HD advert

Disregarding its challenging looks, let's wait and see how it performs in the tests. I will be looking to change the GSA in 2021 and I will certainly keep an open mind on the HD if it has the rideability, handling, braking, luggage space, comfort, price and range I am looking for. With regards to reliability, the only issue I have had with my 10 year old GSA is the fuel strip, on its third!, nothing else has gone wrong (tempting fate), and the finish is still excellent.
 
If it performs for real like it does in the ad I just saw, it'll be the bolide of choice for aspiring adveture riders and leave everything else in its dust. (Will there be optional stick on 5 o clock shadow and HD branded spray on muck for rider and bike? :D)
 
About a dozen years ago I was riding back roads on my Dyna Glide Sport when one became gravel, then dirt. The map showed it continuing through up the mountain and coming out on highway 38. I stuffed the map in my pocket and continued. As the dirt road became steeper it got even narrower. Ruts from tires got deeper, enough that if the Dyna went in it’d be stuck resting on the primary. I couldn’t turn around because when either wheel went in a rut the bike would be stuck resting on the frame. I was afraid if I stopped I may not get going again so I continued, praying I wouldn’t come to a fallen tree, ditch, or anything that’d stop me.
The low seat made it easy to dab a foot down when the bike kicked sideways and the Dyna kept chugging up that steep road just above idle. I started thinking with just a few mods Harley could make this into a pretty capable adventure bike. Finally the grade started to ease, the ruts got shallower, basically more like
a dirt road than a goat trail and in a mile or so I was on 38.
On the ride home I kept thinking of the relatively easy mods for Harley to make a GS version of a Dyna. Basically 2” more suspension and ground clearance, lower first gear, and knobbier tyres.

I hope the Pan Am’s engine makes good torque just above idle and it has a WIDE ratio gearbox.
 
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I like the look of it, I’ll be interested to see if the dealers do actually let me take it on a ‘proper’ test ride :green gri
 
I think they should have went more along these lines
 

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I meant the overall style as the pan is just a boker

Thing is that's a proper dirt bike (and very nice too). The market HD are going for is a ruffty tuffty looking touring bike. It's gotta have all the creature comforts of a top end BWM/KTM and 'look' like it can go off road. KTM's are probably the only ones that still can but nobody here in the European market uses them for that any more..........the market is aging bloke, disposable income, wants to look like an adventurer but never strays into that area on anything more than a gravel car park.

Medium Adventure Bikes are the future :D

Andres
 


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