OverdriveFeb 23, 2021 09:21:23 IST
It was in 2018 when Harley-Davidson made a series of new model announcements, which included the Pan America 1250. While Harley had been teasing the Pan Am (that’s H-D’s way of calling it) for quite some time now, today they have revealed all the details of the ADV, which includes its design, features and specifications, accessories, etc. The company has also confirmed that the Pan America 1250 will arrive at Harley-Davidson dealerships in Spring 2021 and a possible India launch sometime end of 2021.
Powering the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 is an all-new Revolution Max 1250 engine, a liquid-cooled V-Twin that makes 150 hp at 9,000 rpm and generates 128 Nm of torque at 6,750 rpm, mated to a six-speed transmission with a slipper clutch. As claimed, the overall fuel economy figure for this engine is 21 kpl. In the official release, Harley mentions this engine is designed to offer flexible, engaging performance with a broad powerband that builds to a rush of high-rpm power surging through the redline. It adds the engine has been tuned specifically to deliver desirable power characteristics with an emphasis on smooth low-end torque delivery and low-speed throttle control applicable to off-road riding. The Pan America features ride modes such as Road, Sport, Rain, Off-Road and Off-Road Plus wherein each mode consists of a specific combination of power delivery, engine braking, Cornering Enhanced Antilock Braking System (C-ABS) and Cornering Enhanced Traction Control System (C-TCS) settings.
The engine design has been done in such a way to make it an integral part of the frame wherein the front frame, mid-frame and tail sections are bolted to it. The powertrain also features lightweight materials such as single-piece aluminium cylinders with nickel silicon carbide-surface galvanic coating. Further, the rocker covers, camshaft covers and primary cover are made of lightweight magnesium.
The Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 is the world’s first motorcycle to feature Adaptive Ride Height. Image: Harley-Davidson
The underpinning of the motorcycle consists of an exposed frame with a bolt-on rear subframe and cast-aluminium swingarm which reduces unsprung weight. What makes it more of a sport-tourer than an adventure motorcycle are the stock 19-inch front and 17-inch rear cast aluminium wheels and Michelin Scorcher Adventure tyres. The front is a 120/70 R19 whereas the rear is a 170/60 R17. The off-road friendly Michelin Anakee Wild tyres will be offered as an accessory. Braking duties will be done by Brembo with radial monobloc four-piston callipers, 320mm discs in the front and a 280mm disc at the rear. The suspension setup is fully adjustable Showas for pre-load and compression, rebound damping at both, front and rear. The front is a 47mm USD unit with a travel of 190mm. The mono-shock at the rear, with an identical travel of 190m, has an adjustable hydraulic preload and incorporates a linkage system. The kerb weight of the Pan America 1250 is 242 kg.
The motorcycle features a touchscreen 6.8-inch TFT unit with navigation, Bluetooth connectivity for calls and music. The touchscreen function of this unit is disabled when the motorcycle is in motion. However, it responds to the hand controls to manage many functions of the screen display. The unit is also compatible with Android Auto and CarPlay. To access the Navigation feature, the rider has to use the free Harley-Davidson App for iOS or Android devices. The features list in terms of riding aids includes cornering enhanced electronically linked braking, ABS, lean-sensitive traction control system, cornering enhanced drag-torque slip control system, and hill hold control.
In addition to the base model, Harley-Davidson will also be offering the Pan America 1250 Special model that boasts of electronically adjustable semi-active front and rear suspension, Vehicle Loading Control system which senses the weight of the rider, a passenger and luggage to select optimal suspension sag by automatically adjusting rear preload, tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), multi-position rear brake pedal, tubular steel brush guards for radiator protection, aluminium skid plate, adaptive headlights which uses info from the ABS IMU to determine the lean angle of the motorcycle and automatically project additional light into corners to illuminate areas of the road, heated handgrips and hand-wind deflectors, steering damper and adaptive ride height which lowers the seat height of the motorcycle at a standstill but does not reduce the ground clearance and lastly, tubeless tyres with stainless-steel spokes.
