A few minutes ago, with the claim that “It’s new, bad-ass and the bike you want to be seen on” the staff of Victory Motorcycles just unveiled its new High-Ball model at the Amsterdam Billiard Hall, near Union Square in New York City. Are you surprised by the release of this custom cruiser (Victory doesn’t use the term Bobber) with high rise bars, spoke wheels, white wall tires and matte black paint and finish all over? Not me, except by the base price of $13,449 (US 49-state) that I find extremely appealing. At this cost, among bobber and stripper-style bikes from major OEMs, the new Victory High-Ball probably offers one of the best combinations of value and performance (a 2011 Harley-Davidson Cross Bones in vivid black starts at MSRP 16,999). It is equipped with the Victory Freedom® 106/6 Stage 2 V-Twin engine (fuel injected, counter balanced, 97 hp & 113 ft-lb of torque) and loaded with style, borrowing its body work from the Victory Vegas signature raised spine running the length of the bike atop the tank and fenders.
Features include: Adjustable high-rise handlebars that can be set in the upright position or laid back. And if you wonder about cables length, Victory made sure that the hand controls mount on the bars can be installed in either position (high/low bars) with cables adjustment needing only simple hand tools. Single gauge instrumentation with speedo, tach, tripmeter, warning lights & more. Very low solo seat (Passenger seat available). 2-into-1 exhaust. 16” lace wheels with 130 and 150mm Dunlop tires with whitewalls. Stainless steel spokes and gloss black wheels and hubs. Frenched rear taillight. Handlebars, headlight bucket, triple trees, frame, fender struts, cylinder heads covers are all black.
There is also a long list of optional accessories to personalize your High-Ball, a lot of them having been originally designed for the Victory Vegas model.
The High Ball will be available at your dealership end of March. A custom version by Roland Sands was also introduced this evening. (Pictures not yet available. Will publish very soon) For complete details about the High-Ball and to locate a dealer, go to Victory Motorcycles. (studio pictures copyright Victory Motorcycles. On location pictures copyright and courtesy Brian J. Nelson)
Not worth the wait.
Must say not my cup of tea….but hay each to there own…
Michael Song, the lead designer of Victory just stripped down a Vegas…lowered the seat, added a pair of white wall tires and ape hangers! What a designer! Custom Builders, be proud of your work. The only attractive part is the price to compete with Harley.
I don’t see two up pegs? I’d like to see it with the rear fender dropped\chopped
“Are you surprised by the release of this custom cruiser (Victory doesn’t use the term Bobber) with high rise bars, spoke wheels, white wall tires and matte black paint and finish all over? ”
um, yes. I was surprised, Cyril.
Cyril, once again you have done a great job. We all enjoy your blog…
The new Victoy is pooo…. And looks like poo-poo
I like the three Fords in the background.I also hope someone here says they love the bike, for Victory’s sake.
brutal.
Is there a bike in those pics? All I can see is an ugly shadow blocking the view of that nicely chopped Vicky.
That was about as anti climatic as my last date.
An also ran as original as…………….
But anyone with a brain would buy this not the crossbones,
take the $3500 bucks, go to Daytona or Sturgis and have a hell
of a good time.
But that’s just me.
Unimpressed…….
Whilst I don’t care for the blacked out look, it does seem to be quite good value. Especially so when you consider you get fuel injection, counter balanced engine and a six speed transmission.
looks to much like a metric. check out the cheap lookin rear brake linkage & sad turn signals. Sorry, looks REAL CHEAP
Awful.
For the cost it looks nice from pics. However, I too worry about the cheap feel like a metric. That being said, I wonder if they fixed any of the drivetrain issues in whine and lack of power.
Is it just me, or does the headlight look out of place? Just my opinion, but I think a simple headlight would look better. Great motor, though. And, good pricepoint. Look forward to seeing the RSD version.
When Victory introduced the Vision, they showed that there were heading towards being a true, world class motorcycle producer. Since then, with the Cross bikes, and now this, they’re going backwards. They’re saying they wish they were Harley Davidson. Nothing else.
They should be looking at what Triumph is doing.
Jeez…only five years later. Nothing like cutting edge.
The headlight is very wrong, like the exhaust. Cyril, they should hire you. You are the Michelangelo of details.
