have been crossed and lots of rocks have been hit in the last 12 months with this bike, the battery location has not been an issue except for access
Have a look at the UK based MCN. For a long term review of this bike, to see just how unreliable they are.
@@shadowred1980 I have one with 10,000 miles, no issues
Some of Harley's touring models have a shut-off on the heated grips so they shut down at a certain temp which may be why they didn't seem very hot on your 64° day
Way too many electronics on it for me. How long until there are issues??
Excellent review. here in there UK the Pan has had quite a bad press due to teething problems, however they seem to have been for the most part resolved and it is now a far more popular chaise, even amongst old school hardened Harley riders.
Good review. I'm really not keen on being able to do so much adjustment whilst riding. Cars, these days have the same problem and it reduces saftey.
I am not really a HD fan but you gotta love the adjustable wind screen on the Pan Am!! I wish mine was like that!! 😐
please ride the Z900 SE. i'd like to hear your thoughts on the upgraded components and what they do to the bike.
That bike is so beautiful! 🤩
Motus actually was the first to put hydraulic lifters on a motorcycle. But now that they are defunct, the HD is now the only current model with that technology
Nice review Zach! Seems like a nice machine, but that front end look just doesn't work for me (maybe it's better in person???). That tank shape looks like it would work nicely with a cowl shape different than what's on there. Hoping someone in the aftermarket can fix this in the future.
As a bike rider/enthusiast I gotta say that I really loved those mirrors, they look sick
Thanks for the review: is there any chance you’ll get to test the new KTM 1290 Evo ? I’d love to see it on the daily commuter. ✌️
As a 20 thousand dollar bike I feel like the heated grips and switch's should great
The ones for the their normal touring line are very good, I wonder why it is an issue on this one?
Having wanted to work for H-D as a kid, I did have a chance to work at the Menomonee Falls, WI Powertrain Operations plant as a casual employee (getting hired is hard) seeing H-D dipping their toes into other markets is great to see. I still am sad that we won't see the Bronx in production.
Battery down low is nice in theory for center of mass , but for ADV .. that battery / Rectifier gonna get smashed or submerged in water. This bike is more a sport touring bike then an ADV.
Ty so much for your videos. I’m also 6 2 and it’s nice to hear reviews from someone that is my height to hear how I will feel on the bike. Also like you I challenge my self every stop sign like you!!
Honestly, the best HD has so far made. Still not quite the polish found on other $20K+, but if it proves it's reliable, could be a great bike to ride the wheels off of.
Water gonna love the battery position of this bike.
Kinda off topic, but any opinions on the yamaha super tenere? I ride a nc700x and am looking to upgrade in a few months.
My 22 PA handlebar does not reach the windscreen or height control as shown here. Seems like that was fixed. Also, the turn signals are self-cancelling which may explain why they seem to come back on when you touch the stalk after a turn.
Does the suspension lower in gear or do you have to be in neutral? It seems to wait a beat after clicking to a stop before it activates but do you find that it could be a tad eager to squat in time you wouldn't need it to be?
Its such a cool feature, but as the first thing I'd look at long term having issues/breaking it seems if it were overactive it would wear even more prematurely.
This thing needs to be lowered, lightened, and put on street tires. Would be like a big 1200 sport touring bike instead. And would do damn fine.