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Image Gallery: 2020 Harley-Davidson Pan America adventure tourer

Team OD Updated: July 30, 2018, 06:52 PM IST

In Harley-Davidson's major strategy reveal today, the shocking motorcycle is the Pan America, a motorcycle Harley-Davidson says is an Adventure Tourer. It even mentions dirt as a future path for the motorcycle in the copy! The Pan America is based on the new modular 500-1250cc platform that Harley has revealed today and the motorcycle will be launched in 2020. Harley-Davidson said that there are three distinct products and four displacements in this platform. Could there be a smaller adventure tourer in there as well? By 2022, the answers will definitely be known. From the images, the Pan America is, um, not pretty. The headlight and the fairing it sits in is almost too modern in shape and style and not just a little bit boxy. But clearly visible underneath the LED head lamps are a set of black upside down forks, spoke wheels, radially mounted brake calipers and knobby tyres. A massive radiator is clearly visible ahead of the engine, once again, showing that the new platform's engines are water-cooled and this time Harley isn't hiding that at all. The tightly packaged V-Twin also shows that the gearbox is integrated neatly into the package. Sort of like the Triumph Tiger, the Pan America uses a tubular trellis subframe that is mostly exposed. A simple, flat-topped seat - always good for touring, and minimal bodywork round out the Pan America. In the side profile, the tank looks outsize and that probably marks out a substantial fuel tank capacity, a regular feature on motorcycles of this type.

The Pan America is a slightly awkward looking motorcycle but this is the first time, we've cast eyes on it. It tries to blend the functional requirement of an adventure tourer with the design ethos of Harley-Davidson which was never going to be an easy task. This is a prototype, says Harley-Davidson and the final version will evolve a bit. But who would have thought Harley would make an Adventure tourer, right? The Pan America leads the onslaught that begins in 2020 with new bikes lined up all the way through 2022. Harley-Davidson will also develop and produce a 250-500cc class motorcycle for India, but the timelines on that are unknown.

The 2020 Harley-Davidson Pan America is Harley's new adventure tourer - yes - and its coming in two years. We can spy a liquid-cooled V-twin and this will be a 1,250cc V-twin powered machine

The 2020 Harley-Davidson Pan America features knobby tyres on the prototype with modern disc brakes, tubeless tyres, spoked wheels and upside-down forks!

The 2020 Harley-Davidson Pan America's headlight and fairing is distinctly odd. Harley is clearly trying to blend function with a design that talks to the Harley-Davidson brand here. This will be an interesting bike to see in the flesh.

The 2020 Harley-Davidson Pan America features a 1,250cc liquid-cooled engine and look, Harley isn't hiding that! The fins are all but gone and that gearbox is positioned far closer to the engine than normal for Harleys. Nice!

The 2020 Harley-Davidson Pan America features a gigantic exhaust can - the emissions will be tight when it launches. But did you notice the serrated footpegs?

The 2020 Harley-Davidson Pan America prototype wears these rather functional looking handguards and mirrors. Expect the production model to have more, erm, fluent designs

The 2020 Harley-Davidson Pan America features a comprehensive screen and it looks like an adjustable unit too. In India though, we keep finding that these big screens don't help as much as small ones.

The 2020 Harley-Davidson Pan America prototype wears a shaped, substantial bashplate under the engine as well as the protective tubing that bikes like the BMW are normally seen wearing. This is a serious adventure tourer, then

Unlike most other adventure tourers the 2020 Harley-Davidson Pan America does not use a lower mudguard and a beak. However, expect the production version to have a longer fender.

The huge tank of the 2020 Harley-Davidson Pan America actually looks disproportionate and the black plastic tank top is likely to host some of the instruments and lights. The massive volume suggests a big tank, correct for this kind of bike

In the pictures, the 2020 Harley-Davidson Pan America prototype looks long and low, which is unusual for adventure tourers today. Could Harley have found a way to make ground clearance and suspension travel sit with a reasonable seat height?