Almost a year ago, Harley-Davidson Motor Company invited motojournalists to Inde Motorsports Ranch in Arizona to ride Kyle Wyman’s 2021 Mission King Of The Baggers H-D Screamin’ Eagle Road Glide Special. RevZilla’s Zack Courts was one of the rider-writers who attended the event, and he wrote an excellent first-person account of what it’s like to “ride a thunderstorm,” as he so aptly and poetically put it.
The article contained a photo of Wyman aboard a Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250, which he rode while showing the motojournalists who sampled his KOTB racebike the fast way around Inde’s road course. That photo struck a chord with me. Here was Wyman on a so-called “ADV” bike, admittedly shod with sticky Dunlop rubber, but he had his knee down, and his laptimes were faster than the scribes who were aboard his KOTB racebike. All I could think of was “Super Hooligan.”
A quick exchange of text messages with Wyman, and I learned that he loves the Pan Am and would very much welcome the opportunity to race it in Roland Sands Design’s Super Hooligan National Championship (SHNC) if the bike could fit into the series’ technical rules. But, alas, there was a sticking point. Rule 2.7.1.e states “Maximum claimed OEM production horsepower of 125HP or less.” The Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250’s Revolution® Max 1250 liquid-cooled V-Twin engine makes 150 horsepower in stock form.
After texting with Wyman, I placed a called directly to Roland Sands, and I point-blank asked him about the potential eligibility of the Pan Am as a Super Hooligan racebike. He immediately mentioned the “horsepower issue,” but also said that the bike could be balanced. Intrigued by the idea, he asked me to pass the word to Wyman that he’d like to discuss the potential inclusion of the Pan Am in the SHNC.
I got back in touch with Wyman and told him what Sands had said, and then, I mostly put the subject in the back of my mind. Until earlier this month.
The “Competitor Info” section of the MotoAmerica website is an absolute treasure trove of information, not only for the riders, crew members, and team owners who compete in the various race classes of the MotoAmerica Championship, but it also gives fans a lot of insights into the technical aspects of racing in our series. And, many times, it also serves as a crystal ball that enables those interested to gaze into the future of our sport.
On December 22, MotoAmerica posted Technical Bulletin “12-2022 Harley Pan America eligibility,” which begins with “All MotoAmerica RSD Super Hooligan Teams: The following parts are required for competition on the 2021 to present Harley Davidson Pan America 1250.”
Three H-D OEM parts are listed: two velocity stacks and an airbox cover that are mentioned as “Sportster S Airbox Parts.” And that’s it.
Consulting the SHNC rules and regulations, in bold, capital letters at the top of the page, it says “2023 RULES COMING SOON!” So, we have yet to see the full picture on whether or not the H-D Pan America 1250 is eligible to compete in the 2023 Roland Sands Design’s Super Hooligan National Championship.
On Episode 214 of “Off Track With Carruthers And Bice,” Kyle Wyman stated that, in 2023, he would be focusing on winning back the number-one plate that he was awarded as 2021 KOTB champ and that he had to surrender to 2022 KOTB champ Tyler O’Hara this past season. But Wyman is a factory Harley-Davidson road racer, and so is his brother Travis. Might we see both Wyman brothers, and possibly even three Wyman brothers with the addition of Cody, aboard H-D Pan America 1250 racebikes in the 2023 Roland Sands Design’s Super Hooligan National Championship?
Stay tuned for more to come on this developing story.
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