The Victory exhibits a difference in the transmission noise going from 4th to 5th though Victory reps assure us all the gears are square cut, not helical- they attribute the sound difference to harmonic frequencies and the reflective qualities of various fairings. Other than that, the Country is smooth and eerily quiet; it's a big reason we all preferred the Harley's engine character.
Steer and Bounce
When we got into the the twisties, the Cross Country's inverted fork coupled with a rigid aluminum chassis allowed the Victory to steer much more lightly than the Harley, even with virtually the same wet weight. Turn ins are easier on the Country, and likely enhanced by the lighter fairing. Overall stability and mid-corner manners are exceptional, making it easier to appreciate the Victory's more generous lean angle too. A few testers however, felt the Harley outshined it in parking lot manuevers.
The Harley also was surprisingly adept at high speeds and it got there pretty quickly too. Testers opined that it also turned in quickly, though not nearly as smoothly as the Victory, perhaps because of the extra weight of the larger fairing.
It was no surprise to anyone that the Harley's suspension got the shorter end (literally) of the deal in this comparison. Though the Road Glide felt fine on smooth roads, it would run out of travel far more quickly out back, making for a harsh ride. But then hey, it's a 'custom', right? The Victory's longer-travel air-adjustable shocks are much better damped without being overly soft, making for a better-balanced suspension package.
Comfort-or just Custom?
Both bikes sport floorboards, but out on the open road, the Country's skateboard-length units gave testers all kinds of options for foot positioning. The Harley's more stylish boards were smaller and offered almost no foot placement options, though they were in a good standard position. A bigger concern was buffeting-cruising down highways above 55 mph on either rig proved to be a tough workout for every rider's neck, regardless of height. Above 70mph, helmets start moving around noticeably, though the Harley pilots seemed to have it a bit easier cutting a cleaner path through the air. Below that point the short windscreens and fairings do an adequate job of keeping the rider fairly comfortable. Both manufacturers offer taller accessory windscreens which we figure will resolve a lot of this gusty-ness, though our Victory test bike came with accessory lowers which really didn't do much to cut down the wind. All that said, is there really any surprise you're getting wind howl with those stock 3-inch tall screens?!!
These are ostensibly touring bikes, so luggage is part of the package. The Victory scores big points for increasing bag capacity (Victory claims a class-leading figure of 21 gallons) from previous models and making the top loading design more accessible, but it falls down on latch construction-the engagement pins take some pushing to hear a reassuring click and the push button feels rather light and plasticky. Harley's bags don't feel bigger, but the top loaders seem deeper, sturdier and of better quality (both at the closure and at the body). Both have locking mechanisms that are easy to operate.
Each bike claims to offer passenger accommodations, but Victory clearly gave the back seat design more consideration: the rear portion of the saddle is wider and more padded than the competition's. Victory also threw in mini passenger floorboards, whereas the Harley just offers chunky footpegs and a smaller footprint for its pillion (which is also angled downward).