Polaris Shuts Down Victory Motorcycles. Effective Immediately.

It may be a huge surprise to most. Not so much for some insiders of the motorcycle industry who started to wonder after Polaris bought the Indian brand, how the company would be able to position the Victory brand versus Indian. And it appears that Polaris never succeeded to give Victory its own identity and strong image. In a challenging market, the result was poor sales compared to Indian.

Today, the Chairman and CEO of Polaris, Scott Wine announced * That Polaris Industries is winding down Victory motorcycles operations to strengthen its position in the powersports industry * That the competitive pressures of a challenging motorcycle market have increased headwinds for the Victory brand *That the decision will not affect any other Polaris units * That Polaris remains committed to maintaining its presence in Spirit Lake, Iowa. * That one-time costs associated with supporting Victory dealers in selling their remaining inventory will be recorded in 2017 income statement. The full official statement is below.

“This was an incredibly difficult decision for me, my team and the Polaris Board of Directors,” said Polaris Industries Chairman and CEO Scott Wine. “Over the past 18 years, we have invested not only resources, but our hearts and souls, into forging the Victory Motorcycles brand, and we are exceptionally proud of what our team has accomplished. Since inception, our teams have designed and produced nearly 60 Victory models that have been honored with 25 of the industry’s top awards. The experience, knowledge, infrastructure and capability we’ve built in those 18 years gave us the confidence to acquire and develop the Indian Motorcycle brand, so I would like to express my gratitude to everyone associated with Victory Motorcycles and celebrate your many contributions.”

Several factors influenced today’s announcement. Victory has struggled to establish the market share needed to succeed and be profitable. The competitive pressures of a challenging motorcycle market have increased the headwinds for the brand. Given the significant additional investments required for Victory to launch new global platforms that meet changing consumer preferences, and considering the strong performance and growth potential of Indian Motorcycle, the decision to more narrowly focus Polaris’ energy and investments became quite clear.

“This decision will improve the profitability of Polaris and our global motorcycle business, and will materially improve our competitive stance in the industry,” said Scott Wine. “Our focus is on profitable growth, and in an environment of finite resources, this move allows us to optimize and align our resources behind both our premium, high performing Indian Motorcycle brand and our innovative Slingshot brand, enhancing our focus on accelerating the success of those brands. Ultimately this decision will propel the industry-leading product innovation that is core to our strategy while fostering long-term growth and increased shareholder value.”

Polaris will reduce the appropriate operating cost based on this decision, while continuing to support the future growth of the ongoing motorcycle business.  Polaris remains committed to maintaining its presence in the Spirit Lake, Iowa community with Indian Motorcycle production and in the Huntsville, Alabama community with its Slingshot production.

Any one-time costs associated with supporting Victory dealers in selling their remaining inventory, the disposal of factory inventory, tooling, and other physical assets, and the cancellation of various supplier arrangements will be recorded in the 2017 income statement in respective sales, gross profit and operation expense. These costs will be excluded from Polaris’ provided 2017 sales and earnings guidance on a non-GAAP basis.

Polaris will release its fourth quarter and full-year 2016 financial results and provide 2017 guidance on Tuesday, January 24, 2017. A webcast and conference call will be held at 9:00 a.m. Central Time on January 24, 2017 to discuss the results. A slide presentation and link to the webcast will be posted on the Polaris Investor Relations website at  ir.polaris.com.  To listen to the conference call by phone, dial 877-706-7543 in the U.S. and Canada, or 478-219-0273 Internationally.  The Conference ID is #45015597.

108 Responses to “Polaris Shuts Down Victory Motorcycles. Effective Immediately.”


  1. 1 beentheredonethat Jan 9th, 2017 at 10:55 am

    2001 is calling and it wants its stretched Softail tank back

  2. 2 SIGFREED Jan 9th, 2017 at 11:09 am

    He, he, he, he – saw it coming all the way down Highway 50 (viz the ‘loneliest road in the USA’). You do not need an MBA to understand the (failed) economics of duplication.

    That said – rush out and get a GUNNER; by far the best of the bunch. You will get them dirt cheap before they gain novelty value.

  3. 3 Calif Phil Jan 9th, 2017 at 11:09 am

    Probably smart to just focus on Indian

  4. 4 Big Russ Jan 9th, 2017 at 11:12 am

    The Hammer was one of the most fun rides I have had in a long time.

  5. 5 Evobuilder Jan 9th, 2017 at 11:14 am

    spell check error or Freudian slip? 😉

  6. 6 SYF Jan 9th, 2017 at 11:16 am

    Wow, big news. Indian should benefit with more models in the pipeline.
    Can’t blame Trump for this.

  7. 7 Andy Fat Boy Jan 9th, 2017 at 11:20 am

    Nice platform and well performing. I see businesses focusing on what they do best. Victory never got out of the shadows.

  8. 8 Reynolds Mansson Jan 9th, 2017 at 11:20 am

    I saw a really nice Vision bagger in Houston yesterday and was actually thinking this morning about fonding one to do something with.

    Bet they’ll be cheap by Friday

  9. 9 Reynolds Mansson Jan 9th, 2017 at 11:21 am

    finding one, opps

  10. 10 Mdkuder Jan 9th, 2017 at 11:22 am

    Love the bikes but the consumer just never embraced the brand in my opinion.

  11. 11 Tom Ryan Jan 9th, 2017 at 11:22 am

    Total surprise! Just wondering if someone is now going to buy all of the tooling for the motors and build new bike styles around them.

  12. 12 1chopr Jan 9th, 2017 at 11:29 am

    Doesn’t sound good for Matt Smith Racing.

  13. 13 blu dog Jan 9th, 2017 at 11:32 am

    Wow, I guess the writing was on the wall but I believe that Polaris’ dedication to Victory provided a level of comfort in the Indian endeavor. I wonder how many dealerships that didn’t want to fulfill the requirements to catty the Indian brand will be left without a product to sell. Parts will probably be incredibly tough to come by for existing customers. I understand the business side of the decision but also know that purchasing a premium motorcycle is not a business decision in most cases. Liquidation of the HD brand probably has made better business sense at many points in its history and part of its allure is its capacity to survive and thrive.

  14. 14 Teez Chop Shop Jan 9th, 2017 at 11:35 am

    What happens to the Loyal Victory Owners. I have an 01 Victory that i not only am the original owner but I took it out of the crate and assembled myself when I sold them on the east coast?

