Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 (RA1250) Maintenance Schedule and Service Intervals
This is the maintenance schedule and service intervals for the Harley-Davidson Pan America, model code RA1250, released in 2021.
The Pan America (which Harley-Davidson calls the Pan America™, in case someone else tries to steal the name) Harley-Davidson’s explore-it-all machine. The schedule is also the same for the Pan America Special (RA1250S).
It’s a rugged, all-purpose machine backed by an all-new engine, riding position, and aesthetic for Harley-Davidson, with some high-tech add-ons.
The Pan America is powered by Harley-Davidson’s new Revolution Max 1250 engine, which also powers the new 2021 Harley-Davidson Sportster S (though in a different state of tune).
In the Pan America, the Revolution Max 1250 is a DOHC liquid-cooled V-twin engine with a 13.0:1 compression ratio. It has a chain-driven valvetrain and hydraulic self-adjusting lifters that mean there’s no valve service required on the Pan America. The engine produces an impressive 112 kW (150 hp) @ 9000 rpm, with peak torque of 127 Nm (94 lb-ft) at 6750 rpm.
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What you need to service the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250
Below are some of the parts and consumables you’d need to do a basic service on your Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250.
Maintenance parts for the Pan America 1250
| Part | H-D spec |
|---|---|
| Oil | Harley-Davidson Genuine SYN-BLEND, or Shell Rotella T4 15W-40. |
| Oil filter | You need part 62700280 for the oil filter for the Pan America 1250. |
| Spark plug | You need 4 spark plugs as it’s a twin-spark V-twin. Part number for the spark plug is 31600190 for Revolution Max engines. |
| Air filter | Air filter part number is 29400390 for the Pan America |
More notes on oils for the Pan America 1250
There are many oils recommended. This is from the manual below.
| TYPE | VISCOSITY | LOWEST AMBIENT TEMPERATURE | COLD-WEATHER STARTS BELOW 50 °F (10 °C) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harley-Davidson Genuine SYN-BLEND Motorcycle Lubricant | SAE 15W50 | Above -1 °C (30.2 °F) | Excellent |
| Screamin’ Eagle SYN3 Full Synthetic Motorcycle Lubricant | SAE 20W50 | Above -1 °C (30.2 °F) | Excellent |
| Genuine Harley-Davidson H-D 360 Motorcycle Oil | SAE 20W50 | Above 4 °C (39.2 °F) | Good |
If you can’t get one of the above oils, Harley-Davidson recommends:
- If necessary and SYN-BLEND, SYN3,or HD 360 is not available, add oil certified for diesel engines. Acceptable designations include: CH-4, CI-4 and CJ-4.
- The preferred viscosities, in descending order are: 20W50, 15W40 and 10W40.
- At the first opportunity change back to 100 percent Harley-Davidson oil.
A well-regarded option that meets the spec above is Shell Rotella T4 15W-40.
Maintenance schedule for the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250
Below is the service schedule for the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250. This comes from the manual, but has been clarified for legibility.
Keep following this service interval past 50K miles (80K km) in the pattern shown.
Harley-Davidson recommends you get a dealer to do most items of basic service that relate to safety, like suspension, braking, and general lubrication, “unless you have the proper tools, service data and are mechanically inclined.” They even recommend dealers do chain cleaning / maintenance.
Legend
- I = Inspect: Carefully examine component for excess wear, abnormality, contact, or leaks.
- A = Adjust: Adjust until within spec
- T = Tighten (to correct torque specs)
- C = Check: Verify the component is within the owner’s manual or service manual service limits. Adjust or repair as necessary.
- L= Lubricate: Lubricate the component as specified in the owner’s or service manual with Harley-Davidson approved product.
- R = Replace: Replace the component
- Cl = Clean
- Re = Rebuild: Rebuild the component according to the procedures in the service manual.
