Victory Motorcycles, in partnership with Roland Sands Design and Cycle World, will race a new prototype engine at the Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb on June 28. The prototype racing motorcycle, named Project 156 for the 156 turns in the Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb, also known as the Race to the Clouds, will feature a liquid-cooled engine and be piloted by Cycle World Road Test Editor Don Canet.
“We have an intense focus at Victory Motorcycles to prove the performance of our vehicles,” said Rod Krois, Victory General Manager. “Competing as an American OEM at America’s race is an exciting opportunity. The grueling conditions at Pike’s Peak provide the perfect proving ground for our new Project 156 race engine.”
The Project 156 motorcycle is a hand-built road-racing bike with a prototype Victory motor developed at Victory’s Minnesota research and development facility. This liquid-cooled engine represents the future performance of the Victory brand. It features intake Twin 67mm throttles with downdraft runners for maximum power and torque as well as a performance valve train including titanium intake and exhaust valves to allow for maximum engine speed.
The Roland Sands Design team developed and built the chassis to cradle the Project 156 motor. “This truly has been an All-American effort,” said Roland Sands. “The Race to the Clouds is a legendary event and we couldn’t be more proud to partner with Victory on the endeavor. We’ve built lots of custom motorcycles, but building a purpose-built race bike for this project has been a unique experience that we’ll remember for a long time.”
The Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb, an annual automobile and motorcycle hill climb to the summit of Pike’s Peak, Colorado, will take place on June 28, 2015. Having started in 1916, it is the second-oldest motorsport event in America after the Indianapolis 500. The track measures 12.42 miles (19.99 km) over 156 turns, climbing 4,720 feet (1,440 m) from the start at Mile 7 on Pike’s Peak Highway, to the finish at 14,110 feet (4,300 m), on grades averaging 7 percent.
“Ever since Victory and Roland Sands introduced me to this project I’ve been counting down the days to the event,” said Cycle World Road Test Editor Don Canet. “This will be my second time racing the Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb. Now that I’ve had a taste of what it’s like I’m ready to get back and finish stronger in 2015.”
To support the Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb, Victory Motorcycles has moved the 2015 American Victory Rally to Colorado Springs, Colorado from June 25–28. The weekend will feature not only Project 156, but loads of riding through stunning scenery, and a showcase of Victory Racing initiatives including the NHRA Drag Racing team. Victory owners go HERE
To learn more about Project 156, the sponsors, and Victory Motorcycles, visit Project 156 or follow on Twitter @VictoryBikes and on Facebook
That’s not the Victory my buddy was on last weekends ride with!
It would appear the gloves are coming off and Harley doesn’t yet know there’s a fight…
Well … at least it looks good … especially in comparison to Roland’s other latest venture … that Victory Vision pastiche masquerading as a BMW 101 concept .
The question is … what’ll this bike do once faced with the Realities of our Pikes Peak . Better yet how will the rider and crew hold up at altitude ?
Ahhh … but the real question is ;
What is the motor in this based on / borrowed from ? Cause any way you look at it that aint no Victory /Indian between the rails ..and …. inquiring minds want to know
Lots o’ luck guys .. cause believe me … y’alls gonna need luck on your side … in spades … but if all else fails … like i said … at least it’ll go down looking good
Cue TJ telling how awful this is, what a waste of time and the certainty of it’s failure is…Meanwhile I’m totally diggin it!
“””””hand-built road-racing bike with a prototype Victory motor developed at Victory’s Minnesota research and development facility”””””
I see this water cooled engine in the XC future. This would be awesome…..
Good luck boys and lets put HD to shame
The bullshit stops when the green flag drops!
Looks much like the Scout’s engine. I seem to remember a Victory prototype that looked much like the Scout.
EXACTLY CORRECT RODENT!
Over & Out,
Jeff
Whether or not this bike wins the race will not determine whether or not this project is a success or failure. In my book, based on the little that I’ve seen, Victory is winning with this already.
If this bike or some iteration of it becomes a production vehicle, Harley will not be it’s competitor. I see this as a domestic answer to the Ducati Diavel. It probably won’t have all the top end horsepower of a Hyabusa, it probably won’t have all the stump pulling torque of an S&S T143, but it will probably fit nicely in between.
I’ve never been inclided to purchase a Victory (no, i don’t own a Harley either) but I would ride the wheels off of one of these.
