Experiencing Harley heaven in Thailand with Dirt, Road, Track and the American dream
Riding the full range of 2024 Harley-Davidson motorcycles on different terrains in Pattaya was an American dream come true for this Class 2 biker.
[Story by contributor Terry Tan]
Truth be told, I never had the opportunity to ride a motorcycle with an engine capacity larger than a tall can of beer… until I was invited to ride the full range of 2024 Harley-Davidson models through three different types of terrain - dirt, road and track - in Pattaya, Thailand.
Into its third edition, the Harley-Davidson Media Experience event, organised by the Harley-Davidson Asia Emerging Markets Team, gave participants a no-holds-barred opportunity to test and compare the latest 2024 Harleys with their previous versions.
I was lucky to be tasked with this, and even luckier that I didn’t fall down on my helmeted face or drop a big American bike on Asian soil!
The writer stood up for Wearnes Harley-Davidson Singapore at Thailand's Bira Circuit.
Hitting the ‘Dirt’
A team of off-road biking instructors brought the rider-writers to a fleet of Pan America Special Adventure Touring bikes which were lined up in front of Bira Circuit’s paddock area. They explained that we’ll be covering a combination of paved roads, light trails and fast open trails, plus the option of doing an intermediate technical course just outside of Bira.
Originally launched in 2021, the Pan America was Harley-Davidson’s first foray into the big adventure-bike category and quickly became the best-selling adventure touring bike in the USA. The latest 2024 version comes fitted with the company’s all-new, water-cooled high-performance 1252cc Revolution Max engine and a full suite of safety features and modern electronics, including an intelligent electronic suspension (with electrically-controlled seat height), which make this a capable dual-sport bike.
The Pan America played the role of Harley "ATV" very well in Pattaya.
With 150 Harley horses on tap, a super linear powerband that pulls all the way up to 9000rpm and a silky-smooth gearbox, the Pan America felt every bit like a proper adventure tourer on and off the beaten track. Engine vibration was non-existent, while the exhaust note was so nature-friendly throughout the ride.
Switching over to the Offroad mode with traction control deactivated, the bike’s electronically-controlled suspension automatically transformed it into a magic carpet ride over the roughest intermediate trail section, which left me with more room to focus all my attention on steering.
Whether riding it seated or standing, the cockpit of the Pan America made the bike feel manoeuvrable and predictable, which is quite a feat given its actual laden weight.
The overall ride experience for the 2024 Pan America felt a tad more refined over the outgoing 2023 model in every aspect, but both Harleys felt extremely capable. It would work well as a daily commuter and, if fitted with dual sports tyres, would also make an awesome sports bike for the weekends as well.
Hitting the ‘Road’ - round one
For the first session of our road test, the Harley-Davidson team prepared a fantastic line-up of bikes - 2024 Road Glide, 2024 Street Glide, 2024 Low Rider ST, 2024 Fat Boy 114, 2024 Street Bob, 2023 Breakout, 2023 Nightster and 2023 CVO Road Glide.
After a quick briefing by the road instructors, we rode out from Bira Circuit onto Sukhumvit Highway to a nice coffee stop about 20 kilometres away, after which we would head back to Bira.
Gasoline met caffeine at this coffee stop for the Harley riders.
My first choice for the road ride was the luxurious 2024 Street Glide cruiser bike, which has long been recognised by Harley-Davidson as their iconic Grand American Touring Cruiser bike.
Besides its redesigned exterior, insane LED display screen and crisp infotainment system, the bike now comes equipped with a new 1923cc Milwaukee-Eight 117 engine with improvements to horsepower, peak torque and fuel efficiency. All the enhancements and equipment make this the most significant model within the Harley- Davidson Glide family today.
At standstill, the American muscle-bike’s seating position felt super low, while the handlebar reach felt unfamiliarly long. Flicking up the side-stand, the bike immediately felt heavy for a relative newbie like me, as the low handlebar placed all my weight just in front of the rear wheels as if I was in a squatting position.
My cautious move-off at the lights required a bit of practice, as I struggled to get my feet high enough to rest comfortably on the forward foot controls and onto the right rear brake pedal.
But once the road cleared up, I cracked the throttle which then opened a whole new riding chapter for me. The faster I went, the better the bike handled the turns, S-bends and high-speed sweepers. At some points, I was having so much fun with the cruiser on the straight road that the enormous TFT digital display registered 180 km/h.
The ride was so smooth and vibration-free that I couldn’t feel any road feedback. Nor did I feel any heat on my right pant leg, which was positioned close to the stainless-steel extractor.
Not long after, we were signalled by the instructors to pit in for our Thai sweet coffee break and even sweeter bike changeover before our ride back to Bira.
Street Bob 114 on the road with two Low Riders.
Hitting the ‘Road’ - round two
For the second session of our road test, I decided to take a step back into Harley-Davidson’s historic past by opting to ride the 2024 Street Bob 114.
