Harley-Davidson turn the adventure bike market on its head with the new Pan America

[The Spin Doctor]

The American Dream.

Made in Thailand.

Just like 'fly the flag' Triumph, then.

[Bigjawa]

The American Dream.

Made in Thailand.

Just like 'fly the flag' Triumph, then.

I gave up on country snobbery when I bought a Malaysian car and it was great.

I wonder if the average HD rider knows that his ride isn't from Milwaukee any more?

[MrLongbeard]

I wonder if the average HD rider knows that his ride isn't from Milwaukee any more?

Yup.

Right, if someone could let old Trump know that a good old Yankie bike has half of its loom made in Mexico..

[The Spin Doctor]

The American Dream.

Made in Thailand.

Just like 'fly the flag' Triumph, then.

I gave up on country snobbery when I bought a Malaysian car and it was great.

I wonder if the average HD rider knows that his ride isn't from Milwaukee any more?

But what was it sold as?

Triumph relaunched on a wave of 'Buy British' propaganda, were lauded recently as a 'triumph of British business' by the Tories, and have steadily been shipping production offshore. The last two production lines still building bikes in the UK are due to shut any time soon. Just the R&D facility remains and most of the jobs this 'British success story' created have vanished too.

Personally, I bought my first bike made in Japan at the time when they were still looked down on as rice burners. Even just a few years ago, there was a lot of sniffiness about the NC series and the new Honda 500s for being built in Thailand.

[gremlin]

Every fucking branch on the way down.

And that, from the owner of a Triumph Tiger.

[Bigjawa]

But what was it sold as?

Triumph relaunched on a wave of 'Buy British' propaganda, were lauded recently as a 'triumph of British business' by the Tories, and have steadily been shipping production offshore. The last two production lines still building bikes in the UK are due to shut any time soon. Just the R&D facility remains and most of the jobs this 'British success story' created have vanished too.

Personally, I bought my first bike made in Japan at the time when they were still looked down on as rice burners. Even just a few years ago, there was a lot of sniffiness about the NC series and the new Honda 500s for being built in Thailand.

I suppose it's Caveat Emptor, it's not a new thing, Brazilian CG125s and RD350R, all Honda's best 125s coming from Italy, BMW's with Chinese engines etc.

My own "Japanese" 125 is made in India and had had the absolute dung thrashed out of it for 28k miles with minimal maintenance, the fact that it hasn't blown up and still starts first time every time is as much due to Sanjay and the lads being able to screw it together well, as it is to the soundness off the design.

Building bikes isn't rocket science by a long way, as long as the design is sound, almost anybody can screw them together and if you want them a low price, the bloke who'll work for a metaphorical bowl of rice a day, will always be cheaper than Harold in Hinkley or Willie in Wisconsin.

I thought that people with country snobbery with regards to vehicles died out around the time people stopped buying Austin Princesses and bought Camrys instead

[MrLongbeard]

I wonder if the average HD rider knows that his ride isn't from Milwaukee any more?

Yup.

Right, if someone could let old Trump know that a good old Yankie bike has half of its loom made in Mexico..

Just checked, mine was knocked together in Kansas

[Bigjawa]

Really?

What does the R18 not do in cruiser-world? (apart from make 'potato-potato-potato' noises). Asking seriously btw as I know only a little about cruisers, and what I do know is that they seem to be designed solely for being uncomfortable to ride, and only at slower speeds.

R18 is very impressive, they are huge in the flesh.

Speaking for the lad's HD, the potato thing is the best thing about it. The rest of the bike is inferior to something like a Virago 1100.

[Rockburner]

Really?

What does the R18 not do in cruiser-world? (apart from make 'potato-potato-potato' noises). Asking seriously btw as I know only a little about cruisers, and what I do know is that they seem to be designed solely for being uncomfortable to ride, and only at slower speeds.

R18 is very impressive, they are huge in the flesh.

Speaking for the lad's HD, the potato thing is the best thing about it. The rest of the bike is inferior to something like a Virago 1100.

Dynamically: the HDs I rode a few years ago were inferior to a 1958 Matchless G80.

[KungFooBob]

Another review, this one from More Crap than News...

https://www.motorcyclenews.com/bike-rev ... rica/2021/

The more I see it the more it's growing on me. The single colours do look better than the Orange/White ones.

None of them are saying it's total shite. I'd ride it if I was given one.

[MrLongbeard]

Not my thang, but interesting, will have to see where they go with the motor and what it ends up in.

[Horse]

it's growing on me.

Like warts and acne?

[demographic]

So, just a thought but as its not a shaft drive, its got the sprocket and disc on the correct sides and has rims properly designed for tubeless instead of that shonky shit where people seal the spoke holes with silicone.
I'm wondering if the rear wheel might be something used in spoked wheel conversions of other bikes.
I was just looking at the rims on a BMW 1200GS today and wondering about them to get tubeless tyres on another bike but the hubs being shaftie they won't be any use for any other bike.

To be fair, I can't see a huge amount of these Harley wheels flooding the market but once a few manufacturers start using rims like that things could get interesting.

[Taipan]

Is that praise I’m reading!

[The Spin Doctor]

Nah... it's the Mirror!

[Taipan]

More overall praise below. I think its certainly not looking like the joke most thought it would be! I hope it works out well for Harley as they are deffo in a spot of bother and i'd not like to see the back of them.

https://www.advpulse.com/adv-news/harle ... al-review/

[Taipan]

[Taipan]

Co-founder of ADVrider gives his impressions...

[Bigjawa]

I hope it works out well for Harley as they are deffo in a spot of bother and i'd not like to see the back of them.

I'll be glad to see the back of the POS broken down in my driveway.

Might try and blag a spin on one when the dealer gets a demo.

[Taipan]

I think most of the reviews I've read and watched have been overwhelmingly positive and surprising for the testers!! I think the face lift model will have addressed the things like lack of quickshifter and adaptive cruise control and I think its going to win a lot of the market share.

It's a bit of a wheelie monster with all the restrictions turned off. @Couchy goes a bit left field from time to time. I reckon it wont be long before we see him trouncing everyone on one and getting air at Cadwell mountain! Selling it afterwards obvs...