  15. 15 Jerrman Jan 9th, 2017 at 11:40 am

    A little surprising considering they had just revamped a few models and introduced the Octane with a lot of fanfare . But, the Octane was really a muscle bound version of the Scout and seemed to bear little relationship with the rest of the Victory line. Most of the other line seemed to be love-it or hate-it designs. As a pure business decision, though, all this probably makes sense and putting all their resources and focus on Indian will probably give it increased momentum. If Polaris can expand Indian beyond the cruiser market, a segment that seems wide open for an American manufacturer and the right entries for the millennium market, Indian will be a major force in the industry.

  16. 16 BM Jarvis Jan 9th, 2017 at 11:50 am

    Where’s all my “Victory is gonna bury Harley” peeps??????????
    Kinda puts a new spin on the phrase “Victory Party”. You heard it here first folks; “Victory Party” is the new slang for “jumped the shark”.

    Next up, HD buries Indian.

  17. 17 EzJ Jan 9th, 2017 at 11:52 am

    Sad news. Love my Vision & many friends have V’s & CCT’s & love ’em, too.

  18. 18 Glenn Jan 9th, 2017 at 11:54 am

    Bet it won’t take 18 years to pull the plug on Indian!

  19. 19 vrodder Jan 9th, 2017 at 11:57 am

    This breaks the heart! I love my Vision and have had two cross country models. Both are top notch riding motorcycles.

    As soon as Polaris bought Indian, we became the red headed step child! They took everything they learned from us and used that to make us obsolete with the new kid.

    Well dammit…

    Jim

  20. 20 splattttttt Jan 9th, 2017 at 12:00 pm

    At least you they’re showin their taxes
    But seriously. Indian is goin racin. and this is where they’re goin
    We need an American based podium contender

  21. 21 Boomer Jan 9th, 2017 at 12:04 pm

    Not good but I guess not all that surprising either. Polaris has been giving Indian all the love. I wonder if the value of these amazing motorcycles will now go up or go down.

    Probably go down in the short term. I have two and was going to sell one in the Spring since I’m riding less as I get older but now I may hang on to it as an investment.

    The thing is all 4 of the Victory’s I’ve owned have all been superior in power and mechanically to any of the 9 HD’s I’ve own ranging from a 1954 45″ Flathead to a 2007 96″ Night Train TC. I’ve loved all my HD’s and Vic’s but as I got older I really liked the extra power and reliability of the Vic’s. Spending my weekends doing the extra maintenance or repairs on the HD’s used to be kinda fun at one time; especially when garage racing with friends.

    I guess all things change eventually…

  22. 22 Boots Jan 9th, 2017 at 12:40 pm

    Thanks Cyril! When I need the latest motorcycle news, your website is the place to go!!!!

  23. 23 Jay Jan 9th, 2017 at 12:41 pm

    OMG, I ride a 2002 V92TC, with 76,000 miles on it, sure I have had to do some real maintenance to it but, I would not sell it for what the dealers want to give me in trade for a new one ever! I will never trade it in, it is like a fine guitar… I will never sell it, I will pass it down to a friend when I pass away. I love the Victory Brand, I say move the plant to Florida and enjoy the warm weather for a change.

    The Brand needs to go back to the old logo! and make real motorcycles again, not the bat-wing and star-ship versions. make real old school baggers and they will sell a bunch. I want to see a V106 in a real frame and an old school windshield, like the V-92TC but a 6-gallon tank and a larger oil cooler, and 6-quarts of oil, heck, let me come up there and I will help design an old school bike that will sell and bring the Brand Name of VICTORY back to life.

    Old school rules! reliability and ease of maintenance is where the brand should be making GREAT RELIABLE DESIGNS, I WILL HELP YOU MAKE IT HAPPEN, Just ask! and pay my way and a proper consulting fee and the Victory Brand will make the best bikes ever!!!

  24. 24 Spigot Jan 9th, 2017 at 12:48 pm

    Traded my Yamaha for a ’16 Cross Country while out at Sturgis. My friends that I was with also came away with one. But that was Sturgis. Come to the Pittsburgh area and the 4 Polaris dealerships in the area barely wanted to sell them! A buddy of mine had to call the Regional Sales to get one of the Polaris/Victory dealerships to step up. WTF! If the Polaris dealerships didn’t sabotage the Victory sales efforts, this may have had a very different outcome.

  25. 25 Mike Greenwald Jan 9th, 2017 at 12:58 pm

    Short life. Painful death.

  26. 26 Robert Pandya Jan 9th, 2017 at 1:03 pm

    Victory Motorcycles leaned in for the tough fight at a time when clones were crapping their guts but the money still flowed in. With significant backing by Polari the brand challenged and uplifted the American V-Twin industry. Many HA’s converted. Many enthusiasts saw the potential for sting American engineering and quality product made in the state. Victory is what allowed PII to be the current shepherd for the Indian Motorcycle brand. I think in time Indian will be stronger (knowing that in the internal strengths of the combined teams will be amazing) but it’s a drag to see the loss of the brand that proudly stood apart from the pack.

    There will be some great deals on great bikes, and if your riding career has another decade in front of it, you would hardly go wrong to put one in your garage now.

    Respect and cheers to those who built the brand and to the executives who had the guts to take on the fight.

    The loser is not the one who gets beaten. It’s the one who slinks away from the challenge.

    Robert Pandya
    Motorcycle Enthusiast
    Former PR Manager for Victory Motorcycles (and damn proud of it.)

  27. 27 BobS Jan 9th, 2017 at 1:09 pm

    Thanks Trump. Polaris will never see another one of my dollars. They take their customers for granted and lie strait to our faces. I guess this is what American business has become.

  28. 28 Boomer Jan 9th, 2017 at 1:13 pm

    With 18 years of production; there are a lot of well made Victory’s out there. I’m counting the year before sales started since that’s when they did start production.

    Wouldn’t it be hugely ironic if someone bought the Victory name from Polaris then made it a successful brand even if they only sold a couple thousand a year. A small business might be able to do this. Heck; Polaris bought the Indian brand then made it successful.

    I think one other thing is at play here in America. Street motorcycle rider numbers are going down. It has become much more dangerous to ride in the big cities with everyone on their cell phones and because the big bikes are as expensive as they are; the people who can afford them are dying of old age or just getting too old to ride without having as many younger people step up to replace those older riders. A demographic shift is happening across America. Not sure if minorities have any interest in riding but since there’s a shift in that kind of population; it too might be concerning to a motorcycle manufacturer.

  29. 29 Bill Skoros Jan 9th, 2017 at 1:18 pm

    What a typo!

