keithu

That's a fact. Their engines and frames actually look pretty cool, IMO, but their bodywork and headlights... 🤮 Huh. To me the ZX-14R looks like this: I'm glad you like it though. 😁

I'm sure it is, they are on most bikes. It'd be pretty damned heavy it if were solid. I just looked at my YZF750 and it has a solid steel sidestand. Since it's solid the diameter is about half as big as the FJ-09 sidestand.

Many variables, of course. The FJ/Tracer seems to be more sensitive than most to wind conditions. So if you mount a larger windshield and/or routinely ride at speed above 100kph you should expect to see poor fuel economy. I have a 26" Madstad barndoor windshield on my FJ-09 and I seem to average around 39-41mpg US, which I think is below average. So for me that would mean a max range of 192 miles / 311km, but realistically stopping for fuel around 150 miles / 240km. Fine for most people, I suppose, but if you plan to ride in areas with sketchy fuel availability it's not optimal. My solution was to go Full Retard and mount a 3.25 gallon aux fuel system plumbed directly into the main tank:

Hyundai hired Peter Schreyer away from VW-Audi to head their designs, and you can see his influence on Kia and some newer Hyundais. My wife has an Elantra GT (aka i30) and it is one of the few truly handsome compact cars available right now. I'm with you on modern bikes. With the exception of a couple MV Agustas and the Husky Vitpilen, not much on the market right now is what I'd consider beautiful. I certainly didn't buy my FJ-09 for its looks. I spend more time looking at the spec sheets of modern bikes than photos, which although logical is kind of a bummer.

When I was a kid we had a cabin on Leech Lake in Sucker Bay. The neighbor who lived there year-round was a lawyer in Walker. In summer and winter he commuted across the lake, but in the shoulder seasons it was a long, long drive around the lake for him.

There is definitely something to be said for a good naked bike and clean airflow. OTOH I have come to appreciate the place of serenity behind my Madstad barn door. Different strokes and all that.

The only things on the Special I'd consider mandatory are the heated grips and centerstand, and presumably they'll be available from the accessory catalog. TPMS would be kind of nice too, but like the active suspension I think I can live without it. The cast wheels are fine with me. Of course, if the accessory heated grips and centerstand bring the price difference to <$1k, maybe it would be worthwhile to just get the Special anyway. 🤨 I'm definitely not buying anything until next winter so I've got plenty of time to think about it. And maybe some other squirrel will run by and distract me before then.

They've been selling Sportster 883s and Sportster 1200s for decades.

I think the base model with the cast wheels is basically this, minus the drive. That's how I view it; I'm interested in the base model as a sport tourer replacement for the FJ-09. If it's a little better on logging roads than the FJ that's nice, but not a key criteria for me. It's probably safe to say we won't see shaft drive from H-D anytime soon. I'm personally not interested in belt drive, but I know it appeals to some people and it's in H-D's wheelhouse.

I don't think there's any question about that. KTM's design language is unintelligible gibberish.

Turn your garage into a wind tunnel, I like it. Which size of V-Stream did you get? I am 6' 3" / 190cm and initially bought the mid-size V-Stream because I thought it would look nicer, which it did. But it was clearly the wrong size for my height so I went to the larger one. It worked quite a bit better and I put many miles on it. That said - and you may not want to hear this - I later switched to the 26" Madstad and it was significantly smoother and quieter than either V-Stream. I did have a couple of quality problems with the Madstad brackets but was able to sort those out with time.

I don't think your wife is off base here. There is definitely baggage to go along with the H-D name. Is it fair to the company? Probably not. But it's there. Let's just say if I were to buy one of these things I probably wouldn't attend any "runs" with the pirate crowd.

Fair. But have you seen every other ADV bike? Or for that matter, the new Tracer 9 GT? I think we all just need to accept that all the beautiful bikes have already been made. We have entered the Brutalist era of motorcycle design.

Not sure I want to be a guinea pig either. This would probably be a next-winter purchase for me, after the bike has been out for a while and teething problems are revealed.

