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Any love for the Pan America?

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  • steelo
    steelo
    3 years ago
    Hi there. Do you work for HD? Are you drumming up business / interest?
    I'd like to have one.
  • Ratbob
    Ratbob
    3 years ago
    To answer your questions
    Ordered one? Not yet
    Wants one? Not yet
    Tested one? Not yet
    All too early but, 
    Interested in one? Yes
    Only problem for me is that I’d never buy the first model of any Harley. 
    I’m not interested in the market reaction, rather the beasts reliability, a definite issue on what should be a high mileage use bike capable of taking you to remote off road places.

  • Ratbob
    Ratbob
    3 years ago
    Quote source removed.
    Fair comment but HD really need to breakout. (no pun intended)
  • Ratbob
    Ratbob
    3 years ago
    Quote source removed.
    Yeah mate they’re a real piece of precision, do everything well, eat up the miles, go pretty much anywhere but no soul, but then, soul doesn’t get you through the rough stuff. Some mates have the Tiger but none have KTM, they seem too high and wide.
  • Krash Kinkade
    Krash Kinkade
    3 years ago
    I would not take any of those bikes or the Pan American.

  • Airhead
    Airhead
    3 years ago
    I bought the KTM plenty of soul there.  I would like to try the Pan America but don't see it as a competitor really.
    1090 Adventure_1.jpg
  • steelo
    steelo
    3 years ago
    Competitor?  
    Most if the blokes I see on bmws or Ktms are non competitive slightly overweight intelligent 50plus business or retired types that watch races on the telly
    They can at least afford all the pretty bling and expensive waterproofs. 
    Could the Harley be better or worse than a 5 to 10 year old version of the gs which is where I’d be looking if I was in the market. Probably. 
    Ive got all the rest
    Non competitive
    Slightly overweight
    Reasonably intelligent
    50 plus retired type
  • Airhead
    Airhead
    3 years ago
    I fit your profile to a T.  Depends what you do with it, the guys I ride dirt with have all come from a motorcross backgrounds.  I have been on a learning curve but went out and practiced two or three times a week.  It helps having plenty of roads and fire trails within a kilometre of my home.  The KTM's all have a bit of a hard edge it is there to be used if you want to.  
  • UltraPete
    UltraPete
    3 years ago
    I like that it exists but wouldn't buy one. 

    Bloke I work with bought an SWM, nice looking bike but he had an issue with the clutch master, a horn not working and then the factory recall for the faulty oil pickup screen, now he doesn't trust the thing, and I don't blame him.

    I have been contemplating an ADV bike but thinking of a KLR 650. I don't have offroad experience but it seems they are good albeit a bit heavy for a beginner. Plenty of real nice ones already had the money spent on them (pipe, lights, hard bags GPS etc) for 6-7k. 
  • Airhead
    Airhead
    3 years ago
    Quote source removed.
    Yes I meant competitor in the market place for adventure bikes.
  • Airhead
    Airhead
    3 years ago
    Quoting UltraPete on 14 Feb 2021 10:00 AM

    I like that it exists but wouldn't buy one. 

    Bloke I work with bought an SWM, nice looking bike but he had an issue with the clutch master, a horn not working and then the factory recall for the faulty oil pickup screen, now he doesn't trust the thing, and I don't blame him.


    I have been contemplating an ADV bike but thinking of a KLR 650. I don't have offroad experience but it seems they are good albeit a bit heavy for a beginner. Plenty of real nice ones already had the money spent on them (pipe, lights, hard bags GPS etc) for 6-7k. 