    This is the subject line the message from Cryil’s blog sent me:

    Polaris Shits Down Victory Motorcycles”

    I kid you not!!!!!

  30. 30 Clarke Ahlers Jan 9th, 2017 at 1:23 pm

    I’m disappointed. I own two Harleys and I’ve owned other bikes as well, but I like Victory and was planning to buy a Victory or an Indian as my next bike. No matter what your favorite restaurant, it’s nice to eat out at other restaurants and I am “the more the merrier” about great motorcycles.

  31. 31 mkv Jan 9th, 2017 at 1:36 pm

    April fools sure came in early

    Maybe they should have listened to their customers instead of feeding the Ness’s a bunch of crap we dont want.

    Victory is a grand brand, but they should have done more than just the 2 frame models they had. Not including the Indian Octane

    I think not bringing the Pikes peak bike is what’s killed them

  32. 32 Boomer Jan 9th, 2017 at 1:44 pm

    Bill Skoros, I didn’t even notice that but yes, that’s the way it reads in my inbox too. Funny!

  33. 33 count 1 Jan 9th, 2017 at 1:49 pm

    What about PROSTOCK racing in the NHRA ?

  34. 34 Boomer Jan 9th, 2017 at 1:54 pm

    It’s a shame Victory wasn’t downsized to just 2 or 3 models. Maybe the XC, XCT, and a steel frame bike or even just the XC, XCT, and Magnum. From what I’ve seen; these were its most successful sellers.

    This would also allow all the dealerships who invested their blood, sweat, and tears into the brand to transition or bring in another brand to keep their motorcycle sales business going. I think this method of shutting down completely was extremely short sighted. #highlydisappointed. At a time when business opportunities will soon be expanding due to a good pro-business President; a better way could have and should have been found.

  35. 35 Vincenzo's Ghost Jan 9th, 2017 at 1:58 pm

    On the plus side . Finally parent company Polaris has realized competing with yourself is a financial disaster in the making . On the negative side : so much for innovation or creativity coming out of the M/C side of Polaris ever again now that they’ll be focusing solely on H-D wanna be poser bikes . But then again on the plus side , let the Motor Company’s revelries begin as they sing ;

    ” Tonight we’re gonna party like its 1953 ”

    Because the fact of the matter is . Indian’s demise is imminent . And y’all can take that one to the bank

    PS; Im lovin the much more accurate Freudian slip !

  36. 36 Mr Smith Jan 9th, 2017 at 2:05 pm

    The bad thing about this is that people will lose faith in Indian as well. It should have had a large scale media campaign warning of the shutdown to keep from blindsiding the public long before it happened.

  37. 37 Dale Taffer Jan 9th, 2017 at 2:10 pm

    The dealerships didn’t want to OR think they needed to really work with a buyer on a good deal. At least not around here.

  38. 38 James just another crazy kiwi Jan 9th, 2017 at 2:15 pm

    Shame, Well engineered and good performing MotorCycles. Never quite got the asthetics right in my opinion but I have black and orange blood.
    This must affect peoples thoughts about buying Indians.
    There is no reason why a big corporate will not make a decision based completely on the bottom line.
    Not with the emotion that their customers buy the MotorCycles with.
    I wonder if they will just rebadge a number of the Victorys with the Indian name.
    I thought it strange when they put a Victory Tag on the scout, Testing the waters ?
    Bit like puting an Indian name on a vertical twin english engine. Hopefully they will not do it

    The Reality check is Harley Davidoson is a MotorCycle Company not a manufacturing group.

    Blu Dogs comment says it all

  39. 39 GTRSLNGR Jan 9th, 2017 at 2:18 pm

    The first as well as the main question and concern everyone should be addressing here is : How many jobs : including manufacturing , sales , service , management etc will be lost as well as how many dealerships will be closing their doors because of this decision ?

    The second being ; Just how is Polaris gonna explain this to the 350 lb orangutan in the room in his quest to Make America Great ( White ) Again ?

    Seriously folks . Let the Twitter tsunami begin

  40. 40 Boomer Jan 9th, 2017 at 2:32 pm

    “The second being ; Just how is Polaris gonna explain this to the 350 lb orangutan in the room in his quest to Make America Great ( White ) Again ?”

    Responding to this level of ignorance is neither needed nor productive.

  41. 41 RJD Jan 9th, 2017 at 2:48 pm

    Reminds me of the attempt Polaris made to dominate the watercraft industry. When it doesn’t go well they bale. What’s next, the Slingshot?

  42. 42 BobS Jan 9th, 2017 at 2:51 pm

    Indian will probably go before Slingshot. Who the hell wants a Chieftain now Knowing in a couple more years Polaris will just shit on those customers too?

  43. 43 cooldaddy51 Jan 9th, 2017 at 2:59 pm

    Wow, strange that our Triumph rep told me 5 years ago watch Victory go the way of the Dinosaur with only Indian remaining in the lineup. Have to give him a call about some investments I was thinking about.

  44. 44 x-HD Rider Jan 9th, 2017 at 3:00 pm

    so you guys bashed Harley Davidson for years now. Well after a 100 years there still producing quality motorcycles. They didn’t say screw the victory riders now did they.
    You think your going to get parts for the bike after a years time. Ha Ha your out of luck.
    Your thinking you’ll go buy a Indian. What makes you think it will be around in five years.
    I’m sure Polaris made a good profit of Victory but could handle making two

  45. 45 Iron Horse Jan 9th, 2017 at 3:02 pm

    Sad news when any brand gets the plug pulled on it.

  46. 46 Manny Jan 9th, 2017 at 3:03 pm

    I love my Vision. Tried to get on an Indian but it felt like a toy bike to me. The same can be said for HD…I’d by a Honda before ever spending a dime on HD!

  47. 47 Hobotom Jan 9th, 2017 at 3:49 pm

    Well know one likes to see hard working Women and Men loose there jobs and see a company call it game over. How secure are you in your job that you can drop $15,000 on a toy ? Sorry I do blame the RNC,
    My employer is just watching, watching the sales drop. Soon as the time is right employees will be dropping also. Yeah it is going to be great collecting unemployment.
    t

  48. 48 MSP Dan Jan 9th, 2017 at 3:54 pm

    This will also have quite an effect on the aftermarket. It’s a real kick in the shins for a small business to spend money tooling up to make parts only to have the rug jerked out from under them. Thankfully, this won’t affect us, but it will affect others and that can’t be good.

