Harley-Davidson hasn't had an easy time as of late. It's been dogged by contrived controversy, flagging sales, LiveWire being an anchor around its neck, and the same market contraction that all others within the industry have felt. Harley's also lost a few steps thanks to prior tariffs, and looming forthcoming tariffs.
But I see a glimmer of hope within its 2025 lineup it just dropped. A thread that, if pulled further, could lead the brand out of the darkness that's enveloped it in recent years—decades, if were' honest—and bring bigger, better, and cooler things for the Motor Co. That thread is the newly debuted Pan America 1250 ST, a motorcycle that's modern, sporty, and looks the part.
Yet, we're not talking about an off-road-focused Pan America with some new flashy colors. No, we're talking about a sport tourer in the same vein as a BMW R 1300. Something without the baggage and panniers, without the center-stand, without the world traveler cosplay. It looks like a brawler, a proper sporty motorcycle.
You have my attention, Harley.
While Harley didn't overhaul the Pan America to the point it's a new motorcycle, what the company did was a lot of smart small changes to make essentially a new model. Still centered around the Revolution Max twin, the 1,250cc motor is good for 149 horsepower and 91 pound-feet of torque. A new exhaust, which looks to be the biggest exhaust I've ever seen fitted to a stock motorcycle, supposedly both reduces weight and improves sound by Harley eliminating the OG's mid-chamber.
Furthering the Pan Am's sport makeover is a new quick-shifter, which allows riders to blast canyons—and maybe tracks—with seamless up and downshifts while under full throttle. The company also threw Showa shocks both front and rear, but actually reduced the overall ride height for better center of gravity. Likewise, while preload is handled electronically, compression and rebound are both manually adjustable so as each rider can tune their setup to suit their needs. Harley also kept the adaptive ride height of the original Pan America, which lets shorter riders throw a leg over, as well as keep even tall folks like myself from standing too much while stopped at lights.
Dual front Brembo Monoblocks clamp on 320mm rotors, while a single Brembo halts the bike's rear for better trail braking. Speaking of, Harley swapped out the dual-sport tires on the Pan America for a set o Michelin Scorcher Sports shod on aluminum 17-inch wheels. They're really going for the goods here, it seems.
Harley also gave the Pan American 1250 ST a more refined, less touring look, removing the front fairing and brush guards—this bike ain't going off-road—and reduced the shrouds hiding the motorcycle's radiator. The overall aesthetic is one that's athletic and extremely aggressive, as much as a 550-pound sport touring motorcycle can be. There's also a host of rider modes and safety systems, along with cornering ABS and traction control, and wheelie controls.
I'd personally turn the latter off, but I'm a hoodlum.
Now let's talk price. It, honestly, isn't terrible. It's not great, but I would've expected Harley to price itself out of the market with this one. If you walk into a Harley dealership right now, you could—theoretically—ask for a Pan America 1250 ST and walk out the door with one for $20,000. It's still expensive. It still seemingly has the Harley tax on it. And I would've loved to have seen it sub-$20,000, more around that $17,000 starting mark. But it is in line with those in its class. So I can't give it too much shit for its price.
I will give Harley shit for asking an extra $300 for black paint, while another $500 for red. Come on, Harley.
But I have to admit, this motorcycle looks like a ton of fun. It has all the right stuff to make a good sport touring motorcycle. And I think Harley could pull this thread, liven up its model lineup with other versions of this motorcycle, maybe something with a smaller engine and a cheaper introductory price, and something without the fancy adaptive suspension and ride modes? I could see that helping turn its fates around. I mean, cruisers are fine, but I'm not sure new motorcyclists want a full-dress bagger?
What I could absolutely see with this Pan America 1250 ST is running some fast, flowy canyons, and then hitting the open road for a 1,000-mile iron butt with it. Actually, that sounds like a fun test. Maybe I'll have to do that once the weather isn't so snowy and white here in Utah.
Hey, Harley, I've got an idea...
