Welcome to the asylum... I reckon I'm a wannabe Victory Cross Country owner, I got to ride a few of them during a couple of the test ride days in December....
I have a cross country in my garage!! Only 90mi. on it ice on the roads here. maybe by fri. i can ride. I hope!
Just some test ride pics from St Pete..... The Vision looks massive in person, until I get on it.... and from Homosassa... Whether any of you like the looks or not, you should at least ride one before slamming it. Doesn't cost a thing, they made a believer out of me. They look and feel so much better from here...
Wow, that should put Victory at full manufacturing capacity in no time then... Harley has that market pretty much to themselves in the States, another reason they sell so many units here...
Victory makes a great cruiser and I will likely own one in the future--if they survive the downfall in the economy. I have been to two Victory demo days and a 1/2 dozen H-D demo days and Victory just plain hands H-D their butts in every department but nostalgia. Don't get me wrong, unlike some on this forum, I do love H-D but on pure performance, handling, and looks, Victory just plain makes a better bike. I am actually one of those that not only enjoyed the Vision but would consider purchasing one. My wife, on the other hand, thinks they are ugly so the Vision is out-of-the-equation when it comes to purchasing a touring bike. It will likely be between the Cross Country, gold wing, or Road glide when I decide to buy. The other thing H-D has over Victory is a great service department and numerous dealers so that has to factor into any equation you use when considering a touring bike.
and a larger aftermarket, if farkles are your thing. I think the vic is a good bike, but I detest the vision, and I'm not fond at all of the engine on them... Just doesn't feel right.
I'm in the market for a "bagger" type bike, and the Cross Country is high on the list. So is the Road Glide (although I'd prefer an '09 to the slammed '10 Custom model, but shocks would fix that), and the new Star Liner with the batwing fairing, as I really like my Warrior. My only concerns about Victory have already been covered, but they are the smaller dealer network and the fact that I think Victory as a company is less likely to survive the economy than HD or Yamaha. But they do have a pretty big parent company, how is Polaris doing these days?
On January 21, 2010, Polaris declared a 3% increase in the regular quarterly cash dividend to $0.40 per share per quarter, marking the 15th consecutive year of increased dividends. The 4th Quarter net profit numbers came in at $43.9 Million which translates to $1.31 per share. This is compared with 2008's comparative figures of $36.3 Million or $1.11 per share. "Sales of the On-Road division, which primarily consists of Victory motorcycles, decreased 12 percent during the fourth quarter of 2009 when compared to the same period in 2008. The decrease reflects the continued weak heavyweight cruiser and touring motorcycle industry and the Company`s continued planned reduction in shipments of Victory motorcycles to dealers in North America to assist their efforts to further reduce inventory levels. North American dealer inventory of Victory motorcycles is 27 percent lower at year end 2009 compared to 2008 levels. Victory motorcycles had strong retail sales during the fourth quarter, increasing in the low thirty percent range, a reflection of the initial acceptance of the new model year 2010 motorcycles and more focused attention on growing retail sales."
Did you mean that Harley has the cruiser market or the gay market cornered? Put's another spin on the HD doo-rag, doesn't it? David
Harley sells so many bikes here it's easy to have every part of the riding public covered I reckon.... They certainly have cornered the market on the fashion and style conscience, how that relates to the gay community is certainly debatable I would imagine.
Is there room in the economy for a boutique V-twin brand to compete with HD? I sure hope the Victory engineers are putting finishing touches on a bike that can sell for 7k.
i have the same thoughts. im not in the market for a new bike but when i window shopped for a tourer i thought "why the heck did HD make the road glide a custom model and lower it?" maybe 5 years from now ill consider an 09 road glide or the 10 cross country. but heck...maybe 5 years from now they'll be hybrid motorcycles like teh prius all getting 150mpg?
My lingering financial ruin from the divorce in '08 is the only reason I don't have a Cross Country right now. Every one of the guys I talked to at both test days loved the bikes. How much of that translates into sales remains to be seen of course. Neither dealer has a Cross Country left however. Have you ridden one yet? I'd rather see the economy recover than a $7K Victory because those bikes almost never fit me.
I have not ridden a cross country yet, but I'm looking forward to riding more Victory products in the future. I don't think we can have too many American bike makers. I like the Hammer S, but it's more along the lines of what I'm into what with all the commuting and daytrips I do. When I tour, I just do it on a standard with a windshield. One the subject: I think it might be smart for Victory to make a machine that average buyers can purchase to get into the victory name. Not a cheap machine, but a lower priced one that maintains Victory quality standards. I don't really have an axe to grind with Victory. I just would like to see them survive and don't see a lot of room in the American market for that many 18k cruisers.