I switched from an adventure BMW bike to the HD Pan America Special and I absolutely love it. I had some growing pains and had to take her 1 time to the dealership because of an electrical issue but after that it has been amaaazinggg
Absolutely love my 23 Pan Am. Still have my old twin cam Road King when I want to have that cruising experience but the Pan Am is the bike I ride most of the time here in the Sierra. With over a thousand miles of forest service roads at my doorstep and Yosemite in my back yard it has not disappointed me one bit. Quite a pig to lift when you crash off road, and who the hell designed that damned kick stand? Other than that, she's taken every thing I've thrown at her.....and what a joy on the street as well! Traded a Triumph 800XCA for it. No regrets.
Funny to hear you describe it as the best bike you’ve ever ridden… when I test rode it last year I thought the same thing! I held off then, but found a screaming deal on a 2023 2 weeks ago and I am now the proud owner of a Pan America and it is by far the best bike I’ve ever owned!
@huntercharlesd "Ah, I see you're a man of culture as well." I bought my 2021 last year in June after I found a screaming deal too. For my area here in the Appalachian Foothills and the gravel road I live on, it's been great. It's easily by far and away the favorite when it comes to all the bikes I've owned. Welcome to the club, I'm always glad to see another Pan Am convert, and thank you for watching!
Test rode a '24 Special on a whim thinking it would be a gimmicky dirt bike. By the time I was done I wanted to trade my Road Glide in. Instead I bought it and kept the Glide, but the Glide rarely goes out except for long road trips. Keep in mind I am a 65 year old that started on a Shovel Heads and have ridden big twins for 45 years. Fact: a Hayabusa (World's fastest road bike) goes 0-60 in 2.6 seconds. The Pan Am does it in 3.4 seconds- and it's a freakin Harley.
That's how the salesmen get you. You figure it's just a test ride on a weird bike. Then you hit the 1st bump and don't feel it, your spine doesn't compress. You hit a few more, nothing. So, you give it a little throttle, you're surprised it's so fast. The clutch is light, the wind protection is pretty good too. "Cruise control" you think "I could tour on this". Suddenly, you're back at the dealership, signing papers not knowing what happened but glad that pushy salesmen threw you the key and fob and said "Here, take it for a ride". The Pan Am is a sneaky bike. If they get you on one, you'll like it. It's so different than anything H-D has ever produced though, and that's the challenge the salesmen face. Welcome to the club, what color did you get? Oh, and thank you for watching!
No problem, I'm glad I could help. I have newer videos with the Pan Am S because I bought one myself. Besides a few initial issues, it's been a riot of a bike.
Traded my CVO Limited Road Glide in on a Pan America and absolutely am 100% confident it was great trade for me. We ride mostly two up my wife loves the PA as well. Maneuverable , water cooled , fast , nimble , technology. Gravel is no issues and with added hiway legs it’s comfortable. 48-50 MPG it has it all.
Agreed, I traded in my Road King in June for a Pan Am Special. It's just too good, I'm on a mission to promote it as much as possible at this point. I just wish more people would give it a chance.
@@Chase_NI appreciate you guys posting these comments. I’m currently on a Road Glide Limited and my wife LOVES it. But I’ve been dying to get on a Pan Am for probably 2 years. Going over some numbers for a trade in this coming week. My wife hates the idea, but I commute everyday on my bike and I genuinely feel like the Limited is just a chore to ride sometimes… anyway, I’m thankful to see others have gone from a loaded touring machine to a Pan Am.
@@andrewcoffey4694 The Pan Am is easier to commute on for sure and certainly less weight. Also, better fuel economy. Just moving it around in the garage is easier. Luggage capacity is close with the side cases & top box (some companies make even larger side cases). The only downside is sitting a little higher but it's just something to get used to. Also, get a 4amp trickle charger, the Pan Am for some reason functions better with the 4 amp chargers than 1 or 2 amp models and it's what H-D recommends. Lastly, it'll feel under powered if you try to ride it like an air-cooled H-D. The power only really starts to spool up at 3500-4000RPM, but once there it really hits. I'm glad you've found some it helpful and thank you for watching!
