MD received the following press release from Victory Motorcycles earlier today, as well as several photos revealing the final form of the Project 156 race bike. Everything we know at this point is set forth in the following PR and video:
MEDINA, Minn., USA (June 2, 2015) – Victory Motorcycles, in partnership with Roland Sands Design and Cycle World, will race a new prototype engine at the Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb on June 28.
The prototype racing motorcycle, named Project 156 for the 156 turns in the Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb, also known as the Race to the Clouds, will feature a liquid-cooled engine and be piloted by Cycle World Road Test Editor Don Canet.
“We have an intense focus at Victory Motorcycles to prove the performance of our vehicles,” said Rod Krois, Victory General Manager. “Competing as an American OEM at America’s race is an exciting opportunity. The grueling conditions at Pike’s Peak provide the perfect proving ground for our new Project 156 race engine.”
The Project 156 motorcycle is a hand-built road-racing bike with a prototype Victory motor developed at Victory’s Minnesota research and development facility. This liquid-cooled engine represents the future performance of the Victory brand. It features intake Twin 67mm throttles with downdraft runners for maximum power and torque as well as a performance valvetrain including titanium intake and exhaust valves to allow for maximum engine speed.
The Roland Sands Design team developed and built the chassis to cradle the Project 156 motor. “This truly has been an All-American effort,” said Roland Sands. “The Race to the Clouds is a legendary event and we couldn’t be more proud to partner with Victory on the endeavor. We’ve built lots of custom motorcycles, but building a purpose-built race bike for this project has been a unique experience that we’ll remember for a long time.”
The Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb, an annual automobile and motorcycle hill climb to the summit of Pike’s Peak, Colorado, will take place on June 28, 2015. Having started in 1916, it is the second-oldest motorsport event in America after the Indianapolis 500. The track measures 12.42 miles (19.99 km) over 156 turns, climbing 4,720 feet (1,440 m) from the start at Mile 7 on Pike’s Peak Highway, to the finish at 14,110 feet (4,300 m), on grades averaging 7 percent.
“Ever since Victory and Roland Sands introduced me to this project I’ve been counting down the days to the event,” said Cycle World Road Test Editor Don Canet. “This will be my second time racing the Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb. Now that I’ve had a taste of what it’s like I’m ready to get back and finish stronger in 2015.”
To support the Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb, Victory Motorcycles has moved the 2015 American Victory Rally to Colorado Springs, Colorado from June 25–28. The weekend will feature not only Project 156, but loads of riding through stunning scenery, and a showcase of Victory Racing initiatives including the NHRA Drag Racing team. Victory owners can visit http://vic.mn/AVR for more details.
To learn more about Project 156, our sponsors, and Victory Motorcycles, visit www.VictoryMotorcycles.com/en-us/project-156 or follow on Twitter @VictoryBikes and on Facebook at facebook.com/VictoryMotorcycles.
Back to this bike…..
So much eye candy! The want is strong. I can’t wait to see how it does on Pike’s Peak.
+1. The utilitarian industrial appearance appeals to me. Sure hope Vic transitions away from the angular garish visual punch mode to something more along this line.
Tom….agree, but there should be some room for us to have admiration and respect for Victory at giving it a go.
I realllly want to see Victory win their class …….or finish in the top three at Pikes Peak
I am thinking the following odds
Win: 20 to 1
Top 3 placing: 3 to 1
To Mickey:
1. Fact Check: Show one article or video link just one statement by Eric Buell” where he stated ….He can’t win, and it’s everybody else’s fault.”
2. Reading comprehension…..give it a try ….stick to article topic which was Victory in this case and clearly not Eric Buell.
3. Yet again……you’re fearing totally insecure that a bike made in America (Victory) by Americans might just succeed ….just too much for you!!!
To Mickey and W…..
