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Harley-Davidson’s Coolest Motorcycle Is Quietly Ridiculously Affordable Right Now

Assuming you aren’t obsessed with “new bike smell,” here’s your chance to bag an unreal deal on a great-looking, hyper-capable ride.

Close-up of a black and olive green Harley-Davidson motorcycle engine with brass exhaust pipes and a star logo on the fuel tank.Harley-Davidson
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By Steve Mazzucchi

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Updated

My dad, who is basically a genius, has long maintained that the best car you can get, no matter your means, is a used one.

His reasoning is two-fold: first, every car immediately drops in price the moment it is driven off the lot and second, anything that can go wrong will likely happen in the first thousand miles. 

Silver and black adventure motorcycle with Touratech side cases parked indoors among other motorcycles.
Located at Appalachian Harley-Davidson in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, this bike has 3,919 miles on the odometer and $12,999 on the price tag. Let’s hope the Touratech cases are included.
Harley-Davidson

If he were into motorcycles, I’m sure he’d be just as stoked as I am to discover that the first principle has hit Harley Davidson’s Pan America in a big way. 

Exhibit A: the average retail price of a 2022 Pan America 1250 is just a bit over half the original MSRP.

Priced to move

This hot tip comes from the eagle-eyed folks at RideApart, who spotted the J.D. Power valuation of the bike. The listing places the average retail value at $9,995, against the MSRP of $19,519.

In an encouraging sign, the MSRP has not risen much in the intervening years, as the MSRP of the 2026 base model is $19,999.

Gray and black Harley-Davidson adventure motorcycle with knobby tires parked indoors on tiled floor.
At Eisenhauer’s Harley-Davidson in York, Pennsylvania, this bike has 3,568 miles and a price of $10,888.
Harley-Davidson

But of course, the more relevant news here is that if you’re OK with a slightly used bike, you can save a boatload of cash.

It’s not just J.D. Power, either. Skimming the pre-owned section of Harley’s own site for options near me, I found a bunch of 2022s (not to mention ’21s and ’23s) that, while not that cheap, were still pretty temptingly discounted.

Even in the notoriously costly Northeast, these included low-mileage options priced at $10,888 and $10,999.

Blue and white adventure motorcycle with black frame and exhaust, mounted on a front wheel stand.
For sale at Ronnie’s Harley-Davidson in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, this bike has 6,620 miles and a price of $10,999.
Harley-Davidson

How has the value dropped so precipitously? RideApart IDs a few theories, including the fact that the bike only debuted in 2021, so a year later, it was still a bit buggy. Though many issues have been addressed through various recalls, buyers are still understandably wary.

A second issue is the less-than-stellar corporate and dealership support for the nameplate, with some fearing it may be discontinued, especially as Harley enters another era with new CEO Artie Starrs.

Gray and black Harley-Davidson motorcycle parked indoors near a Tioga County Harley-Davidson sign.
Eisenhauer’s Tioga County in Mansfield, Pennsylvania, is selling this bike for $11,888, which is especially mind-blowing considering the miles on it: just 465!
Harley-Davidson

However, having spent a few days beating the crap out of the first-generation Pan America during its launch in the Mojave Desert five years ago, I’m a pretty staunch believer.

While the bike’s dynamic differences from what has come before may turn off the old-school die-hards, I find them refreshing. 

From the beginning, it boasted a host of innovative touches, most notably an adaptive ride height feature that lowers the seat down to an accessible 31.1 inches when stopping and starting. 

Black adventure motorcycle with a tall windshield and Brembo front disc brakes parked on asphalt.
Funny to think this bike at Charlotte, North Carolina’s Independence Harley-Davidson is the “worst” deal of the bunch: 11,398 miles and a price tag of $13,990.
Harley-Davidson

That’s to say nothing of the purpose-built Revolution Max 1250 engine, which makes a bonkers 150 horsepower and 94 ft-lbs of torque.

The big takeaway for me is a bike that not only looks great but is also super-capable on a variety of surfaces, even for an (at the time) off-road noob like yours truly. 

Should you find a shiny new-ish one for several thousand dollars less than retail, that only doubles the fun.

Green and black adventure motorcycle with knobby tires and tall windshield parked in front of a corrugated metal wall.
This G.I. Enthusiast Collection bike is way out in California at Harley-Davidson of Yuba City. It has just 11,326 miles and a price of $10,990, nearly $10,000 less than the original MSRP of $20,799.
Harley-Davidson
About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.

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