Big-bore adventure bikes like the Harley Pan America have to tick a lot of boxes, which is why they end up looking like two-wheeled spaceships. But the custom scene has shown us a new side to the Pan America. If you can strip away enough of its adventure-focused accouterments, there’s a pretty gnarly street bike lurking under there.
This custom Harley Pan America from Powerbrick offers proof. The Dutch parts specialist and custom workshop has shown time and time again that they’re adept at building radical machines that buck convention. And although they made their bones creating edgy BMW K-series customs, this Pan America suggests that they can apply their signature aesthetic to just about any type of motorcycle.
According to Powerbrick head honcho Tim Somers, the Pan America mission had two objectives; create “the streetfighter that Harley never released,” and develop a range of bolt-on parts under Powerbrick’s sub-brand, CNCPT Moto. To that end, Tim got major financial support from Harley-Davidson Rotterdam and Amsterdam, who also supplied the bike.
“We’ve designed everything to make it look OEM so that people would think that the bike is supposed to look like this,” Tim adds. “Harley-Davidson has a strong heritage, we’re just trying to give it a little shake-up to make it appeal to a new generation.”
The real trick here is how Powerbrick has managed to shave visual weight off the chunky Pan America, while still retaining its OEM fuel tank and front fairing—or, at least, half of the front fairing. Everything above the Pan Am’s signature ‘shark nose’ nacelle has been binned. And while that seems like an easy job, it requires a lot of work to get right.
The upper half of the fairing not only holds the windscreen, but also hosts the bike’s TFT dashboard and a host of other bits and pieces. Powerbrick relocated everything to sit below the surface of the remaining bodywork, by designing a new bracket to hold the speedo and headlight.
The next part to go was the pronounced plastic cover that normally runs over the top of the Pan Am’s fuel tank. With that gone, the fuel filler and its associated welds stuck out like a sore thumb. So Powerbrick trimmed it all down, and then installed a custom-made billet aluminum filler cap, incorporating the stock plumbing and sensors.
The front end also features the bike’s original radiator shrouds—except they now protect an aluminum radiator from RC Racing.
It’s a different story at the other end of the bike, where Powerbrick binned everything off in favor of a completely bespoke setup. First, Tim’s friends at Nius Moto fabricated a new bolt-on subframe to better complement the Harley’s revised lines. Next, Tim designed a set of body panels to complete the tail section, all of which were 3D-printed using a carbon compound.
The arrangement uses the bike’s stock LED taillight and hosts all of its original gadgetry (including its ABS pump). Powerbrick installed a Noco battery and a CTEK battery management system, and shortened much of the wiring to keep the rear end compact.LED turn signals from Highsider are embedded in the bodywork at both ends of the Pan Am.
Areas of the bike that weren’t fiddled with include the Harley’s ‘Revolution Max’ engine, its adaptive suspension, and its Brembo brake calipers. Powerbrick swapped the wheels for a set of spoked hoops from the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1240 Special, fitted with road-biased Pirelli Angel GT II tires. The braking system benefits from a fresh set of Venhill hoses.
Moving to the exhaust, Tim once again called on Nius Moto, who welded up a full set of stainless steel headers. They terminate in an unapologetic Powerbrick RE-02 muffler. A set of LSL handlebars, mounted on new risers, help to fine-tune the bike’s ergonomics for spirited urban shenanigans.
In typical Powerbrick fashion, this Pan America is finished in a livery that’s as tasteful as it is crisp. Aston Martin’s ‘Spirit Silver’ dominates the design (right down to the brake calipers), broken by bold pops of red. Royal Kustom Works handled the paint, while Silvermachine tackled the upholstery.
Many pundits are clamoring for The Motor Co. to release a streetfighter on this platform, and Powerbrick’s redesign of the Harley Pan America only adds fuel to the fire.
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