@@Chase_Nthank you! I’ve heard that about the power band. A friend of mine has a newer Sportster and he’s mentioned that a lot. I think it sounds like a winner. I’m hoping the dealer I’m working with can get some good numbers for me. Thanks so much for the information!
I rode one today and started watching videos about it. It was really comfortable, better than my Yamaha Tracer 9 which I am now thinking of selling and switching. I have HD Ultra and would not swap with that, it’s just a different experience.
My cousin that had a Low Rider S & now has a Street Glide Special- "It doesn't even feel like a Harley, but I really like it." It seems that everyone likes it once they try it but it's so different than a cruiser that people always seem to want one of each (HD traditional cruiser/grand touring & a Pan Am).
Have you looked recently? From the 2nd half of 2022 forward there were a lot of upgrades and updates. The new 2024s have an upgraded stator for more juice, a larger capacity battery, along with all the software updates. I bought a 2021 last year and I'm over 8100 miles now with only having needed software updates, a new battery because my bike sat for over 6 months uncharged & unstarted, a redesigned radiator hose, and that it needs a 4Amp tender. After the initial problems were fixed in 1st 2 weeks I had it, it's been great. Below is an excerpt from a comment I made earlier today when another person expressed wanting a Pan Am but was concerned about about reliability- "I think a lot of it is "squeaky wheelism". By that I mean the guys with problem bikes are always the loudest. The guys like DangerDan blowing through miles on a Pan Am (unkind, brutal miles), nobody seems to notice. The guy who writes a big story on the forums or makes videos about his bike being broken down, he gets the attention. I'm going to continue to put it to the test. I wouldn't fear buying another and I've said it before in a vid, if it was stolen or totaled I'd go out and get another. I just extended my Harley ESP (H-D's warranty) for another 5 years this week, so if anything happens, I'm covered until 2029. If you want one, that's the best route to dispel any fear you may have. @FXDLSBrooklyn just bought one, a 2022, and he's a mile muncher so it'll be another older Pan Am being put to the test if you're interested." Thank you for watching and maybe take another look at the Pan Am.
Swapped my 2020 Roadking for a 22 Pan Am Special. Glad I made the switch. Roadking wasn't a bad bike but it felt sluggish and wasn't as fun hustling through the twists.
The Pan Am is just on a completely different plane of existence in comparison to the touring line. I love the touring line, they're hard to beat & they're really good at long trips. That being said, the Pan Am is good at almost everything up to & including those long trips. While it might not be for every H-D guy, I encourage everyone I meet that rides to try one out.
I took a 3100 mile trip on my Road Glide Special and didn’t even take it home before stopping at my local dealership to trade it for a PAS. Best decision I’ve made lately.
Wow, years ago when the Pan Am came out I would've never believed anyone would trade in a bagger for one. Yet here we both are. This last Saturday, my cousin & his girlfriend swapped bikes with me (I got on his Street Glide Special) to see what it was like. They both really liked the suspension & comfort, they blew by me when I was leading. They both really liked it except he wanted more torque at the bottom. I explained that the torque curve is higher in the revs & that if he gets on my PAS again to wind it out more. He liked it for sure. Me, as much as I love the baggers, I was ready to get back on Wichita after the 1st hard bump I encountered. Enjoy that Pan Am S!
Welcome, it's always great to hear from another Pan Am convert! Everyone who rides one seems to end up wanting one, I picked up a 2021 in Baja Orange and White Pearl last year and have been thoroughly enjoying it ever since. Thank you for watching and enjoy that Pan Am!
@@Jonathan-L I have a Harley dyna and a pan america, as well as a Cbr FireBlade. The pan am does all three very well overall. It’s obviously not faster or handles better than my Cbr, or offer the living room comfort with cup holders and what not like my cruiser but in a long trip a multi purpose bikes opens up so many opportunities.
I know that you can get used to it. But I still think that putting the horn right where the left turn signal switch is on every other HD from Sportsters, to Dyna, to Softails, to Touring models was an odd choice.