I can’t believe that’s what all the hype was about. Victory like H-D needs new product people to come up with new ideas. This is about the same thing as what H-D does with the Sportster over and over again
I’m really disappointed. I was hoping for something really innovative. Not just a recycling of a current platform. I beleive they took a page out of the HD playbook. I saw the new HD today, everyone will see at the IMS in New York,,,,I think tommorow. It’ll be interesting to see the reaction to it as well. Sorry but at the moment it too is confidential information and as such I’m not at liberty to say anything more about it. If these companies want to capture gen x and y, its time for a revolution (and I’m not refering to VRod) not just minor evolution. Where are the risk takers and real innovators? Not just another marketing package and tired rhetoric. I do give Victory cudo’s for yhe Vision, that took guts. The Cross Country and Cross Roads are very good as well in my view. But tonights delayed unveil was,,,well,,,lackluster at best.
Wow that’s shockingly bad. Trying to apply an ‘old school’ Bobber look to what clearly is a modern flowing design simply does not work. The headlight and taillight are too ‘modern’ to work with that style, and the flowing lines of the gas tank through into the rear fender scream out metric.
I can appreciate they tried to step out of their comfort zone to try and tap into a current hot fad, but it was a swing and a miss IMHO.
Looking forward to seeing Roland Sand’s twist on it though.
Yes, there are things wrong with it – that headlamp is all wrong for the style and the homologated indicators are no more attractive than they’ve ever been, which is why you’d change them – but there’s a lot right, and it makes the best starting point for a custom job than any Vic before it. Don’t understand all the ‘metric’ BS: have you ever seen a Victory parked next to something like a plastic fantastic Honda Fury? It’s made of real metal – in many cases metal that would make a modern Harley blush – it isn’t covered in covers covering ugly bits of engine that should have been right in the first place, it’s got long-stroke American grunt and it’s got the confidence to plough its own furrow: a modern American motorcycle.
Congratulations to a company that has got the balls to buck the trend, when they could have built a Harley clone. It will be interesting to see if Harley release their new Softail sooner now, to kill any momentum this will gather.
“Low 2 -into- 1 exhaust?” I guess it’s time for me to get new glasses. Hopefully they’ll make the bike look better too. I wouldn’t ride that bike on someone else’s ass.
Not only does the headlight not “fit”, it doesn’t look “sit” right either. Looks like it was installed by a one eyed Afghani I once knew.
The front fender isn’t in proportion with the rear fender. I’d actually make it bigger, since everything else is. That said, it DOES have some potential of you lose both fenders, most of the pipes, the headlight, the side covers, the seat, and add a lower, more radically curved tank, etc…
Oh wait, it’s been done.
I agree…………it does look different. And different isn’t all bad. It probably will have a metric feel, but that isn’t all bad either. I’ve ridden a lot of really cool metrics over the years. The one big “positive” we as consumers need to remember………they are assembled in IOWA,USA. Whether or not this bike is what I’d buy isn’t as big a deal to me, as the fact that the company still wants to build them here. My students, who are 19-27 years old, think it’s pretty cool. They want to know when and where they can test ride. This younger crowd is quite possibly the market that Victory is after with this bike. I don’t know, but it makes me feel better to think so.
-Darin
Victory. There are a lot of good custom builders in our country able to help you. Fire your designer.
$13,449 for all that engineering (106/6 Stage 2 V-Twin engine (fuel injected, counter balanced, 97 hp & 113 ft-lb of torque) and all the other neat and adjustable / replaceable pieces on this bike, it’s a deal in my mind.
As far as cosmetics, who out there still rides around on a totally stock bike?
I don’t know of anybody who hasn’t personalized their ride in one way,
shape or form. I see a good base bike to start from with most of the
hard stuff already done!
Ditch the D.O.T. enforced landing lights in place of some mini bullet lights
just under the mirror stem, change that headlight to something we’re all
used to, and you have something that you can pound the hell out of
around town, and not give a damn if you scratched it, dented it,
whatever.
This bike only cost you less than $14K !!!
I have a Knucklehead engine being built by Mr. Berry Wardlaw of Accurate Engineering, and the motor alone costs more than this entire bike.
