Joining the High-Ball in Victory’s expanding stable of models is the 2012 Hard-Ball. The black-as-night iteration of the High-Ball’s ape-hanger profile brings a touch of touring convenience with the addition of saddlebags.

In addition to the black and pinstriped luggage are obvious additions such as the two-person seat, crashbars, floorboards, lower fairing and split exhaust. Not as immediately apparent are some of the changes Victory incorporated into the Hard-Ball to better suit its longer-mileage persona.

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On its Facebook page today, Victory motorcycles released a teaser video for an upcoming model to be unveiled December 9 at 7pm CST. The video is a brief 43 seconds that begins with the sound of spray paint being shaken and black paint being “sprayed” onto the camera.

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Victory Motorcycles and Sgt. R. Lee Ermey, aka The Gunny, will team up at the Long Beach, Calif., venue of the International Motorcycle Show on Dec. 9 and 10 to help Toys for Tots and to unveil a new model from Victory.

The Gunny is ordering riders to participate in the Toys for Tots Saddlebag Challenge by bringing new unwrapped toys into the Victory display to fill up all the show motorcycle saddlebags with gifts for underprivileged kids for this upcoming holiday season.

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Polaris Industries announced another record quarter with sales growth across all its product lines including on-road vehicle sales which consist mainly of Victory Motorcycles and Indian Motorcycles.

The Medinia, Minn., company reported $67.6 million in net income for the third quarter ended Sept. 30, 2011, a 43% increase from the $47.2 million reported in the same quarter of 2010. Overall sales brought in $729.9 million, a 26% increase from Q3 2010′s $580.1.

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A new era has begun as the first Indian Motorcycle under the ownership of Polaris Industries has been produced at the company’s Spirit Lake, Iowa, factory.

The landmark first Polaris-owned Indian won’t be heading right to the showroom floor however; instead, it will undergo extensive testing and evaluation by Polaris. As such, this particular Indian Chief Vintage, and the rest of the 2012 Indian line, will be fairly similar to Indian’s previous offerings, save for some minor updates to catch any issues Polaris already discovered.

The 2012 Indian models will be equiped with air-cooled, fuel injected 105ci (1720cc) engines, six speed transmissions, chrome laced wheels, 5.5 gallon fuel tanks, Brembo brakes, long fenders and an array of color options.

The 2013 lineup will likely see more substantial updates, including perhaps a switch to the 106ci engine used on Victory models.

[Source: Polaris]

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The U.S. motorcycle industry saw a 4.6% decrease in year-on-year sales over the first six months of 2011, thanks mostly to a 17.3% drop in ATV sales. Motorcycle and scooter sales however saw a 1.7% bump in the first half .

Unfortunately, most of that gain in two-wheeled vehicle sales was due to a strong first quarter that saw a year-on-year increase of 7.2%. Second quarter motorcycle and scooter sales totaled 156,215 units, down 1.6% compared to 158,686 units sold in the second quarter 2010.

Compiled by the Motorcycle Industry Council, the figures represent sales over the six months ended June 30, 2011, from 19 reporting manufacturers: Aprilia, Arctic Cat, BMW, Buell, Can-Am, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Husaberg, Kawasaki, KTM, Moto Guzzi, Piaggio, Polaris, Suzuki, Triumph, Vespa, Victory and Yamaha.

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Polaris Industries reported a 99% increase in on-road vehicle (i.e. Victory Motorcycles) sales, and a 90% increase in overall net income over the second quarter of 2011.

For the quarter ended June 20, 2011, Polaris reported $30.9 million in product sales from its on-road division which consists primarily of Victory Motorcycles. That is nearly double the $15.5 million reported in the same quarter of 2010.

Victory’s North American unit sales were up 40% over the second quarter, while the rest of the heavyweight cruiser and touring industry saw only a single-digit increase in U.S. sales. Sales outside of North America increased by 34%.

Overall, Polaris reported all-time record second quarters in both sales ($607.9 million) and net income ($48.7 million).

[Source: Polaris]

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Victory Motorcycles announced its schedule of events for the 71st annual Sturgis Rally, Aug. 8-14 in Sturgis, S.D.

The Medina, Minn., manufacturer returns this year as an official sponsor for Sturgis events at the Legendary Buffalo Chip, with a special one-off Victory Kingpin customized by Klock Werks Kustom Cycle to be given away on the Buffalo Chip stage.

Victory will be sponsoring the Buffalo Chip Legends Ride on Aug. 8, with special guests expected to include Arlen, Cory and Zack Ness, Roland Sands and Rupert Boneham from television’s Survivor. Victory will also host its traditional ride-in rally for Victory owners on Aug. 11.

Demo rides on all Victory models will also be offered throughout the week at a demo site at Exit 30 on I-90.

[Source: Victory]

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Polaris is issuing a recall for certain 2004-2011 Victory Kingpin and 2006-2011 Victory Jackpot motorcycles equipped with accessory touring seats.

According to documents released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,the backrest supports on some accessory seats may separate from the motorcycle, potentially putting a passenger at risk of falling off.

The recall campaign affects the Victory Kingpin Touring, Double Backrest seat (part number 2876641-01) and Victory Jackpot Touring with backrest seat (part number 2875961-01). Certain seats were produced with a stress riser in the bend area of the support which may weaken and separate due to metal fatigue or overloading.

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We missed it yesterday, but July 4, 2011, represented Victory Motorcycles’ 13th birthday!

Founded on July 4, 1998, the Polaris Industries-owned Victory Motorcycles has carved out its niche in the American motorcycle market with its line of cruisers and touring bikes.

To celebrate its birthday, Victory released a video (look for it after the jump) featuring a test of its anti-lock brake system on a variety of surfaces.

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