Victory Motorcycles is announcing their intention to race at the iconic International Isle of Man Tourist Trophy (TT) event on a prototype Victory electric race motorcycle piloted by William Dunlop of the legendary Dunlop dynasty and by Lee Johnston known in the racing world as “General Lee”. Victory Racing will compete in the Isle of Man TT electric class, marking the first time that Victory Motorcycles has entered a professional motorcycle-racing event in Europe and raced an electric motorcycle. Parker, the world’s leading diversified manufacturer of motion and control technologies and systems, is providing the race-proven, high performance GVM PMAC motors for both machines.
With more than a hundred years of history, the annual International Isle of Man TT, raced on the Irish Sea Island, is one of the most demanding and exciting races in the world. The SES TT Zero Challenge class event for electric motorcycles is a one-lap race round the island’s 37.73 mile (60.72 km) Mountain Course scheduled for Wednesday, June 10, 2015.
“The entire Victory team is excited to make history with this effort,” said Rod Krois, Victory General Manager. “We know that William Dunlop’s experience and the continued Victory Motorcycles development of this electric race bike through work with Parker will propel us into a strong future with electric motorcycles.” “I’m more than excited to race this prototype at the Isle of Man,” said professional rider William Dunlop. “Electric powertrains have many advantages, and the Isle of Man is one of the greatest tests in motorcycle racing.”
Professional Rider Lee Johnston (left) will be riding the second entry for Victory Racing at the Isle of Man TT and said, “I’m excited to make history by racing the new Victory electric race prototype. It’s thrilling to be part of the emerging electric motorcycle movement.” Ben Furnish, Marketing Manager for Parker Hannifin said, “Parker is thrilled to be involved with Victory Motorcycles in this historic event with these talented riders. We look forward to working with Victory to develop high performance powertrains for electric motorcycles.”
The Victory Racing prototype electric race bike features a dedicated electric racing motor and power cells as well as highly sophisticated electric controls to maximize peak power, power delivery, and durability under racing conditions.
Victory engineers have further refined the electronics and chassis for the upcoming race with private test sessions in North America.
Victory Motorcycles will host a continuous news feed of updates and photos from the Isle of Man TT and will have more information available on the Victory electric prototype race bike.
From the looks of things [ this and the Pikes Peak racer ] it seems like Victory is trying desperately to shed their ‘ cruiser ‘ image … with the folks at the mothership Polaris finally taking JT Nesbitt’s words to heart .
Too bad its so late to the [ already seriously over crowded ] party . Too bad P-V-I hasn’t had the sense to hire Erik Buell yet . Too bad they didn’t take JT’s words seriously back in the beginning when the doors were wide open and money flowed like water . . Which is to say in summation and all around .. this is most likely going to be a case of ..
Too Little – Too Late – Too bad …. se la vie… sigh …….
Who cares what fake pundit TJ Martin is thinking.
Maybe it’ll be in the next Avenger movie.
Go Victory. This is a serious attempt with two top riders. Its about time American Motorcycles shed the boring cruzer image and got some imagination. All the best Victory, a VERY challenging first event so don’t expect a win but good luck anyway.
TJ, your words are very curious. Many companies produce both sportbikes and cruisers, so it makes no sense to claim desperation on Polaris’ part if they expand into this important market. As for hiring Mr. Buell, that’s a personal opinion, but seems to imply they have used inferior engineers instead? It’s not like Buell’s company(s) have a history of spanking folks on racetracks or adding to company coffers more than it’s subtracted, so perhaps they (Polaris) simply wishes to avoid the potential drama of overpaying to become the next chapter in EB’s journal? Though vastly different machine types, Sportbikes and cheap commuter bikes are currently the best mules for electrics, and it’ll be great to see how this machine does at this amazingly difficult race course. DC motors have incredible torque and done right, along with better battery technology, could completely change the sportbike market. Exciting times.
Victory wants to be the performance brand of Polaris. In addition expect a Victory electric cruiser. The time is not too far away.
A water cooled Pikes Peak and Electric Isle of Mann, what’s next for the street?
On the one hand I have a 70’s shovelhead which is clearly a descendant of a 36 knuck and is also clearly a predecessor to just about every motorcycle that the dealer stocks now including the Street and the V, if not technically then at least spiritually.
