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Harley-Davidson Pan America Hits 140 MPH on Autobahn

by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com The Pan America is not like any Harley-Davidson we know. At least, that’s the plan, as one of America’s iconic bike makers is venturing for the first time in a segment it felt uncomfortable in for a very long time. Unveiled back in February as Harley’s first true offering for the adventure bike customers, the Pan America is already being assembled in York, Pennsylvania. Earlier this month, it even got out in the world, being shown in Dallas, Texas, as part of the Pan America Motorcycle Demo Tour Harley is planning on running all year long (FYI, the tour ends in November at Howling At The Moon in Prescott, Arizona). These events do not really paint the right picture when it comes to the motorcycle, as one would probably need a hell of a lot more than a show-and-tell performance at the hands of someone on Harley’s payroll. For that, longer one-on-one time with the motorcycle would probably be needed. Sadly, such an experience is presently only available for Harley partners, including some outside of the U.S. Luckily, thanks to the miracle that is the internet, we can get a taste of what the Pan America is all about through someone else’s eyes. The most recent endurance test of the Pan America took place in Europe, in the Westerwald region of Germany. On deck for the test were two of German dealer Thunderbike’s people, Stefan Hutmacher and Thomas Emky, who posted a video online giving us a taste of how the three-hour run through the woods and elsewhere went. Before they got on location, though, these guys got to test ride the motorcycle on the road, and they did so using a stretch of the famous German Autobahn. That’s where we’re told the two-wheeler hit […]

The German Autobahn is under threat

General Posts / By Wayfarer

By Cameron Kirby from https://www.whichcar.com.au The last bastion of high-speed driving freedom could soon be outlawed There is a new plan to kill the Autobahn as we know and love it. If a minority party in Germany’s federal parliament has its way, a new national 130km/h limit could replace the unrestricted sections of the Autobahn. Currently there are 5353km of Autobahn which have the ‘unrestricted’ advisory speed limit. The Alliance90/The Greens political party, often referred to simply as The Greens, is behind the move, and is pushing the lowering of limits as part of a package of new measures intended to reduce emissions. “A speed limit would be a commandment of reason for an enlightened society in the 21st century,” said Green politician Cem Özdemir. It’s claimed that enforcing a 130km/h limit would lower Germany’s carbon dioxide emissions by between one and three million tonnes per year. In 2018, Germany produced 725.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. Lowering speed limits to 130km/h on the autobahn is supported by the German police union, with the head of the federal trade union Michael Mertens stating: “For us, a speed limit for transport policy reasons is urgently needed”. A vote on the proposition will be held in Germany’s national parliament, the Bundestag, on October 13. The federal parliament has 709 seats, with the joint Union alliance, made up of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU), Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU), and Social Democratic Party of Germany (SDP), holding a majority with 398 members. The Greens hold 67 of the 311 seats in opposition. The Union has previously defended the unrestricted speed limits on the Autobahn, including when they were attacked earlier this year. In January a leaked report from a government-appointed committee called the National Platform on the Future of Mobility

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