victory motorcycles

[pacmktg]

I have a 2005 Vic Kingpin and it has been trouble free for 25,000 miles. A friend has over 100,000 miles on her 2005 KP and has done just normal stuff, Oil Changes and Tires. A couple of Spark Plugs it all that has been done.

Bob

[Infallible]

Originally Posted by Stryker_11a

Now that is a beautiful machine. Very Very nice! Why didn't Victory advertise this instead of the 6th grade skull paint scheme?

[Stryker_11a]

Originally Posted by Infallible

Now that is a beautiful machine. Very Very nice! Why didn't Victory advertise this instead of the 6th grade skull paint scheme?

Beats me, I think that their marketing department is severely lacking. The new motto for example: Fuel it.... What the hell does that mean? The bike is a gas hog? Fuel my imagination, ego, dreams? WHAT? So now they have dropped "The new American motorcycle" for "Fuel it?"

Limiting the colors to black, red and skulls is a miss also.

The stock seat is comparable to a Mustang IMOHO.

[quint7]

2006 Kingpin here. LOVE it. had (still have 2) only jap 4 bangers til 2 years ago. Took my friend's Hammer on a 8 day 2600 mile ride out west and was convinced. Just didn't want the fat tire. So I bought a Kingpin, then put a Vegas rear fender on it, then a Hammer front fender, then a Hammer front end (dula brakes and different valving in the forks), and finally a Cross Country front fender. I'm taking it from Rochester NY to Dallas this week for a ride to California. Bike is staying there to be ridden back when it warms up.
Pros-
Damn good handling once you fit radials.
Great power (I have a S&S intake with Supertrapp 2-1 pipe).
Comfortable after you get rid of the shit stock seat.
Unique.
Low cost for used ones.
Reliable.

Cons-
Dealer network non-existant. Polaris dealers CAN NOT order Vic parts.
Single front brake except Hammer, Vision and Cross Country/Roads. Dumb.
Parts are expensive.
Poor aftermarket selection of just about everything.
Trying to steal Harley customers instead of just being Victory.

I could go on, but to me the pros so outweigh the cons that the bike is worth it. The new bikes are getting rave reviews and I can see one in my garage someday.
Vic has listened to customers as far as designing the touring bikes, it is a shame that they haven't done more with the Vegas/Kingpin lines. They lock down companies to prevent them from marketing aftermarket parts (Cobra makes Vic factory optional pipes, so Cobra isn't allowed to market "Cobra" peipes for Vics,etc).
The VMC is an OK board. I'm a member there, but there are a LOT of guys there that don't have a clue what they are talking about. There are also a few that Vic should hire on as consultants because they are just that good with Vics. Lots of what seem like new riders and guys that fear anything that isn't factory. Just look up Metzler wobbles on there.... I ran em and loved em but some... no MANY.... there say I will die by not running factory tires.

Vic should branch into the "motorcycle" market and not pin itself into the cruiser market. Polaris makes great engines and obviously has engineering skill. Harley used to be a true motorcycle company before that moron Willie G. put his own fake biker self in charge of design. They made all kinds of bikes of all sizes. Now when I bring up the Whizzer or Servi-car or Harley badged dirtbikes or Harley's racing history the "real bikers" sluff it off. Victory could move into the market that Buell just lost fairly easilly.

For pics of my bike search my posts or the "I ride a Victory and I'm not ashamed" thread.

[quint7]

2006 Kingpin here. LOVE it. had (still have 2) jap 4 bangers til 2 years ago. Took my friend's Hammer on a 8 day 2600 mile ride out west and was convinced. Just didn't want the fat tire. So I bought a Kingpin, then put a Vegas rear fender on it, then a Hammer front fender, then a Hammer front end (dula brakes and different valving in the forks), and finally a Cross Country front fender. I'm taking it from Rochester NY to Dallas this week for a ride to California. Bike is staying there to be ridden back when it warms up.
Pros-
Damn good handling once you fit radials.
Great power (I have a S&S intake with Supertrapp 2-1 pipe).
Comfortable after you get rid of the shit stock seat.
Unique.
Low cost for used ones.
Reliable.

Cons-
Dealer network non-existant. Polaris dealers CAN NOT order Vic parts.
Single front brake except Hammer, Vision and Cross Country/Roads. Dumb.
Parts are expensive.
Poor aftermarket selection of just about everything.
Trying to steal Harley customers instead of just being Victory.