The continuity, the history is a cornerstone of Harley.
Polaris doesn’t have that cache. That may be a showstopper for some. It’s also a freeing condition that gives a 17 year old motorcycle company the ability to stretch in different directions without fear of rankling the base. If you don’t use history for currency then you don’t have to sell it.
Sour grapes to some of us. Sure. Others among us applaud how Victory can take chances while the moco treads more lightly lest they alienate us silverbacks.
More interesting is how Polaris treads with the Indian marque. Not exactly a cutting edge brand… so far.
Enough of this. I’m going to go dodge a few raindrops on my Cross Country.
This is exceptionally cool. Victory competing in NHRA with a new drag bike, pikes Peak with a prototype gas sport bike, and Isle of Man with a prototype electric. What’s not to love?
Great news to see this morning from Victory, very excited to see where this is heading. C’est la vie indeed
I think this is great news! I hope they kick ass at the TT!
Over & Out,
Jeff
Isle of Man racing is something to see. Where guys normally go 200 plus miles a hour now Victory will be going 150 miles per hour on a battery bike its pretty exciting
I would trade all four of my bikes for a electric bike.
Think twist of the wrist you can be doing 60 in three seconds
Our new measure of success now is how quickly, negatively and profusely TJ pontificates on our announcements. The closer we are to doom by his standards, the better chance that we are going the right direction to break the mold and push into new territories instead of following worn out tracks.
Thanks for the level set TJ!
Have a smooth week – see you at the Quail.
Robert Pandya
Motorcycle Enthusiast
(Almost gagged on my muffin with the JT comment though..gotta admit. Ya got me there)
Robert Pandya. Polaris is rocking the industry.
TJ Martin can give you the sense of trying to have a reasonable discussion with a very clever six-year-old, always wanting to give his unknowing insight on almost everything without validity.
I’m guessing the first two things that he does in the morning is touch his or mommy’s keyboard and his organ.
Beautifully put Robert, well done .
Robert Pandya. Hopeful Polaris [ Victory or Indian } has in the works to go GNC flat track racing. Any response ?
Glad to see Polaris putting their electric prototype to the test on the race track rather than just parading it at PR events. Looking forward to seeing what she can do!
Awesome, Come on vic , I’d love to see an electric and gas powered sportbike in the ranks. Hope this evolves into something ill be able to buy
I’m glad they are making the foray into racing
& I hope they do well in both races.
Just can’t get past this e-bike thing
doesn’t matter if it’s Victory, H-D, Tesla, Mickey Mouse !!!!
Yeah, I know I’m an old dinosaur-type guy
But at least I know whether my gas powered V-twin was running or not …..
Glad to see Polaris venturing into many forms of racing. Pro Stock motorcycle was a cool first step, then Pikes Peak and now Isle of Man.
Gotta agree with Blackmax though…those silent electric bikes creep me out. I’ll keep my dino-fueled scooters, Thank You…even though the e-bikes technically use fossil fuel too, unless your electric power is provided by nuke’s..
I’m not into electric bikes, but this is a good looking machine. I’d be curious to see how it does in the TT.
I don’t like electric bikes either, but if your gonna go racing there is no bigger test than the IOM
I Remember when Ducati still had the balls to race there. The course broke their standard racing kit.
The Britten had an issue and killed a rider.
What’s the body count ? about 3-4 per mile on a 37mile course.
I hope they do well and stay safe !
What does JT Nesbitt have to do with this? WHat words are taken to heart?
Can someone bring me up to speed on the conflict here? JT, TJ, TT ?
It is always a dead giveaway that someone is being pretentious when they attempt a foreign quote and stuff it up badly like TJ’s “se la vie”. TJ it is “c’est la vie” a French expression that is rather famous in English and other languages.
According to the Urban Dictionary, it means “it is the life.”
Which can also be translated into English as:
– “that’s life”
– “oh well, shit happens”
a: man! i can’t believe we lost by 18 goals!
b: get over it! c’est la vie!
yuckly there isn’t much real conflict. TJ Martin has a real boner for anything related to Polaris so any post regarding a Victory or an Indian development is immediately written off using tome rather creative reasoning. I’ve actually come to the point I look forward to seeing how he justifies his next nonsensical position on Victory or Indian.
