As one year nears its end, another year looms on the horizon and makes us wonder what’s in store. For a gearhead like me, I’m anxious to find out what motorcycles will debut in the coming months.
Harley-Davidson will be trying to dig itself out of a hole brought on by DEI concerns and moving production of its Revolution Max models overseas. And with the comprehensively reworked Street/Road Glides debuting earlier this year, I don’t expect much more than new CVO models on that platform.
Related: Harley Turmoil: DEI and Overseas Production
In my opinion, the ripest part of Harley’s catalog for new models is the high-performance Rev Max platform. The Pan America adventure bike was introduced in 2021 to mostly rave reviews, and it was followed by the Sportster S, which used essentially the same 1,250cc V-Twin. That 60-degree powerplant was downsized to 975cc for the Nightster introduced in 2022.
Most of you probably remember the streetfighter-inspired Bronx prototype that H-D showed us in 2019. Sadly, H-D reps have told me in no uncertain terms that we will never see it roll off a production line.
However, I don’t see a good reason why the MoCo couldn’t streetfighterize the Pan America. Race teams have been doing it in MotoAmerica’s Super Hooligan class for two years, so the template already exists.
An ideal starting point would be the Saddlemen Pan America on which Cory West earned the 2024 championship. It’s basically a Pan Am with a Sportster S fuel tank and race-spec brakes and wheels, but revised versions of the stock suspension and Brembo brakes could be used.
If I was in product planning, I’d call it the H-D Hooligan, and I’d also introduce a Champions Edition with Öhlins suspension for the CVO brand. Since I don’t work for Harley, the bike might instead recycle the Street Rod name.
I’ve got another wild guess. The Sturgis rally celebrates its 85th anniversary in 2025, so perhaps we’ll see another special-edition Sturgis Softail?
As for Indian, we probably won’t see any new Scouts, as we just got five new ones a few months ago. I’d like to see an FTR updated with the Scout’s revised motor, but it might not make financial sense for such a low-volume model. The Challenger touring platform already has up-to-date features and specs, so it might remain stagnant aside from an inevitable premium Elite version.
Related: 2025 Indian Scout Review | First Ride
The Chieftain is the stalest model in Indian’s lineup, but updating its air-cooled engine would incur significant costs. Maybe they should pull out a Sawzall and bolt the Challenger’s liquid-cooled motor into the Chieftain!
Oh, and if Indian had produced the FTR750 streetbike I’ve begged for, it would be eligible to race under AFT’s 2025 rules that outlawed the racebike. It would’ve been a model distinct from anything else on the market, and the motor and chassis could’ve been reused for a middleweight adventure bike. A missed opportunity…
Find more Rubber-Side Down columns here
Joomag?
We like to think of American Rider as a premium product, kinda like a CVO Harley. Subscribers to our print editions can luxuriate in the timeless pleasure of holding colorful pages in their hands and flipping through them at a leisurely pace.
While our digital subscribers don’t experience the same tactile qualities, they still get to enjoy the same gorgeous layouts crafted by our creative art director, Chad Cochran. And viewing digitally allows the bonus of being able to zoom in to see larger views of our captivating photography.
In order to provide an even better reader experience, we’ve changed our digital provider to a platform called Joomag, which may have required an extra step when logging in to view our latest issue. Once set up, you will no longer need to log in to view future issues. Check your spam folder to ensure the Joomag emails come directly to your inbox.
This new platform provides a superior viewing experience, especially when you want a closer look at the photos. Zooming in now simply requires an outward “pinch” move on your phone or, when viewed on a computer, a two-finger scroll on a mouse pad. We hope you enjoy the digital improvements!
Explore American Rider‘s latest digital edition!