I wouldn’t dare pound the piss out of my prized “Other Bike” (insert your favorite brand here) that I love more than life itself, so having another
bike to hammer, and put endless miles on it, with work commutes
back & forth makes sense, and for less than 14K?
My prized baby is to ride with my brothers on weekends, biker events, etc.
The High Ball would be for the day to day grind. You don’t wear a tuxedo
to work do ya?
That picture of that guy riding down the highway at night sure looks comfortable. Looks like they got the ‘bars-to seat-to bars’
configuration dialed in.
There’s no accommodating individual tastes (you’d go bankrupt fast), but for the price of this bike, you can afford to make this look like you want, for little money. By Cyril’s reporting, with the myriad of parts to be made available, I think this is the message that Victory is trying to impart on us brothers & sisters.
In the end, what the hell do I know, I’m just a dumb biker!! But one thing is clear ladies & gentlemen, this is an AMERICAN company that deserves our respect for the millions invested to bring us something to be proud of here, and around the world.
Kudos to Victory.
It takes cajones to come out with something new in this economy.
Briefing must have been, do something looking new with existing Victory parts so it costs us nothing. Failure with the design. Somewhat success with the price.
It’s not hard to make a motorcycle look good, and this looks terrible.
A shame to see the ‘other’ American motorcycle maker fall into the same traps as H-D: you’d think they’d have more sense.
kinda bummmed out here and i sensed what they might build
3 of the biggest dogs with flees at hd; the street bob, cross bones plus the dyna bob add some roland sands bars and they got what ??? A Crack Ball…….guys your better off copying one of the drag bikes fat book bikes, if you want a low production cool niche bike!!!
when do they knock off the street glide and cross it with a road king and a heritage softail
after the vision and a diet of star wars reruns …. its sad to see their design team is now on a diet of bananas and thus the monkey see monkey do bike 🙁
Boring…. what a let down! I really thought I might see some version of the Roland Sands 200 bike tonight. Now that would be a bold move from an American motorcycle manufacturer and likely capture some market share from the existing sport bike companies, both European and Japanese.
Hell, my stock Kawi Versys has more kavorka than that “bad ass” low ball.
I would put this in the same category as the Street Bob and not the Cross Bones personally.
With the Street Bob starting at $12,999 it sounds like a better deal at first blush until you break out the old No. 2 pencil. All the powder coating, big front wheel, and the 106/6 motor has all been done as a starting point with the High-Ball.
Fact is the Victory’s are metric as are just about everything else on the planet except for HD and some custom’s.
A change of lights and signals, maybe take a chop saw to the rear fender, put on some slip-ons or different pipes, lose the front fender, and you have a nice custom for under $14k that has a very proven and reliable motor with much better suspension than it’s HD cousin.
To get to the same point with the Street Bob I’d guesstimate $17-$18k and you still wouldn’t have as much power. You could always gear it down a bit to make up for it though and have a nice around town bike.
In my humble opinion the Victory’s of today and the Harley’s of today are fairly equal with all things considered. The Harley has more brand name recognition and history for sure but that $3.5-$4.5k in savings with the Victory (in this case) could sure go a long way for someone on a tight budget who doesn’t mind thinking outside the box.
Wow, boy am I bummed out! I was really ready for a SO-SOMETHING DIFFERENT then a Bike that looks like a Pair of Black Hi-Top “Keds” Tennis Shoes!@#$!%^$#@#$%
Boy Cyrill, I was really wanting the Eric Buell/ Polaris Motorcycle Sport Bike with that “newer Buell Motor all Badged undler the Victory Trade Mark. Then you throw a Little Roland Sands “Mix” into the Combo and you get a “Polar Buell” !!!!!!!!
Wow – and double wow. I see the Harley-haters who infest this blog have found another company to hate. I suppose if Cyril ran a story on a Chevy or Ford the bitter ones would leap on that too like fleas onto a sick puppy. Well it looks like everybody should go buy Jappas, as America’s two greatest motorcycle companies are unable to cut it. If we believe the whiners on this blog, that is!
Yyyyaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnn another fake bobber from a company who is just surfing the wave… and late on top of that. What’s next? a trike? Ask HD how well those are working on showrooms right now.
Very unimpressed but not surprised. This was completely expected. They are missing the cheesy $13 red pinstripping on the tank and the fender and the matching flat black helmet.