With ever tightening emissions laws (especially on the west coast, where half of all U.S. bikes are registered) air-cooled bikes, especially those w/ pushrods, are on borrowed time. Remember the the H-D VR1000 racing prototypes that never won a race but led to the development of the V-Rod and you will see where this Victory project is headed.
Looks an awful lot like a big bore Indian Scout motor …. And that cant be all bad at all
I’d like a water cooled Vision, if I can’t get an electric one.
Very cool, racing programs probably don’t tell you any more than you can learn at your own test track, but they are WAY more fun for the fans. Like the old (back when they were “stock” cars) NASCAR adage-Win on Sunday-Sell on Monday.
It’s a racebike.
I wonder if a version of this goes to the IOM
Now that would be interesting !!!
So a race machine will preface changes to production machines. How much time will tell. My guess is Victory moves toward a more sportbike sensibility. Just saying it’s weird putting Visions and Cross bikes in competition for the bagger dollar with each other and now putting both of them in competition for that same dollar with Indian. Maybe not but if I were looking to paint myself out of a corner then racing might be a good approach.
What seems clear though is that with this machine and with the electric machine that will run Isle of Man next week Polaris has made a corporate decision to not only take on one the MoCo with Indian. They are throwing money and design hours at racing in select arenas which puts Victory up against some seasoned and committed motorsports marques.
That’s like beating a bear with one hand while you slap a hornets nest with the other.
I love a good cage fight.
Think KTM, Rotax and Ducati. Any modern engine builder would test and tear apart these successful engines before building a new one.
This is great. We need more hot v-twins. Polaris has the cash to do it.
M
I remember not too long ago all the naysayers talking trash about Victory motorcycles.
Polaris is kicking ass.
Pretty cool guy’s. I know how hard everyone has worked and agree with Chris first sentence.
I’m cheering for you!
Needs more radiators.
TWIN 67MM DOWNDRAFT T.B. WITH 4 VALVE HEADS..THIS ENGINE CAN MAKE A LOT OF POWER..BEAUTIFUL
The up side; A new US designed and manufactured motorcycle… and that is way cool.
The down side, the Road into the Clouds no longer has any dirt on it.
-nicker-
A street fighter much like this is what I always wanted to see from Buell back when they were part of the MoCo. I think they might still be around if a machine like that had been developed.
Americans just don’t seem to buy allot of Sports Bikes and with an aging Motorcyclist population world wide are sports bikes sales increasing ?
According to some of the sport bike aftermarket suppliers, new sport bike sales in the US are going down..and have been for a while…why do you think theyre looking at HDs market share to supply parts to…All I can say is bring it to the mountain and let the chips fall where they may…
When the liquid cooled patent leaked from Polaris many thought the engine would go in to a Victory. Then the scout came out. I read an article that said to expect variation of the new Polaris engine in a wide variety of applications.
I think this a very smart move by Polaris. Market the Indian brand (except the Scout) to those that want the air cooled twins.
Victory design was getting a bit long in the tooth. I could see water cooled performance motorcycles being a good move for Polaris to keep interest and improve sales on the Victory brand.
Could we see this engine and Victory move to the sports bike, sports tourer and performance tourer market (BMW K1600)? I think it’s a great idea.
Is that motor just a reverse engineered V-Rod engine..?!?
I want one now!!! ..Z
Wayne Rainey is working hard with a new road race organization called Moto America. I wonder if they would add a series that had this bike? – the bike looks like a modern version of the XR1200 which was cancelled by HD & so was the race series.
http://www.motoamerica.com/
@B. D. – that could also explain why engine mounting points on this 156 looks like they will accommodate a cradle frame design too. I might be interpreting the engine pic incorrectly, though.
The sound has my attention.
Currently I do own a VIctory Cross Roads. I personally hope they do come out with this water cooled engine in there bikes and hopefully they keep it in a more of a standard bike or sportbike frame style, hey even offer it up in a cruiser version. It has got my interest. If they build it and it handles and runs great it may just be the replacement for my current Victory. You know a sport tourer would be very cool, a lighter weight bike with nice bags that can handle. The Motus also has my interest, but it is way out of my price range. Come on Victory/Polaris build us an American Sport Touring bike that is more affordable for the average guy and they will sell.
Way Kool (:-)
Strong work — well done! That would be some ride up the mountain on that machine. . .
Like some have mention before, I’m not a big fan of RSD
But the work done on this is impressive
Victory is getting very,VERY serious about racing !!!!