Bike Reviews Victory

Victory motorcycles include the Cross Roads, Cross Country and Vision touring motorcycles, the Vegas, High Ball and Kingpin cruisers, and the Hammer muscle cruiser. Victory also offers special Ness Signature custom models such as the Arlen Ness Victory Vision, Cory Ness Victory Cross Country and Zach Ness Vegas.

Victory Motorcycles was created by off-road giant Polaris Industries, one of world’s top producers of ATVs and snowmobiles. Victory’s first motorcycle, the V92C, debuted in 1997 and full scale production began a year later. The 1999 V92C featured a 92-cubic inch, 1500cc engine, the largest production engine available at the time and a testament to Victory’s strategy of producing big, powerful cruisers and tourers to compete with American motorcycle giant Harley-Davidson. Victory is unafraid to take styling risks as it proved by releasing bold new bikes like the Vegas, Kingpin and Vision.

Church of MO: 2010 Victory Vision 8-Ball

Verily, there is one of these for sale in Michigan for 6000 ducats, and I would be on the plane tomorrow if my dwelling did not already overfloweth with OPM (Other Peoples’ Motorcycles). “Pete suggests that it looks like a custom bagger, and the public agrees, tossing thumbs skyward from passing automobiles on a daily basis.” Surely coolness and shiny blackosity shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the 24.5-inch bucket seat of the Lowered forever. Amen me!

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Church of MO: 2009 Victory Models Review - Vegas Jackpot, Hammer, Hammer Sport

Verily, we said unto you, “If Victory stays its current course of producing high-quality products, and is willing to flex and adapt to a market that will likely shift and morph, there’s no foreseeable reason why we shouldn’t anticipate Victory’s 20th anniversary.” I believe it is peace for our time. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Go home and get a nice quiet sleep. MO proposes, God disposes. Pass the giblets, amen.

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Church of MO: Victory 2009 Model Preview

O death, where is your Victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the Victory… Polaris giveth and Polaris taketh away; a decade ago the future looked bright, as Victory celebrated its tenth anniversary. A reading from the book of Fonzie.

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Church of MO: 2008 Victory Vision

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? The Victory Vision was a very nice motorcycle with a revolutionary message. It gave its life so that others might live to ride Indians.

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Polaris and Indian 2017 Financial Report

A couple of days ago we reported on the somewhat gloomy news from Harley-Davidson about its year-end financial statement, in which it announced a downturn in sales and the upcoming closure of its Kansas City, MO, factory.

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Dead Trademarks: The Victory Models We Never Got to See

We’re now mid-way through September which means we’re well into the time of year that manufacturers announce their new models. By this point, America’s two heavyweight cruiser brands Harley-Davidson and Indian have already announced their 2018 lineups, but for the first time in nearly two decades, there were no Victory model announcements.

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Polaris Releases 2016 Fiscal Year Results

Polaris Industries reported its fourth quarter and 2016 full year results, offering the first look at the company’s finances since its decision to terminate Victory Motorcycles. The fourth quarter saw a 35% year-over-year decrease in motorcycle sales revenue, while year-end sales revenue remained flat compared to 2015.

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Motus Weighs In On Victory Motorcycles Closure

In an effort to make sense out of the end of Victory Motorcycles, Motus founders Brian Case and Lee Conn posted a blog entry that looks not only at Polaris’ decision but all the way back to 2007 to the end of Pontiac. While this is a valid comparison regarding tough business decisions, the posting gains power when it describes the ways in which Victory didn’t adapt to the changing market and points to how those changes may tend to favor the type of bike Motus is building. As proponents of motorcycling at large, we hope that Motus has the opportunity to capitalize on this space that will be opening at some dealerships. The more successful manufacturers there are, especially ones manufacturing motorcycles in the USA, the better it is for motorcycling as a whole.

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MO Interview: Polaris' Steve Menneto

The motorcycle world got knocked for a bit of a loop last week when Polaris Industries announced it would be shutting down its Victory Motorcycles division after two decades of trying to cut into Harley-Davidson’s stranglehold on the American cruiser market.

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Top 10 Best Victory Motorcycles Of All Time

Today marked the end of an era, with Polaris announcing it was closing down its Victory Motorcycles operations after 18 years of building cruisers to compete with the might of Harley-Davidson. It would’ve been 20 years ago this June that Al Unser Jr. rode a V92C into the Mall of America’s Planet Hollywood at its debut to the world.