  49. 49 Rick Lossner Jan 9th, 2017 at 3:56 pm

    At least one of the morons above, blaming Trump .. …. and . Indian going away? No, the opposite folks… . SMH

    The Vic’ aftermarket should remain strong for awhile. If you are in the market for a Vic, should be able to find a good deal over the next few weeks/months. And , now Indian will get the full attention of Polaris and move deeper into HD territory.

    Good Days ahead.

  50. 50 1550tc Jan 9th, 2017 at 4:07 pm

    Robert to quote you.

    Many HA’s converted.

    HA’s as in the 81 guys ?? ………cant see those guys riding these

  51. 51 tholland Jan 9th, 2017 at 4:10 pm

    Odd how this announcement parallels the announcement regarding jet skis
    http://www.jetski.com/article_cfm_id=494.html
    When Polaris abandoned their customers in 2004, I vowed to never own a Polaris product, regardless of the quality. Looks like that was a good decision on my part….Wish I could pick stocks as well. Long live HD

  52. 52 mars Jan 9th, 2017 at 4:15 pm

    now you know why Polaris wont publish “motorcycles sold” numbers in their quarterly reports just % of increase. they are not selling bikes or making money. 10% increase sounds good but not when you go from selling 1,000 units to 1,100 units. 10% is only 100 more bikes. Indian is next. America needed a performance / utility motorcycle brand to take a bite out of euro / jap sales not another cruiser brand. no one will beat Harley.

  53. 53 1550tc Jan 9th, 2017 at 4:27 pm

    tholland those water craft were just 110% pure crap on water and worse on land ………same with the arctic cat ones

    funny to see 300 lb tourists on them in some 3rd world resorts

    the bikes are nice, just a crowded market place and when scouts out sell octanes 10 to 1 at most dual line dealers its a no brainer

    5000-7000K for a used Cross Country is a heck of buy ……..ride it 3-4 years or into the ground and it owes you NADA

  54. 54 morpion Jan 9th, 2017 at 4:44 pm

    adios victory,,,and don,t come back,,,

  55. 55 Marcus Jan 9th, 2017 at 4:56 pm

    For perspective Indian has about a 3% market share of the heavyweight segment, and they outsell Victory 11 to 1.

    From the Sioux city Journal:

    “Polaris spokesperson Megan Kathman said Monday there will be some job losses in Spirit Lake as a result of the Victory shut down but declined to say how many positions would be lost. The reductions will come primarily through attrition and a reduction in the number of temporary workers, she said.

    In a news release Monday, Polaris said it remains committed to the Spirit Lake plant, which will continue to make Indian brand motorcycles, an iconic brand Polaris acquired in 2011. The 400,000-square-foot plant, which employed, at last report, about 1,000 people, is the only Polaris site that make motorcycles.

    Victory sales peaked in 2012, a year after Polaris took ownership of the Indian brand. In 2015, Victory represented only 3 percent of total Polaris sales. On a retail level, Victory dealers, on average, sold only about 20 units per year.”

  56. 56 JohnnySpeed Jan 9th, 2017 at 5:25 pm

    Well, it never helped that they let the Ness family within 1000yds of their design facility and then never bothered to update from the extremely dated circa 2000-ish styling the Ness stuff is notorious for. They also hype their new models like crazy, to the point where they inevitably disappoint. Unfortunately, their Indian stuff suffers many similar failings. The Scout is the ugliest bikes I’ve ever seen except for the Octane. That ridiculous tank and the crazy frame design that doesn’t allow you to change it without building a full custom one is just a complete deal-breaker for me. It looks like something 2002 puked up after a 10 day drinking binge. Maybe they’ll actually hire a proper designer now.

  57. 57 Uthinkuknowme Jan 9th, 2017 at 5:30 pm

    Sad to see the jobs lost. I’ve rode an HD for 17 years, racked up the miles too. Great bikes. Looked at Victory once, guys at the dealership knew less about their bikes than I did and gave me the impression they could care less if they sold a bike or not. Too. I took my money to BMW. Another great bike. If you are into riding and not just owning a motorcycle to look cool to your friends…there are plenty of options still available for hard riding, dependable bikes.

    When did Cyril’s blog become a platform for politics? Trumps’ fault. Go push your liberal agenda on somebody else. I come here to read about the bikes. Period.

  58. 58 RKBrent Jan 9th, 2017 at 5:55 pm

    Agree with JohnnySpeed. The Ness styling was horrible and probably didn’t help.

  59. 59 seymour Jan 9th, 2017 at 6:00 pm

    I’m disappointed but not surprised I suppose. I always hoped Victory would produce some models that were irresistible to buy, but in my opinion simply never got there. Maybe we will have an explosion of new Indian product. Irresistible product.

  60. 60 ferris bueller Jan 9th, 2017 at 6:13 pm

    AND THEN THERE WAS 2 They learned a expensive lesson, Its tough to compete with #1 HD

  61. 61 J Jan 9th, 2017 at 6:23 pm

    Yep, this ain’t the place to show what a moron you are for blaming Trump for what CLEARLY has been an ongoing problem with their business, jeezas….

    Too bad about Victory- but nothing new in the motorcycle biz. Supply and demand works, tho- as does Darwinism.

  62. 62 Mike Jan 9th, 2017 at 6:58 pm

    Polaris is pathetic. I own a 2006 Victory and the company made a good product intially, but them dodn;t do much but change paint (always ugly color schemes by the way) and swap parts to create “new” models. They never supported the brand and really lost interest when Indian came about. They deserved to lose Victory and they’ll do the same with Indian eventually.

    Just wish I could sell my Polaris stock. What a dud.

  63. 63 Dave Blevins Jan 9th, 2017 at 6:59 pm

    A smart move in my opinion.

  64. 64 lou8700 Jan 9th, 2017 at 7:01 pm

    Hopefully Victory will have an influence in a few new models of Indian’s that will inspire those of us that aren’t ready to turn the wheels of time backwards by jumping your typical HD or Indian of now.

  65. 65 Jimbo Jan 9th, 2017 at 7:09 pm

    I feel bad for all the Victory employees that will lose their jobs.

    That being said, the Victory that I last owned was their Sport Cruiser model. It handled and stopped great but had the old motor-no power.

    The new ones had a great motor and much improved transmission. However, they missed the mark on styling and suspension.

    They also have a record of ridiculously low re-sale. Just try and sell a used one for a fair price.

    The Slingshot is an abortion on three wheels.

    Long live Indian!!!!

