Harley-Davidon says its all-new Pan America 1250 is the top-selling adventure touring motorcycle in North America—although the press release is a tad fuzzy on the specific details.
Here’s what the presser says: “Since launching in February 2021, the Pan America™ 1250 Special adventure touring motorcycle has taken the motorcycling world by storm. In creating the Pan America™, Harley-Davidson leveraged its cutting-edge design and engineering capabilities to create both the Pan America 1250 and Pan America 1250 Special. Today, we are pleased to announce that the Pan America 1250 Special has become the #1 selling adventure touring motorcycle in North America.”
That’s followed by a quote from Jochen Zeitz, sneaker-CEO-turned-MoCo-mastermind—the usual “People love our bike and Harley-Davidson’s business restructure plan is a success” speech.
Nowhere in the official company statement do we get an actual number of motorcycles sold, though. And, we’re not told over what time period this “most adventure tourers sold” statement applies. So, take it all with a bit of a grain of salt.
However, it does seem the bike-buying public is taking to the new machine. Given global supply chain issues, having a domestic manufacturer probably encourages sales—much easier to buy an in-stock Harley-Davidson than an out-of-stock EuroBike! And, there’s been quite a bit of interest in the new Pan America. Combine that with positive initial reviews, and this is a recipe for success.
You can see CMG’s initial write-up on the Pan America’s technical details here. Currently, pricing starts at $20,999 for the standard Pan America, and rises to $24,199 for the Pan America Special, which is upgraded for more offroad-oriented riding.
For a first attempt in the adventure market Harley-Davidson did very well. The bike handles well with stock seat that adjusts to accommodate a wide range of inseam lengths. If it had been available when I bought my bike and the Africa Twin did not have DCT there might have been a Harley in the garage instead of a Honda.