Highs and Sighs: 2025 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 ST
The 2025 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 ST follows a tried-and-true design path of taking an ADV platform and converting it for strict road use. In this case, that means stripping the Pan America 1250 Special and pointing it at asphalt-covered pastures. If you’re a rider that prefers to ride within painted roadway lines, the road-going sequel to H-D’s ADV hit is likely going to strike a hearty chord with you, and the street-aimed conversion isn’t as complicated as one might think.
First, engineers traded the 19-/17-inch wheel combo in favor of some tarmac-leaning 17-inch cast-aluminum hoops and street rubber. As the ST no longer has its sights set on the dusty trail, it reduces its leggy suspension by 0.75 inches to a healthy 6.75 inches front and rear. Then H-D staffers zeroed in on the ergonomics, updating the ST with a one-piece saddle that measures a mere 29.4 inches tall when Adaptive Ride Height (ARH) is in its lowest position. Ditch all the crash protection, handguards, and sizable radiator shrouds, then add a svelte non-adjustable windscreen to complete a sport-touring appearance. But that’s how we get to the Pan America 1250 ST’s $19,999 MSRP.
We reviewed the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 ST after spending a full day sportily touring America’s heartland. For now, we’re going to get down to the nitty-gritty and hit you with the Highs and Sighs.
High: All-day ergonomics
Harley-Davidson nailed the rider triangle aboard its ADV-adjacent sport-tourer, creating a bike that’s quite accommodating for riders of various heights and inseam lengths by offering one of the lowest seat heights in the category. The ST’s model-specific one-piece saddle cannot be adjusted in high or low positions like its ADV sibling, as engineers designed its seat to use the “low” step exclusively. With Harley’s innovative Adaptive Ride Height activated and in its lowest position, the seat measures 29.4 inches tall, meaning that riders who struggle with traditionally tall ADV-inspired motorcycles will find the H-D far more approachable. Riders are nestled behind the sizable 5.6-gallon fuel tank, delivering a sensation that you’re sat “in” the bike instead of atop it. That seating strategy provides a positive side effect in that the non-adjustable windscreen is effective for this reviewer’s 5-foot 10-inch frame. Meanwhile, the handlebar and footpeg placements are carried over from its ADV cousin and offer a casual reach to the controls.
High: Torque!
Massive low-end power is synonymous with American V-Twin powerplants, and the Revolution Max 1250 mill doesn’t disappoint in that regard. Featuring a claimed 150 horsepower and 94 lb-ft of torque, all that mighty Milwaukee muscle amounted to a solid 124.6 horsepower at 8,800 rpm and 76.8 lb-ft of torque at 6,700 rpm while strapped to the MO dyno. How that shakes out is like this: the Pan Am ST has some serious bottom-end wallop, offering boatloads of tractable low-end torque that feeds a broad midrange powerband. Even better, the Variable Valve Timing (VVT) system makes sure that its punch still lands near the redline, should you want to wring it out.
High: Excellent Handling
When it comes to athletic handling, nothing beats a proper set of 17-inch wheels with a decent set of tires spooned onto them, which in this case are some Michelin Scorcher Sport tires in 120/70 and 180/55 sizes. The Pan America 1250 ST’s single greatest trait is its cornering abilities. It doesn’t take much effort to get the ST leaned over, where it stays planted throughout the curve and also allows easy line correction. In that sense, it’s both an incredibly forgiving and confidence-inspiring machine, certainly flattering its 542-pound claimed wet weight.
Sigh: Wonky quickshifter and shifting
Unlike the Pan America 1250 Special, the ST is equipped with a bi-directional quickshifter as standard. While we’ve come to expect quickshifters on motorcycles in this category and price range, the results are mixed. Finding the Pan Am ST’s sweet spot is a challenge, as it executes smooth shifts nearly as often as it delivers a harsh shock through the chassis. The six-speed gearbox is smooth when manually clutching, but even then we noticed some inconsistencies. When downshifting from third to second gear, we experienced several false neutral instances, which can be alarming when attempting to slow for corner entry. In a rare instance of transparency from Harley-Davidson staffers, representatives stated that software updates were incoming, though they could not cite when they’d be delivered. Hopefully, those electronic tweaks work those shifting gremlins out.
Sigh: Throttle maps need work
H-D’s Pan America 1250 platform offers all the electronic wizardry you’d expect from a motorcycle with a 20k MSRP. We have IMU-supported rider aids and the accompanying ride modes you could hope for. The hiccup here is that its preset Sport and Road ride modes utilize a throttle map capable of upsetting the chassis when rolling the gas on or off. There is a solution, and riders must dive into the custom ride modes, which will allow users to soften the throttle response as well as many other electronic parameters. It is irksome, though we are glad that it’s correctable within the settings.
Sigh: Panniers are not standard
The sport-touring category is simple when you think about it: combine aspects of sport and touring motorcycling into one cohesive package. The Pan America 1250 ST delivers on a lot of those fronts, but critically falls short with respect to luggage, which is kept as an optional accessory. Harley is hardly the only offender when it comes to offering a sport-touring machine without bags, but it’s a trend we wish would go the way of the dodo. For those that want the whole package, the $875 Sport Side Cases utilize sleek integrated luggage mounts that are standard on the ST. We didn’t get to use them during this trip, and we hope that H-D tosses them in during the next model-year update.
Conclusion
The sport-touring segment is receiving quite a bit of attention from manufacturers in recent years, and Harley-Davidson joined in with its Pan America 1250 ST. As a sporty machine, the Pan Am ST scores high with respect to its punchy powerplant and excellent handling characteristics. Meanwhile, the comfortable ergonomics plant a flag in the touring side of things. There are hiccups with the electronics that need to be refined, and the lack of luggage is enough to earn the sternest of finger wags from us, but the ST lives up to its name in several ways that shouldn’t be ignored.