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Polaris is Closing Victory Motorcycles

Polaris Industries is shutting down the Victory Motorcycles brand after 18 years in business. Polaris says it will assist dealers in liquidating their remaining inventory and will continue to produce parts for another 10 years to support Victory owners.

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Baggers Brawl

The great American West never suffers fools. When you look at the harsh conditions faced by the hardy souls who set out to claim their fortune in California’s Mojave Desert, the stakes get even higher. Do a little research, and you’ll discover an impressive number of hamlets were born, sometimes prospered, sometimes didn’t, then died – often in dog years. Most have disappeared without a trace. A few still have bits of their remains visible in the arid landscape. Still others hang on in a semi-zombie state between self-sustaining life and their final desiccation plotted by the patient desert.

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Euro 4 Regulations Cut Victory's European Line-up to Only Four Models

Victory is reducing its European market product line-up to just four models for 2017 because of new Euro 4 regulations kicking in next year. We’re not sure Euro 4 was supposed to stand for “four European models,” but here we are.

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American Iron Bagger Shootout

Peace, love and understanding is what we’re all about here at MO, man, and on this excellent junket to the great Midwest, we made some serious inroads. One dinner, after a day spent rolling along the east bank of the Mississippi through springtime Illinois and Wisconsin, Editorial Director Sean Alexander (who thinks the Aprilia Tuono is the perfect casual traveling bike) actually admitted that the bikes we were on were ideally suited to our ride. Well, hello. He also admitted it was his first time riding in “flyover country.”

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Urban Sport Cruiser Shootout

A Roadster, Scout, Bobber and Octane roll into a bar…

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All-New Victory RR to Race Isle of Man TT

Victory revealed a new electric sportbike prototype featuring an all-new battery module from Brammo. Described as a test bed for the company’s future powertrains, the new Victory RR will make its racing debut in the TT Zero class in the 2016 Isle of Man TT beginning May 28.

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2016 Victory Magnum X-1 Stealth Edition Review

Okay, right off the bat, Victory has a lot of nerve listing any Magnum X-1 as a Stealth Edition. The very idea of the Magnum X-1 is contrary to stealth in any form. First, the motorcycle in question is based the Victory Magnum, which is the tricked-out and slammed iteration of the venerable Victory Cross Country. Victory literally upped the volume with the Magnum X-1 by adding to the factory sound system already in the batwing fairing by mounting four speakers in the saddlebags. Yeah, these bikes are all about getting attention, despite having stealth in the model’s name. There isn’t any  better place than Daytona Bike Week to see how well a cruiser can strut its stuff, so we rolled up the Magnum X-1 Stealth Edition and sank our way into the hoards of people at motorcycling’s annual coming-out party.

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2017 Victory Octane Video Review

We’ve been following the creation of the Victory version of a bike with the Indian Scout engine with great interest. Well, it’s arrived in the form of the 2017 Victory Octane and not without a little controversy from our readers. Whether or not the Octane is the motorcycle you wanted Victory to build with its engine, we think the Octane is a very good motorcycle.

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Victory Octane Sets World Record For Longest Burnout

On February 29, 2016, the official stunt team for Victory Motorcycles set their sights on an entry in the Guinness Book Of World Records. Given the performance focus of the new, 2017 Victory Octane, the record for the world’s longest burnout seemed like the perfect goal for the 1167cc V-Twin with a nasty attitude. While you or I may think we can outdo this record (a highly dubious thought, but go ahead, if you like), some hurdles other than simply doing a super-long burnout are required. Within the various forms of documenting any record attempt, we think that having the snappily-dressed Guinness representative holding an “Officially Amazing” clipboard witness your effort is the most important component – aside from actually shredding the Octane’s rear tire.

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2017 Victory Octane First Ride Review

When we posted our article about Victory’s unveiling of the 2017 Octane, the vitriol in the comments section was surprising even by internet standards. Of the 50 comments posted as of the writing of this review, roughly 30 were negative, many saying that the commenter felt mislead by Victory’s references to the Project 156 Pikes Peak racer as an inspiration during the Octane’s development. Perhaps this is an example of people hearing what they deeply wish for instead of what was actually being said.

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2017 Victory Octane Unveiling

Muscle bikes are as American as, well, the V-Twin engine. Both are elemental designs stripped down to their bare essentials. Victory Motorcycles has chosen to combine the two in the new Octane to create its vision of the future of American Muscle. Going against the image that muscle bikes need to have huge engines, the Octane steps onto the scene with a mere 1179cc displacement.

