Harley-Davidson adds Sports Touring version to Pan America family with Pan America ST

Harley-Davidson's 2025 model lineup may have been filled with bigger engines, stunning paint and a whole lot of "'MERICA!" but taking a closer look shows what could be a very unappreciated gem sitting in the wings. The new 2025 Pan America ST.
Now Harley-Davidson's Pan America is an interesting outlier in the brand with its adventure focus, and the new ST version further complicates things. But that isn't a bad thing!
For the Pan America ST, Harley has tossed the 19-inch adventure-focussed front wheel in favour of a far more nimble 17-inch unit plus a host of tweaks on the platform to make the bike an incredibly comfortable corner-carving monster.

While the local press release from Harley-Davidson Australia and New Zealand completely ignores the model to focus on the shiny new traditional Harleys, what we know of the bike is quite appealing on paper.
"The 2025 Pan America 1250 ST is reimagined for faster, more comfortable, and capable pavement performance, with lowered suspension, quick-shifting, 17-inch wheels, high-performance tires, and a slimmer, lighter profile."
So apart from the 17-inch wheels – which by our reckoning make the Pan America ST only the 4th bike in the current range to offer that wheel sizing next to the Sportster S and badge-engineered X 350 and X 500 – Harley has made the ST model more accessible by dropping the seat height with shorter suspension and reduced overall weight.

Diving into the spec sheet, the Pan America ST is a full 8 kilograms lighter than the Pan America 1250 Special.
With its Revolution Max engine producing a solid 149hp at 8,750rpm (curiously 1hp less than the Special) the Pan America ST should be a riot on twisty roads.
But will we get it in New Zealand?
Unfortunately, Harley-Davidson has confirmed that the Pan America ST isn't currently destined to join the local lineup here in New Zealand, which is quite a shame. With other manufacturers now turning their gaze back to sports touring, it seems the market is starting to shift away from large adventure bikes as the primary choice for mile-munching motorcycles outside of the cruiser sphere.