Can Harley-Davidson break away from its chrome-clad cruiser reputation? Newer powerhouses like the Pan America prove the revered motorcycle manufacturer has more in its wheelhouse than most imagined. But what is it about the Pan America that has led riders to new and used Harley-Davidson dealers across the nation? Has one bike single handedly succeeded in expanding the Harley-Davidson brand to new segments?
Fighting the Stereotype
When a brand like Harley-Davidson has a reputation so ingrained in building custom cruisers dripping in chrome and heavyweight Grand American Touring bikes oozing with opulence, anything beyond what fits within those expectations is a shock. Harley-Davidson has taught us what to expect from the brand over the last century, leaving few surprises beyond chrome-laden bikes with potent V-Twin engines. However, bikes like the Pan America teach a valuable lesson: never pigeonhole Harley-Davidson.
The Pan America has succeeded in expanding the Harley-Davidson brand to new segments as the manufacturer’s first adventure-ready powerhouse amid a lineup of cruisers and Grand American Touring chariots. Yet it is also served as a reminder of how Harley-Davidson built its company and the incredible community of riders who appreciate its outside-the-box approach. It didn’t become one of the longest-running motorcycle manufacturers by following trends and abiding by the status quo. Instead, Harley-Davidson has consistently challenged the norms. The company encourages riders to do the same, with the Pan America taking a more obvious, rebel-rousing approach by expanding the Harley-Davidson brand into the realm of adventure beyond the pavement.
Cricket-Like Silence and the Answer That Follows
Harley-Davidson has spent the last century solidifying its footing as one of the oldest and most revered motorcycle brands in America. Its reputation is undeniable and forever tied to classic cruisers clad in chrome, delivering the signature “potato potato” rumble of a V-Twin engine. These defining characteristics are warranted, which is why few questioned the cricket-like silence from Harley-Davidson as every other motorcycle manufacturer introduced a dual sport or adventure bike to their lineups.
Riders were looking to Harley-Davidson for a response, but the company’s response was its silence, at least until recently. With BMW, Honda, Kawasaki, and other major brands satiating the market with options, Harley-Davidson focused on where it excelled and where its rivals often missed the mark. Unfortunately, many took the company’s silence as an admittance to ineptitude. It looked like Harley-Davidson simply didn’t know and wasn’t interested in building bikes capable of off-road exploration, but that wasn’t the case at all.
A Century of Experience
If we look at adventure bikes like the Pan America and its rivals, these powerhouses are the Swiss Army knives (Harley-Davidson calls it a “two-wheel multitool”) of the motorcycle industry because they’re meant to handle it all. The Pan America can confidently navigate your weekday commute in rush-hour traffic, but it also feels at home on a trail deep in the woods. Its versatility gives it an incredible advantage over single-purpose bikes, especially since it’s the first of its kind in the Harley-Davidson fleet. Or is it?
The Pan America has shaken up the industry and expanded Harley-Davidson into a new segment, introducing a new demographic of riders to the brand along the way. The bike might be a modern marvel, but it’s built on a century of experience and uses that experience to its advantage. How so?
Think about America in the 1900s, specifically the dirt roads lining Milwaukee, when a group of brothers and friends with a shared passion for bicycles started tinkering in a backyard shed. The young men eventually built a prototype, tested its capability in a race, and launched a company that would forever change the American landscape. That first bike and many of its successors were unofficially adventure bikes, capable of traveling dirt roads and rough terrain because that was the American landscape at the time.
The rise of paved roads created a dichotomy, offering better performance and smoother rides for automobiles and motorcycles. Yet, those characteristics didn’t satiate the curiosity of some to venture beyond the pavement and explore the unknown. These two needs gave rise to the segment of dual sport and adventure bikes, with Harley-Davidson capitalizing on its incredible heritage and making a fashionably late entrance into the segment after years of silence.
The Pan America Impact
Harley-Davidson took a risk with the Pan America, but that risk was well-thought-out and perfectly executed. The Pan America isn’t just an adventure bike capable of on and off-road adventures. It’s a powerhouse with innovative technologies and distinct design details that showcase everything riders love and appreciate about Harley-Davidson.
Enthusiasts appreciate the significance of the bike’s dual-purpose powertrain, which is a signature V-Twin engine but with a modern twist. Liquid-cooled with fuel injection and anti-vibration components, the Revolution Max 1250 is incredibly capable. Harley-Davidson doesn’t stop there. It makes the engine a structural component of the chassis to optimize handling and responsiveness while minimizing the bike’s weight. Veteran adventure riders are surprised to learn that Harley-Davidson managed to get the Pan America down to 505 pounds dry and 540 pounds in running order, an awe-inspiring feat considering the heavyweight powerhouses that characterize the rest of the lineup.
The bike’s technologies and features are just as impressive and impactful. Harley-Davidson considers every detail, from pre-programmed ride modes to cornering-enhancing features. Sure, you may find some of these features on rival models, but you won’t find a suite as extensive or complementary to the bike’s purpose for adventure. It’s another advantage and a rightfully earned bragging right.
Have these features and the bike’s design been enough to call it a success for Harley-Davidson? Naysayers are forced to eat the proverbial crow, rescinding their opinions that Harley-Davidson would fail to get it right and strike the perfect balance with its first adventure bike. The Pan America doesn’t just hit the mark but leads the segment, with Harley-Davidson reporting it as the top-selling adventure motorcycle in North America in 2021. The year ended with the bike a complete sell-out at every new and used Harley-Davidson dealership nationwide, proving everyone’s excitement and acceptance of the bike and its significance in the Harley-Davidson fleet.
The Potential for Future Adventures
The Pan America showcases how Harley-Davidson has successfully built its reputation around its rebelliousness and outside-the-box thinking. The manufacturer is a lot like a strong-willed child who prefers to do everything themselves, even if it takes longer and multiple attempts before getting it right. That same child is also the one who will run when told to walk and wiggle when told to stand still.
Harley-Davidson let everyone believe that an adventure bike wasn’t in its wheelhouse for years because there wasn’t a need to expand its lineup. The company excelled in building custom cruisers and luxurious tourers, so adding an adventure bike to the fleet didn’t make sense until recently. Now, the growing demand for more versatile powerhouses and the necessity to appeal to more riders led Harley-Davidson back to its dirt road roots. Fortunately for us, the result is extraordinary.
The Pan America is a widespread success, proving Harley-Davidson can’t be pigeonholed or stereotyped, nor should it. Moreover, it sets the stage for future adventure bikes, with Harley-Davidson likely to use the Pan America as a template to satiate more adventurous needs from its two-wheeled powerhouses. That’s an incredible prospect, leaving all eyes on Harley-Davidson to see how the revered motorcycle manufacturer will up the ante next.