    Your right Pete I started looking at KLR's and 6 -7 grand would buy you a good one.  Make sure it has had the "dohickey" attended to.
  • Big Steve
    Big Steve
    3 years ago
    I've owned a GS adventure so thats a hard NO from me.
  • steelo
    steelo
    3 years ago
    Picture the car park of your favourite country bakery. There’s your usual offering of bmws, ktms, Ducati’s and Honda’s. the 50 somethings are resting their weary retired bones sipping cafe lates and nibbling sticky buns. Klim, dririder and dianese jackets hanging on the back of their chairs. Name brand helmets resting safely on the side table. iPhones (12 if you must) Samsung and google strategically positioned on tables in front of them. 
    in you ride on your pan America. 
    Which bike in the car park is going to suddenly be the subject of their conversation. For at least the next 5 to 10 years. 
    Competitor?
    Based on every objective criteria handling power comfort braking, my 18 yr old deuce with a 1450 and 120k kms on the clock can’t compete with other road bike options. But I love it to bits and it still gets favourable comments and interest. One of my friends has been begging me to sell it to him. He’s never ridden it!!
    Neither had I when I first bought it. 
    It’s the Holden v Ford debate in another guise. They used to say “win on Sunday, sell on Monday”. But I don’t think people care so much for that any more. It’s a good looking bike. Has trimmings, spoked wheels, panniers. Should be good to go. I’d have one and I don’t plan on doing a Paris Dakar anytime soon. 

  • Krash Kinkade
    Krash Kinkade
    3 years ago
    Chester whatever you like mate! when I said that in my post it was myself personally , not trying to tell others what to ride.

    I ride a mountain bike ( hard work! )

     people I ride with some ride adventure bikes & like them but have not done anything to impress me enough to do the same.
  • Wideglider
    Wideglider
    3 years ago
    Quoting steelo on 14 Feb 2021 11:08 PM

    Picture the car park of your favourite country bakery. There’s your usual offering of bmws, ktms, Ducati’s and Honda’s. the 50 somethings are resting their weary retired bones sipping cafe lates and nibbling sticky buns. Klim, dririder and dianese jackets hanging on the back of their chairs. Name brand helmets resting safely on the side table. iPhones (12 if you must) Samsung and google strategically positioned on tables in front of them. 

    in you ride on your pan America. 
    Which bike in the car park is going to suddenly be the subject of their conversation. For at least the next 5 to 10 years. 
    Competitor?
    Based on every objective criteria handling power comfort braking, my 18 yr old deuce with a 1450 and 120k kms on the clock can’t compete with other road bike options. But I love it to bits and it still gets favourable comments and interest. One of my friends has been begging me to sell it to him. He’s never ridden it!!
    Neither had I when I first bought it. 
    It’s the Holden v Ford debate in another guise. They used to say “win on Sunday, sell on Monday”. But I don’t think people care so much for that any more. It’s a good looking bike. Has trimmings, spoked wheels, panniers. Should be good to go. I’d have one and I don’t plan on doing a Paris Dakar anytime soon. 

    Ha! Funny as ...
    Ok, you got me to bite here, because my alter-ego is a GS Rider (F850GSA). I like to think not a pretend one but lucky enough to get offroad -  dirt, gravel, mud, sand & creek crossings most times out. I'm a returning off-road rider with a dirt bike background & had a break of over 30 years!
    Yeah, GS/or Adventure riders, we spend just a little more money on proper waterproof riding suits - rather than choosing a cool looking but useless black leather jacket & blue  or black denim riding jeans! (although that still remains my Harley riding outfit)! I've spent much more on Harley chrome bits than I should have spent on keeping warm/dry. 
    With the Beemer you have no need to spend on any engine performance upgrade so your money goes on luggage options or proper riding gear. 
    Helmets are on the table - sure, these a proper fit for purpose helmet. No one is interested in knocking off your cheap open-face 'skull-cap' matt black helmet hanging on yout Harley mirror!
    Mobile phones on the table? Show me anyone who across any demographic who doesn't do that?
    I agree with the interest in a HD Adventure bike, I personally would be eager to check out a Pan America that pulled up into the carpark and I know all my GS group would be same.
    Oh, other threads do tell me you like the sticky buns also.
    50 something and retired? I'm in that age bracket but can't retire yet (got more gear & Adventure trips to pay for).