I restate a prior post in defense of Victory efforts at the Isle of Man and Pikes Peak I resubmit my comments for all the naysayers here related to EBR and now Victory especially for W and Mickey
Mike Stated:
“And here we have it ……….many posts critical of Eric Buell from a group that even on a combined basis could not design, build and market a Zuma knockoff intended for third world markets.
Experts each one of us…. at typing the negative after the fact ….and seldom if ever having the skill, knowledge or insight to predict or comment before.
The following ole sports saying is totally appropriate on this topic ….none of us ….or all of us together here….could carry Eric Buells (or in this case Victorys) “jockstrap” …. even one day.”
Wonder when you’d show up
Mickey: It’s the combined smell of bs, off topic and unsupported commentary that attracts my feeble rebuttals every now and then. I promise to do better in ignoring all this in the future!
Mike, I’m not sure why you’re interested in Erik’s jock strap, but do what you will. In any case, and fully supported by his track record as a businessman, Erik is clearly a failure at running a business and making good decisions for whom to do business with. Fact.
W
W
Provide a specific list….ten items …..business and management decisions Eric Buell made to ensure the demise of his company twice. Back up your generalizations and jock strap size with facts!
And where were you and all the other “after the fact” experts before these events with Buell unfolded….you have a link to just one documented comment/prediction before any of this happened….yes or no!
Mike, w… Jeez, guys. End this EBR crap already. Neither of you are making particularly valid points anyway. You are both just stuck at polar extreme of the argument.
It is like azi said: this subject has become the Goodwin’s Law of motorcycle forums.
Jeremy…
My post above of June 7, 2015 at 8:14 pm addresses your reply on June 8, 2015 at 3:16 pm.
Asking for specific backup to a post is certainly a valid and fair in most forums ….and thankfully here.
You, me ….any of us ….having the ability to reply to or question posts on Erik Buell, Victory or even Vented Jackets ..is just one of the reasons we consider this site and forum valuable and what we all admire…you know it, I know it.
Onward…..
Mike, backup post to what? To my predictions that the 1190RX was a bad move? I’ve said that many times on several different forums. You can find some replies to other posters on the original MD “EBR 1190RX goes into Production” article, way before EBR shutdown:
“I agree the EBR isn’t boutique. But it is $4K more than the class leader, equal in price the Panigale of equal kit and more expensive than all of the other competitors in the segment. The premium trim models of the Panigale and BMW include technology not yet offered by EBR in addition to other performance and aesthetic goodies. It doesn’t compete with Vmaxes, Gold Wings or the others you mentioned, so I don’t think that is relevant. The EBR may prove to be more (and I hope it does), but on paper it is a $15K motorcycle with a $19K price tag. I think they will have trouble selling bikes…”
“I agree with you that the Buell is not a boutique bike, but it is a little expensive compared to its competition. My concern is that it is a little too pricey to be a sales success, and I want it to be a success.”
“I don’t think many people are going to pay $20,000 for a Buell either, but I hope I am wrong.”
“I want to see EBR succeed, so I hope the bike lives up to its price tag. There is some very serious machinery offered up in this sub-segment. From a business growth perspective, I think the Hinkley Triumph approach would have been the better business decision (motorcycles for mortals as the first step), but Buell has always been the kind of guy to build what he wants. He built it, now everyone just needs to come… with their check books.”
Is that what you were wanting? I like the EBR discussions. I think they are interesting, and I could debate the subject all day with you. But I do tire of seeing the issue sidetrack other topics. But you are correct: these forums are living, breathing things, and it is part of why I like this site so much. Sometimes the “sidetracks” are the most fun. So I retract my “Jeez, guys” comment and offer my apologies.
W says ,Failure after failure after failure Really first off all the article I am referring to you obviously did not read (because no where is he (ERIK BUELL) making excuses, and making over 125,000 Buell’s is no failure and just a quick question how many patent’s do you hold and have seen other manufacturers embrace?
