HARLEY-DAVIDSON has this week announced that its first crack at a modern-era adventure bike has become the best selling of the segment in its native USA.
Built during a two year period that swung from Rewire to Hardwire corporate strategies, the Pan America was Harley’s ambitious grab at one of the most lucrative – and competitive – motorcycle markets there is. Happily for the firm, the bike’s designers and, of course, Harley-Davidson’s investors, they seem to have nailed it.
The Harley press release doesn’t drill down into sales figures, but you can easily see how a ‘Bar and Shield’ bike with knobbly tyres, crash bars and a significant amount of off-road prowess, would have been an easy sell for American’s who till now had to settle for European and Japanese ADV machines.
In truth, there’s more to Pan America than merely scratching a muddy Made-in -Murica itch. It’s actually a genuinely great bike in its own right. It’s tech-laden without being overcomplicated, easy to ride, accessible, and handles very well on road and trail. It’s also probably one of the best handling Harley-Davidson’s you are ever likely to ride!
Speaking of the news, Jochen Zeitz the Chairman of Harley-Davidson said:
“Taking inspiration from our heritage, we wanted to create a motorcycle that redefined the adventure touring category and most importantly was designed and built in America. With the Pan America Special now the #1 selling ADV motorcycle model in North America, we targeted a selective expansion into adventure touring as part of the Hardwire Strategy with the goal to reach new and existing Harley-Davidson customers. Pan America is squarely built on our mission to deliver a timeless pursuit of adventure for our riders. Those who now own or have tested one of our Pan America’s absolutely love this bike - having sold out of our 2021 allocation, we are excited about what the future has in store for Pan America and for the Adventure Touring category at Harley-Davidson.”