Fuji – We don’t talk about future products or plans. But I believe if motorcycle fans elevate up and look at our track record they will see that both the Victory and Indian Motorcycle brands are being supported by considerable investment and making the right choices in working towards strong and independent futures.
There is a tenacity to both brands that really gets to some who do not care to challenge what is average. We respect the competition, but nobody gets to claim market share – you have to earn it. Our goals are aggressive, so the directions we take need to be also.
In the American V-Twin space we choose to delivery style performance and value in the products. We are growing our network very fast in the US and internationally, producing well-received products that are winning awards and slotting in next to the market leader comfortably. At any motorcycle event it is not unusual to see an Indian or a Victory model there. Both brands offer alternates to the usual, and more and more motorcycle riders and enthusiasts are making the choice to either replace their current ride or add a bike to the stable.
The aftermarket is ramping up development, custom builders are creating projects based on our bikes, and company stock is growing on the back of a positive business reputation. Some will choose to hate that fact – but it is a fact.
I for one appreciate the support we get from the media (that is my job after all!) and industry leaders such as Cyril. I can promise you that both brands will push and continue to develop products, programs and new ways to approach the V-Twin category.
Have a good week y’all.
Robert Pandya
External Relations Manager
Indian Motorcycle
There is a seismic shift in strategy at play here. Tactically Polaris must understand that the Victory brand and products have peaked in the market with current V-Twin consumers. Now with Indian responsible for most of the growth within this market segment, Polaris is now taking a strategic approach in positioning and engaging the younger, more performance-oriented motorcycle consumer in hopes that when they get old enough to ride V-Twin motorcycles, their choice will be Victory. On one hand, it could be considered the right thing to do on many levels. On the other hand, it could be fair to say that the strategy is preemptive and in trying to get Victory to be more relevant to younger (not V-Twin) motorcycle consumers, Polaris will alienate Victory’s current consumer base. Polaris – You are doing pretty good on the Indian side – but you are like a baby kicking and screaming on the Victory side and its starting to resonate badly in the industry and to Victory brand loyalists. Now if you will excuse me, I’m going to go drift on my Cross Country and practice for the Ise of Man, LOL!
VL – I hope you have plans to make it to the AVR in Colorado Springs in a few weeks – that will be a great event and you will be damn proud of Victory and what fun we are having with motorcycles. There is a new energy and excitement towards the brand. The core qualities and capabilities of the motorcycles do not change – and every owner is welcome to attend the rally.
Robert Pandya
who likes riding with range anxiety?
Robert Pandya
I’ll have to admit Indian with Polaris has come a long way since Wayne Bachman and his wooden Indian in Albuquerque New Mexico.
Well,
For those who see “Technology” as the issue……
Why not incorporate that “driverless car” stuff everyone’s been yammering about all week and zing this E-scooter around the TT without the need of a rider…….. ???
I mean, we’re breeding a society that is increasingly clueless about what it takes to drive a car safely.
Hell, half of-em look at driving a “standard” transmission as though it required a post grad degree in automotive engineering.
Motorcycling may as yet be sanitized into a socially acceptable arm-chair endeavor, without dirt, smell, or risk. Just another Sunday pastime like Golf or Badminton.
Better yet, perhaps Motorcycling should become something you brag about at the country-club bar, but not something you actually “do” anymore…..
-nicker-
-nicker-
For a bit of grounding watch the MC Movie “ROAD” it is about the Dunlop brothers and the madness of a disease called road racing. The IOM features allot.
It will move a normal MotorCyclist and leave you in awe, wonderment and sadness !
Whats the top speed on these bikes?
Remember when the OE s were racing in America, how exciting it was for Riders and how much our industry thrived. We went from 65.000 new registrations a year in the US during the ’60 s, to 1,500,00 new registrations a year in the ’70 s.
Polaris is doing a wonderful job pumping energy in , I hope it inspires the other OE s.
It takes Pathfinders to find Paths.
Rodent is talking about ” Range ” , but he doesn’t have a motorcycle ???
I’d like to see Lightning in that race, winners of Pike’s Peak and Record Holder at Bonnevile.