Well, that's it. I'm totally over the Multistrada. Unless the Pan America turns out to be a turd I think that's the one.

It's a break-down of the technical features, which has been Kevin Cameron's schtick for 40+ years. Of course we don't yet know how well all these new features actually work or if they'll be reliable. But the motor is clearly a whole new direction for H-D.

Here's a good technical write-up on the engine by Kevin Cameron: 2021 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 First Look Cycle World’s technical editor, Kevin Cameron, gets the details of... It seems to be a truly modern engine: DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder, dual spark, VVT, cam chain, assist/slipper clutch, dual balance shafts, knock sensors. And it has hydraulic valve adjusters, so no valve adjustments ever. They're claiming 48mpg, which is far better than Ducati's claimed 36mpg. Not that I would base any decision purely on fuel economy, but man that's a big difference. We'll see if H-D's claims are accuratish.

Speaking for myself, I've never been an H-D fan and their classic products have no appeal to me. And while I do like the idea of buying an American brand, the reality is I currently own two Yamahas, a Toyota, and a Hyundai. Based on discussions I've been following over on the ADV Rider forum, there seem to be a lot of people like me who are interested in the PA. Conversely, most of the hardcore H-D pirates I know think the Pan America is an abomination. A key part of the value proposition for the PA - at least in North America - is Harley's massive dealer network. There are probably at least 10 H-D dealers in USA and Canada for every one Ducati dealer. Maybe more. If you actually plan to travel on this thing, the dealer network is a huge benefit. What remains to be seen is whether the dealer network will embrace the PA, or will they shove it off into a corner where the Buells used to sit. That's what I'm waiting to see. Funny observation: Go to the BMW NA website today and the first thing you see people cruising urban streets on the R18. Go to the Harley-Davidson website and you see a Pan America plowing through mud. Welcome to Upside-Down World. 😂

The foil is a good tip. But how dumb is it that we even need a thread about this? What idiot thought it would be a good idea to put the oil filler under the clutch cover? Every other Yamaha I have seen has the filler on top of the clutch cover or side cover where any old funnel works just fine. Probably designed by the same shithead who created the bodywork puzzle.

This is a valid concern. But is Ducati any better in this regard?

Not really. A Multistrada V4S (so it has semi-active suspension like the PA Special) is $24,095 without bags or spoked wheels. That's a $4,096 premium for a quick shifter, ~20 extra HP, and the radar features. The H-D's 150hp is still pretty good, and I'll bet the aftermarket will offer a quick shifter for less than $4k. I can easily live without adaptive CC and blind spot monitoring. The Versys, though a fine bike, is well down on power compared to the Harley or Ducati, and also heavier.

Specs are out: 2021 Adventure Motorcycles | Harley-Davidson USA xxx Starts at $17319 US, 150hp, 94 ft-lb, 534lbs wet. Standard cruise and heated grips. Semi-active suspension on the $20k model. Looks like a home run on paper. I'll be interested to read ride reviews. Hopefully it doesn't have any fatal flaws like the Street models.

But today we have specs on the H-D Pan America and they are pretty damned impressive: 150hp / 94 ft-lbs, 534lbs with 5.6 gallons of fuel, $17.3k for the base model and $20k with semi-active suspension and other bits. Dealerships in every town in America, many open Sundays. About the only thing I don't see that I would really want is a quick shifter. And frankly I prefer the looks of the Pan America over the Multistrada. That's the first time I've ever said that about any Harley-Davidson.

The specs on the Ducati website claim 6.5L / 100km, which works out to about 36mpg US. So the 22L tank gives a max range of about 210 miles / 338 km. I guess it's a good thing the fuel tank is as big as it is; I'd definitely have to add aux fuel to this thing.

I haven't seen any reviews mention fuel economy yet. This is usually difficult to track during press intros because the factory support staff are constantly topping it up and checking things over. At least this bike has a decent size tank (22L/5.8 US gal).