As said in a couple of posts above, looks metric. That rear license plate mount is huge. Looks like a Honda Shadow with a set of Rolands handlebars. I wasn’t a threat to buy one anyway.
I am very disappointed as well. Victory totally dropped the ball with this bike and I feel sorry for Roland have this to work with.
Here my 2 cents for what it is worth (maybe just 2 cents but who cares);
pros – The price, for the tech, the engine and all thats there, a bike you can ride off the lot for under 14G (not including taxes) seems like a darn good deal. Show me another “American branded” big twin for that price or under (super glide and street bob are 13,000 MSRP).
I kind of like the bars, not too sure about the risers though.
106″ and 6 speed, my poor wide glide wouldn’t stand a chance stoplight to stoplight with this thing and the engine upgrades and rebuild to get it there are going to cost me around 3,000 or more. (i am starting out with an 88″). I am sure a new Dyna just off of the showroom floor would need significant mods in the engine department to keep up.
cons – I thought i liked the headlight until i seen it from the front, ugly.
Couldn’t they have done something different to the rear fender? It looks horrible in the first picture.
The bike doesn’t flow, I think it wants to. The tank into the seat and the upper part of the engine, that looks fine but the rest just doesn’t look right. The seat could have flowed into the rear fender better. A different exhaust would have looked better, maybe a real 2 into one.
Not sure but I think a 21″ front would have looked better, but thats just me.
People people… this is a Victory Vegas, painted flat black with some overstocked Roland Sand handlebars that were sitting on a shelf somewhere at Victory.
HD does the same with XLs when they put a different paint job and add a 16″ front wheel, then call it a brand new model. There is nothing new on this bike. Looks like they spent 25 minutes at lunch putting this thing together.
Underwhelming. A little late for this trend I would think.
UGLY…period
I nearly fell asleep while looking at this bike. Looks toooo metric, very dull and bland, dislike the entire bike. Its TOO much like every other Victory, I was expecting something radical and more on the custom side than a basic looking bike.
Now Victory could impress me if they built something like this:
http://www.fasterandfaster.net/2011/01/mission-200-roland-sands-200bhp-200mph.html
My poem to Victory:
What about This? What about That?
You come out with THIS? This is Crap!
Thank you.
Rider2… the red pinstripe is there… look closer. LOL
I like the last image where the bars are in the lower position. Ape hangers aren’t my thing.
I kind of like the headlight. At second glance, it wasn’t rounded on the sides, which I thought was nice looking.
Disclosure: I have a Harley. I think I’m smart enough to consider other bikes outside of the MoCo, and, at least for other types of riding, I am considering them.
I don’t know that his one would be enough to take me there on a cruiser style bike.
could have done a better job with it ..
Motorcycling is exciting. What I see here is a new model being released and generating mostly negative comments.
Here are some another ones:
If I woke up beside that bike in the morning I would chew my arm off so as not to wake it up!
Maybe they did that on purpose so You would have to change parts to make it look better/unique.
Bashing it with a lead pipe would also work, people would have to change parts to make it their own,
kind of like the “stone wash” jeans principle.
PS: Attaching ape hangers to a donkey’s head does not make the donkey rider look cool. Regular everyday bars would’ve been fine for a production model-let the owners who want ape hangers on their bikes make that decision for themselves.
For me the 8 ball does not have good lines to turn it into a bobber. Thumbs down.
I to agree it looks metric. Most of these other companies spend most of their time trying to make a Harley with small changes so they can call it their own. Harley makes Harleys and Indians make Indians. They are unique. These other companies need to make something unique
Rick did one similar to this a few years ago.
http://www.strokersdallas.com/custom-bikes/?album=2&gallery=60
The price point on this bike reflects that the Polaris company is moving to Mexico as fast as possible. Remember recently they fired hundreds at Polaris. How long will it take to dump all the Iowa Victory employees and jump bike production to Mexico?
Looks good, priced great! I noticed most of the negative comment were pointed towards Victory being metric; sorry HD guys — Victory is American made!
Kind of disappointing over all. I was hoping someone at a cruiser manufacturer would finally show some good taste and common sense. I have no problem with a company working with a current platform, it’s more affordable for them, but if you’re just going to regurgitate the same old crap then you’re better off spending your cash on knocking down your manufacturing costs and prices overall.
