2010 Victory Cross Country Review

[Pete_Brissette]

Originally Posted by Auphliam

Good write up, Pete. A couple notes...for y'alls.

1) Unless you're countin the oil, it ain't liquid cooled. Air & Oil cooled.
2) While they do share the Vision motor, the XC/XR bikes utilize different cam profiles. Supposedly, they have the Hammer cams in them. They also breath through a different airbox.

They're nice looking bikes, and I know they'll outrun and outhandle any bagger the MoCo puts out. I just don't know if I'd drop that kind of coin for it (and I ride a Vic now). I don't know, but my idea of the ultimate bagger has always been the RoadGlide. Just my opinion, but that's how I feel. If I was going to lay out that kind of cash for a bagger, the '10 RoadGlide looks pretty damn good to me.

Yep, ya got me. Air/oil-cooled. Ride and review the number of bikes I do, and see how many times that one slips by ya.

As for your knowledge of diff cams, that then seems to be a secret known largely to you and Victory, as they made no mention of it any materials I was presented with. Or if they did, they certainly weren't interested in highlighting that point. I'm willing to bet on your info, tho...

The RG is a great bike (as you'll soon see *wink*) but I'll bet if you saddled up to the Vic, you'd see just how impressive it is. There are enough diffs 'tween them to make either appealing, as a lot of those diffs come down to character rather than objectively better points. However, short of the missing ABS option, the Vic offers a lot of value.

[Auphliam]

Originally Posted by Pete_Brissette

Yep, ya got me. Air/oil-cooled. Ride and review the number of bikes I do, and see how many times that one slips by ya.

As for your knowledge of diff cams, that then seems to be a secret known largely to you and Victory, as they made no mention of it any materials I was presented with. Or if they did, they certainly weren't interested in highlighting that point. I'm willing to bet on your info, tho...

The RG is a great bike (as you'll soon see *wink*) but I'll bet if you saddled up to the Vic, you'd see just how impressive it is. There are enough diffs 'tween them to make either appealing, as a lot of those diffs come down to character rather than objectively better points. However, short of the missing ABS option, the Vic offers a lot of value.

Can't take credit for the cams secret. Another Vic owner dug up that little nugget in the Polaris parts catalogue. The replacements cams for the XC/XR bikes are the same part numbers as the Hammer, not the Vision.

[fonzie]

Originally Posted by Kenneth_Moore

Nice article Pete. I have two questions:

In a couple of the photos, it looks like the headlight is pointing downward pretty severly. You can even see the light beam on the ground right in front of the bike. Is that just a photo effect?

What is that reddish-orange stuff in the background of the first photo? It looks like you're outdoors, but I've never seen an atmosphere like that. Did you use a filter to get that color in the sky?

Thanks for the question Kenneth.

The answers are pretty simple too! In the first photo, you'll find the sunset behind the bike - after it's fallen below the horizon. Red skies at night, sailors delight. No filters, just the good old fashioned California sun(set).

The second question, poses a question for you. If your headlight isn't shining on the ground in front of your bike, where is it pointing? Towards the moon? Seriously, the beam you would see on the road ahead of you while riding hits the ground outside of the frame. What you see there is the light reflected from the old-timey reflector dish that the bulb is sitting in. No projector beams on the Victory motorcycles, sorry. Most bikes are like this btw.

Hope that answers your questions!
-fonz

[silentgrayfellow]

I like the Victory bikes--I agree that they should have developed the Vision with ABS as an option. I've never had an ABS equipped bike but would love to have that option.

[Pete_Brissette]

Originally Posted by silentgrayfellow

I like the Victory bikes--I agree that they should have developed the Vision with ABS as an option. I've never had an ABS equipped bike but would love to have that option.

For 2010 ABS is available on the Vision. I think the point in the article you were concurring with was that making ABS as an available option on the new Cross Country and/or Cross Roads would've been a prudent idea.

Thanks.

[Pete_Brissette]

Originally Posted by Auphliam

Can't take credit for the cams secret. Another Vic owner dug up that little nugget in the Polaris parts catalogue. The replacements cams for the XC/XR bikes are the same part numbers as the Hammer, not the Vision.

Auph,

From Victory:

"The parts book is wrong. I found this last week and Fronk and Mark Anderson are cleaning up our end. Cross Roads and Cross Country have the same cams as Vision.

Gary Gray
Product Manager - Victory Motorcycles
Polaris Industries Inc."

[Auphliam]

Originally Posted by Pete_Brissette

Auph,

From Victory:

"The parts book is wrong. I found this last week and Fronk and Mark Anderson are cleaning up our end. Cross Roads and Cross Country have the same cams as Vision.

Gary Gray
Product Manager - Victory Motorcycles
Polaris Industries Inc."

Thanks for clearin that up Pete.

[Neal]

I've been trying to convince myself for awhile that I'm NOT one of "those Harley guys"and that my next bagger would not be a Harley. My 97 Geezer Glide is getting tired and Im looking at buying my next (likely last) new dresser(if I can get the bucks together). Since i'm not doing much long two up touring anymore, I am thinking about downscaling a little bit from my Ultra and this bike hits right square in my sites. But....for some reason ,when stacked up against the Street Glide and Road Glide this bike just dont do it for me visually and I cant see major differences functionally....If the evo power satisfies me,I dont think I will find the twin cam lacking and from test rides, the handling of the glides is much improved. Oh well, I guess i'm one of "those Harley guys" after all;after 41 years I guess I'm just hopelessly addicted.

[roadhamr]

i have ridden a street glide a road glide and a vision and there is a large difference. the victory has tons more power! it handles extremely well for a big bike. it has great brakes. you would think it was a japanese bike almost. if you guys dont htink harley sees them in their rear view then you are crazy. the victory in terms of actual engineering is a far better bike. more power, better handling and braking(w/o abs). the cross country i would imagine will only have more of what the vision has to offer since it doesnt have the extra weight. all that is left is the built in america thing... oh wait the victory is! well then all it has is history.
the japanese manufacturers are all lining up their bagger's. i guess all of their marketing depts must be retarded as well. there is a blip in sales of the harley stuff because the world is realizing that the name doesnt matter. paying all the extra for antique engineering is going bye bye. people look at features and realize there is alot of value out there that is not being offered by the motor company.
i am not anti harley but i am anti elitist. there is lots of market out there for everyone. and to each there own.

[seruzawa]

Originally Posted by roadhamr

there is a blip in sales of the harley stuff because the world is realizing that the name doesnt matter.

Your evidence for that is?