I took a Pan Am out for a test and wonder what all these people are talking about trading a Road or Street Glide for one of these. There is no comparison when it comes to buffeting, comfort, road noise, and wind management. It is a fun bike for sure but would be very leery of taking this on a 8000 mile road trip.
I came from a Road King, it was quite a bit better and there are guys doing big road trips on them right now. The wind protection is more than adequate as far as I can tell, at least compared to a Street or Road Glide, especially being that the radiator covers on each side act as lowers (oh boy do they help in the cold weather). I've ridden both and even recently switched with my cousin when he wanted to try out the PA on part of a trip. He was more than happy with it, I however on his Street Glide wanted my PA back just a few miles down the road. The weird thing was his girlfriend liked riding on the back of my PA better, she said "it's not so harsh when we hit bumps". That is what makes it so great at touring. I look at it as the cheapest and most capable touring bike package H-D sells. It blocks plenty of wind and the bike is certainly quiet if you don't add an exhaust, Road noise seemed comparable to me, but the suspension, superb. It's a major factor when comfort for distance is on the line. I have a bad neck and back (5+ procedures now), comfort is king. When you figure out all the setting & set up a custom mode and pick "Comfort" in the suspension settings, it's magnificent. Sport mode is rougher as is Street, but once you set up a custom mode with throttle, engine braking, suspension, etc, oof, the Pan Am is unrivaled. Honestly, I can't go back. I've ridden other bikes since I got my PAS, but shortly after I get rolling on any of them, I miss my PAS and the suspension. The handling is better and it's lighter too but those are obvious attributes. If you get another chance, try one in a custom mode with the Comfort suspension setting. Maybe the wind protection isn't as good as a full on limited, but you've got built in lowers and quite a bit of body work to give the Street & Road Glides a run for their money. The PAS isn't one thing, it a some of all it's parts. Adding in the engine, suspension, capability to take the errant gravel or dirt road with ease, along with good wind protection makes it a very capable bike for long hauls. Thank you for watching!
I often see adventure bikes on the highway with riders standing on the pegs to give their butt a break. That is all I need to know about adventure bikes.
I've done the same on my Road King, sometimes you need to get a little airflow to the nether regions. A big windshield or fairing on a really hot day can sometimes be less than ideal.
@@curtissmith8789 Kind of a smart alec comment. It is not about thinking about standing up, it is because they have to as sitting hurts too much. You know that already. Enjoy your Pan America and I wish you many miles in the saddle.
Setting only hurts too much when you're soft in the behind. More miles please. Also I don't have a PA, I have a KTM 1290 SA. If I can ride that for 700 miles, a PA shouldn't be a problem. If you're going to be a alec be smart, sort of. Safe travels.
I'm just not sold on the way adventure bikes look, and the way riders look on that type of motorcycle. I guess I'm just too old-fashioned, and I did ride a BMW adventure bike, and I didn't like it.
The Pan America is a great idea horribly executed. The platform is rife with design and software flaws, and the current generation Pan America is a disaster. When it works, it's amazing. But... be prepared for constant software issues, codes, CELs, limp mode activation, split wires, etc...
I switched from an adventure BMW bike to the HD Pan America Special and I absolutely love it. I had some growing pains and had to take her 1 time to the dealership because of an electrical issue but after that it has been amaaazinggg
Absolutely love my 23 Pan Am. Still have my old twin cam Road King when I want to have that cruising experience but the Pan Am is the bike I ride most of the time here in the Sierra. With over a thousand miles of forest service roads at my doorstep and Yosemite in my back yard it has not disappointed me one bit. Quite a pig to lift when you crash off road, and who the hell designed that damned kick stand? Other than that, she's taken every thing I've thrown at her.....and what a joy on the street as well! Traded a Triumph 800XCA for it. No regrets.
Funny to hear you describe it as the best bike you’ve ever ridden… when I test rode it last year I thought the same thing! I held off then, but found a screaming deal on a 2023 2 weeks ago and I am now the proud owner of a Pan America and it is by far the best bike I’ve ever owned!