When all the bullsh1t is slung either way, if Erik was building bikes people wanted he would still be in business. Build antique V-twins that’s what Americans want and even you don’t want one that’s the choice out there for a comfortable bike!
I think in America at least, that’s how it works. If you build a product that enough people want, and sell it at a price that people are willing to pay, you will be successful and remain in business. That’s how capitalism works, or at least how it’s supposed to work. Some principals of business never change.
Here is another business “principle” for you.
Harley Davidson….success demands investment to accomplish it. In this case Harley Davidson wanted to be in the motorcycle performance market …..yet ignored the mandatory entrance to achieve bike success…. a new motor
Yet….here they/Harley Davidson were along with many on this forum blaming the failure of Buell without a new motor as “everybody else’s fault”
re: “if you build a product that enough people want, and sell it at a price that people are willing to pay, you will be successful and remain in business. That’s how capitalism works, or at least how it’s supposed to work.”
gross oversimplification. everything you described applies to SECULAR business pursuits. this however (and you’ve only heard me say this a 100 times) is…
(wait for it)
the niche business of motorcycling.
if there’s a #1 error I’ve seen laymen and “papered up” outsiders to this industry make over the past 20 years, that would be it.
I can accept that it’s a gross over simplification Norm but the principal still rings true. You can’t remain in business making a product not enough people want or not enough people are willing to pay for or not enough people find a good value. niche or no niche unless you are a billionaire and don’t NEED to make money to stay afloat. When you need to pay suppliers, and employees and bankers, and lien holders, and mortgagees, the money has to come from somewhere. Just because motorcycling is a niche market doesn’t make it immune to basic economics. Investors also want a return on their investment. If they don’t see it coming, they are most likely going to pull the plug. Business is business whether you are making widgets or motorcycles.
Am I wrong?
mickey says:
June 8, 2015 at 2:01 pm
“You can’t remain in business making a product not enough people want or not enough people are willing to pay for or not enough people find a good value. Am I wrong”
My reply:
135,000 Buells were sold!
Most Buells had the totally unsuitable for sport bike motor variants mandated by HD
Yuppp….we can all hear HD (not Erik Buell) saying…”and it’s everybody else’s fault.” we gave up on Buell!
“135,000 Buells were sold!”
That is not a lot for over 26 years worth of production. I’m not saying it isn’t anything to be proud of, but it is hard to make money at those quantities at the price points Buells were selling at.
“the niche business of motorcycling.”
Mickey is ultimately correct. Niche business or not the laws of economics remain as steadfast as the laws of physics, and Buells and EBRs failed to connect with enough buyers. EBR might have gotten there eventually – I read RX sales were terrible but that the SX started out pretty well before the plug was pulled – but they ran out of time and money.
For the Love of All that is Holy!
the market has spoken
Let Erik rest in peace
Yep…crushed like a Blast
W there are people lined up to finance him ,you won’t find out who until after July and as I stated in my earlier post (which you obviously did not read Harley did not and does not understand or care about the sport bike market ,If you find the article From Cycle World magazine you will see just how many great projects he wanted to do but Harley said no and about the E.B.R. business HERO owes E.B.R. 20 million for engineering for bikes they developed for them.
I read that article when it was published. Nothing but excuses. He failed to produce a successful business before HD, with HD, and he failed after HD. Failure after failure after failure. Sorry, but no one that wants to make money will invest in that track record.
re: “no one that wants to make money will invest in that track record.”
it’s a good job that anyone who wants to make money tends to be smart enough (unlike yourself) to engage in due diligence and vet any situation they’re interested in before erroneously heaping blame upon any one individual.
tell the truth you’re 12 years old, yes…? ’cause I have yet to meet the adult business professional in command of a million dollar portfolio who rationalizes the way you just did. never met ’em.
Erik burned over 20 million in his last attempt to launch a bike that someone would buy, and how did that turn out? It turned out in failure Norm. Over 3 decades of failure. You need to do a little due diligence yourself if you think funding Erik is a good bet. I’m sure Erik would be more than happy to burn through your “investment” portfolio Norm. I’m not sure 50 bucks will go very far though.
