5 Things You Gotta Know: 2025 Harley-Davidson CVO Pan America

Harley-Davidson once again supplied us with a machine to tour Canada, but instead of the Street Glide, this time around we were in need of something a bit more “all-terrain,” if you will. We needn’t look any further than the luxury CVO Pan America adventure bike. Not only would we once again be stylin’ through the backroads of northern Ontario, now we’d deliver some American panache to the trails as well. Don’t let the CVO emblem fool you though, this steed is much more than a flashy paint job. Let’s jump into the five things that make this two-wheeled adventure machine earn its mettle.

Okay, I know, I know. We said the CVO Pan Am was more than a flashy paint job, but it’s the first thing your senses take in as you stroll up to the thing, so we can’t not touch on what the Motor Co. did to give its adventure bike the CVO treatment. The Carbon Blue paint with its subtle metallic effect is stunning in direct light. Accents with gray camo give an extra touch of Americana. Other highlights can be found on what H-D calls the orange subframe, radiator guards, and headlight guard (it looks closer to red to us).

The 1,252cc (76.4 cu. in.) Revolution Max engine that’s been powering the Pan America since it was introduced hasn’t lost any of its allure in the past four years. The dual overhead cam with hydraulic lifters and variable valve timing give the Rev Max a leg up when it comes to service while the 105mm bore and 72mm stroke work with a 13.0:1 compression ratio to crank out 124.6 horsepower at 8,800 rpm and 76.8 lb-ft of torque at 6,700 rpm per the MO dyno. The torque curve is about as flat as they come with nearly all of the V-Twin’s shove available at 3,000 rpm. Hp sauce is poured on smooth as well as it climbs the rev-range. As you should expect from the name, the Rev Max spins up way past H-D’s of the past and does so willingly with a twist of the wrist. It can be a party animal when you pull its tail, but is equally at home whirring away as the miles fly by.

It’s a comfortable place to be

During our second trip to Northern Ontario it wasn’t all leaf peeping and poutine. No, Mother Nature had it out for us at the beginning of this tour and we rode most of our first day into the rain. Thankfully, the Harley-Davidson CVO Pan America provides excellent shelter from the element with its large windscreen, adjustable lower shrouds, and hand guards. A wide comfortable two-position adjustable seat and heated grips are the cherries on top. The reach to the bars is a long for 5-foot 8-inch me, but with cruise control as standard, it’s easy to stretch out every once in a while.

We still love reminding folks that Harley-Davidson was first to market with its Adaptive Ride Height feature which reduces seat height one to two inches as the bike drops below 15 mph and/or comes to a stop. Electronic suspension was commonplace by the time H-D launched the Pan Am, yet no other manufacturers offered this feature. Now, many other large European ADV machines also offer ride height adjustment of some sort. It’s an excellent option for riders to have and one that opens the adventure touring category to a wider swath of folks who may have been put off by the long-legged tourer’s seat heights.

Milwaukee’s Best

C’mon, we can’t not have some pride for our hometown hero! It’s been a minute since we’ve had more to offer the world than motorcycles of the cruiser persuasion. Back when the Pan America first came out, we did a head-to-head comparison with the category-defining BMW to which all ADVs are measured. While, as always, it was a nuanced conversation with pros and cons for each, the Pan America proved it had earned a spot at the table with some of the most capable motorcycles built around the world. That’s something we can, and will, be proud of for our countrymen and women out of Milwaukee.