The model name Bob is short for Bobber, which is a category of stripped-down, minimalist bikes without excessive body panels.
As one of the Yankee pioneers in this motorcycle category, the 2024-edition Street Bob continues its legacy with its stealthy blacked-out skeleton chassis, high-angle guerilla handlebars, micro-sized headlamp, torquey 1868cc Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine and almost theatrical exhaust tune made famous by the legendary Harley-Davidsons of yesteryear.
With its reduced weight and torquey engine, the Street Bob was effortless to ride and eager to please in Thailand’s urban traffic conditions, which were similar to Singapore’s. The bike’s low standover height, manageable weight, easily engaged mid-pedal position, excellent power delivery and ample suspension damping made my ride back to Bira a breeze.
Not hell's angels, but heaven's Asians returning to Bira Circuit after their road test.
Hitting the ‘Track’ - round one
The finale for the day was our Harley-Davidson track session at Pattaya’s renowned Bira Circuit. Four beautiful, state-of-the-art machines were at our disposal - 2024 Sportster S, 2024 Road Glide, 2024 Street Glide and 2024 CVO Road Glide ST.
I picked the Sportster S for a sporty start. The futuristic-looking machine is Harley-Davidson’s take on the street-fighter bike category. Lean, mean and packing a performance-tuned Revolution Max 1250T engine, this is possibly the most potent track-oriented model in the Harley-Davidson family.
A pair of Harley Sportsters being sporty on the track.
Guided by a lead instructor, I was taken around the 2.4-kilometre Bira Circuit at moderate speed to familiarise myself with all the cornering lines and, more importantly, for me to dial in the correct throttle response and brake feel from the Sportser S. Then the instructor slowly pulled aside me as we entered the second lap and he signalled me to push ahead.
As I twisted the throttle wider, I could feel Harley’s Cornering Rider Safety Enhancements (RDRS) system being activated to correct my flawed line selection. In the third lap, the instructor signalled me to change up from Road mode to Sport mode, which significantly increased the Sportster’s throttle response.
With less effort pulling the throttle, its buttery-smooth engine response made cornering so much more fun that I found myself exiting corners wider than necessary, possibly due to the insane speed that I was carrying around each chicane. Just over a minute into the lap, I was flagged into the pit for my next bike changeover.
Hitting the ‘Track’ - round two
The 2024 CVO Road Glide ST made its star appearance at Bira Circuit. Hailed as the “King”, this limited-production masterpiece is one of the most sophisticated high-performance cruisers ever assembled by Harley-Davidson engineers from the Custom Vehicle Operation (CVO) department.
Each CVO model is equipped with show-stopping paint schemes, advanced features and ultra-exclusive components catering to the true Harley-Davidson connoisseur. ST, short for Sport Touring, offers riders a step up from the regular touring performance specification with a Milwaukee-Eight 121 High Output (HO) engine featuring a high-performance camshaft, race-inspired high-performance air intake, and ECU mapping straight out of the actual Harley-Davidson race bike programme.
CVO Road Glide ST thundering down the Bira straight.
I came off the lightweight Sportster S and mounted the heavyweight CVO Road Glide ST while beaming with newfound track confidence from my earlier hot laps.
I pressed the ignition button and received a welcoming, deep thumping exhaust note from its dual titanium exhausts. I shifted into gear 1 and away we went.
The initial lap was a breeze as I cautiously weaved my way around the circuit, being reminded by what seemed like the sound of my footpeg scraping the tarmac. Sprinting into the next lap, I realised something truly astounding for a cruiser of this magnitude - the heavy CVO Road Glide felt as quick as the Sportster S, if not faster, heading into and exiting each of the apexes.
No rear wheel drift. No screeching tyre. The entire bike just felt so calm and composed, with all the custom individual parts working in unison to make me a better rider.
Approaching the third lap, I told myself to go all out at the straight, when suddenly the inevitable happened. A raindrop or two quickly became an intense downpour and within seconds, I could barely see the upcoming chicane through my clear helmet visor as I approached a corner.
Slowing down and exiting turn 3, I scrolled the available handlebar-mounted mode button and activated Rain mode. Almost instantaneously, I felt a decrease in throttle response and engine braking during downshifts, while ABS and traction control became more distinct. Regaining my confidence, I completed my last lap without any issues despite the pouring rain. What a ride!
Harley heaven and the American dream
Six Harley-Davidsons ridden. Three different riding terrains. Two drastically different weather conditions. One unforgettable day in Thailand.
My experience with each Harley bike at this regional event was brief, but what an impression it made on me. The first-generation Harley-Davidson motorcycles were often rumoured to be heavy, hot and harsh, with horrible cornering. However, the new-generation Harley-Davidson models were so refined, reliable and resilient in all riding conditions that I could ride each of them as far as I needed to or as fast as I wanted to, all without the bike or the biker missing a beat.
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