Victory Motorcycles is celebrating the company’s 15th anniversary with a special limited edition Cross Country Tour. Unveiled at the New York City stop of the International Motorcycle Shows tour, the 15th Anniversary Cross Country Tour Limited Edition comes in an Antares red over Gloss Black paint scheme, just like the original 1998 V92C that was the first motorcycle to roll off the line at Victory’s factory in Spirit Lake, Iowa.

The 15th Anniversary model also features a custom seat, billet wheels, chrome details, removeable saddlebag and trunk liners, a Garmin GPS navigation system, XM satellite radio, Kicker speakers, black windscreen and an iPhone/iPod connector. The limited edition model also features special badging including red-lettered cam badges and an individually numbered plate. Continue Reading »

Polaris Industries has acquired motorcycle and snowmobile gear manufacturer KLIM. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

The KLIM brand will continue operating as a standalone business alongside Polaris’ existing apparel labels. KLIM staff will continue operating at its existing headquarters in Rigby, Idaho. In fact, Polaris plans to make KLIM’s Rigby facility its new apparel “Center of Excellence”, using the company’s expertise and capabilities across all Polaris apparel brands.

“I built KLIM with a passion for the category and a commitment to the world’s adventure snowmobile and motorcycle riders,” says Justin Summers, KLIM founder, president and CEO.  “We had a vision of making products that mattered, that solved problems and that were the best they could be. I am very proud of what we have built at KLIM, and I am fired up that the next chapter of the KLIM story will be written through our exciting partnership with Polaris. KLIM will now have the resources to reach the next level as we continue to innovate and lead into the future.” Continue Reading »

Polaris reported a record third quarter including a 78% year-on-year increase in on-road vehicle sales, most of which is from Victory Motorcycles.

According to the Minnesota company’s third quarter report, Polaris recorded a profit of $94.3 million in the three months ended Sept. 30, 2012, compared to a profit of $67.6 million reported in the same quarter of 2011. Off-road vehicle sales continue to drive Polaris’ sales, but the on-road division, consisting of the Victory and Indian motorcycle brands as well as electric vehicle brand GEM and Goupil, continues to make gains.

On-road vehicle sales generated $63.4 million in revenue for Polaris, with a bulk of that coming from Victory. That represents a 78% increase from the $35.7 million reported in the corresponding quarter of 2011. Demand for Victory motorcycles was strong in all of Polaris’ global markets, including North America. Continue Reading »

Polaris has initiated a recall campaign on 6,618 motorcycles representing units from each of Victory‘s 2012-2013 offerings. Though all of Victory‘s models from the last two years are included, the recall campaign pertains to units produced from Jan. 3, to Aug. 15, 2012, and just less than 2% of the units produced over that period are affected.

The recall campaign affects the new 2013 Victory Boardwalk, the 2012 Kingpin it replaced, and all versions of the 2012-2013 Cross Country, Cross Roads, Hammer, Hard-Ball, Jackpot, Judge, Vegas and Vision including the Ness edition versions.

According to documents released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the throttle cable retention nuts on affected units may not have received the proper torqueing procedure. As a result, the nuts closest to the throttle body may become dislodged and interfere with throttle control. Continue Reading »

As part of its annual summer sales meeting and its presence at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Polaris Industries Inc., Victory Motorcycles, and the Company’s dealers donated $154,125 to the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). The donation was part of Polaris’ continuing relationship with the WWP, an organization that raises awareness and aids injured servicemen and women. Earlier this year, Polaris also gave away three special, blacked-out RANGER RZRXP4 900 side-by-side vehicles to WWP veterans.

Continue Reading »

Polaris Industries reported a 110% increase in sales from its On-Road division over the second quarter of 2012. The On-Road division consists primarily of Victory Motorcycles but also includes Indian Motorcycles, electric vehicle brands Global Electric Motorcars and Goupil. The acquisitions of the latter three brands contributed to nearly a third of the overall growth.

According to Polaris’ second quarter 2012 report, the On-Road division generated $64.7 million in sales, more than double the $30.9 million reported over the same quarter of 2011. First half sales totaled $129.4 million, a 71% increase from the $75.8 million in sales reported over Q2 2011.

Victory Motorcycles saw a 10% gain in North American retail sales over the second quarter. By contrast, the overall heavyweight cruiser and touring market in North America saw only a low single-digit percent increase over the quarter. Continue Reading »

Polaris Industries has formed a new joint venture with Eicher Motors, the parent company of Royal Enfield. The new joint venture will develop new products for India and other emerging markets.

The new company will be backed by a $50 million investment with both Polaris and Eicher sharing 50%. The joint venture will develop new vehicles, though neither company has been specific about what kind of vehicles will be produced.

Polaris builds ATVs and side-by-sides and snowmobiles, and owns two motorcycle brands, Victory and Indian Motorcycles. Polaris also owns electric vehicle manufacturer Global Electric Motorcars. Eicher owns motorcycle maker Royal Enfield and has another joint venture with Volvo producing commercial vehicles. Continue Reading »

Victory released a video teasing a new model for 2013, set to be unveiled at the end of the month.

The video only offers the briefest glimpse of the new model, the 2013 Victory Boardwalk. What we can see is the white paint color, a Kingpin-style rear fender and a similar fuel tank design as the Judge with its hard edges.

We’ll have more when the 2013 Victory Boardwalk is unveiled on July 30. Continue Reading »

Playboy and Victory Motorcycles are working together in a promotion that will see a Playmate grace the cover of Victory‘s 2013 brochure.

Fans can vote for one of three Playboy Playmates to appear on the brochure at PB-Victory.com. The Victory motorcycle that will appear with the winning playmate will later be auctioned to benefit Operation Gratitude, a non-profit organization that sends care packages to United States service personnel stationed overseas.

The three Playboy Playmates vying for the cover are Miss November 2011 Ciara Price, Miss January 2011 Anna Sophia Berglund and Miss April 2012 Raquel Pomplun. Check out their behind-the-scenes videos after the jump, then vote! Continue Reading »

Louisiana state lawmakers have approved a bill that would change the maximum height of motorcycle handlebars.

Current state law restricts handlebar height to no more than 15 inches above the seat, a somewhat arbitrary level, but a common choice with 17 other states. The House has voted 87-0 in favor of Senate Bill 582 to change the maximum height to the rider’s shoulder level, as measured while sitting on the seat. SB 582 was introduced by Democrat senators Rick Gallot and Gary Smith.

The shoulder-level limit is used by 12 other states, with Louisiana joining their ranks upon the approval of Governor Bobby Jindal. The new law makes the limit relative to the rider’s body whereas the existing limit affected all riders regardless of body size. Continue Reading »