So let me see if I get your point here.....

The GS had a safety critical issue that required a recall and refit of all bikes with totally different brake calipers. That's a non functioning braking system - i.e. you could die.

Some (we can't quantify how many) of the HD Pan Americas occasionally don't start. That's an occasional minor inconvenience - i.e. you might be a bit late. And as of 21st October there is a software fix for the problem (whether it works or not we don't know yet)

But the HD is a PoS and the BMW is fantastic ??? If your BMW was in the shop for the brakes, you can't ride it. If the HD fails to start occasionally, so what? You can still ride it a few minutes later. BMW fixed the brakes for free. Wow. Of course they did. By law, they have to do so. HD is also fixing any issues for free. They also have to by law.

Just to throw another coin in the fountain, the Ducati Multistrada had a massive problem with the valve guides requiring recalls and total engine replacements in many cases. No bike is perfect from day one - and if you look up BMW GS recalls, you will find there have been many over the years.

New bikes almost always have teething problems - but the PanAm seems to have less than many new model bikes and the problems some have had have mainly been minor inconveniences as opposed to major safety critical or machine destroying issues. Apart from Rhuff's bike it seems....that dude has had **** luck with his.

My PanAm has been great so far. I did break the stupid plastic grab rail (replacement part backordered by dealer under warranty), I had a loose connector that threw emissions codes for a week or so until we figured the issue out and the clock doesn't keep time, which I really don't care about and will get fixed at some point. All in all, for a totally new platform, HD has done fantastically. If I do end up with any major faults I have confidence HD will fix them for free under warranty - as is their legal obligation. They have always done well for me and quibble far less than other bike brands I have experience with.

 

@adm Very well stated. I was getting ready to type something very similar in regards to the BMW brake recall.

 

It is unfortunate that your dealer made a modification and has possibly / probably caused a fault. That is hard to pin the fault of HD themselves.

I would hope the dealer will accept the blame and make it right for you in a timely fashion.

Why people have to bring up how good or bad another brand is here God only knows. Absolutely no help and a waste of bandwidth.

 

No. No safety risk at all, unlike Harley’s 08-13 abs fiasco with no fail safe engineered in. It was a seeping seal due to shitty castings on American made calipers. Zero loss of brake function and the point was in how BMW responded to the issue vs just ignoring it like Harley does.

 

What if you were one of the people who used the motorcycle as it is advertised, and maybe actually took if off road somewhere overnight? How are you going to keep it fully charged then? Or is taking it off road considered abuse and voids your warranty?

 

It may be less to do with the Pan Am and more to due with the way Harley sells motorcycles, or at least the way they've sold them in the last 30-40 years. A Harley dealer mech. told me once that whenever HD comes out with a new line or engine, the customers are basically the lab rats, so to speak. They get most of the problems ironed out just about the time they quit making that engine or model and then go with something new and not fully tested.

 

Twisted way of thinking no ? Most threads on any motor forum tend to be about problems. Doesn't mean the majority of Pan Am owners have had any problems at all. The number of owners who actually log in to a forum is probably very small compared to the number of machines sold. I read that Harley sold more than 5000 Pan Ams in the first 3 months in the States. Don't see 5000 members posting on this thread. So if you keep reading the posts here, you can only be comforted in your opinion that the bike is bad.
I have had some minor problems but they will get solved and I love the bike. I've been riding Harleys for more than 20 years and I've only had 2 mechanical problems in all that time over 5 bikes. That's a pretty good record.
I had a BMW for 8 years before going Harley in 2000. Broke 2 shaft drives, I clutch, I gearbox, and countless batteries and heated grips. My bankcard would tremble just dropping the bike off for a service.

 

No vehicle manufacture issues a stop sell and recall if it's not a safety critical issue. It costs millions and millions of dollars and directly hits that profit line. I don't know about you, but I like my brake fluid to stay in my brake system. Especially if I ever intend to use the brakes.

Non safety critical issues get taken care of with hardware and software updates at service time. Just as HD is doing with any Pan Am issues. There just haven't been any safety critical issues (yet) that have needed a recall.

That's how the entire motor vehicle industry works, worldwide. BMW had to issue the stop sell and recall - they had no choice. It wasn't because they are just downright aw shucks nice guys.

As for Harley's little ABS faux pas, the difference there is that it took years for that to show up. At which point they also issued a recall and fixed it. New BMWs sitting on the the showroom floor with pie dishes underneath them to catch the brake fluid was apparent much quicker - even before many of the bikes were sold. Have no doubt that if that problem took a couple of years to show up, BMW would have blamed it at first on poor owner maintenance, tried to avoid warranty claims and then grudgingly issued a recall as absolute last resort - because they would legally be obliged to do so once the evidence mounted up.

WHAT’S A RECALL AND WHEN IS IT NECESSARY?A recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle, equipment, car seat, or tire creates an unreasonable safety risk or fails to meet minimum safety standards. Manufacturers are required to fix the problem by repairing it, replacing it, offering a refund, or in rare cases repurchasing the vehicle.

The United States Code for Motor Vehicle Safety (Title 49, Chapter 301) defines motor vehicle safety as “the performance of a motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment in a way that protects the public against unreasonable risk of accidents occurring because of the design, construction, or performance of a motor vehicle, and against unreasonable risk of death or injury in an accident, and includes nonoperational safety of a motor vehicle.” A defect includes “any defect in performance, construction, a component, or material of a motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment.” Generally, a safety defect is defined as a problem that exists in a motor vehicle or item of motor vehicle equipment that:

• poses a risk to motor vehicle safety, and
  
• may exist in a group of vehicles of the same design or manufacture, or items of
  
  equipment of the same type and manufacture.
  

 

Been a professional mechanic all my adult life , been riding and working on Harleys in particular since the 70's AMF days including dealer time on a few occasions.

As a mechanic not a dealer parts swapper I see patterns and commonality in things through observation and various sources besides in here. .

While the jury is still out on the mechanicals of PanAm its very apparent the electronics and software are not ready for the general public to abuse yet. Typical corporate BS they shoved them out before they were ready.

I like to stay informed on thing so I'll just keep ghosting , watch and learn and see where it all goes .

 

Harley has yet to release a bike where the software is ready for the general public. The new radio head unit on the 20515's had all sorts of issues, and were still updating the software when I traded it in to fix issues. The head unit that cam out in 2018, the GTS system and is still used on the 2021 still has issues.

I bought my Pan America, just like my other Harleys, knowing the electronics, specifically navigation and phone connections would be issues.

I do not believe Harley will have the Nav App bug free for several years on the PA, it does work, just not consistent. All the other electronics seem to work except the weird start when hot.

So far I really like this bike a lot. Seems to have less issues than my last several Harleys.