Private Air New York

www.privateairny.com Private Air | Spring 2022 76 compound before leaving for the road. en I almost gagged when I saw what was ahead – a short, mini-slalom course of mini cones lined up about 10m apart. We had to ride around that? Heart in my hand and fear tucked into my back pocket; I gave it a go. Lo and behold, I managed to wield the bike through on my first try without needing to call the paramedics. e Pan America handled like a dream. Nimble and responsive, the incredible 94 ft-lb of torque made maneuvering the bike a breeze. And here I am, a tyro at Evel Knievel stuff like this, what more an expert behind these handlebars. e Pan America 1250 truly comes onto its own when we hit the open road. Cruising over loose gravel like it wasn't there, the machine swallows up unruly terrain for breakfast. It did help that the bike comes with front and rear Semi-Active Suspension to smoothen out the ride. Once out onto the winding roads of the Kranji area, the Pan America 1250 starts to show off. Cornering Rider Safety enhancements like Electronically Linked Braking (ELB), Antilock Breaking System (ABS), Traction Control System (TCS), and Drag- Torque Slip Control System (DSCS) remain the hidden heroes behind the bike's uncanny ability to eat up curves. I never felt out of control or that the bike was too much for me to handle. I almost felt the urge to stretch the bike's 150hp max power before the thought of slamming onto a truck carrying cow dung brought me back down to earth. With my quickly growing confidence, I even had time to look at the 6.8-inch TFT touchscreen display. For safety reasons, the touchscreen is disabled when the bike is moving, but hand gestures may be used to manage many of its functions. A small button just off the right grip allowed me to switch the ride mode. e Pan America 1250 Special model has seven modes: Road, Sport, Rain, Off-Road, Off-Road Plus, and two that the owner can customize. Starting with the Road mode, the bike already felt powerful and ready for anything. Switching to Sport made it more responsive and the gearing more aggressive, but it didn't take anything away from the ride's comfort. e Pan America also comes with other features such as Hill Hold Control (HHC) that does away with the need (albeit momentarily) to hold onto the breaks when stopped on a steep incline, and Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). One unique aspect of the Harley- Davidson Pan America 1250 is its industry-first innovative Adaptive Ride height feature. e suspension system on the bike automatically transitions from a low stopped position to optimal ride height when you're on the go. ese features will certainly go well with riders who were not blessed with the height of an NBA player. I didn't find the bike particularly high and could put both feet on the ground. e somewhat tight-fitting jeans I wore on the day, though, made swinging my leg over the bike to get on a tad challenging. at's when the display of new adventure touring accessories grabbed my attention. Harley Davidson has introduced a parallel apparel range with the new adventure touring motorcycle line. e Passage Adventure array of jackets, pants, helmets, gloves, and boots comes from a partnership with European apparel specialist REV'IT!, a global leader in the adventure-touring category. Critics may wonder why Harley- Davidson has ventured beyond its specialty to tackle the challenging terrain of adventure touring. But as they say, if you don't move forward, you only fall behind. Besides, the brand has always stood for the freedom of the open road. e Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 just helps to extend it beyond the tarmac. DRIVE

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