It’s been a long roll out for Harley-Davidson’s Pan America, a surprise adventure bike bid from the legendary cruiser-centric brand, which we first reported was in the works back in 2018. In its latest tease, Harley has promised the world will finally have access to the bike’s complete specs during a global digital unveiling on February 22. 

This Pan America-specific event will follow a global launch of the brand’s 2021 line-up on January 19, which is sure to include forecasted new models and redesigns of more typical Harleys such as the Low Rider S, Fat Bob, Iron 1200 and Road King. That event, open to anyone who signs up online in advance, is also promised to include a few morsels of info about the Pan America ahead of its own debut in February. 

During the years-long slow burn, where we watched renderings becoming trade-show sightings and finally a fully-formed motorcycle seemingly eating some trails for breakfast in a skeptic-shushing video, we’ve learned quite a bit about Harley’s new adventure bike. 

We know it will be powered by a brand-new liquid-cooled DOHC 60-degree 1250cc V-twin that does double duty as a stressed frame member, which should help keep weight down. Harley claims the new engine will generate an impressive 145 horsepower and promises “more than 90 ft-lbs” of torque, plenty of grunt for trials-speed trail gunning. Final drive will be chain-and-sprocket, while wheels are cross-spoked and the rear shock is attached to the double-sided swing arm via linkage. There is a sizable on-board LCD computer, likely to employ a host of electronics including the Motor Company’s new Reflex Defensive Rider System (RDRS) a.k.a. traction control.

It’s been rumored the bike will have a reasonable seat height too, staying true to the approachability factor Harley has always advocated for with its “anyone-can-ride-it” MO. What we don’t know is how much the bike will weigh or how much it will cost, though we expect, as a newcomer with a lot to prove, it will be competitively priced. 

The Pan America’s polarizing looks serve as a reminder that Harley wants to carve out its own space in the market, one where its own army of spendy loyalists might be enticed into the fresh, more sustainable world of adventure bike riding. 

This intention is also made clear in the Motor Company’s choice of Jason Momoa — you know, the guy that plays Aquaman in the DC Comics movie series — as the spokesperson for the model. As for Harley devotees, Momoa’s one of them —  a bar-and-shield fan and fervent collector of the brand, including sidecars and cutting-edge customs. He isn’t known as an adventure rider though – at least not yet – and that might be the magic in the Pan America’s marketing.

Certainly this bike isn’t the only fresh thing coming out of Milwaukee these days. While 2020 has shaken all of our trees, Harley took it a step further and reinvented its entire upper management, including the replacement of CEO Matthew Levatich with Jochen Zeitz, a totally newbie to the motorcycle game who’s spent the last 18 years heading the global PUMA sporting goods brand. 

A new business plan is in the works as well, which will involve throwing in the towel on various models that no longer have a future path. No doubt it’s going to be a tightrope for Harley to move away from the declining big cruiser market without losing their base, whose loyal enthusiasm has carried the brand for generations. 

So register for the reveal of the Pan America on February 22. I mean, why not? We’ve been waiting almost three years for this model to come to light, and how cool to see it live with the rest of the Harley ADV bike-curious around the world. 

To join Harley-Davidson’s Pan America virtual reveal click here.

Author: Jamie Elvidge

Jamie has been a motorcycle journalist for more than 30 years, testing the entire range of bikes for the major print magazines and specializing in adventure-travel related stories. To date she’s written and supplied photography for articles describing what it’s like to ride in all 50 states and 43 foreign countries, receiving two Lowell Thomas Society of American Travel Writer’s Awards along the way. Her most-challenging adventure yet has been riding in the 2018 GS Trophy in Mongolia as Team AusAmerica’s embedded journalist.