Folks did not know what to make of Harley-Davidson's Pan America when it was first announced. But after it hit showroom floors soon after that, it was well-regarded as competent both on and off road. The thing still weighs 559 lbs, though, and probably closer to 570 by the time you've fitted the upgrades you want. So, when things go wrong off-road, they tend to go quite wrong.
RideApart's Executive Editor, Jonathon Klein, can attest to just how wrong things can go when you overestimate a Pan America's, or your own riding, ability. A nasty off left him fairly shaken, but the Pan American was in arguably worse shape with its broken windshield, pannier, shifter, and torqued bars. Ultimately, it went into limp mode.
But you don't have to pull a Klein, because a huge selection of Black Dog Cycle Works (BDCW) rugged aftermarket parts for the Pan America has just dropped. This is far from the first pile of tough aftermarket accessories that BDCW has launched for the Pan America, but this latest drop has been torture tested in Baja, Mexico. So I'd say it's fairly safe to assume that the harsh testing, combined with BDCW's experience in manufacturing parts for the Pan America, should mean that these units are rock-solid.
