Pan America Takes a Slug at Top Heavy Hitters
By Bruce Montcombroux

Predictability may not seem like an obvious strong point.

 

When I see the Pan America win a Dakar Rally or five (entered for this years race, electric too), then it really get's it's creed. Honda, BMW, Yamaha, and KTM have owned that rally.

 

Most of the comparisons having to do with offroad capability and handling are probably moot. l would wager that 98% of the people who purchase an adventure bike will never actually go on any off-road excursions.

I have not ridden the V4 but have test ridden a Multistrada and also a couple of the BMW - 1250 and 850 GS. I would take a KTM 1290 before any of these two. It has more power, is much cheaper, and now has more features and tech. You can get the KTM1290 for $19K USD. The BMW and Ducati will both run you high twenties when it's all said and done. It's nearly impossible to actually find a base trim GS. Most anything on dealers floors is going to be the premium packages. And IMO the KTM is much more fun to ride on the road which is where almost everyone will be doing most of their riding. The Ducati and BMW just struck me as dull on the road. The KTM is like a freight train from the getgo all the way to redline. Although the Ducati has a bit more power, it just is not as fun to ride IMO. The 1290 is the best all-rounder and the best deal for your money IMO.




I have ridden the Pan American during the demo truck events. It is the most comfortable of the ADV bikes I have tried. I would take it over the Beemer as it is more exciting to ride in general on the road. But given what you get with the KTM at their price point, I have to be honest and say that would be my choice. This doesn't factor in things like reliability or dealer network. This is something where KTM, Ducati, and BMW just cannot compete with Harley. If you are on a long trip in the middle of nowhere and have a serious issue or need urgent service, its going to be hard to find someone who will work on the former. That's something to consider. Glad I am not looking for an ADV bike at the moment as it would be a hard choice.

 

It's not hard to order a new Beemer. My 2020 R9T took three weeks from order to delivery but I don't know what the wait time is these days.
My local BMW dealer told me that they order their bikes with the Premium package because the Base/stripped bikes are too hard to sell when people trade them in.
For me, the Pan America looks like it would be the cheapest and easiest (DIY) bike of the big ADV bikes to maintain.

 

I have never seen a base level trim BMW on the floor. You might see a used one on the floor now and then but I think you are probably right that you have to order one if you want a new model in the base trim. Most everything a BMW dealer sells is likely to be the premium trims. Same for their auto division. The dealers upsell everything. The BMW dealer near me has five GS models listed. All premium GSA packages with risers, cargo plates and boxes added, GPS module added, deluxe wheels, etc..it's close to $30K a pop.

BMW advertises the base mode for a GS as $17,985 but you will not find one in a dealer. Same for Harley and the PA. They advertise the starting price around $17K but you are not going to find that on the dealer floor. They will mostly be the PA Special with premium wheels, trims, accessories. That's how you maximize profit, You don't do that by selling base trim models. Advertising a competitive base starting price is basically just a way to get people interested in a model. What you actually put out on dealer floors is something else entirely. So when I consider comparative pricing between brands, I look at what most buyers are paying to actually obtain a bike, not what a manufacture lists as as starting price. For a BMW GS that's going to be mid-twenties. The PA appears to be low to mid twenties. It looks like the PA has the edge on BMW in terms of pricing when it comes to obtaining a fairly well equipped ADV bike.

 

If I was in the market, I’d go for a Multistrada. There’s no substitute for power. It’s also the best looking. The headlight/windscreen on the Pan Am is just plain ugly. Looks like an afterthought.

 

The only options that I would need on a Pan Am or GS would be a centerstand and heated grips. For me, all of the "rider aids" with the exception of a simple GPS, would be distractions. The little On Board Computer on my BMW R9T has more stuff than I use.

 

Pan America won CycleWorld's big bore adventure shoot out.
If you can get die hard riders who care nothing for harley to pick it as the best pick of the litter... Thats saying something huge.


Personally speaking, the ADV category is ugly as literal ****, and none of them look any good to me except the pan america.
So if I ever wanted an ADV bike, PanAm is the on i'd be happy to ride without regretting how it looks everytime I see it.

 

The V4 is what would sell me on the Ducati because it would sound great if I could get past the bird beak front end complete with nostrils. Even the paint scheme makes me think woody the woodpecker or that Thrush Muffler bird. V4 in the Pan America is the answer!

 

End of the day, this article is 2 years late and obsolete..