It is out in the open that Harley-Davidson, one of the most influential motorcycle brands, is going through a very rough patch. The company recently announced that it will shut down manufacturing operations in India as part of its restructuring exercise under ‘The Rewire’ programme. The iconic American brand has always been associated with cruisers ever since their inception. Their rather narrow approach towards other motorcycling genres has also contributed to the troubles the company has found itself in. Times might be a little hard but the company did have some interesting future plans.
A different approach
Be it the Bronx streetfighter, the 350cc motorcycle they are developing in association with Qianjiang Motors or the Pan America ADV-tourer, Harley was actually thinking of foraying in other genres as well.
We can’t actually comment on the possibilities of these motorcycles seeing the light of the day but some little birds from its home country has managed to grab some pictures and videos which kind of cements the fact that the Harley-Davidson Pan America might actually enter production sometime in 2021. The images featured here are reportedly from a prominent Harley dealership situated in the USA. Firstly the images do show us a Pan America that looks to be in completed and road-ready form. The Pan America 1250 was unveiled at EICMA 2019 as a prototype.
Looks
As far as design goes, the Pan America looks nothing like a Harley and it works in its favour. An ADV-tourer with typical Harley styling doesn’t seem a good idea after all. It sports a futuristic design tenet highlighted by a sleek rectangular headlamp that is surrounded by an inverted U-shaped fairing. The bike also gets large fuel tank, split step-up style seat, and minimal side panels that expose the mechanical bits of the bike. To look like a proper ADV bike, the Pan America gets wide handlebars with knuckle protectors, engine crash guard, a high ground clearance, adjustable windscreen, and wire-spoke rims with knobby tyres.
Specifications and features
The American ADV-tourer will be powered by a 1,250 cc V-twin engine that will be coupled to a six-speed gearbox. As noted by the company while showcasing the prototype at last year’s EICMA, the bike will have 122 Nm of peak torque. And for a change, H-D also revealed noted that Pan America’s production model will have around 150 bhp on tap. If the Pan America does manage to achieve these numbers, it will announce an all-out attack on the top dogs of this game!
Also read: The Harley-Davidson Bronx Streetfighter Might Never See the Light Of The Day
We saw Harley deploying modern-day tech in the Livewire and that makes us believe that the American bikemaker will go the ‘no holds barred’ way in equipping the Pan America. We can expect to see a TFT instrument display, possibly borrowed from the LiveWire. This console will offer all the essential readouts and the switchgear on the handle will allow the rider to adjust various settings.
Given Harley’s current situation and the growing popularity of ADV-tourers, the Pan America could be the troubleshooter Harley has been long yearning for. It will not only attract new customers to the brand but will also provide an entirely new dimension of motorcycling to veteran and loyal Harley riders.