Harley-Davidson turn the adventure bike market on its head with the new Pan America
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Harley-Davidson turn the adventure bike market on its head with the new Pan America
https://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/new ... n-america/
Sitting at the very heart of this new machine is the 1252cc Revolution Max engine, which produces 150bhp @ 8750rpm and 94lb.ft @ 6750rpm. How have Harley done it? They’ve built a whole new engine from the ground up.
For a start the engine architecture has changed considerably, with Harley’s propensity for long-stroke (undersquare) design chucked in favour of a short-stroke (oversquare) design. This means they can rev the engine much harder to chase power – the rev limit of the Revolution Max is twice that of a stock Milwaukee-Eight.
It’s also got a nifty variable valve system to help chase both power and torque, while in the interest of weight saving it acts as a stressed member, which helps to bring overall weight of the standard model down to 245kg and the S model to 258kg.
The frame is your standard steel tubed affair, with the front frame, mid frame and subframe bolting directly to the engine. The advantage to this is that if you take the thing off-road, which they’re really hoping you will do, and you totally muck things up it’s not the end of the world. Bend the subframe and it’s just a case of unbolting it and sticking on a new one. No costly write-offs for a 5mph drop here.
That’s not the only thought Harley have given to off-roading because they’re really designed it to zoom around in the rough stuff. All the drain bolts have been recessed, so nothing gets wrecked by a mean looking rock, while that ‘letterbox’ headlight has been designed to cast a wide beam across the trail. Even the brake pedal can be adjusted without tools to swap between seated and standing riding positions, while the petrol filler cap has been placed right at the front, so you don’t need to remove your tank bag to fill ’er up.
Sitting at the very heart of this new machine is the 1252cc Revolution Max engine, which produces 150bhp @ 8750rpm and 94lb.ft @ 6750rpm. How have Harley done it? They’ve built a whole new engine from the ground up.
For a start the engine architecture has changed considerably, with Harley’s propensity for long-stroke (undersquare) design chucked in favour of a short-stroke (oversquare) design. This means they can rev the engine much harder to chase power – the rev limit of the Revolution Max is twice that of a stock Milwaukee-Eight.
It’s also got a nifty variable valve system to help chase both power and torque, while in the interest of weight saving it acts as a stressed member, which helps to bring overall weight of the standard model down to 245kg and the S model to 258kg.
The frame is your standard steel tubed affair, with the front frame, mid frame and subframe bolting directly to the engine. The advantage to this is that if you take the thing off-road, which they’re really hoping you will do, and you totally muck things up it’s not the end of the world. Bend the subframe and it’s just a case of unbolting it and sticking on a new one. No costly write-offs for a 5mph drop here.
That’s not the only thought Harley have given to off-roading because they’re really designed it to zoom around in the rough stuff. All the drain bolts have been recessed, so nothing gets wrecked by a mean looking rock, while that ‘letterbox’ headlight has been designed to cast a wide beam across the trail. Even the brake pedal can be adjusted without tools to swap between seated and standing riding positions, while the petrol filler cap has been placed right at the front, so you don’t need to remove your tank bag to fill ’er up.
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Re: Harley-Davidson turn the adventure bike market on its head with the new Pan America
Wow, they've certainly put some thought into it. Short stroke Harley! Look forward to some real world reviews from the world's M/C press, but overall it doesn't look any more ridiculous than a GS ADV etc. I hope it brings them good fortune...
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Re: Harley-Davidson turn the adventure bike market on its head with the new Pan America
Just when I thought bikes couldn't get any uglier.
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Re: Harley-Davidson turn the adventure bike market on its head with the new Pan America
The fairing is pretty repulsive
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Re: Harley-Davidson turn the adventure bike market on its head with the new Pan America
It's not often you read about a motorcycle's weight being kept down to a quarter of a tonne.
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Re: Harley-Davidson turn the adventure bike market on its head with the new Pan America
Does the world need a new adventure bike? - there seem to be plenty out there that do the job ... and I guess better that this.
I cannot see it appealing to the usual HD crowd - it's not going to draw the crowd a the Route 66 diner ...
It's not going to draw there real adventure crowd - because it is an unproven engine.
As it looks really shit. I would be embarrassed to ride that
I cannot see it appealing to the usual HD crowd - it's not going to draw the crowd a the Route 66 diner ...
It's not going to draw there real adventure crowd - because it is an unproven engine.
As it looks really shit. I would be embarrassed to ride that
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Re: Harley-Davidson turn the adventure bike market on its head with the new Pan America
Bloody hell.
That's a full on,major league not want.
That's a full on,major league not want.
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Re: Harley-Davidson turn the adventure bike market on its head with the new Pan America
They're not really saying that a 5mph drop could bend the subframe, are they?
Even bland can be a type of character
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Re: Harley-Davidson turn the adventure bike market on its head with the new Pan America
258 kilos ain't going to bounce well no matter how you dress it.
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- KungFooBob
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Re: Harley-Davidson turn the adventure bike market on its head with the new Pan America
I'd ride it if I was given one.
I wouldn't choose it over a KTM or an AT.
I wouldn't choose it over a KTM or an AT.
- DefTrap
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Re: Harley-Davidson turn the adventure bike market on its head with the new Pan America
I wonder if that test rider's spine broke when he landed the thing.
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Re: Harley-Davidson turn the adventure bike market on its head with the new Pan America
Nah, the [5mph] collapsing subframe will have absorbed it all.
Even bland can be a type of character
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Re: Harley-Davidson turn the adventure bike market on its head with the new Pan America
Should be good in the dark.
- MingtheMerciless
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Re: Harley-Davidson turn the adventure bike market on its head with the new Pan America
Was all the broken rock in the pictures created from them landing previous jumps?
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Re: Harley-Davidson turn the adventure bike market on its head with the new Pan America
Wonder where it got its headlight inspiration from!
Re: Harley-Davidson turn the adventure bike market on its head with the new Pan America
I like it, but then I have soft spot for odd things.
New engine, all the tech, chain drive, whats not to like!
New engine, all the tech, chain drive, whats not to like!
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Re: Harley-Davidson turn the adventure bike market on its head with the new Pan America
It looks to be a stretch to the handlebar but also quite cramped in the leg. Maybe deceptive in the photos.
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Re: Harley-Davidson turn the adventure bike market on its head with the new Pan America
Fuck, you ain't gonna pick that fucker upwhich helps to bring overall weight of the standard model down to 245kg and the S model to 258kg.
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Re: Harley-Davidson turn the adventure bike market on its head with the new Pan America
Meh, can't say it's significantly uglier than most other big adventure touring thing.
Pretty much all of them look like they've been beat to shit with the ugly stick.
Pretty much all of them look like they've been beat to shit with the ugly stick.