As a basic platform though, it seems like a decent buy, if you like buying new. If you yank the tank, headlight, fenders, bars, seat, exhaust, replace the front wheel with a skinny 21″ with dual disc and sportbike calipers, change to mid-controls…….mostly just personal taste stuff, but that’s what matters when it comes to a bike’s cosmetics. Overall it would have to be a lot less hideous for me to consider buying new.
Wow! And? Thanks Cyril.
Where did the rear fender inspiration come from, a dirt bike? Heartland USA needs to make a rear fender & strut kit that follows the radius of the rear wheel. That, or the bike needs a 30” rear wheel to fill the fender.
Pretty much sums up why corporate design is an oxymoron……
Kudos to Arlen Ness for knowing to stay away from this mess……
Wow !!!!!! Totally butt UGLY ….. BUT …. I bet it sells simply because of the price point!
Over & Out,
Jeff
looks like a Rick Fairless Victory bobber….I’ve seen in his place. Cool bike though. It has that tough attitude!
Even though it’s fairly cheap, I can’t see them selling boatloads, there just isn’t the ‘love’ for these bikes out there. Oh sure you can find a few that are happy with their bikes, they are probably perfectly fine machines, they just fall short of the icon mark.
I’d pay the extra 2K for the HD Blackline.
Another reason to get a Ducati Devial
I watched last night and I thought it was a great move for all envolved,I liked it and would like to see them go much farther like Scott at Conquest customs.
what’s with the cropped fenders? yuk.
That has to be the most ugliest motorcycle I have ever seen. Where were the designers???
James………seems like a darn good deal.
yeah they are initially but man have you ever seen the resale or lack of buyers for these bikes??
ITS SCARRRRRY
here is an 08 king bling pin……at least this guy is getting bids most dont even get a bid on ebay
08 Victory 6100 miles
Item condition: Used
Time left: 4d 07h (Jan 25, 201122:00:00 EST)
Bid history: 6 bids[Refresh bidhistory]
Current bid: US $4,151.00
reserve not met yet
made in the u.s. but ugly ,rear fender too,,,you need and h-d designer
“Attaching ape hangers to a donkey’s head do not make the donkey rider look cool.”
How about high heals on a pig?
Makes for a good looking pig…………..
Might be an ugly bike……….but
It has snow mobile potential
ugh ugh ugh
I AM SORRY I WAS IN THE WRONG BLOG! I WAS TALKING ABOUT THOSE FRICKEN ENFIELDS THAT KEEP POPPING UP!
Doh! peace
WOW I can’t believe all the negative B.S. Aren’t you the same guys that claim to be real bikers and brag about how you all customize your bikes? If so then why are you bashing Victory for giving you a solid platform to start customizing at a low price? If you just take the difference in price between this bike and the new HD counterpart you can do allot of customizing and have a custom one off street bike and still be into it for the same price or little more than the price of that stock HD that will get lost in the parking lot with the other stock bikes. And lets be honest here this bike comes with fuel injection, Does the stock HD? this bike has 97 hp and 113 ft-lb of torque, does the stock HD? All in all I think you have a great starting point here for a great bike. But if some of you want to go thru life seeing the glass as half empty good for you but I prefer to see it half full. Hate on Victory all you want but they understand that the younger rider needs a low cost starting point and this bike gives them that starting point. I bet they sell a lot of these. Good Job Victory
F.Y.I. The street bob is listed as 12,999. DUR DUR DUR DURRRRR. I had a victory and yes they say the 106 is powerfull, maybe on a DYNO, piece of shit, lost my ass on re-sale and had the clunkiest tranny.
I love bobbers, but this thing ……………….yuck
Everyone seems to be a critic, well ok, not everyone.
We all have various tastes in the bikes we own or wish to own. Some have the ability to create their own (Jeff Nicklus/Cyril etc.) While others just love to tear things down. Some of us would be just happy to own a bike regardless of the make or model.
On the other hand critics are needed. Quite possibly Victory and Harley come by here everyday and read what everyone has to say about their machines and take it back to the guys in their design centers. Who knows maybe what you have to say will influence next years models.
