#victory

My ‘office’ on the Isle of Man today is the Creg-ny-Baa pub, one of the best vantage points for race watching on the TT Course. Up here you can see the race bikes come straight down from Kate’s Cottage for over ½ mile, reaching 180 mph, braking hard, then banking over and pinning it again down to Brandish. They’re already 34 miles into a lap, and from the balcony of the Creg, you can see and appreciate the bike’s suspension and motor working in harmony with the brain chemistry of the rider to achieve unthinkable speeds and the smooth, consistent riding required to succeed at the TT.

Victory revealed a new electric sportbike prototype featuring an all-new battery module from Brammo. Described as a test bed for the company’s future powertrains, the new Victory RR will make its racing debut in the TT Zero class in the 2016 Isle of Man TT beginning May 28.

Okay, right off the bat, Victory has a lot of nerve listing any Magnum X-1 as a Stealth Edition. The very idea of the Magnum X-1 is contrary to stealth in any form. First, the motorcycle in question is based the Victory Magnum, which is the tricked-out and slammed iteration of the venerable Victory Cross Country. Victory literally upped the volume with the Magnum X-1 by adding to the factory sound system already in the batwing fairing by mounting four speakers in the saddlebags. Yeah, these bikes are all about getting attention, despite having stealth in the model’s name. There isn’t any  better place than Daytona Bike Week to see how well a cruiser can strut its stuff, so we rolled up the Magnum X-1 Stealth Edition and sank our way into the hoards of people at motorcycling’s annual coming-out party.

We’ve been following the creation of the Victory version of a bike with the Indian Scout engine with great interest. Well, it’s arrived in the form of the 2017 Victory Octane and not without a little controversy from our readers. Whether or not the Octane is the motorcycle you wanted Victory to build with its engine, we think the Octane is a very good motorcycle.

On February 29, 2016, the official stunt team for Victory Motorcycles set their sights on an entry in the Guinness Book Of World Records. Given the performance focus of the new, 2017 Victory Octane, the record for the world’s longest burnout seemed like the perfect goal for the 1167cc V-Twin with a nasty attitude. While you or I may think we can outdo this record (a highly dubious thought, but go ahead, if you like), some hurdles other than simply doing a super-long burnout are required. Within the various forms of documenting any record attempt, we think that having the snappily-dressed Guinness representative holding an “Officially Amazing” clipboard witness your effort is the most important component – aside from actually shredding the Octane’s rear tire.

When we posted our article about Victory’s unveiling of the 2017 Octane, the vitriol in the comments section was surprising even by internet standards. Of the 50 comments posted as of the writing of this review, roughly 30 were negative, many saying that the commenter felt mislead by Victory’s references to the Project 156 Pikes Peak racer as an inspiration during the Octane’s development. Perhaps this is an example of people hearing what they deeply wish for instead of what was actually being said.

On a tram in Zürich – en route to see native son Urs “Grizzly” Pedraita unveil the modified Victory Cross Country Tour he will use to try to break the world record for traveling around the world – I spot a newspaper on the seat next to mine.

Muscle bikes are as American as, well, the V-Twin engine. Both are elemental designs stripped down to their bare essentials. Victory Motorcycles has chosen to combine the two in the new Octane to create its vision of the future of American Muscle. Going against the image that muscle bikes need to have huge engines, the Octane steps onto the scene with a mere 1179cc displacement.

Each year around this time the MO staff gathers to contemplate the new breed of tasty two-wheelers coming our way. This is also when each editor begins positioning himself for a particular press launch. Last year, Preemptive Editor, Troy Siahaan made it abundantly clear that only an act of God would keep him from the R1 launch. This year he’s communicated the same thing about the new Suzuki SV650, a bike that, democratically, didn’t even make this list (Ouch. -TS).

We’re approaching the end of the year which means it’s time to look back at some of the top news stories in motorcycledom from 2015. The last 12 months saw a lot of ups and downs, and here’s to hoping there will be more of the former in 2016.

When  Victory Motorcycles announced in mid-October that it would reveal a new motorcycle at EICMA 2015, riders who follow Victory and its parent company, Polaris, knew that the bike would most likely be the production result of the company’s Project 156 Pikes Peak racing effort from this past summer. Well, they/we were right – and wrong. While the new engine displayed by Victory today is the production version of the Project 156 effort that will power a future 1200cc class motorcycle and “deliver the strongest power and performance in its class,” the bike is said to be just a concept. Still, the question remains: Exactly how far along is this concept?

Victory, and parent company Polaris, know how to throw a birthday party. Take for example Alfonse Palaima’s thinly veiled attempt at a motorcycle review, seen below in this week’s Church feature. The bike is the 2009 Victory Vision Tour 10th Anniversary Edition, named such in honor of Victory’s 10th model year. Only 100 were made, and AP was lucky enough to throw a leg over one for a ride. Equally as important was the opportunity to join 98 other Victory owners for a chance to chew the fat, rub elbows and drink beer with Victory/Polaris execs. The Fonz was sure not to drink and ride, of course, and returned with an entertaining and informative review. Check out the whole story below, and to see more pics of the the Vision, be sure to visit the photo gallery.

I’m tucked in behind the bubble of an authentic Isle of Man TT racer watching numbers roll past 140 mph on the speedometer, but there’s not even a whisper from the engine. That’s because this Victory doesn’t have an engine – it uses an electric motor.

Here at MO, we like to shake things up every now and then with our motorcycle reviews. You know – think outside the box, not get complacent, keep things fresh, etc. It inspires our creative juices, plus it just makes for a fun motorcycle ride. On occasion, the usual method for a single-bike evaluation can be a bit predictable. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy a nice romp in the hills on a fast motorcycle, but we’re often asking ourselves, “What can we do that’s different?” This time, I think we have an answer.

Maturity. For me, I look back at the point I became a mature human as the time in my life when my voice deepened, I was hungry all the time, and I was incredibly awkward talking to girls (some things never change). I’m guessing it was an awkward time for many of us, but the term “maturity” is also one I hear a lot when it comes to electric vehicles. As I noted in my long(ish)-term review of the Zero SR, my wife and I had contemplated an electric car for our daily transportation.