2011 Victory Cross Country,...
2011 Victory Cross Country, fully loaded
In the race between the New American Motorcycle Company and the, uh, 'old' one-as to who was going to be the first to announce new 2011 machines, Victory Motorcycles emerged triumphant, revealing its new roster to the waiting public a mere 24 hours before Harley. Except there was one kink in the plan-Victory didn't actually have any new models. But even without an all-new machine, the upstarts from Minnesota made some intriguing announcements; for 2011, they have ladled on a series of upgrades, many of them major, across the entire line.
Add this to the recent report that parent company Polaris's 2nd Quarter 2010 sales of Victory bikes were up 48% (year over year) and you can see why the Victorians are feeling upbeat.
Bigger is Better
The biggest news was that the Freedom 106 (1731cc) V-twin engine now gets distributed across the entire 2011 lineup-all models get the more powerful mill, which will be available in two versions.
The slightly hotter, Stage 2 version of the 106 incher will power Victory's 2011 cruisers-which by the company's definition, includes the Vegas Jackpot, Hammer/ S, Vegas, Kingpin, Hammer 8-Ball, Kingpin 8-Ball, Vegas 8-Ball, and the Zach Ness Vegas 8-Ball. That motor is said to bring 97 hp and 113 ft-lb of torque-14% more horses than the old 100 incher-at no additional price.
The 2011 touring bikes, meanwhile-the Cross Country, Cross Roads, Vision Tour, Vision 8-Ball, Cory Ness Cross Country and Arlen Ness Vision-will get the milder Stage 1 engine. Company reps say the Stage 1 version produces 92hp and 109 ft-lb.-pretty respectable numbers in our book.
Tranny Tweaks
The other important upgrade is what Victory calls its "100,000 mile" transmission, which also now appears on all models. It's not completely new, though it does feature several major revisions. For one, Victory has instituted a "hi-lo dog/pocket" design within, which they say offers better engagement and a 66% decrease in driveline lash. Shift forks have been redesigned for better durability; the bearings are larger and gear-sets wider for 4th and 6th gears. A Neutral Selection Assist feature lets you click up to neutral more easily, and helps extend oil service intervals, now to 5,000 miles.
2011 Victory Vision 8-Bal...
2011 Victory Vision 8-Ball
2011 Victory Hammer S
Our many complaints about annoying transmission whine have apparently been heard too: with new helical-cut gears to reduce noise, Victory's touring models are now able to meet Euro noise regs. As a side benefit, quieter gears leaves room to increase noise elsewhere, so the exhaust outlet tips have been opened up to produce a heartier rumble.
The rest of the news amounts to subtle tweaks. For example, all the cruisers and the Cross Roads get new instruments (an analog speedo joined by an LCD panel with clock, gear-position indicator and tach). A new 48-amp charging system is added to all models, as are less bulky, easier-accessed sidestands. On the Kingpin, floorboards are pulled back 2 inches, and the Vegas bikes get a new handlebar reaching back 2 extra inches. Finally, Victory has decided to roll the Vision Street model into the Vision 8-Ball, which is a more stripped-down version.
Dress to Impress
The closest thing to a new model came in the form of the Cross Roads Custom, a highly configurable bike that owners can customize as they see fit, with the Core Custom Program. Rounding out the news for 2011 is a series of new Ness Edition bikes (one from Arlen, one from Cory and a new version from Zach) as well as new accessories, exhaust systems and apparel.
The marquee item Victory seems to be really pushing for 2011, though, is the new removable top trunk option available for the Cross models. Victory touts it as more capacious than Harley's Tour Pak, and also a better value. The argument is that the $1795 Lock-N-Ride trunk comes with integrated rear speakers and a rear taillight already pre-wired, standard-so all you have to do is plug it into an existing connector under the sidecover. Harley's color-matched King Tour Pak retails for $800 less, but it's not detachable, and adding lighting or audio to it will put a significant additional dent in your wallet. We think the Lock N Ride is a good concept, and should have plenty of traction for both hardcore touring riders and weekend warrior types.