@huntercharlesd "Ah, I see you're a man of culture as well." I bought my 2021 last year in June after I found a screaming deal too. For my area here in the Appalachian Foothills and the gravel road I live on, it's been great. It's easily by far and away the favorite when it comes to all the bikes I've owned. Welcome to the club, I'm always glad to see another Pan Am convert, and thank you for watching!
Test rode a '24 Special on a whim thinking it would be a gimmicky dirt bike. By the time I was done I wanted to trade my Road Glide in. Instead I bought it and kept the Glide, but the Glide rarely goes out except for long road trips. Keep in mind I am a 65 year old that started on a Shovel Heads and have ridden big twins for 45 years. Fact: a Hayabusa (World's fastest road bike) goes 0-60 in 2.6 seconds. The Pan Am does it in 3.4 seconds- and it's a freakin Harley.
That's how the salesmen get you. You figure it's just a test ride on a weird bike. Then you hit the 1st bump and don't feel it, your spine doesn't compress. You hit a few more, nothing. So, you give it a little throttle, you're surprised it's so fast. The clutch is light, the wind protection is pretty good too. "Cruise control" you think "I could tour on this". Suddenly, you're back at the dealership, signing papers not knowing what happened but glad that pushy salesmen threw you the key and fob and said "Here, take it for a ride".
The Pan Am is a sneaky bike. If they get you on one, you'll like it. It's so different than anything H-D has ever produced though, and that's the challenge the salesmen face. Welcome to the club, what color did you get? Oh, and thank you for watching!
I'm thinking of changing from my '94 UltraClassic to a Pan America. Your sharing this experience is helpful. Thank you.
No problem, I'm glad I could help. I have newer videos with the Pan Am S because I bought one myself. Besides a few initial issues, it's been a riot of a bike.
Ride what makes you happy
Traded my CVO Limited Road Glide in on a Pan America and absolutely am 100% confident it was great trade for me. We ride mostly two up my wife loves the PA as well. Maneuverable , water cooled , fast , nimble , technology. Gravel is no issues and with added hiway legs it’s comfortable. 48-50 MPG it has it all.
Agreed, I traded in my Road King in June for a Pan Am Special. It's just too good, I'm on a mission to promote it as much as possible at this point. I just wish more people would give it a chance.
@@Chase_NI appreciate you guys posting these comments. I’m currently on a Road Glide Limited and my wife LOVES it. But I’ve been dying to get on a Pan Am for probably 2 years. Going over some numbers for a trade in this coming week. My wife hates the idea, but I commute everyday on my bike and I genuinely feel like the Limited is just a chore to ride sometimes… anyway, I’m thankful to see others have gone from a loaded touring machine to a Pan Am.
@@andrewcoffey4694 The Pan Am is easier to commute on for sure and certainly less weight. Also, better fuel economy. Just moving it around in the garage is easier. Luggage capacity is close with the side cases & top box (some companies make even larger side cases). The only downside is sitting a little higher but it's just something to get used to.
Also, get a 4amp trickle charger, the Pan Am for some reason functions better with the 4 amp chargers than 1 or 2 amp models and it's what H-D recommends. Lastly, it'll feel under powered if you try to ride it like an air-cooled H-D. The power only really starts to spool up at 3500-4000RPM, but once there it really hits. I'm glad you've found some it helpful and thank you for watching!
@@Chase_Nthank you! I’ve heard that about the power band. A friend of mine has a newer Sportster and he’s mentioned that a lot. I think it sounds like a winner. I’m hoping the dealer I’m working with can get some good numbers for me. Thanks so much for the information!
I rode one today and started watching videos about it. It was really comfortable, better than my Yamaha Tracer 9 which I am now thinking of selling and switching. I have HD Ultra and would not swap with that, it’s just a different experience.
My cousin that had a Low Rider S & now has a Street Glide Special- "It doesn't even feel like a Harley, but I really like it." It seems that everyone likes it once they try it but it's so different than a cruiser that people always seem to want one of each (HD traditional cruiser/grand touring & a Pan Am).
