|
CYCLE WORLD ARTICLE
SEPT 2005 ISSUE
Long Term Wrap-Up
Victory Vegas
YOU REMEMBER THE FAMOUS
OLD backhanded Chinese curse, May You Live in Interesting Times?
Well, going by that yardstick, the
Victory Vegas has been absolutely the
most blessed bike to take up residence
in Cycle World's long-term fleet.
During its two years and 10,311 miles
with us, the
Vegas has required nothing
other than oil changes and one new set
of tires. No leaks, no dead battery, no
burnt-out bulbs, no jettisoned hardware.
In fact, we don't even know where the nearest
Victory dealer is-the first major
service called for comes at 12,000 miles
and we've had no reason to visit the
shop. Our
Vegas loaner has been only minusculy less reliable than an anvil.
We were impressed by the new bike from the start. It replaced the
slab-sided
V92C. around since 1998 and never a
hot seller. The
Vegas' distinctive good
looks, spotlighted by a ridgeline running
down the center of the gas tank and rear
fender, immediately set it apart from
the usual cookie-cutter customs. By
that time, too, the V92C's under-achiever engine had been treated to a host of upgrades-improved
oil-cooling system, more power, slicker
gearbox-and was now fully up to the task.
"What the
Vegas is, is a classic American cruiser, a road-burner
with plenty of lazy power to pull from low speed to
high in top gear. It's a machine designed
with passion from people who
understand that the most
important things about a
cruiser are not objective
measures of performance,
but its looks and feel, and
how it makes you feel
riding it," we enthused in the '03 road test.
CW reader and
Vegas owner Craig
Perkins may have
put it best when he
noted, "Victory went
from ugly duckling to homecoming queen when they introduced the
Vegas." We named the
Vegas
"Best Cruiser" that year. and others agreed. Motorcyclist, V-Twin
and Cruising Rider also gave the bike top
marks in their annual awards issues.
We had originally wanted to tailor our
long-term
Victory through the company's innovative Custom Order Program
(log on to
www.victorymotorcycles.com
and build your own on screen), but the
October deadline had passed. Our standard Solar Red model came with a blacked-out
engine and a couple of factory options, though, a bright HID headlight
($350) and a set of billet wheels ($1,800).
The latter were a little too "Cuisinart"
for some tastes, but getting rid of the
stock spoked rims meant that a flat tire
could be plugged and reinflated on the
road if need be, rather than having to
remove the offending wheel assembly,
break out the tire irons and patch a tube.
Midway through its tenure with us, the
Vegas also got a small Flyscreen ($100)
and a mini-sissybar ($180) from
Victory's online catalog. Both upped the bike's
long-haul abilities, which contributing
photographer Barry Hathaway put to
immediate good use on a 2500-mile tour
to New Mexico.
"Happiness is a big V-Twin." said the
shooter. "The overall experience and feel
of riding the
Vegas is just plain top-notch.
Simply put, it makes you want to ride."
Apparently Barry has an iron ass, because he made no mention of the seat,
which could use some improvement.
Fine for short hops, its biggest crime is
that it locks you in one position Many
owners who wrote in have fitted flatter
accessory seats, either from
Victory or
the aftermarket.
The only other complaint lodged against
the Victory came from the staff speed-boys, who didn't like the braking power
provided by the single front caliper and
skinny 21-inch tire the-Hammer model,
with twin discs and an 18-incher, was
more to their liking. We suspect it was
the same individuals who ground away a good portion of the bike's forward foot- peg mounts...
A careless editor imparted the only
other cosmetic damage the
Vegas suffered during its stay with us when he
threw on a set of soft saddlebags for a two-up weekend ride
without first taping off the contact areas. Result? A scuffed rear
fender. Arrrggghhh!
Didn't affect the bike's considerable appeal, though. As it
neared 10,000 miles, the
Vegas became somewhat of a hot commodity
around here. One CW staffer's brother asked if he could purchase
the bike when our long term test was complete; likewise, an editor
at Road & Track, our sister magazine, made similar inquiries.
Where shall we start the bidding?. -
Cycle World
Sept 2005.
|