  66. 66 AKZ Billy Jan 9th, 2017 at 7:40 pm

    So what do I have now? 3 really nice collectables or 3 – 800# paper weights? Over the years I’ve had at least 15 snowmobiles, 3 ATV’s, 1 personal watercraft, all Polaris and now my 3 Victorys. Thought I might try an Indian next go round but probably not. Who knows if they will or won’t pull the plug on that brand in the future. Think I may be done with Polaris. In the words of ex Pres George W Bush: ” Fool me once…shame on … shame on you. Fool me…uh…you can’t get fooled again!”

  67. 67 Pat h Jan 9th, 2017 at 7:50 pm

    Victory has/had 338 dealers that averaged 20 units a year according to the press release above about 6700 units a year there’s a little over 100 indian dealers, I think they let the wrong brand go, the Indians are hidious , the real losers are the employees,suppliers and distributers hate to see any one loose their job,

  68. 68 Big Dave Jan 9th, 2017 at 8:14 pm

    What a shame, I’m very sad, I love my Cross Country!! Rides better than my new Harley!

  69. 69 Roscoe Jan 9th, 2017 at 8:48 pm

    I bought a Vision in 09 to give my support for an American brand other than the behemoth HD. I still have, and enjoy my Vision. I felt like I did the right thing buying a Polaris. Now, I feel betrayed. Another American Co. bites the dust! How long until they fail with Indian? Oh wait….the Slingshot will keep them afloat. HA HA! Very disappointed with Polaris. They had a chance to bring an American to the front of the sporting world, they failed.
    We already have HD, why would we want an Indian? Indian 10 years from now will b shutting theirs doors as well. They will fuck that up too.

    I’m guessing my next bike will be a Honda.

  70. 70 Roscoe Jan 9th, 2017 at 9:05 pm

    Oddly, there are fewer postings on this thread than there were on the Vision thread 9 years ago.

  71. 71 Lyle Landstrom Jan 9th, 2017 at 9:17 pm

    I’m with Pat H on this one. And Victory was a far better bike than the Indian.

  72. 72 Highrider Jan 9th, 2017 at 10:22 pm

    Well resale values just sank. I too am disappointed, it seems that Polaris, DOES not learn when a bike doesn’t sell, what are the reasons.
    1. Ugly hideous paint schemes
    2.Terrible exhaust sounds
    3. No parts
    4. Dealer support spotty at best.
    5. AND ridiculous MSRPs

    Something else is going on here, glad I did not buy any PII stock lately as it is done quite a bit from a year ago. Management is hiding something .

    I own a 2011 Jackpot along with multiple Harley’s, glad I got it, now I will be looking for spare parts as you know you won’t find them in a year period. I might still be interested in a Magnum, but 10k IS now on the highside IMHO.

    Too Bad

  73. 73 domino Jan 9th, 2017 at 10:44 pm

    1550tc …. Yes, Robert is right about who is riding these … Vision is the bike of choice…

    ………………. Domino Dave……………………

  74. 74 Matt. W Jan 9th, 2017 at 11:12 pm

    I figured that Polaris may streamline the Victory line a little more after the Indian line came into it’s own but wasn’t expecting this! To me Victory filled the wide market gap between the value and performance oriented metric bikes and the premium heritage driven domestic brands. The Vision and Cross Country especially embodied this niche IMO and helped to dispel the myth that you had to pay a sizable premium get a world class American motorcycle. I certainly hope that this doesn’t mean that Polaris will be losing sight of riders that still put a high priority on value & performance or the racing strides they have been making under the Victory banner.

  75. 75 Blackmax Jan 10th, 2017 at 7:24 am

    Holy Crap !!!
    I’m very disappointed & angry !!!
    As one poster above put it I feel betrayed !!!
    Victory was an answer that several were looking for back in the days of No competition,
    to speak of for H-D & all you got were color changes for a model year change.
    Then the new redesigned Victory came along & there was hope.
    The only thing that kept me fro buying one was where the air cleaner was placed under the tank.
    People & companies invested to create aftermarket performance & cosmetic parts as Victory was
    thought to be around for the long haul.
    I personally recommended Victory to a lot of folks as an alternative & then, Indian came out !
    Which was ok & I could see the dividing line between the 2 brands & prayed they both would find their niche market ? But in these trying times, “a house dividing can not stand” !
    I understand going with the brand that’s going to get you the biggest profit,
    but sometimes profit is not everything !!!!
    There are a number of shops & companies along with the employees that are going to suffer for
    this decision !! Lastly, the poor guys who bought & believed in a product that would, at least,
    be a reasonable alternative to the current Status Quo of cycles !
    Nothing said can express that disapointment, along with mine !!!!

  76. 76 MSP Dan Jan 10th, 2017 at 7:48 am

    It’s not the end of the world for Vic owners that want to keep their bikes long-term. I have a ’99 Ultra with the much-maligned (and short-used) Magnetti-Marelli fuel injection. When I decided I was keeping this one until I drop, I started stockpiling parts that may get hard to find in the future, whenever I find them reasonably.

    I have 3 throttle bodies, 5 ECMs, a couple of Power Commander III USBs, etc. Oddly enough, at over 160,000 miles, I’m still on the stock ECM, the first PC III, and the bored TB I installed many years ago.

    Hard parts will always be available, or able to be made by a competent machinist in the absolute worst case. Grab yourselves some spare electronics and keep enjoying your bikes. Or not. It’s entirely up to you. The point remains, the sky is NOT falling.

  77. 77 Tom Jan 10th, 2017 at 9:22 am

    A lot of good discussion here. I was just talking to a friend yesterday when this happened in the story broke I said you could buy many different types of motorcycles but there’s only so many people most people only riding good weather I live in Indiana I try and ride unless it’s snowy or icy I just love riding cold doesn’t matter rain doesn’t matter but that’s not The norm with most folks that’s not good or bad. It’s just stating a fact they want to be in a cage they want to be warm or they want to be air-conditioned they don’t want to get wet in the motorcycle is just the opposite you’re going to be out there in everything in the thick of it.
    Several guys on the form and girls have a couple of bikes victory sometimes is one of them. Several have spoken about the shortcomings of Polaris and their stonefaced Repair policy when things break even under warranty some have the ATVs from Polaris and were very dissatisfied. If you’re going to be in business you got to be friendly you have to have a Conscience meaning you sell something you back it but some businesses big or small do not do this through just not good business people which is sad

  78. 78 Pissed off Victory owner Jan 10th, 2017 at 9:53 am

    Polaris you SUCK!!
    I haven’t even paid off my 2013 Vision and now it’s resale value is likely equal to less than I owe!
    I hope everyone who is considering purchasing a Polaris vehicle, be it Indian, or Slingshot keep in mind their investment can be TANKED at any time in the name of corporate greed!