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EICMA 2015: Victory Unveils Project 156-Based Production Engine In Concept Bike

When  Victory Motorcycles announced in mid-October that it would reveal a new motorcycle at EICMA 2015, riders who follow Victory and its parent company, Polaris, knew that the bike would most likely be the production result of the company’s Project 156 Pikes Peak racing effort from this past summer. Well, they/we were right – and wrong. While the new engine displayed by Victory today is the production version of the Project 156 effort that will power a future 1200cc class motorcycle and “deliver the strongest power and performance in its class,” the bike is said to be just a concept. Still, the question remains: Exactly how far along is this concept?

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Victory Isle of Man TT Zero Racebike Test

I’m tucked in behind the bubble of an authentic Isle of Man TT racer watching numbers roll past 140 mph on the speedometer, but there’s not even a whisper from the engine. That’s because this Victory doesn’t have an engine – it uses an electric motor.

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2016 Victory Empulse TT Second Ride Review + Video

Here at MO, we like to shake things up every now and then with our motorcycle reviews. You know – think outside the box, not get complacent, keep things fresh, etc. It inspires our creative juices, plus it just makes for a fun motorcycle ride. On occasion, the usual method for a single-bike evaluation can be a bit predictable. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy a nice romp in the hills on a fast motorcycle, but we’re often asking ourselves, “What can we do that’s different?” This time, I think we have an answer.

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2016 Victory Empulse TT First Ride Review

Remember the mega splash Harley-Davidson made last summer with its electric LiveWire? No one expected the usually stodgy Motor Company to veer so sharply into the future, and the stylish e-bike was prominently featured across mainstream media outlets. Never before had electric motorcycles made such a huge impression on the general public.

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Victory Isle of Man TT Zero Racer On A Dragstrip + Video

Anyone who’s been paying attention lately knows that electricity ain’t just for golf carts anymore – e-bikes can be seriously fast! But how quick can a podium-finishing Isle of Man TT e-bike get down a quarter-mile dragstrip?

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2016 Victory Magnum X-1 Preview

If you’re lucky, you’ve got at least one friend like this guy. You know, the one who’s always the ring leader, the one with the mad glint in his eye, always the center of attention, talking a little bit louder – OK, a lot louder – than everyone else, but unlike some people who behave the same way and seem obnoxious, this guy pulls it off. It’s the gravitational pull of his personality. Everybody gets along with him and goes along with him and, every so often, gets in trouble with him (though not as frequently as they did 10 years ago). Still, when it’s all over but for the storytelling, he wraps the narrative around all the participants, making the tale – and by extension, everyone involved – larger than life.

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Lloydz Motor Workz Supercharged Victory Cross Country Review

What we have here is a genetically altered motorcycle that used to be a 2012 Victory Cross Country. Given its 21-inch front wheel and saddlebag speakers, it can be seen as a transitionary mutation between the CC and the recently released Magnum. However, the characteristic we’re here to address can be found wrapped around the engine. (After all we’ve reviewed the 2015 Victory Magnum, in case you’re interested in the whole big front wheel and the kickin’ stereo thing.)

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Big Gun Blow-Out: Harley-Davidson FXSB Breakout Vs. Victory Gunner

Well, ahh, basically we were just looking for an excuse to tool around on H-D’s swell new FSXB Breakout for a while, and decided to bring one of our favorite cruisers, the Victory Gunner, along for the ride to see how things stack up between these American cruisers. In the powertrain departments, at least, both big V-Twins are representative of their makers’ current offerings.

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Shootout at the MO Corral: A Bout With the Scout + Video

When Indian unveiled the Scout at Sturgis last month, it sent ripples through the motorcycle world. How would it compare with other cruisers in its class? What exactly were the other cruisers in its class? Obviously, Indian is hoping to improve its bona fides by taking on that other American brand’s most ubiquitous V-Twin in its displacement class, but what others? So, the lists began.

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Indian Scout Spec Shootout

Indian Motorcycles made a big splash in Sturgis this year with the introduction of its new Scout. The revival of a historic model is newsworthy on its own, but the larger take-away from the emergence of the Scout is that it doesn’t directly compare to any other cruiser.

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2015 Victory Magnum Review

Baggers are a big deal these days, making up something like half of the cruiser market according to Victory’s experts. Victory’s newest attempt to supply what the market demands is this highly customized version of its pre-existing Cross Country, dubbed Magnum.

