When Harley-Davidson announced its entry into the adventure bike market, there was a resounding giggle from the established ADV community and the brand was slammed on social media by those who thought they knew better. After all, Harley is not a brand you hear about in Dakar Rally racing circles, so a Harley adventure bike was always going to be a tough sell.
When I was asked to attend the Australian media launch of the new Harley-Davidson Pan America, I thought I’d drawn the short straw as I’ve never been a fan of Harley-Davidson or its lifestyle branding.
But I did have to remind myself that upon first viewing the famed On Any Sunday movie when it was released back in 1971, I gained some new motorcycling heroes. There was Malcolm Smith, of course, and Hollywood legend Steve McQueen. But the other rider who stood out for me was Mert Lawwill, who won the 1969 AMA Grand National Championship as a member of the Harley-Davidson factory racing team. The vision of those booming Harleys pitching sideways on those super-fast speedway ovals was an absolute blowout! Looking back, I guess H-D may have some dirt heritage after all.
BRING IT ON
The night before the launch ride on the NSW South Coast offered a chance to get to know the Harley-Davidson crew over dinner. In the back of
