06/12/2026
Laconia Bike Week is almost here! That's in New Hampshire. 13-21 June 2026
I had been scouring the internet and Harley sites for 3 months trying to find the preregistration for the HD Pan America Owners Ride. Preregistration was required for these rides. Couldn't just show up. Finally I called Laconia HD and they said HD pulled the plug on that so it will not be happening this year. Kind of made my whole plan to go there around that particular event. Not sure if I will even go now. It would have been nice to get this question answered online. Like do a search and see it straight from the horses mouth (HD CORPORATE).
It was one of the best promotions I had ever been a part of and now instead of expanding it they are squashing it. The fastest growing segment of the motorcycle market. ADV (Adventure) Go figure.
I guess new management isn't all its cracked up to be. Should have left the Pan production in THAILAND with that strategy.
I can only hope they revisit the Pan America promotion funding and expand the hell out of it while the ADV iron is hot.
Are they canceling the Sturgis Pan America Owners Ride also??? Geeee. Who knows? Its a damn secret. They should have a list of planned events specific to Pan America and also specifically for Pan America Owners Rides.
Sorry I sound bitter about this, but I am of course a Pan America fanatic and want to help promote it. If HD doesnt promote their own product nobody else of consequence will. Road demos alone are not enough to properly promote the Pan America. They did have it perfected with that Pan America Owners Ride. They just needed to have them more often and maybe double the team size on sites to enlist more riders to maybe have two teams riding or two skill level rides. They literally had to turn away Pan America Owners because their venue filled to capacity every time. Is that not proof that it was working. The Laconia HD Pan America Owners Ride is what drew me to Laconia for the first time last year. The ride was great. I was promoting the Pan America myself by word of mouth out of sheer enthusiasm. I know of at least one confirmed person that went out and bought the same model I had right afterwards. 2024 Pan America CVO.
Come on HD CORPORATE. You just killed the best thing you've ever done. Open that spicket back up and turn it on before its too late. Oh and why dont you crank out so many Pan Americas that you can lower the price significantly to increase sales. And maybe a mini Pan at around 975 cc and maybe a itty bitty Pan at around 700 cc. Rant over.
Long live HD Pan America!!!!
Special thanks to HD Corporate for sponsoring the Pan America Owners Ride to start with. The most brilliant promotion ever known.
Special thanks to the Pan America specific crews out there for demos, but especially to those involved in running the Pan America Owners Rides, setting up the routes, photography, chase trucks, food tents, food at the final stop, presentations, prizes, and thanks to the other sponsers like Michelin who altogether have been making those events happen.
Thanks for lending me your ear!
