This is a double-dutch throwdown of two Motorcycling Heavyweights: Arlen Ness, the self-proclaimed King of Choppers, versus the man who helped re-define cruisers, Willie G. Davidson. Arlen, a longtime supporter and proponent of the Harley brand, banished to the wilderness by a Milwaukee giant eager to keep aftermarket dollars in-house, has shifted his design focus to a young upstart company whose flowing designs jibe so well with his own. Willie G., scion of the founding fathers, has honed the H-D design team to a point where it arguably contributes more to H-D's success than anything else. When these two guys go to town, it might be a good idea to lay low until the thunder passes.
Destroying the paradigm that expensive tourers tend to be heavier bikes, these two designers instead created a Luxury Light Touring class, offering both style and substance. Somewhat akin to Mercedes' AMG brand, the machines are exclusive versions of the originals, dripping with style, features, and power. But each of the bikes takes a slightly different path to that power.
Both are air/oil-cooled V-twins of similar displacement, with the Vision sporting overhead cams, while the Street Glide has pushrods. Both churn power through a six-speed gearbox, sport a feet-forward riding position, six gallon fuel tanks, and weigh in a tic over 800 pounds dry. From there, they diverge.
Arlen's signature Victory is most like a stripped and blinged version of the Vision Tour. Losing the top box and dropping the suspension and seat height improves the handling of the bike immeasurably, by effectively lowering the center of gravity. She's still a big girl, dwarfing the H-D when parked side-by-side, but much more manageable than in full "Tour" form. The Vision is taller and more spread-out thanks to its liberal use of lightweight aluminum in frame and chassis components.
Unfortunately, since Victory's perceived demographic for this bike is the more casual rider, some of the premium touches of the Vision Tour have been left off, with no ABS, and heated grips/seats and powered reverse coming only as add-on options for additional cost. The power-adjustable windshield (chopped, of course) and radio remain, and the Vision still boasts an easy-to-use multifunction display, awesome wind protection from the huge fairing, and a rigid, responsive chassis that tracks the road at any speed.
What the Ness Vision does bring is the bling, with diamond cut cylinder heads, a custom stitched seat, billet side covers and grips, HID headlight, and billet wheels.
Harley's CVO Street Glide got a raft of improvements over the base model 'Glide, but that stands to reason given its $12k higher cost. The motor has gone from 96ci to 110, blowing right past the Vision's 106 in the process, though only pulling into the neighborhood as far as output goes. It also features Harley's stealthy ABS, a Harmon-Kardon premium stereo (including a CD), extended saddlebags, security system, built-in highway pegs on the engine guard, and cool, heavily detailed, 18-inch wheels.
Not to be out-blinged, Willie G threw the book at his upmarket machine. Unlike the rest of H-D's lineup, which gets painted using a process akin to powdercoating, this bike is done the old fashioned way, including some very nice golf-leaf and hand-painted flames. The paint doesn't stop there either, with colored "beer can" forks, and a color-matched inner fairing. Minimalist LED taillight/turnsignals sit in the molded-in space between bags and fender, while custom metallic gauges stare back at the rider. Unique to H-D's CVO lineup is a grey/chrome motor with custom side covers and controls hand-picked from the P&A catalog, while chrome abounds on nearly all surfaces not already painted.
H-D was an early adopter of...
H-D was an early adopter of digital music gizmos, with an auxiliary plug built in to their stereos for years,
but Victory one-ups them with...
but Victory one-ups them with a dedicated compartment with audio plug and power to stash your MP3 player. An optional iPod cable allows Vision riders to control the 'Pod though the dash/handlebar controls.
Settling into the Street Glide, you'll find the well-worn and well-done compact ergo package common to all Harley Tourers. But on this one there is an extra place to put your feet-up on the hard rubber pegs mounted to the highway bar. Unfortunately, one of these fell off after 1200 miles on our test. The flat-ish seat looks cut-down and custom, but provides good support with a built-in bump-stop. We wish the same could be said for the passenger seat, which is on the small side.
The Vision's ergo package wasn't quite as universally loved, with bars slightly close for taller riders, but the mile-long boards gave us tons of places to rest our dogs, with the option of riding fairly upright or laid-back. Adjustable shift and brake levers let you realign yourself in minutes. The seat was fantastic though. By taking some foam out of the standard Vision perch, the Ness edition gains a huge backrest, allowing the rider to settle into a deep pocket.
Out on the road, the Ness Vision's wrap-around bodywork cocooned the rider in a bubble of turbulence-free air; adjust the windshield down and fiddle with the plexiglass wings under the mirrors and the wind is in your face. This contrasts with the more stripped Street Glide, which has no lowers, wings, or adjustable shield. That said, wind protection was pretty good on the H-D until about 70 mph. A good portion of our early winter trip was at altitude, cruising past operating ski resorts, two of us wrapped in full heated gear. One tester was about to give up riding as the sun set over 8500-foot Big Bear, CA, but swapping him onto the Vision gave enough protection that he made it down the hill to warmer temps in comfort.
Since we were all wired up, we had a chance to test the electrical systems' charging capabilities. The Victory came up a bit short, as it would hesitate if the heated gear was plugged in prior to firing the motor, while the Harley battery was fine even if we left the gear on without the bike running for a couple of minutes. On the other hand, one of our heated gear controllers managed to scratch the hell out of the fancy paint on the H-D, while the Victory's plastic panels were a little harder to hurt. Hooking up electrical goodies to the Harley's battery is also a bit more of a ordeal, as not only is it harder to get under the seat, but the alarm has to be reset before riding it again. The Arlen Ness Vision's battery is inside the fairing behind the front tire for easy access, though some electrical devices might need a longer cord than usual.