    D85_6937.jpg
  • Far Canal
    Far Canal
    3 years ago
    Quoting steelo on 14 Feb 2021 11:08 PM

    Picture the car park of your favourite country bakery. There’s your usual offering of bmws, ktms, Ducati’s and Honda’s. the 50 somethings are resting their weary retired bones sipping cafe lates and nibbling sticky buns. Klim, dririder and dianese jackets hanging on the back of their chairs. Name brand helmets resting safely on the side table. iPhones (12 if you must) Samsung and google strategically positioned on tables in front of them. 

    in you ride on your pan America. 
    Which bike in the car park is going to suddenly be the subject of their conversation. For at least the next 5 to 10 years. 
    Competitor?
    Based on every objective criteria handling power comfort braking, my 18 yr old deuce with a 1450 and 120k kms on the clock can’t compete with other road bike options. But I love it to bits and it still gets favourable comments and interest. One of my friends has been begging me to sell it to him. He’s never ridden it!!
    Neither had I when I first bought it. 
    It’s the Holden v Ford debate in another guise. They used to say “win on Sunday, sell on Monday”. But I don’t think people care so much for that any more. It’s a good looking bike. Has trimmings, spoked wheels, panniers. Should be good to go. I’d have one and I don’t plan on doing a Paris Dakar anytime soon. 

    Quoting Wideglider on 16 Feb 2021 11:01 AMedited: 16 Feb 2021 11:26 AM

    Ha! Funny as ...

    Ok, you got me to bite here, because my alter-ego is a GS Rider (F850GSA). I like to think not a pretend one but lucky enough to get offroad -  dirt, gravel, mud, sand & creek crossings most times out. I'm a returning off-road rider with a dirt bike background & had a break of over 30 years!
    Yeah, GS/or Adventure riders, we spend just a little more money on proper waterproof riding suits - rather than choosing a cool looking but useless black leather jacket & blue  or black denim riding jeans! (although that still remains my Harley riding outfit)! I've spent much more on Harley chrome bits than I should have spent on keeping warm/dry. 
    With the Beemer you have no need to spend on any engine performance upgrade so your money goes on luggage options or proper riding gear. 
    Helmets are on the table - sure, these a proper fit for purpose helmet. No one is interested in knocking off your cheap open-face 'skull-cap' matt black helmet hanging on yout Harley mirror!
    Mobile phones on the table? Show me anyone who across any demographic who doesn't do that?
    I agree with the interest in a HD Adventure bike, I personally would be eager to check out a Pan America that pulled up into the carpark and I know all my GS group would be same.
    Oh, other threads do tell me you like the sticky buns also.
    50 something and retired? I'm in that age bracket but can't retire yet (got more gear & Adventure trips to pay for).


    D85_6937.jpg
    "Mobile phones on the table? Show me anyone who across any demographic who doesn't do that?"
    I don't. But I know where you are coming from.
    Saw this bunch of blokes in a pub in Queenstown here in Tassie just before the virus hit.
    Whichever way you come into town the riding is as good as it gets.
    They were not talking about the ride or the scenery, or the delectable 300 kilo ravishing barmaids.
    Nope, just glued to their stupid phones.
    So I took a picture with my phone because I thought it was strange.
    I wonder if any of them are on this forum?, ha ha.
    Queenstown pub.JPG
  • liberator
    liberator
    3 years ago
    You've got to have the right tool for the job, a mans shed should have at least 6 bikes in it so that you have all bases covered, if the Pan America is half as good as my Buell Ulysses then I'm in, well, if I was flush with cabbage I'd be in,
  • Krash Kinkade
    Krash Kinkade
    3 years ago
    Quoting liberator on 16 Feb 2021 12:40 PM

    You've got to have the right tool for the job, a mans shed should have at least 6 bikes in it so that you have all bases covered, if the Pan America is half as good as my Buell Ulysses then I'm in, well, if I was flush with cabbage I'd be in,

    Good one liberator, have a few mates with those Buell Ulys...., only thing need to worry about in touch going, is the cast wheels. But Buell did make an Alpine model with spoke wheels & perimeter disc .
  • steelo
    steelo
    3 years ago
    You only got a tourer because I had one.
    AND you only ever stop at accidents.
    I have seen those jackets before
    jjjscket.jpg
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