Victory Vegas

Victory Vegas

WHAT WE LIKE

NOT SO MUCH

OVERVIEW
Although Victory executives may grimace, it's simply impossible to discuss Victory Motorcycles without first referring to its vastly bigger competitor, Harley-Davidson. The latter has virtually owned the American V-twin cruiser market ever since Indian collapsed in the early '50s, and The Motor Co, as it's affectionately known, has known little in the way of competition. That is, until recently.

Victory Motorcycles, a subsidiary of the giant Polaris corporation - a manufacturer of snowmobiles and ATVs - launched straight into the lion's den of the American cruiser market in 1998. Many thought it wouldn't last, but a decade on Victory is still here, and produces quite a range of American-made V-twins. David may not have slain Goliath, but he's set up camp right under his nose...

Now, after launching into a number of other world markets, Victory has arrived in Australia. It has a spectacular flagship dealership in Melbourne's Elizabeth Street bike precinct, plus outlets in Newcastle (NSW), Mackay (Qld) and Brisbane, and has plans to extend its network Australia-wide in the coming few years.

The Victory range comprises several base models, with a number of variations of each. There's the Vegas, plus the Vegas Low, the Vegas 8-Ball and the Vegas Jackpot. Then there's the Kingpin, the Kingpin 8-Ball and the Kingpin Tour, plus the Hammer and Hammer S. The Vision Street and the Vision Tour are the marque's full dress tourers (and powered by 106ci engines), while there are a further two wild versions of the Vegas Jackpot, designed by custom cruiser maestros Arlen and Corey Ness, known as the 'Ness Signature Series' models.

As the Vegas is something of a lynchpin for the modern Victory range, as far as reviews go it's a good place to start. Our test bike is the 'base' model Vegas, as opposed to the even lower Vegas Low, the sinister and blacked-out Vegas 8-Ball, or the fat-tyred Vegas Jackpot chopper. There's also a 'premium' Vegas available, with an inverted front fork and a lot more chrome.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
Being a cruiser, the Vegas is all about the style, the look and the feel. You won't find 'all the bells and whistles' on a base model Vegas, but you will find plenty of chrome, a long and low stance, a rumbling V-twin note and a torquey, willing powerplant.

Like the majority of the 2008 Victory range, the Vegas is powered by Victory's 100 cubic inch (1634cc) "Freedom" V-twin. Equipped with electronic fuel injection and air/oil-cooled, the unit comes with four-valve heads and Victory says it's good for 85hp at 4500rpm, and a meaty 144Nm at 2500rpm. The oomph is fed through a six-speed gearbox before being fed to the rear hoop via a right side belt.

The suspension package consists of a conventional and non-adjustable 43mm fork up the front, with a largely concealed rear monoshock down the back, adjustable for preload.

Instrumentation comprises a single clock - the speedo - with an inset LCD display you can toggle between an odometer and a trip meter. The usual array of idiot lights, including a fuel warning light, are set into the top of the triple tree.

There's a 300mm disc brake at either end. A four-piston caliper with a braided steel line does duty up at the pointy end, backed up by a twin-piston caliper down the back.

This base model Vegas is available only in Solid Super Steel Gray, and comes with a retail price of $23,995 plus ORC. That's pretty keenly priced when you look at equivalent Harley offerings - an '08 Softail Standard, as an example, retails for $25,100 plus ORC.

Vegas owners can also choose from a number of exhaust systems, wheels, controls and all manner of other chrome accessories, plus windshields, seats and panniers, from the Victory accessories catalogue.

ON THE ROAD
I've ridden enough cruisers over the years to tell a good one from a bad one, and the Vegas ain't no slouch. The 673mm seat height shouldn't pose any problems, and the seat itself is nicely contoured and padded. The ride position, with feet forward and a gentle stretch to those pull-back bars, was perfect for my 6ft 2in (188cm) frame.

A stab of the starter gets those big pistons cranking, and with the stock pipes the bike quickly settles into a muted rumble. Buyers will invariably swap them for freer-breathing options, but they still give the Vegas a pleasing voice with plenty of character.

Pull in the heavy(ish) clutch and prod the gear lever and you'll be greeted by a solid 'whack' as first cranks home. If you're not used to cruisers you'll find it noisy and a little clunky, but it works perfectly well, and it's never a drama to find neutral at the lights.

Once rolling the Vegas offers a superb ride. The clean fuelling allows smooth running around town, while there's a heap of grunt to keep you smiling. That claimed figure of 144Nm isn't to be trifled with, but take note of where it's delivered - at just 2500rpm. The Vegas will launch off a standing start, turning cars - and a number of other bikes, for that matter - into specs in your mirrors in short order. There's rarely any need to bother the gearbox for overtakes, unless you're cruising in that overdrive sixth gear, which - for Australian highway speed limits, at least - is just a tad too tall.

For a raked out beast tipping the scales at close to 300kg, it'll hustle through the bends too. Ground clearance is actually pretty decent for a cruiser, and you can slice through high-speed sweepers in style. It'll wallow a little if you hit a bump while cranked right over, but it's better than most cruisers, and in any case here we're talking about the very upper limits of its design brief.

Combined the brakes do a decent job. The front four-piston caliper, with braided line, looks fearsome, but is actually pretty soft. Of course most of your braking power on a cruiser is at the back anyway, and here the rear disc provides ample power. It's actually pretty easy to lock it up, even at high speed. I'd prefer a little more feel at the pedal, but then the familiarity of ownership would undoubtedly be a help.

Then we come to its style. While the bulk of Harley's business concerns new bikes with an old, 'classic' cruiser style, Victory's bikes have a unique flavour. The Vegas is no exception, blending traditional cruiser lines with a modern twist. The grey paint didn't set my imagination on fire, but its quality - and that of its lashings of chrome - appears to be high. The wheels look great, and the engine itself looks tough and muscular, as it should - although I could do without the cheesy "Freedom V-twin" and "Overdrive 6 Speed" tags.

I recorded an average fuel economy of 16.3km/lt while aboard the Vegas, which represents a mixture of both town and highway work. With a 17lt tank, that gives you an effective range of around 240km, which certainly isn't bad for this genre.

After riding the Vegas it was plainly evident why Victory is still here, some 10 years after taking on what many said was an impossible task. Its products are good - very good - and they're keenly priced too. If, for you, a cruiser can have only one name on the tank - and 105 years of history behind it - it's unlikely you'll consider anything else. If, however, you're truly the free-thinking individual the cruiser lifestyle is said to attract, check out Victory's products for yourself. As a base model in the Victory range the Vegas ticks all the boxes, and with Victory's 2009 models just around the corner, I can't wait to sample some more.

Words & pics: Rod Chapman