For items marked to be inspected more often when the Pan America is ridden in “severe conditions”, this means: extreme temperatures, dusty environments, mountainous conditions, after long storage, short runs, heavy stop/go traffic, or riding with poor fuel quality.
| mi x 1000 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 35 | 40 | 45 | 50 | Every |
| km x 1000 | 1.6 | 8 | 16 | 24 | 32 | 40 | 48 | 56 | 64 | 72 | 80 | – |
| Inspect electrical equipment and switches | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | |
| Check front tire pressure and tread | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | Year |
| Inspect front brake fluid level (DOT 4) Note: fluid level drops as pads wear. | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | |
| Inspect rear brake fluid level (DOT 4) Note: fluid level drops as pads wear. | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | |
| Check front brake fluid moisture content | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | Year |
| Check rear brake fluid moisture content | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | Year |
| Adjust/Lubricate steering head bearings | A | A | A | L | A | A | A, L | |||||
| Tighten clutch lever handlebar clamp screw torque (see torque specs) | T | T | T | T | T | T | Year | |||||
| Tighten master cylinder handlebar clamp screw torque (see torque specs) | T | T | T | T | T | T | Year | |||||
| Inspect air cleaner filter | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | More often if riding in severe conditions. |
| Replace engine oil and filter | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | Year. More often if riding in severe conditions. |
| Replace coolant | 30000 mi (48000 km), R | |||||||||||
| Clean radiators and oil cooler | Cl | Cl | Cl | Cl | Cl | Cl | Cl | Cl | Cl | Cl | Cl | Cl |
| Inspect brake system | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | Year |
| Inspect fuel lines and fittings | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | Year |
| Replace brake fluid (DOT 4) | 2 years, or sooner if misture content greater: R | |||||||||||
| Inspect brake pads and discs | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | |
| Lubricate jiffy stand and centerstand (if equipped) | L | L | L | L | L | L | L | L | L | L | L | More often if riding in severe conditions. |
| Adjust clutch system | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | More often if riding in severe conditions. |
| Lubricate brake and clutch controls | L | L | L | L | L | L | L | L | L | L | L | More often if riding in severe conditions. |
| Inspect drive chain, sprockets and chain guide | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | More often if riding in severe conditions. |
| Drive chain (Clean, Lubricate, Adjust) | 600 mi (1000 km): C, L, A. More often if riding in severe conditions. | |||||||||||
| Inspect exhaust system, fasteners and shields | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | Year, or more often if riding in severe conditions. |
| Check 12 volt battery – terminal torque, connection cleanness, lubricate terminals with contact lubricant | Year: Cl/L | |||||||||||
| Replace spark plugs (you need 4, as it’s twin spark) | 2 years or 10K mi (16K km): R | |||||||||||
| Rebuild front forks (Disassemble, inspect, rebuild, replace fork oil) | Re | |||||||||||
| Inspect rear sprocket compensator | Every tyre change: I. More often if riding in severe conditions. | |||||||||||
| Check component and system functions (Road test) | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I | I |
Maintaining spoked wheels on the Pan America 1250
If you have spoked wheels fitted, Harley-Davidson says you should check the spoke tension of the wheels at:
- 1,000 mi (2,000 km)
- 5,000 mi (8,000 km)
- 20,000 mi (32,000 km) services
- Then every 15,000 mi (24,000 km)
Check spoke tension more often if you are riding the bike in severe conditions.
Check the tire pressure and tread as part of daily inspections, but also every year.
Tires sizes and pressures for the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250
The following is for both the Pan America and the Pan America Special. They ship with Michelin Scorcher Adventure tires.
| Wheel | Tyre size | Pressure (psi) | Pressure (kPa) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front | 120/70R19 60V | 36 psi | 248 kPa |
| Rear | 170/60R17 72V | 42 psi | 290 kPa |
About the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250
It’s hard to write a succinct description of the Harley-Davidson Pan America. It’s so different for Harley-Davidson in that it addresses a new segment (for the company), introduces a new engine, and has a whole bunch of new rider tech that has rarely been seen on any motorcycle, Harley-Davidson or otherwise.
At first blush, the Harley-Davidson Pan America is a very, very late entrant into the adventure touring segment that blew up under the stewardship of Honda (with their old, old Africa Twin, the one most people don’t remember), BMW and their R – GS series, and KTM’s adventure bikes. Among others including the V-Strom, the Versys… and many others. Don’t be offended if I missed one.
