Primordial adventure motorcycles evolved from streetbikes, growing longer legs and appendages suited to the task of taking on uncertain routes and varied terrain. Now they have become one of the most popular motorcycle segments, supplanting sport-tourers, nakeds, and standards as the do-it-all motorcycle in your garage. Harley-Davidson even stepped out of its tried-and-very-true cruiser mindset with the Pan America 1250 in 2021. Now, evolution has come full circle with the 2025 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 ST, a sporty, street-focused machine born from that clean-sheet ADV. Is it proof that maybe adventure motorcycles are not the best single ride in the garage? Or does it posit that ADVs are so good that with a handful of changes they make better streetbikes than, well, streetbikes.

Harley is not the first to employ this formula of a grippier, stiffer, and more nimble model built on adventure bones. But perhaps it’s the most interesting if only for the fact that other manufacturers have a long history of sporty motorcycles, so a leap back to the street from the dust makes more sense. Take Ducati’s Multistrada Pikes Peak models for example: Of course the Borgo Panigale factory built a sporty version of the ADV; it’s in its DNA. But for Harley, it was already stepping out with a pure adventure motorcycle, complete with a new Revolution Max 1250 engine, rider aids, and suspension that lowered the bike at a stop. Now a bike with 17-inch wheels means to take corners like few Harleys have been able to. We haven’t forgotten Buell, but as for bikes with a Bar Shield on them, the Pan America 1250 is the sportiest in the lineup.Changes for the StreetThere are only a handful of changes from the Pan America 1250 Special adventure model to get to the ST and what Harley is calling the adventure sport segment. Some are easy to see, like the 17-inch cast wheels front and rear wrapped in H-D branded Michelin Scorcher Sport tires in 120 and 180 widths. It also sits lower, with 0.8 of an inch of travel removed from the stiffer 47mm Showa Balance Free fork and shock. Preload is adjusted automatically for a consistent 30% sag; compression and rebound are adjusted manually. Harley removed the crash bars and fitted a slimmer radiator shroud for a sleeker bodyline.

Other changes are not as apparent. The seat is a half inch lower than the unit on the Special, not only making the reach to the pavement easier but also to allow the rider to sit in rather than on the Pan Am. With the Harley’s Adaptive Ride Height dropping the rear automatically, seat height is 29.4 inches when at a stop. A Screamin’ Eagle Quickshifter allows for clutchless upshifts and downshifts and is standard equipment. H-D removed the mid-chamber for the exhaust system that is found on the Special to reduce weight. A shorter, smoked windscreen is not adjustable.The Pan America 1250 ST has five ride modes versus the Special’s nine—no need for those dirt-focused settings. Rain, Road, Sport, along with two customizable modes are your choices with the ST. Using the 6.8-inch TFT dash, the custom ride modes can be edited with choices of three levels of traction control, five levels of throttle response, five levels of engine-braking, and three engine maps (pulled from the aforementioned ride modes).

What has not changed is the liquid-cooled Revolution Max 1250 engine. Harley-Davidson claims 150 hp and 94 lb.-ft. of torque from the variable valve timing–equipped powerplant. The last Pan America 1250 we had on the Cycle World Dynojet 250i dynamometer in 2022 produced 127.6 hp at 9040 rpm and 78.4 lb.-ft. at 4480 rpm at the rear wheel.Proof of ConceptJust last month KWR Harley-Davidson’s James Rispoli won MotoAmerica’s 2025 Mission Foods Super Hooligan Championship on a race-prepped Pan America 1250 Special. While his race bike is not based on the ST, it clearly demonstrated the potential of the platform as a street-only machine. And to further push that point, Harley-Davidson had Rispoli join the small group of media at a first ride event.On the Road—Suspension and HandlingAnd as we headed out to sample the wonderful undulating roads around Nelsonville, Ohio (truly world-class pavement), Rispoli slotted in right behind yours truly. “No pressure, Dawes. It’s just the current champ on your six. Just don’t look too stupid.” As we pulled into the first coffee stop after an hour of riding at a somewhat reserved pace due to the sun in our faces and cool roads, Rispoli flashed a thumbs-up. Removing his helmet, he reveled in the twisting roads and green scenery, a good reminder that any day riding at any pace is awesome.

