On tour with Ralle – Picking up a Pan America Harley-Davidson

Ralle is a Harley-Davidson riding instructor and shows us in the following two YouTube videos how to pick up a Harley-Davidson Pan America after a fall off-road. It's not as easy as it looks in the video, but if you follow Ralle's (Herbert Wiese / @on_tour_with_ralle ), even inexperienced cyclists can handle such a situation if they ever find themselves in it.

We spent the weekend visiting Bert von Zitzewitz in Karlshof/Neustadt, Schleswig-Holstein. Bert von Zitzewitz has an OFFROAD PARK where he gives enduro and motocross riding lessons. He allowed us to film in his OFFROAD PARK. Thank you very much!

Part 1 – Setting up on sand

In the first part, Ralle shows us how to get a Pan America back on its wheels on loose sand with his simple tips.

Part 2 – Setting up the Pan America on a slope

The second part is more difficult! If you die on the slope, you have to take a slightly tougher approach. Ralle pulls the Pan America across the slope and puts it back up again, which is when crash bags can come in handy.

We're thinking about making a short series out of it. We had a lot of fun doing it, and maybe you'll enjoy it just as much. Feel free to give us a like on YouTube.

The Harley-Davidson Pan America

The Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special weighs approximately 258 kg (according to the manufacturer) when ready to ride, although this may vary depending on the equipment. The Pan America covers a wide range, it can be very sporty on the road and just as much fun off-road. However, it must be said that those who want to ride off-road frequently should pay particular attention to the weight of the machine.

The passionate enduro rider, who is more likely to be found in the dirt than on the road, will find the Pan America Standard to be an option.

Why the Pan America is interesting even without the Special

The Pan America Standard has the same performance data as the Special, but its equipment is more minimal, resulting in less weight. Harley-Davidson specifies a riding weight of 245 kg.

It doesn't have heated grips or steering dampers, and it's not available with Adaptive Ride Height (ARH). But as I said, if you remove everything unnecessary and switch to knobby tires and beautiful spoked wheels, you'll get a little closer to the ideal, and it will still be very suitable for touring.

Prices at Harley-Davidson have risen quite a bit this year, which is why the Pan America Standard is becoming more and more popular. While the Special starts at €21,995 plus a flat-rate assembly fee, the Standard starts at €19,995 plus a flat-rate assembly fee. It is only available in Vivid Black, but that's not a problem. If you often ride off-road, you should check out the pre-made decals, which offer a wide range of design options.

I just wanted to point out that you can save around €2,000 on the basic model of the Pan America 1250 and still make a good choice.

Text & image credits: Harleysite 2023