Just thinking out loud
Steve. Met Cyril last year working on his laptop in the lobby of a Cincinnati hotel (Hyatt) . Discussion was on his subscribers. He showed me on his computer some of his well known subscribers. Of course, a lot of top executives of the industry, famous people and also the top Harley & Victory people. I guess I am not authorized to mention names. Just to say that yes, they read his blog. It’s their job to know what people think, right or wrong from their own point of view.
I like it….they are good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDy1TL9Jfo0&feature=player_embedded
rolands version………
looks bitchin
I think it’s a bit disappointing…they surely could have done better than that…those whitewalls and headlight look hideous on the bike…
Larry in MD
to just my opinion;
I didn’t notice anywhere that you think it’s a good-looking bike. Do you think it is? Thx.
STILL too Arlen Ness like. All these “swoopy” lines and “bobber” are incompatable design approaches.
I realize everyone has their own ideas about what is awesome……………….But I sure don’t understand all the Hype about this thing………Looks like an act of Desperation……….
Sharpe lookin bike……Nice price……..
Lose the apes.
I am a lover of Victory cycles don’t get me wrong. The handle bars are a nice try, but look way too narrow and could have more of a curve. I know that the light is a signature of the company but if it could of been tweaked and made more old school it would of helped a bunch. The paint I would of liked more black with a gleam of a nice chrome “V” on the tank.
Its a nice effort but a bit half-assed sorry guys.
The problem with this as well as all ‘undressed’ Victory’s is the factories insistence on keeping both the ugly exhaust outlets and the belt drive on the same side of the bike. Looking at this from the street view it looks like it could have a shaft drive and that is just plain sad. Put the belt on the left side and come up with some decent looking exhausts and the rest might fall in line. Sorry, but still a failed effort from Victory.
lose the whitewalls, lose the head light, fire the cartoon artist who ” designed” this embarrassment.
EWWWWWWW !!!! COME ON MAN ! FIX that front fender,FIX that Headlight,Fix those pipes——-So sorry ! Thats UGLY !
Just saw this bike in person in NY still sad…
Buy it, spend the 3500 on making it look any way ya want. you’re still ahead of those who bought the xbones.
if this victory follows current price trends, wait ’till next year & buy a used on real cheap to customize as you want!
Hmmmm nice. Looks alot like all them one off custom bobbers being built today.
Ohhh….. maybe thats why all the negativity, Victory’s knocking on the back door.
To many different shapes cramed into one small looking bike. Doesn’t look good, the ape hangers take the cake of this embattled composition of impossabilities… so sad, all that good work gone to waste.
I don’t want one… RSD can have mine:)
I DON’T GET IT!!!???
Am I the only person on the planet that actually **LIKES** this bike?
yeah, I’d probably want to swap out the front fender (not a big fan of tiny front fenders, front fenders are there for a reason). other than that, I I think it’s pretty sweet.
Regardless of the subjective merits (or lack thereof) of this bike, Victory is copying HD in the worst way: extending the line of cruisers with nothing else in the line-up, meanwhile not capitalizing on gaping holes in the market: Sport tourers, American-made sport bikes…
example: In its first year, BMW’s sportbike (1000RR) outsold the BMW R1200GS in the States. The R1200GS is BMW’s best selling model, globally. BMW did this in an era that was tough for all motorcycle manufacturers. This era also lost the only American-made performance bike.
Polaris has the engineering talent to build performance machines. Get out of the shadow of HD’s business model. You’ve built quality cruisers, now grow your line-up and your customers will grow with you.
2003 called, it wants it’s styling back!
Great work for a production bike, nice details special the gas tank.
Wow. This is a lot of comments. I don’t like new bikes, so I’ll just let this one pass.:)
It looks like they used a bunch of mismatched parts when they were putting it together…not really a fan
First off, I believe there is room for many more than one North American brand. We’re watching and waiting for the best from Eric, but Polaris is embarrassing us with Victory styling.
Is Victory trying for futuristic sky-sled or vintage icon – pick a direction Polaris, and innovate…help create a world-beating bike. Follow your engineering and stop over-styling. H-D is genuine, Victory comes off as a wanna-be. It’s a bummer.
