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baker.mania2161

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
I enjoy reading some of the posts on the forum. There are some really informative posts, others that are entertaining, and a good number that are quite negative in content. I get it - a person's experience becomes their perception or reality. And I am not shocked because many forum contributors seem to be the disappointed or disillusioned rather than the happy or satisfied customers of various products.

So, I am interested in hearing from those who have some positive news stories to share. What do you love about your Pan America? What good experiences have you had?
 
Discussion starter · #3 ·
1600 miles and happy so far. The stories have me paranoid, but aside from a few codes thrown and needing the dash updated, no issues.
I have about the same. A few codes as well. I am totally impressed with the power, balance and handling. Checks the boxes for me.
 
I have 16k miles on my 21. Really like it! But I did need to replace the battery, heated grips and soon a new right grip control pod. The bike had a starting problem due to a harness plug to seated properly (found and fixed myself).
Hopefully the control pod will be the last problem for awhile. But like I said I love the bike.
 
8k + and no major issues, I have a really good relationship with my local service manager and mechanic as well as the dealer. Also I did get the extended warranty, service plan and tire and wheel (that has paid for itself already)
Edit.....
I can tell you that I was waiting for this bike since 2018. I love my Harleys and also love dirt riding and camping off the bikes, my roadglide went on a 20 mile fire road the first day I had it, with Momma on the back!:cool::cool:
This bike is much more capable of doing the kind of riding I want to do.
I am the " where's that road go?" guy!
And it dosent matter if I am on my PanAm or my slammed Wide Glide!
The PanAm is just way more practical!
 
I just rolled up 2000 miles today, I bought the 22 PAS on 8/25/2023 (left over) I have had zero issues with it. No codes, no problems at all. I am still getting used to the engine mechanical noise. It seems to be noisy from 2200 to 3800 rpm in 4th, 5th, and 6th gears. The noise hasn’t changed since mile one. Not louder or quieter, I’m assuming it’s normal. My dealer isn’t concerned. Says they all sound the same ( including the new sportsters.
 
Almost 30k on my '21. I upgraded the battery to an anti-gravity battery about a year ago because I got sick of putting it on a battery tender. It's been at the shop twice, once for the two recalls early on (got all the updates then) and the ignition coil failed two weeks ago. No big deal, 200 dollar repair, warranty covered.

I mostly use mine for interstate commuting. It's been to Sturgis twice, and the "Tail of the dragon" (Deals Gap) three times. Mostly all on-road with occasional off-road excursions to fishing holes and camp sites.

I bought the extended warranty because of some of the negative posts here. Let's see if it pays off..

It's just "pretty enough" that I always turn around to look at it after I park it, but not so pretty that I leave it sitting when it rains or avoid dusty roads.

I'm not brand loyal and I don't try to fit in with any cultures or groups of riders. Two wheels make me happy and I am happier with my PA than I have been with any of my previous bikes which include a representative of nearly every major brand including a KTM 1290 super adventure and a BMW GS1250. A lot of great bikes but my PA just fits me better.

Oh, @Putt - yeah, mines the same way as far as engine noise. It likes engine speeds over 4k.. Even at low speeds. You should hear a KTM 1290 once it has a few miles on it!! I wear earplugs now. I say f*ck it. If it blows up or starts knocking I'll worry about it. I start it, wait for the temp to reach 100f, then I put my ear plugs in, helmet on, gloves and go.
 
2021 PAS bought in July 2023 w/2k mikes. Up to 5k now with no issues at all. Everything has worked well, the bike rides smooth, fast and comfortable (after shaving down the seat posts to level it). I really like the style. The Pan America offers the opportunity to ride an American bike with a distinctive aggressive style, capability and performance. Couldn’t be happier.
 
2021 PAS. Had it for two years. I changed the battery to Motobatt Hybrid and after that it has not thrown any codes or hesitate to start. I ride it on tarmac and gravel. I love the bike and it's very fun to ride. When i ride with friends who has more regular Harleys i can get a bit impatience when i have to wait for them :).
 
’21 PAS. Original owner. 30K miles. Mostly paved roads. No major issues. Original battery. Only on tender over the deep winter months. Had all the little issues that patches have corrected. Only lingering issue is Bluetooth connectivity and iphone integration.

Bike has performed extremely well over many 2.5K trips over the last 2 years.
 
I'm so new to the PAS world tha my comments may be irrelevant, but I recentlly purchased a '21 that I suspected had the starter clutch/rotor/stator issue (I knew it, even when the seller claimed it was all good). Dealer looked up VIN & confirmed it already has all the software updates and the fuel pump replaced. Sure enough, battery went dead on the day home. One month in the shop with very knowledgeable service shop & I'm good to go. Got a couple hundred miles only, but everything is working GREAT!
 
I have a '22 with 4k miles I traded in my '19 Ultra Limited for. Overall, I am very happy with the PAS and am glad I made the trade. I've owned several different bikes over the years including sport bikes, the Hayabusa is the only bike I've owned that was faster than this one. For me personally I put the handling of this bike above them all, I've scraped the foot pegs going around corners it feels so nimble. Upgrades I've done: I have the hard sided Harley Panniers with a passenger back rest and Harley Tank bag, great amount of storage. I did install additional lights, upgraded the skid plate, and installed other guards around the bike. Vance and Hines exhaust sounds amazing and helps wake up the bike. Hands down best upgrades so far is the Helibars 2" Rise and 2" Back handlebar risers, and highway pegs. Next upgrade will be the seat, although I can ride reasonably comfortably all day. Main issue is the seat is sloped towards the tank, if it was just flat it wouldn't be as much of an issue. It has its gremlins. I do have a problem with it throwing a code every time I get over over 11.5k feet, and I had to replace the battery. It seems a bit sensitive to voltages and won't start even when the battery basically shows being 75% full. The infotainment system is complete garbage. Trying to use the Harley navigation is an exercise in masochism, it gets screwed up at the slightest thing and I for the life of me can't figure out why Harley didn't just use Apple Carplay and Android Auto. You are stuck being pig-tailed to a phone anyways, use what works instead of this garbage Harley app and navigation. The stupid maps don't even reverse the direction of the text when going south, everything is upside down. I also don't like how you have no other control of the maps than zoom and cancel. I miss features of being able to look for a gas station etc without having to stop and use the phone. The heated grips are a bit of a joke also, they simply don't get warm enough. The Ultra grips would cook your hands off, I can barely feel these ones. Its not a problem, but getting used the engine noises at low RPM's also takes some getting used to, almost sounds like the engine is full of marbles and is rather buzzy at higher RPM's. Some of this in my case was just coming off an M8 and eventually you get used to it. Vibration at high speeds also tends to put my hands to sleep, but I've had that problem with all bikes to a lesser degree. My wife is spoiled by the Ultra, but her and my daughter both claim the back seat is uncomfortable. The kickstand is a big disappointment, my DR650's kickstand is significantly more robust for a bike that weighs half as much. All that said, so far I've been fortunate and haven't had any of the major issues others have had and for the essence of what this bike is meant for I thoroughly enjoy it. Running Twisties in a custom sport mode is truly amazing.
 
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