Finding Victory

© Ken Bingenheimer / RumBum.com

Ken atop a Victory 8 Ball.

One way motorcycle manufacturers seek to gain competitive advantage against their rivals is to offer something no one else has. Bombardier took this approach with their three-wheeled Can-Am Spyder. And  Polaris is following suit, offering up its line of Victory motorcycles, which shapes never before seen on motorcycles.

While many are aghast at the designs, others love them immediately. There have been enough of the latter that the company has successfully established itself and Victorys are now a common sight where motorcyclists gather.

I was recently given a chance to ride ride five Victory models. These are my impressions.

The Cross Country, the Cross Roads, and the Vision 8 Ball

The Cross Country is one of three touring bikes in Victory’s stable. With swooping body work and every gadget (sound system, GPS, etc.) the luxo-tourer could ask for, the baby was built to cover the miles in serious comfort. Although it looks huge, as with any well-designed motorcycle, once you’re in motion it handles lightly and easily and you forget you’re on an 800-pound machine.

The 106-cubic-inch v-twin engine produces good, though not awesome power. Despite having a full fairing, the windscreen is rather low and wind buffeting on my head was noticeable. The seat is broad and comfortable, the sort of place you could settle into for an extended period.

© Ken Bingenheimer / RumBum.comWhile the floorboards are a bit far forward for those with short legs, the reach is not as extreme as on many other bikes of this type. Hard saddlebags offer 21 gallons of storage. The sound system is controlled by buttons on the left hand grip.

The Cross Roads is essentially a stripped-down version of the Cross Country. Remove the sound system and other gear and replace them with a simple instrument cluster but higher windscreen and that’s the Cross Roads.

On the road both bikes handle extremely well, although the Cross Roads’ higher windscreen cuts buffeting substantially. It may have been simply the individual bikes, but the Cross Roads seemed to want to leap forward from a stop much more aggressively than the Cross Country.

The Vision 8 Ball is another huge-looking bike that handles with surprising agility once you’re underway. Like the Cross Country it has all the luxury options. Its sizable fairing gives good wind protection but vibration makes it hard to see clearly in the large mirrors. The seat is not only well-cushioned, it rises far enough in the back to offer pleasing lumbar support. The Vision 8 Ball is also an 800-pound machine.

The Kingpin and the Hammer

Aimed more at the cruiser market than the touring market, the Victory Kingpin and the Hammer are again, virtually identical bikes with one big difference: the rear tire. The Kingpin has a standard-sized (180) rear tire, while the Hammer offers the much wider (250) tire very popular among many of the younger riding crowd.

Of course, that rear tire affects handling. While the Kingpin is very light, very flickable, the Hammer requires noticeably more effort in the turns. In tight handling the Kingpin definitely gets the nod.

Both are unfaired and have power to spare, which results in the huge blast of wind that some bikers love while others add windshields to block.

One lesser difference is that the Hammer has pegs, while the Kingpin comes with floorboards. The seats of both are nowhere near as plush as those on Victory’s cruisers.

Sorting Them Out

The most fun of these motorcycles to ride was hands-down the Kingpin. The bike's agility, speed, and power all made it a total blast to drive. With the Kingpin though, I would definitely go out in search of a good aftermarket windscreen.

The most comfortable of the bikes was the Vision 8 Ball. But, if you don’t care about the electronics, the Cross Roads is clearly the better touring bike.

And if you’re looking for the weird body style that makes Victory stand out so much, that’s the Vision, either the Vision 8 Ball or the Vision Tour, which I didn't ride. If you're looking for attention, this is the bike that will get it for you, in spades.