Harley's Pan America has always struck me as a blank canvas. Not because the Motor Co. didn't throw the kitchen sink at it to begin with, but because the bones of this bike are so strong, you could do almost anything to it to make it truly your own.
Obviously, it's meant to be a long-distance cruiser and off-road hellion, but there are just so many other avenues you could take if you have the time, resources, and the patience. And one path, one I never could quite understand why Harley didn't take right off the get-go, was that of a naked, streetfighter-esque naked sport bike. I mean, come on, the proportions and big motor just scream naked superbike ala the Ducati Streetfighter or KTM Super Duke R.
Maybe Harley's future CEO will finally make it from the factory?
But until that time, the folks over at Powerbrick, a Dutch aftermarket motorcycle specialist, have cooked up these amazing "Streetfighter" kits for the Pan America to finally make that dream a reality. And ooooooh boy, do I want to ride and do wheelies on this bike. Like right freakin' now.
According to Bike Exif, which covered Powerbrick's first custom naked Harley Pan America, that bike "kicked off the development of a range of plug-and-play parts, under [the company's] CNCPT Moto label," and "After much refinement, those parts are now ready to go." Oh yeah, you'll be able to turn your Harley-Davidson Pan America into something that looks like one of these two motorcycles.
While these two motorcycles, dubbed Nova and Vexa, retain an air of the custom Pan America Powerbrick originally built, i.e. custom suspension setups and wheels and tires, they have a host of components from CNCPT that you could purchase right now.
The outlet states that the company's CNCPT Moto front-end kit "Transforms the Pan America’s fairing," with "Only the lower nose cone remaining," as everything from the windscreen to the dashboard was thrown away. CNCPT's kit includes a new stainless bracket to keep everything kosher, though the dash and display do sit lower. Obviously, you also get new bars that work directly with the bike's stock controls.
Powerbrick's kit also kills the plastic tank console, removing it from the bike. But the team also added a new gas cap, which they retrofitted to utilize the stock key and barrel lock. And then there's the tail of the motorcycle. Oh, baby, give it to me.
Obviously, the stock Pan America has a far larger tail, as it's meant for a pillion rider, is more plush to satiate those for long road trips, and is designed to work with panniers—both soft and hard. But this ain't a tourer. This ain't an off-roader. Nobody has time for all that! A naked wants for fewer things, so the tail section was completely removed, and the machined aluminum CNCPT kit swaps the original for a shorty seat section that comes complete with LED lights, a license plate bracket, and "a hydraulic hose kit from Venhill Racing that allows you to hide away the Pan America’s ABS pump." It does, however, use the original's stock brake light.
And you can get the kit with an upholstered seat or not if you want to give your Pan America that added bit of custom touch. There are also a few different exhaust options available, too, though Nova and Vexa wear custom joints themselves.
But hot freakin' damn are these so dope looking. I mean, I think the Pan America is a good-looking motorcycle. And the new Pan America ST got closer to the streetfighter species that folks have been clamoring for. But this just ups the ante and soars to far greater heights. It really feels like the second Pan America model Harley-Davidson should've made to begin with.
Luckily, the Dutch have our backs.
