AMD261 April 2021 American Motorcycle Dealer 261 April 2021 | Page 26

genuine motorcycle industry first . Though initially only available as an option on the ' S ', expect to see the Adaptive Ride Height ( ARH ) concept spread throughout the Dual Sport market in the years to come . It squares one of the circles in ADV design and is a solution for the competing requirements of a manageable seat height with adequate ground clearance . There hasn ' t been any scuttlebutt about likely production numbers , except that they will likely be low and slow to start with , but with dealers desperate to sell everything and anything they can get their hands on , it is likely that Harley will be able to sell its MY2021 production allocation quickly and that dealers should , initially , be able to hold close to or even exceed the MRSP . The February 22nd online launch video was considerably better than the January effort that introduced the MY2021 Big Twins . This was more of a late 1980s , polished MTV treatment compared to the early days of stilted corporate videos that we saw in January . It was simultaneously slicker , more instructive and more economical in terms of the balance between optics , hyperbole and actual information . It benefitted from being much shorter and , having only one product to pimp and one customer group to seduce , it had the opportunity to be better . We ' d all better get used to CEO Jochen Zeitz being up front and center as the voice and face of the Bar ' n Shield from here on though - he bookended the product presentation , wanting to make sure that we understood him to be a person with the credentials to speak lovingly about the new look company he is leading and its new look products . " I ' ve put in many miles aboard Pan America in beautiful and remote parts of the world and have experienced the innovations and capabilities that will unlock our brand ' s passion for adventure for more people around the world ," said Zeitz . " I am truly excited about Pan America . Adventure touring is a natural fit for Harley-Davidson ." The presentation finally confessed the truth of Harley ' s roots , from the age when its primary competitor was the horse - an era in which the pavements and cruise control-friendly long straights of the Interstate Highway network were the stuff of fantasy . Harley worked hard to earn its right to make a play for the ADV market , and by and large succeeded in doing so . It still sounded ' innocent ' at times - " The spirt of Adventure Touring on a Pan America 1250 is one of endless possibilities and unrestrained freedom for the soul . From highways to dirt paths , from mountain tops to river valleys , the thirst for adventure spurs riders forward to discover what lays beyond the next bend in the trail ." Harley needs to come to terms with the fact that while the ADV sector may be an all-new bright and shiny thing to them , it is a mature sector with more than 20 years of progress underpinning its main combatant ' s ' positioning . Pointing to the " tenacious

spirit that has driven Harley-Davidson to develop a motorcycle that will win the hearts of bold , adventurous individuals who seek out the wild spaces " etc ., will not be convincing to those who already ' get it ' where Dual Sport / ADV riding is concerned . Eventually Harley will realize that it is now entering territory where it doesn ' t need to sell the lifestyle , just sell its ability to outperform and innovate its competitors into submission - fortunately its startpoint gives it an excellent platform on which to build forward . In entering these shark infested waters , the ' Bar ' n Shield ' has the potential to be a headwind as much as a credential . Buyers of ADV motorcycles are a technologically advanced and ride quality savvy community who aren ' t fooled easily . You only need to break down irretrievably once while 20 miles or more from the nearest paved road in order to be carrying a grudge into the next buying cycle . Harley must continue to back its engineers to understand the market it is entering and let them do their thing . One final bit of news that came out of the Pan America launch presentation and video . Harley has now confirmed , confessed and conceded that the equally much awaited second iteration of the 1250 cc Revolution Max , the 1250 cc Custom Cruiser that has , effectively , replaced the stillborn streetfighter concept , is indeed going to see a launch at some stage this year .

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