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2014 Victory 15th Anniversary Cross Country Tour Limited-Edition Review

We already knew Victory‘s Cross Country (and Cross Roads) were great bikes, comparing favorably with their big-inch cruiser rivals since their launch in 2009.

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Leather Baggers Shootout: Cruisers for the Open Road + Video

Cruisers have always been about the essence of motorcycling, stripping motorcycles down to their core: an engine, a seat, a pair of wheels and little else. Naturally, when thinking about the essential elements of motorcycling, thoughts of the open road come to mind. The dream of packing just what you need on your bike and pointing the front wheel towards destinations unknown looms large in many cruiser riders’ hearts.

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2014 Victory Judge Review

Victory Motorcycles, while still a relatively small manufacturer, has found a way to efficiently produce its cruiser line. All of its cruiser models utilize the same engine and the same basic chassis design, allowing the development costs to be amortized across many more units than if each bike were developed independently. While this is hardly unique among the OEMs (most break up their cruiser lines along displacement categories), what makes Victory different is that a single engine configuration is used for every bike they make. Additionally, the entire cruiser line (seven models) uses the same basic chassis.

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2015 Victory Gunner Review - First Ride

When Victory Motorcycles announced the Gunner, we were frankly a little perplexed. The Gunner was listed as a bobber, but Victory already had a bobber in the Judge. What made this motorcycle different? Who was it designed for? Our readers added another question to the list when they claimed that the Judge wasn’t really a bobber. So, when Victory contacted us to see if we’d like to ride the Gunner during Bike Week, we gave an unequivocal yes as our answer.

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2015 Victory Gunner Unveil

Ending weeks of teasing the moto-public about a new heavyweight motorcycle, the Minnesota-based manufacturer, Victory Motorcycles, has finally tipped its hand. The newest bike to enter the Victory fold is a bobber named the Victory Gunner.

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2014 Victory Ness Cross Country Limited-Edition Review

Forget Carnegie Hall; the best way to Sturgis is to ride, ride, ride.

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2013 Victory Boardwalk Review - Motorcycle.com

Like the outgoing Kingpin and every current model in Victory’s line-up, the new Boardwalk is powered by the ubiquitous Freedom 106/6 V-Twin. The 1731cc, air/oil cooled engine, six-speed transmission and carbon fiber reinforced belt final drive have a proven track record for dependable performance but also above average noise and clunkiness when changing transmission cogs. Otherwise, this engine/transmission combination has served Victory well, and not only does the Victory Twin out-displace Harley’s 103-cubic-inch Twin Cam engine, Victory’s claimed 113 ft-lb of torque is 14.3 ft-lb more than H-D’s Twin.

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2013 Victory Judge Review - Motorcycle.com

The first impression the Judge imposes is that it’s a power cruiser with a lineage from the Hammer S. Although this new bike is stout looking, just like the Hammer, the Judge is its own machine, with its classic American muscle car-inspired styling revealed most prominently in the cast-aluminum 5-spoke wheels wrapped in plump 16-inch Dunlop 491 tires wearing raised white lettering.

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2013 Victory Judge Preview - Motorcycle.com

The Judge marks a change in Victory’s recent product offerings, but where the Minnesota-based company continues to stick to business-as-usual thinking is by placing its powerful Freedom 106/6 50-degree air/oil cooled, fuel-injected V-Twin with six-speed gearbox in yet another Victory motorcycle. This same engine that motivates many Victorys now also gives the Judge its go power. We’ve ridden the Freedom 106/6 many times over the years, and always come away impressed by how much bang for the buck it gives.

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2012 Victory Hard-Ball Review [Video] - Motorcycle.com

In spite of sharing a similar namesake with its High-Ball cousin, the new Hard-Ball is an amalgam of Victory’s Cross Roads ($16,000) and High-Ball ($13,500), so you might assume the Hard-Ball would seemingly share the Cross Roads’ MSRP. Yet the new Ball actually wears a Cross Country (with color-matched touring fairing with embedded stereo system) price tag, making the $3,000 price bump to $19,000 a ballsy asking price for a perceivable benefit only in style. It’s identical to the Cross Roads in every respect except for its ape-hanger handlebars, spoke wheels, wider front wheel (18 x 3.5 vs. 18 x 3.0) and heavier dry weight (758 lbs vs 745 lbs).

