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Test rode a Pan American yesterday

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Z

Zippy

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I went to the Ranch HD in College Station yesterday and test rode the Pan Am. Surprisingly comfortable and east to ride. Had a little heat off the pipe on my leg, but other than that I think it would be easy to cruise on all day. No off rode riding but the riding modes were fun to play with and definitely change the characteristics of the bike. My salesman Juan Chapa did not seem to care that I am not a traditional Harley guy. I have to say I might consider one in the future.
 
If I were in the market for a big ADV bike the Dirt Glide would have to be near the top of my list.
 
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they look good in the wild too. As far as dirt and gravel roads they work fine. We didn't do any technical stuff. Doubt many will. It did as good as the rest of our group.
 
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jhansen said:
That one has luggage attached so shouldn't it be called a "Dirt Bagger"? asking for a friend
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Other's have said that about thus photo, not sure why looks so big, in person, it seems regular size.
 
I don't know the specifics but I've seen a few people on Youtube who bought them and have had a few problems. Then again almost all first year models have some issues especially since the engine is a completely new thing for them.
 
Interesting. The two, potentially, highest mileage examples seem to have been running like clockwork. Those would be the factory bike Whit Meza did her 48 in 10 on and the bike Jim Hampshire road in the IBR with. Both were over 10k miles a month or so ago.

That's only two examples, and anecdotal at best, but still a good sign given the limited data we have on them from real world experience. And neither challenge is particularly easy on a motorcycle.

I'm hoping the only issues people encounter with them are small ones. No bike is truly perfect after all.
 
veriest1 said:
I'm hoping the only issues people encounter with them are small ones. No bike is truly perfect after all.
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Kelly Quinn (Throttle Girl) was one of the Beta test riders and wound up buying one after the fact. She had some major electrical issue with hers that required leaving the bike at a dealer in Las Vegas. I don't remember her saying specifically what the issue was. She's a high mileage Tour Of Honor and Iron Butt Association rider who's been riding H-D products for a long time.

She posted about the problem on June 10th and didn't post up again about getting it back until the 23rd and even then said there was still one little thing to be resolved but it didn't affect the safety aspect of riding the bike. She still wasn't explicit about what the issues were.
 
If they complain too much abot the bike then Harley won't let them review any more bikes. I guarantee that rear cylinder sitting right under your butt isn't cool and neither is the exhaust running under your leg.
 
Tigerkf said:
If they complain too much abot the bike then Harley won't let them review any more bikes. I guarantee that rear cylinder sitting right under your butt isn't cool and neither is the exhaust running under your leg.
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I think that depends on where and how they get it. Media bikes are a regional thing and small reviewers don't seem to be real handicapped. Others, like the one ShadeTreeSurgeon has on YT are loaned directly from a dealer and he says there's no contract involved that prevents him from saying whatever he wants about a bike. I don't know where Whitney Meza's came from but she reported no issues as I recall on FB posts. Her little YT series is still trickling out. Jim Hampshire bought his with his own hard earned money. His review of the bike post rally is here: https://forum.ironbutt.org/index.ph...fter-rally-report-how-it-did.4887/#post-63302

My Super Enduro has a cylinder under the butt and an exhaust near the leg. It isn't an issue so I wouldn't immediately conclude it's an issue on another bike.
 
One reason I wanted to try one is there are Harley shops everywhere when I travel. Bmw is only in big metro areas. I have a BMW currently and I have to travel at least one hundred miles for service. That said, my BMW has never left me stranded but is a pain for warranty work and service. Any opinions which bike might be cheaper to own over time - BMW GS vs Harley Pan American??
 
Zippy said:
One reason I wanted to try one is there are Harley shops everywhere when I travel. Bmw is only in big metro areas. I have a BMW currently and I have to travel at least one hundred miles for service. That said, my BMW has never left me stranded but is a pain for warranty work and service. Any opinions which bike might be cheaper to own over time - BMW GS vs Harley Pan American??
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On the surface I agree, since I'm a BMW owner too. But we don't know how the PA is accepted by the shops . Also new motor, so are parts out there and trained techs.
 
There some upsides to the RA1250. The maintenance costs compared to a Tiger or GS are dramatic. My tiger was ready for its 36,000 mile job (valve clearances, oil, filter, brake pads, likely fork seals and front springs, etc, etc). Used that $2500 maintenance allowance and trade in a down payment and the on an RA1250. (Two year cost of maintenance on a Tiger 900 is about $8000, or $4000 a year if you run more than 15k miles a year). Also the sticker price on a new 2022 RA1250 even with all the extra dealer crap added was $19,8xx. Quite a bit cheaper than a Tiger 1200 or GS1250.

For those interested in cost control and/or a strong value proposition, the RA1250 is defiantly something to look at if you are concerned about long term ownership costs.

The RA1250S, however, looks like an electronic nightmare that people will be dumping as soon as all that computerized crap takes a dirt nap.
 
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Haven't seen one out and about for a long time! Guess they're still around. Glad I'm not spending 4,000 dollars a year for maintenance on my GS850! It'd be gone.
 
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