Too many issues without urgency to rectify them by HD..I was set to buy one but am going a different direction now
Have you looked recently? From the 2nd half of 2022 forward there were a lot of upgrades and updates. The new 2024s have an upgraded stator for more juice, a larger capacity battery, along with all the software updates. I bought a 2021 last year and I'm over 8100 miles now with only having needed software updates, a new battery because my bike sat for over 6 months uncharged & unstarted, a redesigned radiator hose, and that it needs a 4Amp tender. After the initial problems were fixed in 1st 2 weeks I had it, it's been great.
Below is an excerpt from a comment I made earlier today when another person expressed wanting a Pan Am but was concerned about about reliability-
"I think a lot of it is "squeaky wheelism". By that I mean the guys with problem bikes are always the loudest. The guys like DangerDan blowing through miles on a Pan Am (unkind, brutal miles), nobody seems to notice. The guy who writes a big story on the forums or makes videos about his bike being broken down, he gets the attention.
I'm going to continue to put it to the test. I wouldn't fear buying another and I've said it before in a vid, if it was stolen or totaled I'd go out and get another. I just extended my Harley ESP (H-D's warranty) for another 5 years this week, so if anything happens, I'm covered until 2029. If you want one, that's the best route to dispel any fear you may have.
@FXDLSBrooklyn just bought one, a 2022, and he's a mile muncher so it'll be another older Pan Am being put to the test if you're interested."
Thank you for watching and maybe take another look at the Pan Am.
@@Chase_N I appreciate that in depth reply..I’ll check it out for sure..gonna hop over to fxdls and see what he thinks..ride safe 🤙🏽
Recognize the Wheeling area. I live a couple hours South of there. Like the Pan Am and haven't ridden one yet. I figure I will want one if I do.
Not to be the little devil on your shoulder but... hey wait, I'm an angel, you should take one for a ride. lol, thank you for watching!
Swapped my 2020 Roadking for a 22 Pan Am Special. Glad I made the switch. Roadking wasn't a bad bike but it felt sluggish and wasn't as fun hustling through the twists.
The Pan Am is just on a completely different plane of existence in comparison to the touring line. I love the touring line, they're hard to beat & they're really good at long trips. That being said, the Pan Am is good at almost everything up to & including those long trips. While it might not be for every H-D guy, I encourage everyone I meet that rides to try one out.
Thanks for the video. I’m looking into buying a Pan America and you helped me out
I'm glad it helped👍
Haters gonna hate! We welcome all into the community. Its a fantastic ride. I love seeing that excitement it brings in others.
I took a 3100 mile trip on my Road Glide Special and didn’t even take it home before stopping at my local dealership to trade it for a PAS.
Best decision I’ve made lately.
Wow, years ago when the Pan Am came out I would've never believed anyone would trade in a bagger for one. Yet here we both are. This last Saturday, my cousin & his girlfriend swapped bikes with me (I got on his Street Glide Special) to see what it was like. They both really liked the suspension & comfort, they blew by me when I was leading. They both really liked it except he wanted more torque at the bottom. I explained that the torque curve is higher in the revs & that if he gets on my PAS again to wind it out more. He liked it for sure. Me, as much as I love the baggers, I was ready to get back on Wichita after the 1st hard bump I encountered. Enjoy that Pan Am S!
Absolutely love mine!
Best bike I ever rode. So nice I traded in my beautiful 23 lowrider ST
Welcome to the club and thank you for watching!
I traded in my Heritage Softail for one. Zero regrets.
Welcome, it's always great to hear from another Pan Am convert! Everyone who rides one seems to end up wanting one, I picked up a 2021 in Baja Orange and White Pearl last year and have been thoroughly enjoying it ever since. Thank you for watching and enjoy that Pan Am!
Well, dirt bike / adventure bikes have a place, probably not on a paved road.
Test rode one and bought it
I took one for a test ride and traded in my road glide.
Many such cases *chanting begins* "one of us, gooble gobble, one of us, gooble gobble..."
Stick with the Road King ... the traditional styling & cool factor will keep on forever.