The comments re: Erik Buell are not well founded. He is a very talented engineer and designer. I have never seen of him making excuses either. With that being said, if Victory were to buy Buell, the motorcycles would be widely regarded as Buells. Too many of his design concepts would remain. Victory already makes a great bagger/touring bike. Branching out much like BMW has can help the dealer network. This project looks bad ass in my opinion. I can assume the motor is making north of 150hp. If this goes into a production bike(the motor) a whole new much needed line of bike’s are possible. With all the popularity of v-twins, I can’t believe not a single manufacturer has built a sportourer with one. The 2016 season should be interesting for Victory dealers.
re: “Erik burned over 20 million in his last attempt to launch a bike that someone would buy”
breaking news, it takes $50 million to successfully launch a brand in the 21st Century. the man hadn’t even gotten half way. $20 million is only a problem for the small mind whose world revolves around small dollar amounts.
Somewhat ironically, $50m was what Hero was supposed to invest in Buell. If you planned to spend $50, but get cut off unexpectedly at $20m, what other outcome could occur?
“breaking news, it takes $50 million to successfully launch a brand in the 21st Century. the man hadn’t even gotten half way. $20 million is only a problem for the small mind whose world revolves around small dollar amounts.”
Hey Norm, quit pretending that you know anything about how to run a business. You pull the “$50 mil.” figure right out of your ass and pretend it means something. You know and I know that Erik could blow through $100 or $200 million and still fail. You clearly know even less than Erik on how to launch/run a business. Deal with it.
Who cares if Harley builds a sport bike or not? They specialize in building cruisers and millions of riders seem to want just what Harley offers. Eric has had his chance now a couple times and blew both chances. He’s still able to try and take another stab at building a substandard bike at a premium price, just has to convince someone with more money than sense that it’ll be profitable. He’s done it before and he can do it again.
Harley has no interest in spend billions in re-tooling when people keep buying there “timeless” v-twin. The Vrod engine could be so much more but they just keep using it for the same thing that barely sells.
How is virtually every article lately devolves into an exchange about EBR/Buell?
EBR is turning into the Godwin’s Law of motorcycle forums.
Man, no kidding.
The Nicky Haden of motorcycle building. He can’t win, and it’s everybody else’s fault.
Q: How is virtually every article lately devolves into an exchange about EBR/Buell?
A: contrary to popular belief, human beings lean toward being dumb not smart.
No one is buying EBR…at retail or even wholesale. Give it a rest already…
No matter how cheap you could pick up the whole thing, the market just isn’t buying enough of his bikes at $16-$19K. They even tried fire sale pricing :
http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/2015-ebr-1190rx-road-test-motorcycle-review
You can’t “sell them all at a loss and make up for it with volume:.
If you’re a fan, get one of those bikes now, while you can.
W says you should really do a little research before you make statement’s like ( everything Erik touches fails and he runs it into the ground) Read the cycle world magazine issue from several years back entitled the death of Buell ,it will tell all about how H.D. killed the brand and how they had no desire or understanding about sport bikes or the buyers of sporting machines, and most recently how Hero motor company never paid E.B.R. 20 million dollars for engineering cost’s .
Erik decided to go into business with HD and Hero. That was his choice and his failure. If he’s such a great businessman, why are there not people lined up to fund him right now? There are a lot of venture capitalists looking to fund new businesses that will make them money. They know what I know – no one wants what Erik has to offer.
You “Buy EBR” guys really want Polaris to fail, don’t you? Erik ruined everything he touched. Who cares about innovation for the sake of innovation if no one wants to buy it. Nothing he ever made sold for a profit. Every time he tried to run a business, he ran into the ground. He was and is a huge failure when it comes to the business side of things.