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2011 Victory Cross Country Review: Cory Ness Signature Edition - Motorcycle.com

More recently we pitted a 2011 Cross Country against Yamaha/Star’s Stratoliner Deluxe and Harley’s Street Glide with its optional 103-cubic-inch Power Pak motor in our 2011 Bagger Shootout, and the Vic outmuscled the hot-rod Harley and out-featured the YamaStar to emerge as best in class.

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2012 Victory Cross Country Tour Review - Motorcycle.com

Voluminous hard saddlebags, a robust fork-mounted fairing, class-leading power from Victory’s Freedom 106/6 V-Twin, sure-footed and confidence-inspiring handling from a stout but lightweight cast-aluminum frame, generous-for-a-cruiser air-adjustable rear suspension travel and sharp, distinctive styling lines have all added up to a winning combination for Victory in the Cross Country.

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2012 Victory Cross Country Tour Preview - Motorcycle.com

Also, a new iteration of the Cross Roads, the Cross Roads Classic LE, will increase the selection of Victory’s baggers and touring-oriented motorcycles to a total of seven models for 2012.

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2012 Victory High-Ball Review - Motorcycle.com

Touting the same matte-black paint scheme and night-crawler good looks as the other ’Balls, this model reaches for a different audience with its signature high-rise handlebars and whitewall tires.

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2012 Victory High-Ball Preview - Motorcycle.com

Victory Motorcycles today unveiled an all-new model called the High-Ball.

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2011 Victory Cross Roads Review - Motorcycle.com

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2011 Victory Lineup Reviews - Motorcycle.com

But lest you think Victory might be going the way of the Dodo bird (or Buell, R.I.P….), you should be aware that sales of the Polaris Industries spin-off were up 48% in the second quarter of 2010, despite a lackluster economy and a general shrinking of the two-wheel market – the 1400-plus-cc market is down 14% in North America this year. It was also Victory’s third consecutive quarter of increased market share and retail sales, thanks in large part to the successful Cross Country and Cross Roads light-tourers introduced late in 2009. In international markets, Victory sales are up 25%.

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2010 Victory Vegas 8-Ball Review - Motorcycle.com

A few years down the road, and buoyed by hard-earned research and development, Victory introduced a whole new platform called the Vegas. The 2003 Vegas was more than a roll of the dice, and the new model was all—and more—of what the V92 failed to deliver. The Vegas was solid, and the overall ride was on par with what the competition had taken years to develop for their cruiser models.

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2010 Victory Vegas LE Review - Motorcycle.com

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2010 Victory Vision 8-Ball Review - Motorcycle.com

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2010 Victory Cross Country Review - Motorcycle.com

Though we took as thorough a look as possible during the unveiling, our opportunity to start riding some of the 2010 Victorys has finally arrived!

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2010 Victory Motorcycles Line-up Preview - Motorcycle.com

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2009 Victory Vision Tour 10th Anniversary Edition - Motorcycle.com

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2009 Victory Cory Ness Signature Jackpot Review - Motorcycle.com

But this was no ordinary man. It was Bill Davidson, son of the legendary Willy G. and the current VP of Core Customer Marketing for Harley-Davidson Motor Company. When a cruiser is able to capture his studied attention, the company behind it is certainly doing several things right!

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2009 Victory Vegas 8-Ball Review - Motorcycle.com

Case in point: the Victory Vegas 8-Ball. Cynics might say it’s simply a de-contented Vegas and therefore not worthy of consideration. However, this elitist attitude would overlook what is a very competent and stylish cruiser priced about $2,000 cheaper than a comparable Harley-Davidson Softail.

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Victory CORE Concept Unveiled at IMS - Motorcycle.com

Consisting of only the most raw, essential elements of a motorcycle, the name Core was chosen because it embodies the motorcycle in its simplest form - an engine, frame, wheels and front suspension. Lead Industrial Designer, Michael Song states that, “Core is pure motorcycle, we wanted to strip everything not critical and build a motorcycle that uses some of the production technologies we have incorporated into the Victory Vision.”

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2009 Victory Models Review - Vegas Jackpot, Hammer, Hammer Sport - Motorcycle.com

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2009 Victory Models - Vegas Jackpot, Hammer S, Kingpin Low Review - First Ride - Motorcycle.com

Hard as it may be to believe, that humble little company from Medina, MN, has been building its version of a V-Twin-powered motorcycle for a decade now. Furthermore, they’ve been progressively successful, though tempered at times by various factors, in all that time, this past year still seeing growth in a down market. Impressive news when the rest are hurting.

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