H-D builds a solid bike on a proven platform and delivers the riding experience I enjoy – no need to change on my account. They have it right. Other riders have different ideas from mine, and a damn good thing, too. Everyone needs to pick their own ride and enjoy it. However, this Victory and most of their lineup (especially baggers) is way ugly imo, and the sad thing is, they don’t need to be. Simple it up!
O.
Flat black paint does not a Bobber make.
Also, lose the ape hangers. LAME!!!
Holy Smokes….
Guys why the knocks on this bike, Victory has shown that it CAN be innovative. They can keep the Vision, but,I’d choose a Cross Country over a Street Glide or a Cross Roads over a Road King in a heartbeat. And guess what? The bars on those bikes are adjustable too. I think I like the idea of being able to adjust them from low to hi/mini apehangers without going through all the rigamarole of aftermarket bars & wire kits.
I think that “American V-Twin, Open Road Biker & Just My Opinion” are on the right track. It WILL appeal to a younger crowd, it DOES have more hp & torque and I can take the money saved & get rid of the pieces (headlight, turn signals, etc) that I don’t like & replace with something else vs. spending $3000.00+ on a upgrade for a Street Bob. There are always going to be “haters” out there so “let em”!!! H-D is, what it is, and that’s great, but, give kudos to Victory for giving riders an alternative. By the way, yes Roland’s version is more bad ass, but what custom version is NOT better than stock, me, I can’t wait to see what Zack Ness does with it.
The marketplace is ALWAYS where these kind of things are decided…
Man, Victory misses the mark again BIG time. Note the word AGAIN! Certainly NOT a victory celebration at Victory.
Geez, I’ve never seen so many crybabies on this site before… bitch, bitch bitch! People expect OEM’s to build production bikes that look one-off for no money. Look at the big picture; you get 97 horses for under $14k. Yeah go ahead and by a Cross Bones with like 59hp for $18k. -or that “new” Blackline Softail with the crappy ride, and a parts bin look to it for $16k. Of course the Vic looks like a production EOM bike. Um, that’s what it is, dude. Of course it has stock pipes- production bikes have to have those too, dumbass. So, like any production bike, you change pipes, rip off the blinkers and legal crap that you don’t like, and ride. At least this bike is all American made, WAY way faster than anything the motor company builds, and it looks to me like it needs way less customization to make it cool. Hey isn’t that half the fun of owning a cruiser? customizing it to fit your needs? -just sayin’.
Spaz, why all the name-calling just because the vast majority think it’s an ugly bike? A good looking headlamp would cost the same as a nice one, likewise the fenders, etc. Of course we all like to customize our bikes, but I wouldn’t buy one I felt I HAD to immediately start stripping to make presentable. If it’s supposed to be thought of as a rolling chassis, fine-build/advertize it that way and save folks the trouble of removing so much and sitting it on a shelf.
oops, meant “A good looking headlamp would cost the same as a that one.”
Actually, a good looking headlamp could cost quite a bit more compared to using one that’s already being made for other bikes.
“Lack of power”? Hello!!!!!! Harleys….are 64 horsepower. That’s it. This bike…is 97 horsepower.
What’s fair is fair. It’s a great looking bike. It’s got some great things going for it, and it’s got POTENTIAL. At least Victory isn’t trying to rape everyone like the big HD. For 4 grand less….you can do a lot of customizing……AND have 106 cubic inches too. There is life….after Harley. Try to broaden your horizons.
I think it’s a good attempt to build a bobber type bike from manufacturer that has to be concerned with safety, value, ergonomics, D.O.T., market anaylasis and all the other things major manufacturers have to consider and are bound to by law. Harley is not the answer to everyones dreams. the 96 cube engine barely brings 61 hp to the rear wheel in stock form. Oh yes harleys now have parts on them made elsewhere like CHINA! Indian was producing bikes rated at 64 hp in the 30’s that’s 1930’s. I like the new victory if anything Victory is telling us don’t stereotype us just yet!
Go on a Victory demo tour and check one out. Liked the Cross Country but don’t do touring. It seems great to me. Fast and nimble and decent price. I wonder why people are so offended by another American motorcycle. Competition is good it makes them stay up to date. And I also have a Harley, Honda, And a BSA.
Reminds me of my ’38 Knucklehead right after I stripped it but before I chopped it. Will buy one SOON!