But the Pan America isn’t just a regular Harley air-cooled twin in a different chassis — far from it.
Here are a few things that make the Harley-Davidson Pan America special.
- The engine is all new — the Revolution Max 1250 motor is a 1252cc liquid-cooled engine with a whopping 112 kW (150 hp) of power from an engine that actually revs. This is a huge amount of top-end for a Harley, and is competitive with other big engines like those from Ducati and KTM, known for producing high end sporty adventure touring sport bike adventurers (which is what I call the category)
- The engine has variable valve timing — something Ducati and BMW only just introduced a few years ago.
- The engine still has some old and welcome bits, like self-adjusting valves that means the Pan America never needs a valve service. Never!
- The engine is smooth and predictable, and doesn’t vibe you off your seat (and all the bolts/nuts off the chassis)
OK, enough about the engine. Here’s more about the Harley Davidson Pan America 1250:
- It has a wet weight of 245 kg, which is fine in the class of big adventure bikes, and again, is very un-Harley Davidson.
- There’s a lot of tech (some of it optional or part of packages)— ride modes, cornering ABS, adaptive ride height (automatically lowering when you come to a stop), and a TFT display.
- Suspension is high tech (in the Special) — electronically adjustable with semi-active damping. The front has a 47mm USD Showa fork and the rear has a Showa shock
- Braking is also capable — twin 320mm discs and radial 4-piston Brembo calipers.
Basically there’s two ways of looking at the bike: a) it’s either finally, a normal high-end bike for the high-end price that Harley-Davidson charges, or b) it’s totally new for Harley-Davidson.
Reviews of the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 basically range from “it’s a good adventure bike, but it’s not necessarily better than the BMW R 1250 GS”, all the way through to “BMW has some catching up to do”.
It’s high praise to be even compared to the premium GS from BMW, so that’s a start. One must also acknowledge that few reviewers may pick anything above the R 1250 GS as an all-out better bike.
But much like the Ducati, Honda, or KTM ascenders to the throne, buyers are likely to choose the Harley-Davidson Pan America for other, emotional reasons. And that’s fine — motorcycles are an emotional purchase, after all. Some of these might be
- Harley dealer support. There’s no question that there are many, many Harley-Davidson dealers in the US, and worldwide. They each are welcoming of travellers and provide well-needed breaks, great service, and attentivity.
- Brand recognition and value. Harley-Davidson is as recognisable as a brand as Coca Cola, even to people who don’t ride. The bikes tend to preserve their value.
- Brand affinity. Sometimes Harley riders just know they’re Harley riders. Just as there are Ducatisti, KTM junkies, and so on.
There are probably other reasons, too.
But what needs to be mentioned is that objectively, the Pan America is a high-spec, high-end bike, with a lot of features to die for.
And since this is a maintenance site, don’t forget… you never have to do a valve service. Even the Ducati Multistrada V4 needs some attention every 60000 km.
What is also interesting about the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 is its price. It’s not ridiculously high priced — especially since HD is known for charging quite a lot for traditionally much lower-tech bikes.
Here are the MSRPs of a few adventure bikes in the US (base models, not Adventure, Sport, etc.)
| Adventure motorcycle model | 2021 MSRP (USA) |
|---|---|
| Suzuki V-Strom 1050XT | $14,799 |
| Harley-Davidson Pan America | $17,319 |
| Honda Africa Twin CRF1100 | $17,999 |
| KTM 1290 Adventure S | $19,499 |
| Ducati Multistrada V4 | $19,995 |
| BMW R 1250 GS | $20,920 |
Of course, things start getting complicated when you think about what each model includes or doesn’t, but as a starting point, it’s interesting to note that Harley-Davidson is not just offering a ground-breaking motorcycle; it’s affordable. Well, for a new motorcycle in the category.
Manual for the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250
The above maintenance schedule came from the manual for the Pan America 1250.
You can find it online here.