    It would be nice if Polaris were to provide us Victory owners with some recompense for our loss, and for putting faith in their company!

    Not cool Polaris! Not COOL!

  79. 79 kent Jan 10th, 2017 at 9:55 am

    I bet Harley isn’t HAPPY, 30% and heading down! He he!

  80. 80 Bill D. Jan 10th, 2017 at 9:59 am

    1. Having been there since 2000, the exec in charge of Victory, Mark Blackwell (suddenly, surprisingly) left Victory/Polaris at end of 2013, about the time Scott Wine became CEO, as I recall.
    2. Did he agree with the plan to buy the Indian brand?
    3. Why did he leave?
    4. Compare sales stats and stock prices up through 2014.
    5. Tho it may be happenstance, MB looks pretty good IMHO.
    6. Back when Polaris quit their watercraft biz in 2004, part of their press release read:
    “This decision will ultimately strengthen Polaris’ position in the powersports industry as we focus our research and development dollars and other resources on those product lines with greater growth potential, including our all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), utility vehicles, snowmobiles, Victory motorcycles and parts, garments and accessories,” said Tiller. “This should result in accelerated product innovation that Polaris is known for and customers have grown to expect …”

    Sound familiar? I guess it’s just MBA-speak 101, and at the end of the day in our capitalist economy, stockholders and stock prices (& options) call the shots.

  81. 81 Zundap Jan 10th, 2017 at 10:46 am

    Always liked the Victory. One of my rare good financial decisions not to buy one. Now no Indian either.

  82. 82 grmp54 Jan 10th, 2017 at 10:58 am

    Bummer, no more Arlen Mess designs to amuse one.

  83. 83 Sam Jan 10th, 2017 at 11:04 am

    The irony of this considering the restarts and failing of all the Indian attempts. Will Victory leave dealers and motorcycle owners twisting in the wind as Indian brand has done before? A lot of people are hurt by this. Those who build businesses based on this brand will feel the pain all the way down to those who they support. Many levels of damage here. Nothing to celebrate.

  84. 84 Chief Waldo Jan 10th, 2017 at 12:02 pm

    “Given the significant additional investments required for Victory to launch new global platforms that meet changing consumer preferences…”

    Victory had to drop nine of its offerings in the Europe/Middle East/Africa market for 2017, because they didn’t meet the Euro IV regulations. That included all of it’s cast aluminum “core” framed motorcycles (Vision, Cross Country, Magnum, etc…) Polaris wanted them global, but obviously, didn’t want to spend what it would take to get the whole line to comply.

  85. 85 Chief Waldo Jan 10th, 2017 at 12:04 pm

    I had a Vision for 7 years. Don’t regret that purchase one bit.

  86. 86 Dante Jan 10th, 2017 at 12:45 pm

    I too was disappointed to hear the news, Victory made some awesome bikes.

    But those of you who think Indian won’t be around are probably just not paying attention.

    I am going to guess that what Robert meant by HA’s was Harley Aficianados and not the 81’s (although Sonny does own a couple of Vics :).

  87. 87 Merlin1027 Jan 10th, 2017 at 1:51 pm

    I think that polaris has made a huge mistake. Victory was an established name plate with a proven track record of quality. The Victory brand was keeping HD honest in the market place. I have no doubt that HD was keeping a close eye in the Victory product as their main competition in the US market.

    Was the David Victory brand going to take down the Goliath HD? Not in a million years. To take on Harley is to take on the culture that is motorcycles and motorcycle riders. All you can do is get a nitch in the market and slowly chip away at the numbers. Victory in my opinion was on its way to doing just that.

    As far as the Indian brand, I don’t think that the mold that Polaris/Indian is trying to work in is going to give them enough fire power to make a strong impact in the market. Polaris is putting all their chips being a “newer” name plate in a time when the motorcycle market is way down.

    I would like to see the Indian name stick around but time will tell. Made Victory will be the next come back motorcycle company. All I know is I’m not selling my 2002 Victory V92TC any time soon.

  88. 88 Adam Jan 10th, 2017 at 4:52 pm

    As a former Victory Dealer (’99-’07), my heart goes out to all the Victory dealers and customers who stuck with the brand for all these years. Their investment, hard work, time and dedication to Victory will never be truly appreciated by former or current executives at Polaris or, their Board of Directors.

    Polaris is a corporate behemoth that missed the mark in supporting, consulting and working with the Victory dealer network, its loyal customer base and potential buyers. I can’t recall if there was ever a time where they they acted upon any advice or input given to them. Especially when it came down to the styling of their motorcycles.

    I remember being at the Victory dealer meeting when the Vision was first unveiled. Corporate generated a lot of hype and we, as dealers, were excited about the new model. We had to check in our phones, cameras, etc. before the unveiling. They even hired an AV company to create all this drama with music and lights. Finally, they pulled the tarp. All of us stood there stunned and silent…you could hear a pin drop. Finally, Mark Blackwell (VP, Victory) said, “Well come on, what do think?” After a long pause, the dealer next to me spoke up and said, “I thought we were selling motorcycles, not spaceships”.

    My point, there is a direct correlation between style, which creates curb appeal, and the sale of a motorcycle.

    90% of all new buyers consider the styling of a motorcycle as important as its features, performance or price when making their buying decision. From 2003 on, Victory’s reliability and performance was solid. However, their styling (especially the touring models) was always an issue for the majority of the customers that stepped into my dealership. They looked “too futuristic” had, “too much plastic” or, had particular styling cues that reminded them of a “Japanese bike”. It was a taste for a few of my customers but not for the many that walked my showroom floor.

    As dealers, we constantly brought up our styling concerns. However, it was an issue that Polaris would continually ignore. Their defense was, Victory was “The New Motorcycle Company” and, there styling was based around that – whatever “that” means.

    Instead, Polaris focused on stuffing units down our throats at the annual dealer meetings in order to increase revenue numbers on their P&L, please shareholders and make bonuses – despite our heavy inventory levels and lack of sales. Of the many dealer reps I had during my time with Victory, all of them agreed with the issues we were facing as dealers regarding the sell through of inventory and building the Victory brand. However, all of them claimed they couldn’t do anything about it. They were just “doing their jobs” and “how many units can we put you down for next year”.

