2008 Victory Motorcycles - First Look

While the effects of Victory's plunge into the luxo-touring market, with its bold Vision models, is still burning in the corneas of its competitors, the motorcycle manufacturer prepares to unleash its second wave of industry attacks with a full contingent of power cruisers for 2008. The Victory arsenal includes two new additions, the Vegas Low and Kingpin 8-Ball models. Other notable Victory claims for the upcoming model year include squeezing more torque out of its 100 cubic-inch Freedom V-Twin. To reign in that power, Victory has also revamped its braking system for its 2008 offerings. As the Minnesota-based company closes in on its 10th anniversary, Victory Motorcycles is working hard to validate its claim as "The New American Motorcycle."

At the heart of the 2008 Victory models (excluding the Visions) is the 100 cubic-inch Freedom V-Twin. Changes to the powertrain include a new airbox that Victory claims enhances air intake to help produce more power. This could be a factor in the Freedom's increase in torque that Victory says has jumped from 103 ft-lb to 106 ft-lb. The 1634cc engine also benefits from new fuel injectors, oxygen sensors and idle air control. The Engine Control Module is also new for 2008, and includes a closed loop fuel injection system. The throttle bodies have been bumped up slightly, from 44mm to 45mm. All these changes were accomplished while simultaneously lowering the compression ratio from last year's mill, down to 8.7:1 from 9.8:1. Changes to the 6-speed trannys, with a lower ratio first gear and taller sixth gear, complete the list of powertrain changes to Victory's 2008 Freedom 100/6 V-Twin.

Victory has also attempted to improve the braking capacity of the '08s. New components include the 4-piston calipers on the 300mm floating rotor front brakes and the 2-piston calipers on the 300mm floating rotor rear. The hand brake lever has also been switched out and the plumbing has been updated. All models are running the new brakes. The only difference is that the Hammers have dual discs up front, but all the other bikes, including the Ness Signature Series, run singles up front.

The latest addition to the Victory Vegas line is the Vegas Low, which receives its designation through a combination of reconfigured ergos and reshuffled hand and foot controls. The seat height has been dropped more than one inch from prior Vegas models, down to 25.2 inches. In comparison, Harley-Davidson's 2008 Sportster XL 1200 Low sits at 28 inches.

The Vegas Low's frame skirts one inch closer to the ground than the Vegas as well. The hand controls have been moved in thanks to 2-inch diameter pullback handlebars, placing the grips and hand controls easily within a rider's reach. Victory has made the front brake lever adjustable to enable riders to dial in a comfortable finger reach. Foot positioning has also been brought back 2.25 inches on the '08 Vegas Low and scalloped side covers make the bike 1.5 inches narrower than the standard model. During the press intro for the Vision, a diminutive female motojournalist was gushing over the Vegas Low's dimensions, and I'm convinced the demands of the burgeoning women riders' demographic was high on Victory's list of points to ponder in configuring the bike's ergos.

The Vegas Low has the Vegas' signature sculpted, split-tail 4.5-gallon fuel tank that flows seamlessly into a solo leather seat. And I do mean solo. There's no passenger seat or footpegs, so the focus of the bike is pure rider-oriented. The Vegas Low has a cool flush-mounted tail light that is standard Vegas fare which Victory claims is less prone to damage. Power is provided by the 1634cc Freedom V-Twin, the lump of choice for all the Victory 2008 models. A true 6-speed overdrive transmission divvies out the power, with a 6-speed design coming standard across the Victory board, except for its two 8-Ball models which utilize 5-speed trannys. The Vegas Low comes in three solid color choices - Black, Midnight Cherry, and Boardwalk Blue. Victory lists the MSRP at $15,999, so if you start saving cans and bottles now, you might be able to buy one by 2012.

The Vegas line features three other models, the Vegas, Vegas 8-Ball and the Vegas Jackpot. A quick survey of the spec sheets shows that besides the tweaks to the engines and the improved brakes, the bikes remain essentially the same. There was one noteworthy area of change I noticed. Both the Vegas and Vegas 8-Ball have gained weight. The '08 Vegas lists at 658 lbs, up from '07's 635 lbs. The 8-Ball went from 635 lbs to '08's 652 lbs, while the Jackpot dropped one lb from 2007, from 659 to 658 lbs.

The other newbie in the Victory stable is the Kingpin 8-Ball, a bike that Victory claims combines the performance characteristics of the Kingpin with styling cues of the 8-Ball. It looks as if Victory has moved to the dark side. The '08 Kingpin 8-Ball has been blacked-out, front to back. The dark scheme includes blacked-out body paint, engine, wheels and bars. Throw in a black fork, triple clamps, mirrors, belt guard, and sprocket and you've got a bike Darth Vader would feel at home on. Even the swingarm and strut covers have engine-black paint. The chrome of the staggered slash-cut dual exhaust and the chrome cruiser headlights put a little shimmer on an otherwise dark exterior. The black looks great on the big classic-styled flared fenders that have become a signature for the Kingpin. The driver floorboards with a heel/toe shift lever also lend classic-cruiser appeal to the '08 Kingpin 8-Ball. Better yet, Victory has worked on a vibration-isolation system to the floorboards to enhance the riding experience.

The ergos are the same as the standard Kingpin except for the noticeable absence of a passenger seat. Like the Vegas Low, this bike is a one-person show. Internally, the Kingpin 8-Ball doesn't have the 6-speed overdrive of the Kingpin and Kingpin Tour models, but runs on a 5-speed constant mesh transmission. And if you don't like black, then don't bother checking out the Kingpin 8-Ball, because that's the only color it's offered in. Of course, the $13,999 sticker price might persuade buyers that maybe they do look good in black.

The Kingpin Line has been a best-seller for Victory and the motorcycle manufacturer has kept to the old adage, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." For the most part, the models have remained the same as the '07s.