By Michael Dapper
Victory Community Contributor

2011 was a very good year, one that was book-ended by the introductions of new black Victorys with ape hangers. In between, Victory Riders rolled up millions of miles and made just as many memories. Here, in random order, are some of the noteworthy Victory Riders, bikes, events and entities we feel deserve a year-end salute before we point our tires down that wide open road called 2012. This is, of course, a totally subjective list that solely reflects the views of the author. Who’s missing and deserves mention? Tell us via the Victory Mailbag.


DAVE KOEHMSTEDT
Dave Koehmstedt made history in 2011 by becoming the first Victory Rider to win a national racing championship. Competing against Harley-Davidsons on the American Motorcycle Racing Association (AMRA) circuit, he won the won the 2011 Pro Eliminator class title. He also finished fourth in Eliminator points, fourth in Modified, sixth in Hot Street, and ninth in Super Pro.

Dave, who owns and operates PsychoMotive Racing Technology (PMRT), a Victory-focused performance business, has raced on the AMRA circuit for several years, as has Victory Rider Mike “Jethro” Pearce. They have represented Victory extremely well and are well-received by AMRA officials and the circuit’s HD racers. All the hard work paid off for Dave in 2011 with his first championship, a historic one.

Dave Koehmstedt on his Victory drag bike.


WOMEN VICTORY RIDERS
More and more women are becoming Victory Riders and they rolled up high mileage in 2011. The old stereotypes (“Women need a small bike… women need bikes with smaller engines…”) have less and less credence as you see more and more women on bikes like the Victory Vision, Cross Country, Kingpin, etc.

We also saw a lot of women who were really taken by the new High-Ball, women like: Tonya Meadors of Wylie, Texas, who was among the first to log 1,000 miles on a High-Ball, and Allison Jenkins of Leeburg, Virginia, who rode her High-Ball on an 18-day, 13-state, 4-province, 2-ferry ride, 1-hurricane, 5,283-mile trip. Ride on, Women of Victory

Tonya Meadors (left) and Allison Jenkins (right).


DUB PERRY
When the VRA was founded in Victory’s early days, the Victory Ride program was established. Most traces of the ride program have faded, but there’s one Volunteer Victory Ride Coordinator who continues to organize monthly Victory Rides: Dub Perry.

With the blessing and support of the staff at Polaris West, the Victory/Polaris dealership in Katy, Texas, just outside Houston, Dub leads riders on all brands of bikes to scenic and delicious destinations throughout the year. Riders on Dub’s Victory Rides make new friends, discover fascinating Texas locales, and challenge their bikes’ gross vehicle weights after dining at classic Texas lunch stops like THIS and THIS.

Dub was sidelined for a few months in 2011 after blowing out his knee in June. But after rehabbing the damaged joint, he was back on his Victory Vision and back on schedule with monthly rides. Thanks, Dub.


VICTORY POLICE MOTORCYCLES
To borrow the classic Honda tag line, you meet the nicest people on a Victory. But more and more of them might be prepared to write you a speeding ticket.

That’s because more and more law enforcement agencies in North America are using Victory Police Motorcycles (VPM) as their motors of choice. Agencies in states such as Texas and Kansas are using VPM bikes, as are agencies now in Canada.

The exposure generated by Victory Police Motorcycles being used by police and sheriff motor patrols is invaluable. These superior bikes help the agencies provide enhanced public service. Plus, more and more motorists are seeing Victorys in the hands of key opinion influencers – law enforcement men and women who trust these motorcycles with their lives and livelihoods.

The VPM sales force travels far and wide to demonstrate Victory motorcycles to agencies and to have officers spend time on the bikes. This is leading to more agencies selecting Victory for its motor fleets, which is leading to officers purchasing Victorys as their personal bikes.

If you have friends who question Victory performance, have them watch VPM videos of law enforcement officers testing the bikes. Handling, acceleration, braking, balance – all unsurpassed. The police lights and graphics are pretty awesome, too.



Windsor Police Constable Di (Diane) is the first woman Motor to use a Victory Police Motorcycle in Canada.


BIKE OF THE YEAR: Victory High-Ball
Unveiled on a great live webcast from a pool hall in New York City last January, the Victory High-Ball quickly became the King of Cool.

With its just-right mix of components, blacked-out paint, cool graphics, and attitude, it nailed it.

You can be an accountant in a business suit or a nun in a full habit, but when you climb on a bike with ape hangers, the bad ass meter goes red line. That’s absolutely true with the High-Ball. Plus, since it’s a Victory, it’s an awesome-riding machine. Check out the mileage some riders are racking up on their High-Balls. It’s way beyond what dudes used to log on custom choppers, which had the look (at the time) but not the real ride.

The High-Ball is a gas to ride, and as you would expect, it offers no apologies to other bikes in the Victory lineup as it accepts its award as the 2011 Bike of the Year.


KEVIN CROSS
A lot of Victory Riders know KevinX, the guy in Victory forums who seems to be able to answer every bloody tech question anyone has about Victorys – any Victory. But they might not know the guy logging on as KevinX is Kevin Cross, who is the Service Manager at Polaris of Gainesville and the current president of the Victory Motorcycle Club (VMC).