It’s ugly, even for a race bike,, but if produces a nice, attractive sporty bike instead of the crap Victory sells, then I’m all for it.
And, yes, they should buy EBR.
First John have you ever ridden a Victory?? Probably not and victory builds what Americans want V-twin motorcycles. That’s what Americans buy in large numbers. The age of average of motorcyclist is probably around 50 now a days and like myself the day of sportbikes is gone when I sold my last one a ZX14. I’ve owned most of the touring bikes out there except the BMW K1600 and the new Indian tourer which has basically the same riding position as any Harley tourer. Forget about looks, brand loyalty etc and just go for functionality and I guarantee you, you WILL NOT find a motorcycle you can cross the USA in more comfort than a Victory Vision and a Cross Country tour second, that’s coming of a GL1800. Maintenance is oil and tires.
If Victory wants to compete just buy EBR..
strangely reminds me of built V-Max. they should maybe run this at Suzuka 8 hours at some point. this fits right into that crazy specials class. don’t know if they even still have that category…?
Great job Victory and Roland Sands, and everyone else who developed and worked on this bike, I am a big fan of naked bikes as I have owned Ducati’s and I now own a Buell and an E.B.R. 1190SX (which is a phenomenal bike) But if you build it and the final production bike looks like that I WILL buy one. I am glad to see Victory expanding there reach where as that other American company is stuck SO FAR in the past it is laughable. If you asked Harley why don’t they go to Pikes Peak they would probably think that Pikes Peak is a bar.
I’m with you, Chris. It’s nice to see Victory changing things up. If this really is an indication of where they’re headed, they have my interest. Funny quip at the end of your paragraph, btw..
In as much as some say there’s an incorrect notion of lowering the cg is “always” a good thing, we see here that the designers of this bike went right ahead with placing the fuel tank under the engine. Is it just for packaging? Does it offset some or all of the higher up weight on the bike?
My feeling is that there are most likely pluses and minuses, as with most anything. For certain kinds of bikes, ridden on certain types of tracks or roads getting the cg lower is a plus while the opposite may be true under other conditions. I don’t think it’s a simple black and white situation and the lowering of cg be written off as not being beneficial. The design here suggests otherwise.
“Is it just for packaging? Does it offset some or all of the higher up weight on the bike?”
I would think the objective is to maximize airbox space, not lower the CoG.
That’s a mighty big lump sitting on top of the frame. I wonder how much fuel is needed to cover the race? Would be interesting to see the running bike without the “tank” on it.
Holy crap that bike looks expensive!
That’s more like it. I’d like to see a America sporty bike. I’ve owned and own the Buells, and love them but their quirks sometimes had to be adapted to or ignored (especially the looks). Give me this thing with a 5 gallon tank and preferably with a belt and no TC,ABS,TheftSystem,LBS, for 15k and I’m in. Roland Sands usually builds bikes that are pretty and rideable, this follows those lines. I hope Canet breaks 10 minutes with it.
It would have been more interesting if they entered the bikes in the opposite races – Brammo for Pikes Peak, and Victory-RSD in Isle of Man. Don’t forget the electric bike stunner(!) at Pikes Peak 2013.
Post the dyno numbers. MMMM156
If only they threw on some wood-grain side panels… As Ducati has shown there is a market for Scrambler styled bikes. This is still a growing trend. I would really be interested to see if this leads to a flat tracker or scrambler styled production bike for Victory. Not quite a KTM Beast killer but something in that line would be perfect.
“This liquid-cooled engine represents the future performance of the Victory brand.”
If this is true, then perhaps I may have a future interest in Victory.
My first thought upon seeing the photos of the Project 156 bike is “I wonder if that engine could be used in a GNC Twins flat tracker?”
I, for one, would love to see an Indian along side the Harleys (and others) on the starting line of a GNC Mile. I think that could go a long way to help revive flat track racing in the USA.
I thought about that too, and it qualifies for displacement rules.
