Victory Reveals 2008 Line-up - Motorcycle.com

Alex Edge
by Alex Edge

The big news from Victory for 2008 is the radical new Vision tourer, but that's far from the only thing Victory's got on deck for '08.

After giving us a little time to get over the shock of the Vision's unveiling now comes details about the rest of its 2008 line.

First up are two more new models, the Vegas Low and the Kingpin 8-Ball.

The Kingpin 8-Ball is just what it sounds like - Victory has taken their Kingpin model and given it the 8-Ball treatment, blacking out almost every part of the bike for that ever-popular 'Stealth Bomber' look. Its performance and ergonomics are identical to those of the Kingpin (with the exception of a 5-speed transmission rather than 6, and the loss of the passenger seat)

You won't find much chrome here - the wheels, handlebars, mirrors, triple trees, belt guard, sprocket, front forks, swingarm, strut covers, and other engine and chassis pieces all receive the blacked-out treatment that made the Vegas 8-ball so popular.

The new Kingpin 8-Ball is, as the name suggests, a Kingpin featuring the same blacked-out treatment Victory applied to its Vegas model to create the original Vegas 8-Ball.
The Kingpin 8-Ball's minimal chrome and mostly black finish give it a different personality than the standard Kingpin, with a much more low-key look.
The Vegas Low looks nearly identical to the standard Vegas but should offer a much better fit for smaller riders interested in the bike Victory calls the 'heart' of its lineup.
The new Vegas Low offers a lower seat height, more rearward-placed controls, and a narrower midsection to make the Vegas more accessible to smaller riders.

The Vegas Low takes Victory's classic Vegas model and reconfigures the ergonomics to make it more accessible to riders who have difficulty reaching the controls (or the ground) on the standard Vegas. The 25.2-inch seat height is 1 inch lower than the standard model, the footpegs are 2.25 inches further rearward, and the pullback bars bring the grips 2 inches closer to the rider.

Victory's engineers didn't just look at the final position of the controls - scalloped side covers make the Vegas Low 1.5 inches narrower for a more direct reach both to the ground and to the footpegs. The Vegas Low also receives all the same enhancements that the rest of the Victory line benefits from for 2008.

"Victory has made some across-the-board improvements for 2008"

Victory has made some across-the-board improvements for 2008. First up is an improved braking system - by revising the front lever, rear master cylinder, both calipers, and both rotors, Victory claims to offer "consistently outstanding braking" on every bike in its line-up.

The Victory 100/6 powerplant receives a few small improvements, mostly aimed at decreasing NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness - engineer-speak for making it smoother and friendlier). It also receives an updated oil-cooling system and a revised airbox. Horsepower and torque claims are unchanged from 2007.

A few other improvements are also worth noting, like the new switch housings that offer a cleaner look (with complimentary redesigned handgrips and end caps), and the capability of the new grips to accept Victory's factory heated grip accessory setup.

To complete the 2008 updates, Victory has expanded and refined its 'Pure Victory' apparel collection, with more options for both men and women making sure that everything you need to roll away on you new Victory motorcycle is available on the showroom floor of your local Victory dealership.

But don't get too excited about the new men's leather 'Duke Jacket,' as it has no relationship to MO’s new Editor-in-Cheap. You'll have to wait a little longer for the 'Duke Danger' apparel line to make it 02.3s catwalk debut, so we hope you're satisfied with what Victory is offering, at least for now.

Alex Edge
Alex Edge

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