It’s a little difficult to believe that there is a Harley-Davidson out there that is being overlooked. Harleys are, after all, the weapon of choice when you want to be noticed. The XXL dimensions, the over-the-top chrome, or blacked out everything, and that unmistakable exhaust noise. Harley has also trimmed down its range so that there is no real overlap between its products, and each product caters to a distinct target audience, so it doesn’t seem like there could be a Harley that can be overlooked.
In recent times, though, The Motor Co. has been expanding its product range to include more modern offerings. The new Sportster range is a big break from tradition, and H-D took this a step further with the Pan America 1250. The latest move away from tradition was the Pan America 1250 ST – a properly road-biased version of the ADV-tourer. When someone wants a sports tourer, they won’t think ‘Harley’, so it is no wonder that this is the Harley that everyone’s overlooking.
The Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 ST Is The Harley That Everyone’s Overlooking
It’s difficult to believe that the Pan America 1250 is already four years old. To recap, it was a big shift for Harley-Davidson. It is the first model with long-travel suspension and a chain that drives the rear wheel, and it appeals to a completely different demographic than the standard Harley product. Even the modern Sportster series is, at heart, a cruiser. The idea of taking a Harley into the dirt before the Pan America 1250 would have been ludicrous except for the XR750.
Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 ST Price: $19,999
The other surprising thing about the Pan America 1250 ST is its price. Harley has always commanded a premium for its products, but in the case of this specific model, it chooses to play the value card. Even more surprising is the fact that the price for this model hasn’t actually changed since its launch.
It launched for $19,999, and it remains $19,999 to this very day. And that is the exact amount that you will require to shell out for the Pan America 1250 ST. For that price, Harley will throw in the optional electronic suspension for free, making it a great value for money.
Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 ST Engine
The Pan America is powered by the largest, most powerful Revolution Max engine in its range. This is a thoroughly modern engine with overhead camshafts and liquid cooling, unlike the choices made by Harley for the Milwaukee Eight series of engines. It gets variable valve timing for both intake as well as exhaust valves, which is unique among its peers.
The result is a great torque spread and a power peak that was no doubt benchmarked against the segment leader, the BMW R 1300 GS. This makes it one of the most powerful sport tourers in its class. In fact, it matches the Suzuki GSX-S1000GX, which has twice as many cylinders. There is a by-wire throttle and six-axis IMU, so Harley provides it with a full electronics suite, including cornering traction control, cornering drag torque slip control, and wheelie mitigation.
A Quickshifter Is Standard Here
‘Conventional’ might sound like a downgrade for most motorcycles, but here, it is a compliment. The Pan America 1250 ST has a six-speed gearbox with a two-way quickshifter. The Pan America is the only Harley with the quickshifter. Yes, despite the Sportster S using the same engine, albeit in a different state of tune, it doesn’t get this feature, even as an option. Final drive is via chain, which is another unique choice for a Harley.
Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 ST Engine Specifications
|
Engine Configuration |
60° V-twin |
|
Displacement |
1,250 cc |
|
Power |
150 HP @ 8,750 RPM |
|
Torque |
91 LB-FT @ 6,750 RPM |
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Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 ST Chassis
Like the Sportster series, the Pan America uses a steel trellis frame with the engine as a stressed member. This has helped with its handling a lot. The Pan America ST has lowered suspension with less travel compared to the standard variant (now 6.75 inches), making it more suitable for tarmac duty. For North America, H-D offers the ST with the electronic suspension as a free upgrade, so you get the feature where it lowers itself at walking speeds.
Another big hint at its tarmac bias is the 17-inch alloy wheel size and sticky road-going tires. Making sure it can stop as well as it goes are huge Brembo 320 mm twin discs at the front gripped by monobloc radial four-piston fixed calipers. The brakes are linked as well. Here, too, the six-axis IMU provides safety. There is cornering ABS, rear wheel lift mitigation, and hill hold assist. A tire pressure monitoring system is standard.
The Pan America 1250 ST Is Lighter Than Its Sibling
We’ve already mentioned that the ST is lower than the standard Pan America thanks to the reduced suspension travel, but the new one-piece seat also contributes to the low seat height. It is fairly portly – it is around 20 pounds heavier than a BMW R 1300 GS, and a massive 50 pounds heavier than the KTM 1290 Super Duke GT, which is also powered by a V-twin engine. But it is still lighter than the Pan America Special.
|
Fuel Tank Capacity |
5.6 Gallons |
|
Length/Width/Height |
88.2/35.3/52.4 inches |
|
Wheelbase |
61.8 inches |
|
Seat Height |
31.7 inches (unladen) |
|
Curb Weight (wet) |
542 LBs |
Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 ST Features
The Pan America is stuffed full of all the features you’d need to go for a long ride into the unknown. A 6.8-inch TFT display is front and center. It has Bluetooth and satnav as standard features. The ‘sharknose’ fairing doesn’t only give it a family resemblance to the Road Glide; like the tourer, it has an adaptive cornering headlamp as well. We’ve also mentioned that the adaptive ride height is a standard feature for the Pan America 1250 ST in the North American market.
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Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 ST Competition
The full-size crossovers/sport tourers all seem to prefer an inline four-cylinder engine and a full electronics suite. The Kawasaki Versys 1100 ($19,499) is very close in price but prefers torque and easy riding to outright pace. You’d have much more fun on a Suzuki GSX-S1000GX+ ($18,599) if you want to ride quickly. But undoubtedly, the 170 horsepower of the BMW S 1000 XR ($17,995) will crush the competition, but it needs some expensive options to make it match up fairly with the feature sets of the others.
That leaves us with the KTM 1290 Super Duke GT, another V-twin-powered sports tourer with ferocious performance, a full electronics suite, and the comfort for multi-day rides. It is priced reasonably well, and although it doesn’t have the adaptive ride height of the Pan America, it does have electronic suspension. KTM’s prowess in rally raid racing also gives this a little more credibility than the new-to-the-segment Harley product.
Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 ST Vs KTM 1290 Super Duke GT
|
Model |
Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 ST |
KTM 1290 Super Duke GT |
|
Price |
$19,999 |
$20,499 |
|
Engine |
Revolution Max 1250 60-degree V-twin, dual VVT |
60-degree V-twin |
|
Displacement |
1,250 cc |
1,301 cc |
|
Power |
145 HP @ 8,750 RPM |
172.6 HP @ 9,750 RPM |
|
Torque |
95 LB-FT @ 6,750 RPM |
104 LB-FT @ 7,000 RPM |
|
Curb Weight (Wet) |
542 LBs |
492 LBs |
Sources: Harley-Davidson USA