American consumers don’t care about motorcycle racing in any form
That’s because they’d have to know something about the bikes and all most poseurs want is to identify with a persona. Ignorance is bliss apparently.
Even the majority of motorcycle owners don’t care anything about racing. Especially flat track. The only reason the Harley guys show up at a flat track is it’s a social event for them, like Sturgis or Daytona.
I believe that the same is true for cars as well. To the great majority of drivers in the USA the automobile is viewed as an appliance, to get them from point A to point B. Only a small percentage are enthusiasts or race fans. Of course the total numbers are much greater for automobiles than motorcycles.
I agree. And no entry into any type of race by Victory or Indian will change that. It will only mean something to race fans and to Victory’s brand among non-Harley buyers.
When it comes to flat track, honestly, even I don’t find the oval races particularly interesting. I’d have to be pretty bored to watch one all the way through. The short-track is OK, but I can’t get into the miles or even half-miles. I really enjoy the TTs, though.
You going to Indy?
I’ve got to go to Indy to watch the Moto3. I got hooked on it after I bought the MotoGP streaming package. I’ll probably have to get the results of PPHC from a European site as I don’t think any one will report anything from here.
No plans to go to Indy unfortunately. I am supposed to be going though a move that weekend if everything goes as planned. Fortunately, I have the streaming package, too. And yes, Moto3 is awesome.
re: “No plans to go to Indy unfortunately”
one more visit to indy for Norm G and he wins a free set of steak knives.
Does that mean I have to stop going to or watching races, or just move out of the country?
Well, if you do move out of the country, you’ll probably get to see more racing than here.
The cooling system seems fairing ready, low cg works fantastic no matter where you put the fuel just as long as the cg isn’t below the axle centers.
looking forward to this race.
Looks like the basis of the engine came from the new Scout to me . Very similar architecture . The Scout engine is ripe for performance tuning and was never likely to only power one model . Very unlikely Roland Sands started with a clean sheet .
“Very unlikely Roland Sands started with a clean sheet” ..and very expensive!
As it says in the press release:
“The Project 156 motorcycle is a hand-built road-racing bike with a prototype Victory motor developed at Victory’s Minnesota research and development facility. This liquid-cooled engine represents the future performance of the Victory brand.”
So, although likely based upon the Indian Scout engine, it is referred to as a victory “prototype”.
The engine is without a doubt a Scout derivative.
I don’t think this bike is headed for production. I think it’s just what it is…a bike made for a best effort run at pikes Peak. No more, no less. Victory has has its head up it’s cruiser a$$ and there it will stay. Unless I see it, I won’t believe it.
It would be a foolhardy marketing move, IMO, to bring so much attention to yourself in this arena, then tell inquiring potential customers “Here, you can buy a Gunner”.
I sincerely hope you’re wrong, but until they actually DO IT, your comments are valid. They’ve been vaguely hinting at their performance leanings for years, only to follow that up year after year with the reveal of yet another bagger/cruiser or 8-Ball variant of such.
I would think they almost have to step out of their current realm once they start the “look what we can do” media circus.
This ISN’T just an engineering exercise. They are making a splash so they can introduce a new motorcycle. As a successful manufacturing company, they understand “economies of scale”. They don’t just have one bike in mind for the Scout motor or one state of tune for it either.
Just because they’ve only made cruisers up until now doesn’t mean that’s all they ever will (Slingshot ring any bells??). You’re thinking they are as myopic as HD. They aren’t.
Stay tuned.
I’ll stay tuned but I’m not going to hold my breath!
Very cool. I sure hope that they are hinting at a sporting line of motorcycles in the near future.
Didn’t Honda try the fuel tank underneath and found having the weight below the roll center adversely affected handling?
Honda did, yes. At that time, Honda and others were slaves to the incorrect notion that a lower center of gravity was always better. Gordon Jennings once wrote a nice editorial explaining why that’s a myth.
