It’s a complicated touring motorcycle market out there. You’ve got more specific sport tourers, adventure tourers, cruisers, baggers, the list goes on and on. But if you want to stick to classic touring merits, the formula is generally the same across the board: a comfortable, smooth ride, the ability to tote some luggage, and enough grunt to crush miles at highway speeds.
These needs can change depending on the locations, though. In more mountainous states, like Colorado, Alaska, Nevada, Wyoming, and parts of California, the toll demanded of your favorite touring motorcycle isn’t quite the same as it is on a Sunday morning cruise down the Pacific Coast Highway. So, if you want a touring motorcycle with the right DNA to handle the rise and fall of America’s best mountain roads, this new touring motorcycle might just be your ticket.
The Merits Of A Touring Bike With A Sporty Demeanor
My father has his favorite phrases to rationalize owning a stable full of motorcycles. Among those personal adages, he’ll periodically say, “they’re all different.” That much is certainly true. Want to go quickly on some of the country’s most demanding circuits? A thoroughbred sports bike is the way to go. Want something fun for blasting around urban landscapes? Consider a nimble naked bike or something to that effect.
If you have your sights set on mile after mile of highway riding and getting intentionally lost on America’s ribbons of pavement, a touring motorcycle is the right ride for the task. In some cases, you might even find a motorcycle that blurs the line between off-road-friendly adventure bike and long-haul touring motorcycle. Bonus points if it can lean, stop, and accelerate enough to keep riders in a perpetual state of thrill while traversing demanding mountain roads.
A Bike To Meet The Demands Of High-Altitude Mountain Riding
Riding on mountain roads presents its own unique challenges. For starters, some mountainous states feature nose-bleed-inducing inclines. After all, riding in California can take you from sea level to nearly 10,000 feet in a matter of hours. That means your ideal mountain-climbing companion should have enough power and torque to handle rapidly rising roads. And what’s on the other side of those inclines? Bitey brakes are a must, as is enough athleticism to lean around sweeping corners.
Fortunately, electronic fuel injection is ubiquitous in today’s motorcycle market, meaning dealing with a finicky carburetor at higher elevations is no longer necessary. Finally, a mountainous state-ready touring motorcycle should be adaptable. A generous fuel capacity, an all-day comfortable riding position, and enough ground clearance to dip off the road and onto a trail or two are important factors for riding in mountainous states. Harley-Davidson, one of the biggest names in American touring motorcycles, has one that fits the bill. Though maybe not in the way you might think.
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2026 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 ST: Head For The Hills
Starting Price: $19,999
Harley-Davidson delighted some and shocked others when it entered the ADV motorcycle game with the Pan America back in 2021. Here we had the brand whose entire identity centers around lumpy, lazy 45-degree V-twins and less-than-sporty rides taking a full step out of its comfort zone with a tall, agile adventure bike. Moreover, the Bar & Shield put a 60-degree, liquid-cooled, dual-overhead cam, four-valve-per-cylinder twin in the thing. Witchcraft. But the merits were apparent from day one. At the time, the Pan America 1250 was the most power-dense production motorcycle Harley-Davidson produced.
Today, the 2026 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 ST is a predator in The Motor Company’s lineup and a sporty street-focused version of the brand’s resident adventure bike. Hell, Marvel Studios even put the Pan America 1250 ST in “Thunderbolts*.” And though it’s not clear if Harley-Davidson intended to do so, this is exactly the kind of pissed-off touring bike you might want to tackle America’s most challenging mountain roads.
The Tourer That Blends Luxury Comfort With Surprising Agility
A smooth twin and surprising athleticism, all wrapped up in a bike you can take away for long rides
Powered By The Most Potent Harley-Davidson Twin
The ST’s engine doesn’t just sit in the bike’s frame; it’s a stressed member of the chassis. Now, that’s good and bad. In the pro column, it means things stay light and tight. On the other hand, there’s always the chance that added forces or vibration on the engine could result in damage. Stressed member or not, the Revolution Max engine is the mightiest thing in The Motor Company’s standard lineup. At a claimed 150 horsepower, the 60-degree liquid-cooled twin outmuscles the 121-horsepower Sportster S, and the 127-horsepower, air-cooled 121-cubic-inch Milwaukee-Eight twin in some of Harley-Davidson’s CVO offerings. It’s exactly the sort of power you’ll want while charging up some of the steepest roads in the country.
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Engine |
1252-CC Liquid-Cooled Revolution Max V-Twin |
|
Transmission |
6-Speed Manual |
|
Horsepower |
150 HP At 8,750 RPM |
|
Torque |
94 LB-FT At 6,750 RPM |
|
Curb Weight |
546 LBS |
Adjustable This, Adaptive That
Granted, the Pan America 1250 ST is on the taller side with a seat height of nearly 30 inches. That’s not a problem, though, as the Pan America ST’s standard adaptive ride height function drops things by around an inch and rises again as you take off. Suspension is also adjustable, with tweakable preload, compression, and rebound. What isn’t adjustable, however, is the Pan America ST’s smoked windscreen. That windscreen is shorter than other offerings in the Pan America lineup, no doubt to make the ST’s profile that much sportier. Other than that, telling the ST what to do is as simple as playing with the 6.8-inch TFT touchscreen or fiddling with the physical buttons on both handlebar control assemblies.
Selectable Ride Modes
Compared to the other bikes in the Pan America lineup, the Pan America 1250 ST seeks to keep things a bit simpler. Instead of the Pan America 1250 Special’s nine ride modes, the 1250 ST sticks to five: Road, Rain, Sport, and two rider-customized modes. In Sport Mode, you get the full dose of its claimed 150 horsepower, exactly the sort of firepower you’ll want to overtake slow-moving semi-trucks while blasting up mountain roads. Should bad weather soak the mountain roads, Rain Mode dials things down and tames the Pan America’s Revolution Max 1250 engine.
New Harley-Davidson Pan America ST And Pan America Special: Which One To Buy?
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An Open-Road Tourer That’s Lightweight (For A Harley)
Harleys aren’t exactly known for their lightness. Take the 2026 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Limited, for instance. With the frame-mounted fairing and hard bags, the Road Glide Limited tips the scales at 919 pounds. The 2026 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 ST, on the other hand, keeps things on the lighter side. The MoCo claims a running-order weight of 546 pounds, lighter than an Evolution-era Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200. Pair that relatively light curb weight with a deceptively flickable chassis, an IMU-based suite of rider aids, and cornering ABS, and the H-D adventure tourer is a compliant in-corner companion.
The ST Treatment
In addition to mountain-ready power and handling, the 2026 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 ST gets a series of ST-specific touches. Regardless of the three paint options, the 1250 ST features signature graphics. Harley-Davidson also removed the sort of crash bar setup you’d find on other Pan Americas and lowered the seat height in the pursuit of keeping things slim and sporty. Speaking of sporty, the ST gets a set of Michelin Scorcher Sport tires, multiplying the level of grip you’d expect from a Pan America. And once you’re up to speed, a set of Brembo four-piston calipers handles front braking duties, along with a single-piston caliper in the rear. But if long-haul touring is what you’re after, you’ll have to add a set of bags, which can add $876 or so to the equation.
A Good Way To Tackle The Mountains
The 2026 Harley-Davidson Pan America ST does something the rest of the MoCo’s offerings don’t. Adding the ST treatment turns the Pan America from an adventure bike into an open-highway touring bike with hill-climbing chops. With a set of hard bags, the Pan America 1250 ST has the potential to handle long miles on the country’s best mountain roads.
Sources: Harley-Davidson