I could go on, but to me the pros so outweigh the cons that the bike is worth it. The new bikes are getting rave reviews and I can see one in my garage someday.
Vic has listened to customers as far as designing the touring bikes, it is a shame that they haven't done more with the Vegas/Kingpin lines. They lock down companies to prevent them from marketing aftermarket parts (Cobra makes Vic factory optional pipes, so Cobra isn't allowed to market "Cobra" peipes for Vics,etc).
The VMC is an OK board. I'm a member there, but there are a LOT of guys there that don't have a clue what they are talking about. There are also a few that Vic should hire on as consultants because they are just that good with Vics. Lots of what seem like new riders and guys that fear anything that isn't factory. Just look up Metzler wobbles on there.... I ran em and loved em but some... no MANY.... there say I will die by not running factory tires.

Vic should branch into the "motorcycle" market and not pin itself into the cruiser market. Polaris makes great engines and obviously has engineering skill. Harley used to be a true motorcycle company before that moron Willie G. put his own fake biker self in charge of design. They made all kinds of bikes of all sizes. Now when I bring up the Whizzer or Servi-car or Harley badged dirtbikes or Harley's racing history the "real bikers" sluff it off. Victory could move into the market that Buell just lost fairly easilly.

For pics of my bike search my posts or the "I ride a Victory and I'm not ashamed" thread.

[plugeye]

Originally Posted by OConnor

What is a "normal" shocked swing-arm? Dual shocks?

yeah, or conventional mono-shock
victory appears to use a softail-style rear suspension, am i correct?

[OConnor]

Originally Posted by plugeye

yeah, or conventional mono-shock
victory appears to use a softail-style rear suspension, am i correct?

As in, under-body concealed shock made to look like a rigid? No. The current steel-frame bikes use a conventional aluminum swing-arm with mono-shock. I think the first generation Vics had a "Softail" look but no more.

[Lobby]

Any news of ABS being added to the Cross Country / Roads?

I think ABS is the only thing those bikes need.

[quint7]

The Vegas based bikes (Kingpin/Hammer/Vegas/Jackpot) are a regular swingarm/mono shock. The new bikes I can't say other than it is a single shock (no linkage even), but as far as a Harley type set-up, nope.
I believe ABS is optional... or is going to be.

[jmlmjmjm]

Originally Posted by daryle105

Any high mileage victory's out there? Ifso tell us about your problems. If any.

Here is 13 pages of high mileage Victory's:

http://forums.thevmc.com/bb/forums/t...=164&start=601

One has 175K+ and some well over 100K

[quint7]

I just re-read my last post and wanted to clarify:
The Vegas based bikes have a regular mono-shock with no linkage. The Vision is single shock that goes up through the frame and I "think" it uses a linkage.
As for ABS, the 2010 Vision has it as an option, the "Cross bikes" don't, but Vic seems to bring stuff out in year 2 of models, like adding reverse to the Vision.

Another bitch about their "half-assness":
Hard saddlebags for the Vegas bikes are "Hardstreet" bags that you can buy for any bike. Lame.
The "Vision" heel-toe shifter is a Kingpin shifter with a different type heel peg on it which allows you to use the whole floorboard while retaining the ability to shift with the heel. So do they sell that little shift "peg" alone? Nope, $130+ for a whole new shifter. Comes across as money-grubbing.
These kinda things go on and on.

It is the little things like that that make Vic come across as a half-hearted attempt at bikes by Polaris. There is no way that the ATV side of the company would stand for this. Hell, they have a contract with the US military to sell all kinds of ATV's (a good sign for the financial future of Polaris).

[CODRriders]

Hey owners my hope is we will see you at the Rocky Mountain Freedom Rally being held June 18-20 in Ouray, Colorado. See http://www.c-vra.com



I have an 03 Vegas and with the exception of breaking a few belts I haven't had any issues. The bikes are rock solid and we have ridden all over the SW, the wife rides an 05 8Ball with even less issues.

I like the look of Cross Country and while I haven't ridden one I have ridden the Vision (i have ridden many bikes and its the benchmark for handling) and if it handles anything like it I would put one in the stable.

[leonphelps]

They are good looking bikes.

Comment on the "logo"....why do they put Polaris on the badge? I think they need to keep that out of the victory branding and not associate with it. when I see Polaris I think of snowmobile....

Just take that out and the badge would be perfect....IMHO...

[Rollin']

Originally Posted by plugeye

victory needs to fire the ness's
fookin horrible styling
does victory offer a normal shocked swingarm chassis, or just softails?

The new X bikes have a air adjustable mono shock.

[Oilhed]

Originally Posted by Infallible

Now that is a beautiful machine. Very Very nice! Why didn't Victory advertise this instead of the 6th grade skull paint scheme?

I agree. I want one!