I have a traditional and this bike and If you had to have 1 bike for everything this Would be the one to have.
@@jesusamador4661 Which one are you referring to? The Pan America is the one to have?
@@Jonathan-L I have a Harley dyna and a pan america, as well as a Cbr FireBlade. The pan am does all three very well overall. It’s obviously not faster or handles better than my Cbr, or offer the living room comfort with cup holders and what not like my cruiser but in a long trip a multi purpose bikes opens up so many opportunities.
@@jesusamador4661 Sounds awesome. I really hope H-D build the Bronx.
The stupid horn button is my biggest gripe with my Pan America 😂
I know that you can get used to it. But I still think that putting the horn right where the left turn signal switch is on every other HD from Sportsters, to Dyna, to Softails, to Touring models was an odd choice.
Is it "nice" though??? 'snicker'
I took a Pan Am out for a test and wonder what all these people are talking about trading a Road or Street Glide for one of these. There is no comparison when it comes to buffeting, comfort, road noise, and wind management. It is a fun bike for sure but would be very leery of taking this on a 8000 mile road trip.
I came from a Road King, it was quite a bit better and there are guys doing big road trips on them right now. The wind protection is more than adequate as far as I can tell, at least compared to a Street or Road Glide, especially being that the radiator covers on each side act as lowers (oh boy do they help in the cold weather). I've ridden both and even recently switched with my cousin when he wanted to try out the PA on part of a trip. He was more than happy with it, I however on his Street Glide wanted my PA back just a few miles down the road. The weird thing was his girlfriend liked riding on the back of my PA better, she said "it's not so harsh when we hit bumps". That is what makes it so great at touring.
I look at it as the cheapest and most capable touring bike package H-D sells. It blocks plenty of wind and the bike is certainly quiet if you don't add an exhaust, Road noise seemed comparable to me, but the suspension, superb. It's a major factor when comfort for distance is on the line. I have a bad neck and back (5+ procedures now), comfort is king.
When you figure out all the setting & set up a custom mode and pick "Comfort" in the suspension settings, it's magnificent. Sport mode is rougher as is Street, but once you set up a custom mode with throttle, engine braking, suspension, etc, oof, the Pan Am is unrivaled. Honestly, I can't go back. I've ridden other bikes since I got my PAS, but shortly after I get rolling on any of them, I miss my PAS and the suspension. The handling is better and it's lighter too but those are obvious attributes.
If you get another chance, try one in a custom mode with the Comfort suspension setting. Maybe the wind protection isn't as good as a full on limited, but you've got built in lowers and quite a bit of body work to give the Street & Road Glides a run for their money. The PAS isn't one thing, it a some of all it's parts. Adding in the engine, suspension, capability to take the errant gravel or dirt road with ease, along with good wind protection makes it a very capable bike for long hauls. Thank you for watching!
I often see adventure bikes on the highway with riders standing on the pegs to give their butt a break. That is all I need to know about adventure bikes.
I've done the same on my Road King, sometimes you need to get a little airflow to the nether regions. A big windshield or fairing on a really hot day can sometimes be less than ideal.
@@Chase_N TMI
If you haven't thought a time or two about standing up, you haven't ridden long enough. Be it miles or years.
@@curtissmith8789 Kind of a smart alec comment. It is not about thinking about standing up, it is because they have to as sitting hurts too much. You know that already. Enjoy your Pan America and I wish you many miles in the saddle.
Setting only hurts too much when you're soft in the behind. More miles please. Also I don't have a PA, I have a KTM 1290 SA. If I can ride that for 700 miles, a PA shouldn't be a problem. If you're going to be a alec be smart, sort of. Safe travels.
I'm just not sold on the way adventure bikes look, and the way riders look on that type of motorcycle. I guess I'm just too old-fashioned, and I did ride a BMW adventure bike, and I didn't like it.
The Pan America is a great idea horribly executed. The platform is rife with design and software flaws, and the current generation Pan America is a disaster. When it works, it's amazing. But... be prepared for constant software issues, codes, CELs, limp mode activation, split wires, etc...