The Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 might not scream rally, but the American adventurer has made it to the end of one of the world’s most gruelling rallies.
Set along the original route of the Paris-Dakar rally - which, for the record, doesn’t include the Saudi Arabian Empty Quarter - the Africa Eco Race has become one of the world’s most prestigious rally raids.
The 2024 edition was the 15th of this rally, and marked Harley-Davidson’s first attempt with the Pan America.
Ridden by Joao Pedrero, who took the Pan America to Maxi Trail success at the Transanatolia Rally in Turkiye last year and at the 2022 Baja Aragon, the Pan America was able to reach the finish in Dakar at the conclusion of the rally last Saturday.
Although the overall honours went to Jacopo Cerutti and his factory Aprilia Tuareg 660, Pedrero took the Maxi Trail victory with the Pan America. Overall, the Spaniard was able to manage a 25th-place finish after what Harley-Davidson calls “some setbacks” after the fourth day. Until then, Pedrero has been running inside the top-20 overall.
Kolja Rebstock, Harley-Davidson Regional Vice President for Europe, Middle East and Africa said, “We are thrilled with the result of this race and the incredible performance from Joan Pedrero. Our brand is rooted in adventure and performance, and the Pan America completing this race is a fantastic example of how we are continuing to go beyond expectations by pushing technology and performance limits.”
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