I don’t think that’s where the fuel is carried on this bike, though. i don’t think the aluminum under the engine is a sump either, as another poster here claimed.
What do you think that thing that looks like a fuel-pump on the side of it is then?
It is a fuel tank. you can see the fuel lines run from the pump all the way yup to the injectors.
Kevin Cameron has covered this extensively as well (the “myth” part). His TDC books are very informative, actually.
Re: “Honda did, yes. At that time, Honda and others were slaves to the incorrect notion that a lower center of gravity was always better”
This bike probably has a smaller tank than Honda’s GP bikes did as a run up Pike’s Peak takes 10-12 minutes for a fast guy. Honda’s bike also was a super light 2-stroke, this thing weighs a great deal more, giving less of the overall weight balance to the fuel/tank.
Looks like it might actually be:
“My guess is its a 1200-1300cc – 200 HP Moonshot
An Open Class, Wide Open, Hooligan Special aimed at the KTM 1290 Super Duke R and the Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 RR”
Would love to see this get into production with naked, sport, and sport touring versions
I can not tell you how much I hate videos like this with a music sound track. Music is completely pointless and thoroughly annoying. The only sound needed is the exhaust note of the engine.
I agree, I lot Motorcycle and Automotive TV shows do the same thing. Stop The Music.
Agree 110%!
I have pro studio, recording, production, music, and high end audio experience. These music tracks are added by human beings who either would not recognize taste in music if it broke their jaw, are ordered to by someone who believes it helps boost profits, or both.
The tracks are awful and if I was king these would be felony crimes.
Fantastic. Take that Milwaukee…
if I’m not mistaken, “Victory” means something about winning, ‘looks like the lads ‘got game…
Are fairings just not that important in the PPIHC? Seems like the rider might spend a lot of energy hanging on against wind blast.
Average speed is “only” 71 mph. “Only” as in streamlining is not so important for that speed.
I totally dig it. Hopefully this will succeed where the XR1200 failed. How much?
That footpeg /seat combination would have my knees in my armpits
You can see where Don Canet’s knees will be by the shape of the tank.
Polaris has done it again, hope they introduce this idea into their lineup with a few variations. Victory is coming into their own.. Hopefully will see some changes later this year! Wishing you the best at Pikes Peak. Go Victory!
Massive credit to Victory for giving this an earnest try. There is a lot of R&D in that engine. I don’t think it share much, if anything, with their cruiser v-twin.
Looks like an 80s standard. YAAAAWWWWNNNNNN…..
Agreed but this bike was built for one purpose and maybe they thought this design is going to make it up the hill faster. I’m more interested where they are going to put this engine in the victory line.
Looks like an 80’s standard. WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
+1
+111
PS not your mom’s 80s standard, I can tell you that
I do like (as messy as it is) the left side more than the right side, looks like a well composed machine, looks muscular, modern (swingarm and front bars) and maybe classic (is that the adequate word?) (tank).
am I the only one who thinks the radiators are small for such a big (racing) machine?
whish the best to the effort!!
Messy? It’s a racing prototype!
Here’s a chance to redeem the US’s reputation after that long, painful experience of Harley-Davidson’s VR1000. Go, Victory!
Now that Polaris has Indian up and running, it’s obvious which way they’re going to take Victory. Good move.
Bob
It looks like the Scout has opened up a whole new world of potential for Polaris. It also looks like they’re learning to have fun with it. It’s exciting to see them formulating their image through accomplishments, as opposed to posturing. Kinda neat, really.
I like it… except for the massive sump. Throws everything off.
I think that’s actually the fuel tank you’re looking at. Interesting.
You are correct.
Yup. Tank low. So those 65 mm intakes can suck lots of air at altitude.
The first Victory that has ever appealed to me.
I’m not a fan of Roland Sands, but the bike is great.
Polaris, build this bike.
RSD built the bike so, technically, it’s not “OEM” as suggested in the text.