Has anyone seen in person the new Victory called the Vegas? I have heard mixed reviews. The magazines all say it's great. Fit and finish, design, etc. People that I spoke with that saw one in person said the bikes look slapped together.
It doesn't help that many Polaris dealerships don't carry the Victory motorcycles, making it harder to find one.
Hello, I can't say I like the looks but the local dealer is on the way to the bar, I'll peek in the next couple days.
Last time I was there I got a weekend loaner (Harley was Broke, go figure!), their service here is first rate. They replaced the whole engine on a buds rig with oil leaks and a cracked jug.
Later.
Hello, my local dealer has none yet and expect the first batch late March.
They do mention that a big bore dealer installed kit along with several other performance options are avilable and keeping the warranty!!
The British mag "Bike" just came out with a review of the Vegas. You have to keep in mind that these guys are pretty sportbike oriented and maybe a bit hard on American bikes (okay- HDs) in general.
Overall, they liked it. It also looks great in what I call "'60s Hot Rod Blue".
There may be hope here after all. Maybe it's not just another pretty bike that looks great sparkling in the sun by the roadside, with you next to it red-faced, cursing, and slamming tools around, hoping your spouse and freinds don't hear about this latest "toy gone horribly wrong" story..
As fate would have it the Vegas has been pushed in my direction more and more. Recently on a trip to NY I picked up the May issue of Motor Cyclist and in it was an article on the new Vegas. The review was glowing and dare I say it? It appears we have an American made rival to the fabled Harley Davidson. When I got back home Munenn shows me a different magazine with a cover story on, you guessed it, the Vegas. Again, the review was excellent. Later Munenn runs into a Victory owner with a business card to a shop called Rocket Rogers Motorcycle Shop. The guy says they have the Vegas in stock. In fact they have a bunch! That's all it took. Off we went for a Friday afternoon drive to Danville, VA. Sure enough when we got there not one Vegas but four greeted us! One was silver, two dark red and one yellow. Now we are talking serious lusting here. The magazines are right. The fit and finish is comparable to any Japanese bike or even the Harley Davidson. Styling is right on. Every little detail is executed with some serious thought behind it. Sitting position is comfortable. No sooner are we admiring the bikes when we meet the owner of the shop, Rocket Man himself! Now here is a person who loves motorcycles. He also makes sure you can take care of all your biking needs in one place. Need apparel? No problem. Want a custom paint job? Done. How about custom exhaust for your new Vegas? In stock. How about a big bore kit? Heck, they are not only in stock, they'll do the install for you too! I was very impressed with the operation. If you ever happen to be in the area, make it a point to stop in at Rocket Rogers. You won't regret it. Here are two of the bikes we were drooling over. Now if I can only convince my wife how much the Vegas with the big bore kit and custom exhaust and paint would be the perfect addition to the family! :angel:
Fernando, that is a GOOD LOOKING 'chine. I haven't read any of the articles you have run into. How is this critter priced? What's the factory engine displacement? and what does the "big bore" kit take it to? Overhead cams? (I don't see any pushrod tubes.)
[Aside: I'm still not convinced that Harley would lose "the sound" if they put the cams up top.]
This is kind of thread veer, but "cams up top" reminds me ... I was lurking on a bike board where Ron McBroom posts. He is a designer for Keith Black products and heads up special projects for KB-Silvolite from various bike makers. 'Been in the industry for something like +40 years. He has an interesting opinion on the metric cruisers. They are some great bikes, but they seem to have automotive people running the show... models get updated often. Factory parts dry up too soon for past models. No need for model updates so often in the bike market. Lotsa bike for the money tho'. There's no denying it.
The bikes start at $15,000. The closest comparison would be the H-D Deuce. The MSRP on that is $17,000. Stock displacement on the Vegas is 1507cc. Engine is a sohc, 8V. Stock power is 70.9 hp/93.1 ft/lbs torque. That’s with a weight of 668 lbs (wet). The big bore kit takes the engine from 92 cu in to 105 cu in (if I recall correctly). Power increases to 90 hp/110 ft/lbs torque. My only complaint is that the tach is an option.
Arlen Ness was involved in the development of the bike and now there are a bunch of aftermarket Arlen Ness accessories for it. The billet wheels are a cool factory option. Like a H-D you can get all kinds of chrome parts for the bike.
About the bike market, I too have noticed the way bikes from certain areas of the world change styles practically every year. I think part of that is to be blamed on the magazines. When a bike goes for two or three years without a facelift the magazines start complaining. This coming from riders who don’t have to pay for the bikes they are riding! When you like a bike that costs $15,000+ one of the big factors is always being able to swing that kind of nut. Especially when you have a family, mortgage, car payments, etc. By the time a person can buy the bike of their dreams a few years can go by. Then the bike has changed, sometimes to an uglier version. All the while the magazine riders have tested a version of that bike each model year and complained every time the next one looked the same.
I think bikes should keep their fundamental style, shape, displacement, etc for at least 4-5 years. The factories can always put out a ton of accessories that can make the bike look different. Heck, many parts on bikes get changed by their owners anyway. Why not give them a steady platform to work from?
Sorry- I didn't realise you were saving it for one of your daughters.
So- the Vegas would be for the wife then?
And when are you getting a 999? I saw you get "that look" in your eye when you were sitting on one at Rockwells' in NY.
If I get the Vegas first I have the ideal excuse to wait for Ducati to release a street version of their new V4 Desmosedici. While the 999 is tempting, so is a 220 hp V4! Okay, so what if they detune it a tad, it is still a stump pulling beast!
Cool- you get the V-4 Ducati, and I'll get the new Triumph Daytona 4. It's going to have about 200 hp, and if they put it together like the Bonneville, a good exhaust, K&N and a hotter mapping of the computer and it'll hit 240hp easy.
Then our wives can laugh their asses off at us (again ), after they make sure our insurance is up to date.
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