We salute Kevin for his Victory technical expertise, of course, but really honor him for stable leadership of the VMC. Groups like this – all volunteer and comprised of tremendously diverse personalities – can be volatile. It happens. But it’s been a pretty calm, steady period in VMC history with Kevin at the helm, and we think that’s great.

He would tell you he doesn’t do it alone, and we agree that the entire team of leaders currently holding top VMC positions has done a great job. Tip of the helmet to all of those folks keeping the VMC rolling and keeping the website humming.

Jeff Martini (left) of the Victory Riders Network with Kevin Cross.


JEFF MARTINI & MILES-KEVIN BARON
As soon as the Victory Vision was unveiled, Victory Riders and web gurus Jeff Martini and Miles-Kevin Baron started to develop the Vision-Riders website. It became a great source of info about the revolutionary luxury touring model, and quickly became the go-to site for Victory Vision discussion.

The site has evolved into the Victory Riders Network, which offers info about every current Victory model and forums for riders of all Victorys.

The VRN sites have continued to grow and improve over the past year, and for that we offer Jeff and Miles a tip of the helmet. One particularly cool factor is that the VRN sites and the VMC website aren’t polarizing, either-or sites. They are complementary and all are worth bookmarking.

RELATED & NOTEWORTHY: The Victory Facebook Page
The Victory Facebook page has over 50,000 fans and is a live-time virtual town square where Victory Riders can share opinions, bike photos, ride stories and learn what’s new with their favorite brand.

This page has blossomed in the past year, so be sure to check it out. And you can’t say, “But I’m not on Facebook,” because it’s a public page and you can visit it without having a Facebook page of your own.



VICTORY NATIONAL DEMO TOUR TRUCK DRIVERS
Victory preaches “Ride One and You’ll Own One,” and tries to make it happen for every rider out there by fielding a fleet of Victory National Demo Tour trucks. We salute the guys who drive these trucks for crisscrossing the country, setting up, tearing down, loading, unloading and putting thousands of riders on Victorys.

Sure, it’s their job and they’re getting paid. But they’re on the road for extended periods of time and they do more than just drive and park. They work closely with Victory dealers to ensure everybody has a great riding experience. Well done.

RELATED & NOTEWORTHY: Victory Riders Who Pitch In at Demo Events
A tip of the helmet to the Victory Riders who lend a hand when their local dealers host demo ride events with the demo trucks. Guys like these Victory Riders (below) who helped out during the demo event at Dick Scott’s Classic Motorcycles in Livonia, Michigan.

When you learn the demo truck is coming to town, ask your Victory dealer if you can help in any way. At the very least, show up with your bike and let prospective Victory owners see how much you dig your ride and see how you’ve customized your bike.

Members of the Wolverine State Victory Riders helped out at the demo event at Dick Scott’s.


STEVE ROLLAND
Steve Rolland might as well have a permanent nameplate affixed to a chair at the Victory Riders of the Year banquet. Another year, another epic Iron Butt ride, eh, Steve?

In 2011, Steve’s Iron Butt exploits were actually rather mortal – compared to his past rides. The only Victory Rider to have completed 48-10 (48 states in under 10 days) and a 48 Plus! (ride a 48-10, then head to Alaska, all within 10 days), Steve took a trip in June 2011 that earned him three more Iron Butt certificates.

He headed west from his Wisconsin home and achieved a BunBurner Gold (1,500 miles in under 24 hours) and a SaddleSore 2000 Gold (2,000 miles in under 36 hours). After some pleasure riding throughout Colorado, he decided to skip a hotel overnight and rode straight home, which gave him yet another SadddleSore 1000 (1,000 miles in under 24 hours).

Steve also took part in the Victory national sales meeting in July. As part of a presentation to Victory dealers about Victory Reliability, one element of The Victory EDGE, Steve recounted the high-mileage adventures he has experienced on Victorys – virtually trouble-free.

In 2012, Steve revs up the Big Challenge meter once again as he plans to ride an Ultimate Coast to Coast Iron Butt. He’ll start at the northernmost tip of Alaska and ride to the southernmost point in the continental U.S., Key West, Florida.


RELATED & NOTEWORTHY: Victory Iron Butts Steve Menneto & Greg Moe
Steve Menneto, VP Motorcycles for Polaris, earned major street cred when he left the national sales meeting in Nashville on a Cross Country, and he didn’t quit riding until he got to upstate New York. He covered more than 1,000 miles in under 24 hours and has been certified with completing a SaddleSore 1000 Iron Butt Ride.

Greg Moe, who has completed more than 15 Iron Butt rides in his career, completed at least three more Iron Butt rides in 2011. Riding solo, he pre-rode the route for the annual All-Victory Iron Butt Ride, then he led a group of Victory Riders on that route from Minnesota to St. Louis and back. Greg’s leadership once again helped several riders achieve Iron Butt status for the first time.

Greg made history on a chilly September 2011 day when he was the first rider ever to complete a SaddleSore 1000 on a High-Ball, a feat the Iron Butt Assn. officially recognized as the first ”Iron Ball.”

Greg Moe on his historic “Iron Ball” Iron Butt ride.