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By Michael Dapper
VRA Page Webmaster
It was a pleasure writing that headline.
Truth be told, though, it’s not like Willie G. called to tell the Victory gang “great job on the Victory Vision!” No, the “Harley” referred to is Bryan Harley of the Motorcycle USA website.
Bryan rode and compared the Victory Vision and the Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic Electra Glide. He noted that despite its traditional styling, which customers want and love, the Ultra does now have some modern technology. “But it has lost its birthright as the only American V-Twin luxury-touring bike,” he wrote. “Victory Vision now owns a claim to that distinction as well… The gang from Minnesota strayed from any 'classic' conventions with its Vision, and has put all of its marbles in the modern-styled American V-Twin luxury-touring bag.”
Bryan Harley cited the good and bad about each model, making it an even-handed article. The Victory Vision acceleration and power impressed him on the road, and the editors took both bikes to an independent dyno and the Victory came out on top in terms of torque and horsepower.
The online report noted: “Motorcycle USA's Adam Waheed offered his impression of the engines. ‘The Victory Vision makes gobs of power everywhere. The motor is very soulful, it has much more character than the H-D.’”
Other highlights (from a Victory rider’s standpoint, that is):
• “When we finally got out of the L.A. Basin and started to wind through the hills and curves of Malibu Canyon, the chassis performance of the Victory Vision began to shine. The cast rear chassis section works in tandem with its single gas shock to hold the Victory Vision steadfast in high-speed sweepers. The motorcycle requires little effort in the turns and changes directions extremely quickly. One of its best attributes is its handling at speed. Its performance is much sportier than you'd expect from an 850-lb bike. Wish we could heap the same praise on the Ultra Classic. But we can't. While running over the same high-speed Malibu sweepers, the Ultra Classic's rear end felt loose as the contact patch got smaller. Granted, these bikes aren't meant for scraping pegs. But the corners weren't the only place the Harley felt a little squirrelly.”
• “Looking at the cockpit design, the Victory Vision's LCD dash-center display has trip-computer functions, a big digital gear indicator and the dials are clustered tight, making a quick speed check easy. The instrumentation is very hi-tech looking, usable and legible. At night, the Vision puts on a show, with violet-indigo backlighting on the instruments and light up Victory badges on its sides. It also has all the techie i-goodies we already mentioned to go along with a booming four-speaker stereo system. The Vision Tour model we had included heated grips, which made riding after the sun went down more bearable. But our favorite button to push was its electronically-adjustable windscreen. I understand that the fork-mounted 'Bat-Wing' fairing is immediately identified with the Milwaukee manufacturer. But it doesn't offer near the protection from wind buffeting as the Vision's windscreen, earning another point for Victory.”
• “Which brings us to the X-factor, the intangibles of assessment. Things like modern-styling on an American V-Twin luxury-touring bike. Love it or hate, the Victory Vision demands attention. And it got it, wherever we went. From the business man sending pictures of the bike on his camera phone to husbands poking wives in cars as we passed by, the Victory Vision is a real head-turner. This was even in L.A., where Bugattis are commuter cars. The Ultra Classic just didn't garner the same reaction. People love the Harley's classic styling, but it's nothing that they haven't seen before.”
• “The Victory Vision required a lot more effort to handle at low speed but kicked ass when we were rolling. The brakes still need further development, especially when you're cranking out the horsepower and torque numbers of the Victory Vision. In the engine department, the Victory Vision wins, hands down, especially considering its getting the same gas mileage as the Ultra Classic while providing so much extra power. The bike's aerodynamics and level of protection it offers riders equals the smooth gliding Honda ST1300 that I recently rode during our Sport-Touring Shootout. We did dig the hi-tech goodies on the Victory Vision, and would recommend spending the extra dough for the GPS-equipped version.”
The conclusion?
“Both bikes excelled in areas while lacking in others. But some areas are given more weight. Horsepower and torque rank high. So does handling at speed, since these bikes are built for long hours on open roads. They're not built to be stop-and-go commuters. We also like having the maximum amount of shelter that can be offered against the unforgiving elements. In the end, there can be only one. And in this comparo, to Victory go the spoils.”
Hall of Fame Dealerships
While doing some research recently we went to the website of Bair’s Polaris Victory in North Canton, Ohio. Across the top of this long-time, top-notch dealership’s website is the proud note: Polaris Hall of Fame Inductee, 2005.
2005 was the second year of the Polaris Hall of Fame, and we got wondering how many other Victory dealerships are among the Hall of Fame inductees. Here’s the list:
2004 Inductee
• Mies Outland, Watkins, Minnesota
2005 Inductees
• Tri-City Polaris, Centerville and Springville, Utah
• Bair’s Polaris Victory, North Canton, Ohio
2006 Inductee
• Bristow’s Polaris, St. Cloud, Minnesota
2007 Inductees
• Action Motor Sports, Idaho Falls, Idaho
• Trumbauer Lawn & Recreation , Quakertown, Pennsylvania
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