    Working with dealers, listening to customers and understanding the wants and needs of potential buyers facilitates product development, styling and improvement along with increased sales and brand loyalty. It’s Business 101. Polaris missed the mark with Victory. Let’s hope and pray they don’t have the same disconnect with Indian.

    Fortunately, I’m not holding my breath…

  89. 89 Doug Jan 10th, 2017 at 6:04 pm

    @Adam – your firsthand account is spot on (as one who walked into Victory dealerships regularly, hoping to find something). I would only add one topic to your comment : copying HD’s model of perpetually releasing cruiser models with what amounted to parts bin design or paint scheme changes.

    I repeatedly reminded myself to be patient & give Victory a chance to build a solid line-up, thinking the next model announcement would be a performance bike. The press release above claims that 60 models brought to market is something to be proud of. How……if that was part of the problem?

    Their “new motorcycle” vision that Adam mentions above only amounted to cruiser after cruiser.

    One low point was when Victory tried to market that “new” motorcycle with the release of the “Highball”. Yeah, this new motorcycle came complete with flat black paint, white walls, and ape hangers. This bike could arguably be the 2-wheeled version of the PT Cruiser. (you lukewarm bad asses!)

    Victory could only see a “new motorcycle” through the lens of HD’s paradigm. Meanwhile, US-based owners of all of the other brands (Yamaha, Kawasaki, Honda, Suzuki, Ducati, Triumph, BMW, KTM) would have gladly walked through Victory dealership doors IF they simply produced a sport touring, standard, or sport motorcycle.

    Combined, that is a lot of enthusiasts (not to mention overseas interest). These riders did not have any reason to question Polaris/Victory’s ability to produce a sporting ride like they do with HD. Victory underestimated the desire of these enthusiasts to ride a US-made performance bike and their willingness to give you a chance.

    To Adam’s point, maybe these performance bikes would have suffered styling challenges too? I’m curious, did performance bikes come up at the dealership meetings? The absolute final straw for me was when they raced the Pike’s Peak bike and then promptly released it as, you guessed it…..a cruiser instead of a super standard.

    Good luck to the engineers & other staff.

  90. 90 bobx Jan 10th, 2017 at 6:35 pm

    next up on the chopping block….Indian?

  91. 91 Septic the Sceptic Jan 10th, 2017 at 7:12 pm

    Makes sense. The new Scout has proven that Indian doesn’t need to ape the appearance of the old bikes. Polaris can now start modernising Indian.

  92. 92 BobS Jan 10th, 2017 at 8:04 pm

    Dante I think you’re the one not paying attention, Indian is good as dead now. These yokels just don’t get it. When Mark Blackwell was calling the shots with a talented team of engineers riders that wanted something more than status quo took notice and Victory started making a name for itself with some very fine bikes, even if the styling wasn’t for everyone. But then douchebag started calling the shots, Mr. Blackwell left, and Mr. Douchebag never embraced Victory. He had a boner for Harley and wanted a piece of the “heritage” market and never figured out that heritage has to be built, you can’t buy it and you can’t market your way to getting it. For several years now Victory riders have been all but screaming at Polaris telling them what we want, what would make us trade in a perfectly good Victory for a new bike. But that fell on deaf ears. The R&D money that could have been used building those bike went into relaunching Indian complete with it’s fake old looks and fake “1901” claims. We Victory riders just got fake marketing claims and over hyped parts bin shuffles. Anyone paying attention should know that bikers aren’t that stupid. Victory Motorcycles was 18 years into establishing it’s own heritage and according to Mr. Douchebag’s own words in stock reports was still selling well. Had they just put the effort into making a good bike even better instead of pretending like they can fool us with replica styling they would be well on their way to true heritage. Now any potential new Indian buyer knows that Polaris execs aren’t trustworthy, they have no honor, their words are empty. Why would I even think of buying an Indian knowing these guys will cut and run as soon as they acquire some other brand that captures their fancy after failing to convince biker’s of their “heritage”? Harley makes beautiful bikes, if I want heritage I’ll get the real deal. If I want something with a bit more performance, which I do, my only choice now is imports.

  93. 93 Jerrman Jan 10th, 2017 at 10:01 pm

    Totally agree that modernizing Indian is the way to go. And to me, modernizing means lighter, more agile sport and racing inspired bikes that are part of Indian’s heritage. HD can’t seem to do it and Indian has a wide open field if they take advantage of it. Their competition should no longer be HD, which they have covered but, Triumph, Ducati, KITM, BMW, etc. This is where the market is going.

    For all those HD diehards (I was one for a long time) and nay-sayers about the demise of Victory, it’s just a business decision that probably makes sense. Wasn’t even Trump’s fault :). After almost 20 years, Victory sold about one-tenth of Indian which has only been marketed for the last five or six years. The writing was clearly on the wall. Unfortunately the motorcycle industry has been hitting a wall for some time now. HD has been buying back stock like its going out of style and not because the company is doing well. Sales have been down almost 25% since its high in 2006 and estimates for the next earnings report is another miss. If this is any indication of where interest in motorcycles are going, it’s not a good sign. At least not for the big cruiser market. So, if you have to look elsewhere for increasing sales and a broader market, it’s the sport, cafe racer inspired, lighter, more agile, racing inspired, etc. Bring on a consumer street version of the FTR750 and see what happens.

  94. 94 NoH2oh Jan 11th, 2017 at 6:43 am

    I recall being at the IMS bike show in Chicago a few years back and they were introducing the NEW Victory Gunner. Well, when the sheet was pulled off this new bike my two friends with me both commented it looked like all the rest of their bikes. And there you have it.

    I had high hopes Victory/Polaris would fill the void my Buell once filled. Nope.

  95. 95 Bart Jannis Jan 11th, 2017 at 12:22 pm

    What is going to become of the former Brammo Empulse ? Re-branded to Indian ?

  96. 96 Blackmax Jan 11th, 2017 at 6:02 pm

    If they had only sunk a little of that cash into upgrading the Cross Country ?
    We would not be having this discussion !!!
    A lot of folks were just waiting to see the upgrade(s) that made it comparable to H-D & Indian.
    We’ll never know now !
    So disappointing !!!!