At pace the Pan America 1250 ST‘s handling immediately comes into the spotlight. Turn-in is quick and effortless. It’s eager to bend a corner, and before the first caffeine fix of the day almost too eager. You just don’t expect such a snappy response to inputs from a 542-pound (claimed, fully fueled) bike based on a big-bore ADV. It’s sporty—naked bike sporty. It’s easy to shift your weight, drop a shoulder, and grind away at the rather long peg feelers.Suspension is stiff, bordering on harsh, at slower speed over seams and small bumps, but as the speed increases it all comes into focus and handles dips, undulations, and bumps without upsetting the chassis, in a straight line or on the side of the tire.Braking duties are handled by 320mm front rotors squeezed by radially mounted Brembo Monoblock and a 280mm rear rotor matched to a single-piston Brembo caliper. Front brake performance is exceptional with excellent feedback while offering a strong initial bite with plenty of stopping power. The rear is less crisp as it slows the 180/55R-17 tire. Front and rear are linked with Harley’s Cornering Electronically Linked Brakes (C-ELB) system, but the application is not noticeable. One notable omission is the option to turn the rear ABS off, but that’s really picking at the nits.

Engine PerformanceWhile the Pan America 1250 ST may not be the outright horsepower king in the 17-inch-wheeled ADVs, twisting the throttle to the stop is highly satisfying. There’s a grunt off the bottom that pulls hard, and the engine continues to make power all the way up to the 9000 rpm rev limit. If you want to be racy, you can row through the gears to keep the engine on a boil about 6000 rpm. But you can also relax, leave it in third gear, and put the torque and revs to good use without breaking a sweat.

The difference between the three preset ride modes is noticeable; Sport gives an immediate response while Street backs it down just enough to be more relaxed without losing too much of the entertaining thrust available from the Revolution Max 1250. Rain mode performs just as expected, muting the power and throttle response significantly. The two custom modes allow you to really modify how the ST engine behaves—even to the point of ruining the ride. There are five options for the throttle response: Max, More, Base, Less, and Min. Anything above the base produces a snatchy response in the low- to mid-rpm range, causing a surging throttle that can upset the balance while leaned over or ruin comfort around town. And if you up the engine-braking to the Max and More levels, you get a more lurch-filled ride as the engine-braking catches and pushes back against the throttle surge. The Max and More setting may be useful on the track but not so on the street.

My optimal Custom mode setting for sporty riding on the street: traction control in Sport, engine map in Sport, engine response at base, engine-braking at Less. This allows for full power and the least intrusive TC with a smooth throttle response. The reduced engine-braking allows for a smoother roll into the corner as well. That’s what you need to keep Rispoli from constantly filling your mirror in every corner. And the fact that he doesn’t know it’s a race.

There were issues with the Pan America ST’s as-standard quickshifter. Just 30 minutes into the ride the unit failed due to a zip-tie that was too tight, breaking the wire in the harness. This created a cascade of faults in the Pan Am’s CAN bus network that created a warning for a burned-out taillight even though it was functional. The next day we rode the Pan American 1250 Special and had the same issue. Also, shifting action overall was not trouble-free with several instances of the gearbox going into neutral while downshifting from third to second.

All-Day ComfortThere’s one undeniable advantage of creating a sporty motorcycle from an adventure motorcycle: comfort. Built to crush miles while being functional in more extreme situations, the cockpit of the Pan America 1250 Special is also perfectly suited to the ST’s task of braking late, scraping pegs, and accelerating hard from the apex all while still being able to crush those big miles. With a lower, more dished seat than the Special, the ST’s unit does reduce legroom, but only the tallest riders will find issue here. My 5-foot-10 frame never felt the twinge of cramping in the hips or knees. The bars seem tall, but offer plenty of leverage to throw the ST around. The lower windscreen is effective at managing airflow to the rider, keeping any noticeable windblast off the chest while allowing the helmet to pass through a clean and buffet-free stream of fresh air.

Is the Pan America 1250 ST a Better Streetbike Because of Its ADV Architecture?At the end of the day Rispoli commented how fast and fun the 2025 Pan America 1250 ST felt in comparison to his race Pan Am. He figured the presence of trees, traffic, and unknown corners contributed to the fast feeling, and most likely it’s more entertaining riding without the stress of hitting your mark every time. I, on the other hand, found it to be a great sporty streetbike for the fact that the Pan America platform offers powerful, modern V-twin performance with an uncanny quickness to change direction and all-day comfort. Sharpening the street handling with a fairly short list of changes proves what a capable motorcycle the Pan America is, proving ADVs can make better streetbikes.

2025 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 ST Specs

GearboxHelmet: Leatt Moto 8.5 CompositeJacket: Leatt ADV DriTour 7.5Pants: Leatt ADV DriTour 7.5Gloves: Leatt Gloves Moto 3.5 LiteBoots: Leatt Boots 5.5 FlexLock Enduro