  97. 97 bigalyts Jan 11th, 2017 at 11:24 pm

    OMG, this is really Bad. This sucks. This Line of Bikes are a Staple in the V-Twin world. These Bikes have really become a great bike and have shaken many of their Issues and really have done well with Building a quality and good looking Motorcycle. I can’t believe that a Corporation like Polaris can just Drop 20 years of History that includes Employees, Families, Bike Shows, Aftermarket Engineering and Loyal Customers. help me out here, Polaris, Owns the Tooling, Machinery, R&D etc. They have hundreds and hundreds of Millions of Dollars already spent and have had many People commit to living the lifestyle of Victory. Oh yes it does become a lifestyle and that is what is heart braking about giving up on such a great Lifestyle. I know Victory can cut some fat and trim up and make it. So look at BMW, they are content or satisfied that they have 1% of the Market. Yes 1 point of all of the Motorcycles sold are BMW’s. I know that the Dealers can be merged with other Dealers and cut the Dealers that are not a asset to the brand. My opinion is to eliminate the models with all the Plastic everywhere. they are really to Chinessey. Victory we need you! Stick it out.

  98. 98 SportCruiser Jan 12th, 2017 at 6:01 pm

    Really shows the power of brand. Harley is Harley – that is a once-in-a-lifetime-can’t-be-duplicated thing. But, Indian is arguably no different than Victory was 15 or so years ago except for the name the tank. I hope Indian does well as Harley needs someone to motivate them to make better machinery, but I just don’t see many Indians out there (either).

  99. 99 Jerrman Jan 12th, 2017 at 7:09 pm

    Bigalyts, as much as many of us would have liked Victory to succeed, BMW is really a different animal. First, because BMW Motorrad, the motorcycle division, is part of a much larger group which includes BMW cars, Mini Cooper and Rolls Royce. So, even if the motorcycle division wasn’t making money (which it does), there’s plenty of subsidy money floating around that company to keep the bikes running. Second, BMW motorcycles had a record year in 2015 and while its share in the U.S. might be relatively small, it’s a worldwide brand and the leader in 27 countries. I don’t think Victory had even close to any of those credentials.

    SportCruiser, I agree that HD needs someone like Indian to keep them on their toes and make “better machinery” but, the only comparison of Indian to Victory is that they were both under Polaris. Indian isn’t really where Victory was 15 years ago since last year, Indian sold more than ten times what Victory sold last year and it’s only been marketed for six years, while Victory has eighteen years behind it. Unfortunately, I think Victory was just a slow selling niche brand with a love it or hate it style competing in the cruiser market which has been taking a beating the last few years. If Polaris is going to make a long term success of Indian, they’ll need to broaden the line beyond just heavy and mid-weight cruisers.

  100. 100 Dante Jan 13th, 2017 at 12:57 pm

    Hard to argue with logic like that (or lack thereof; name-calling… really?).

    Anyway I know how well-respected your opinion is around here so I will leave well enough alone.

  101. 101 Gorgax Jan 13th, 2017 at 5:42 pm

    Indian has more brand name recognition out of the box than Victory, so it’s no surprise Indian sales outstripped Victory sales by 10 to 1.
    Maybe what did for Victory was the introduction of new emissions regulations in the various market places around the world?

  102. 102 Black Vision 09 Jan 14th, 2017 at 9:25 pm

    Victory finally gave us an alternative to the American made motorcycle. They made a good product. Instead of sticking with a product created from the ground up they decided to plagiarize. They took the easy way out. Victories have really not changed since 2008. Yes I ride a Victory Vision. It still turns heads wherever I go. I’m happy that it is different. I will continue to ride this motorcycle until the wheels fall off. I will also purchase the Magnum while it is at a good price and ride it until the wheels fall off. I have had this bike for five years and the only thing I’ve had to take it to the shop for his tires. Yes I have been called George Jetson as well as Judge Dred. My bike has also been called a work of art. The reason that people are buying the Indian is they would like to have a bike that looked like a Harley without the maintenance. Polaris did perfect the Indian. But they made no changes to victory which left no real significant reason to upgrade. They left Victory out like stepchildren.

  103. 103 Jim Tom Jan 16th, 2017 at 6:31 am

    “shits” is about right.

  104. 104 Dieter Sowade Jan 16th, 2017 at 10:10 am

    Spare a thought for the far flung dealers in Aussie & Africa. In my case 6 years of hard work and investment in Victory down the drain and I find out via the Internet. “In a word” ……………….. F…..k P…..s !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  105. 105 Jerrman Jan 16th, 2017 at 12:45 pm

    Dieter, you definitely have a thought here. Not giving their dealers a heads-up before the final announcement is just bad management, bad PR and bad for the industry. It’s the dealers and the customers that support the brand. Without them, the manufacturers would be nothing.

  106. 106 TJ Jan 28th, 2017 at 12:56 pm

    Read all of your thoughtful comments after just now learning of the Victory shutdown news.
    I concur with all who find this saddening and are disappointed and righteously pissed for all the above stated reasons.
    But, I am excited to have finally bought my very first motorcycle at age 62. A 2016 pearl white Chief. Don’t even have a motorcycle license yet (taking all three motorcycle safety classes offered by State of IL in Spring).
    I have heard nothing but good things about the quality of this bike/brand after talking to numerous people with extensive knowledge of this industry.
    And yes, looks and styling was a big reason why I bought the Chief. History, heritage, and bringing back an American icon also was an important consideration in spending this much money on a “toy”. Victory styling was a turn off for me. I did hear it was a great bike.
    I do think that Polaris’ decision to concentrate all their previous experience and present resources into the Indian brand will be a very good thing going forward. That said, you already know I have skin in this game so, I will remain hopeful. Ultimately, any investment depends on believing in and having confidence in people and their vision. I’m betting on Indian’s further success but, agree they have to expand past HD’s heavy cruiser market going forward.

  107. 107 Al the Greek Feb 4th, 2017 at 1:20 am

    Appalling shallowness of judgement!
    Aside from anything else, it will undermine confidence in Indian and their other brands, as customers realise that the company is in NO way about heritage and purely interested in the quck buck.
    Hell, they could even have phased out more diplomatically, if they really wanted to scrap Victory, by simply not bringing out anything in direct competition to Indian. Keep a few of the more popular, versatile Victory models going. They may have even discovered that they could co-exist and nourish each other.
    Even just keeping the dealerships open, which would then be an outlet for Indians. Who is going to rush out and become a Polaris dealer now? You’d have to pay me a WHOLE lot, I don’t fancy losing my investment… I suspect the Polaris mangement is not intelligent enough to understand the damage they’ve done!

  108. 108 Ron Feb 15th, 2017 at 7:34 pm

    Very sad day wouldn’t own a HD everybody has one but love my Kingpin will ride till it dies

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