Victory Motorcycles

About Victory

Victory Motorcycles is an American motorcycle manufacturer based in Spirit Lake, Iowa. It began production of its vehicles in 1998.

Its parent company, Polaris Industries, created the firm following the modern success of Harley-Davidson. Victory's motorcycles are designed to compete directly with Harley-Davidson and similar American-style motorcycle brands, with V-twin engines and touring, sport-touring, and cruiser configurations. The first Victory, the V92C, was announced in 1997 and began selling in 1998. In 2011 Polaris bought the Indian motorcycle brand.

The first model, the V92C, was debuted at Planet Hollywood in the Mall of America by Al Unser in 1997. Production began in late 1998, and the first official model year was 1999. At 92 cu in (1,510 cc), the V92C was the largest production engine available at the time. All components for the V92C were manufactured in Minnesota and Iowa, except the Italian Brembo brakes and the British-made electronic fuel injection system. Victory engines debuted with five-speed transmissions (later six), single overhead cams, dual connecting rods, hydraulic lifters, and fuel injection; most fuel-injection components are standard GM parts. The V92C engine was designed to be easily tuned by the owner.

The 92 cubic inch Victory engine carries 6 US qt (5,700 ml) of oil in the sump, about the same as most automobiles. This is intended to minimize risk of low-oil damage, but also makes it dimensionally larger than other motorcycle engines, such as Harley-Davidson, which carry oil in tanks. The sheer volume of oil can also impede engine performance in a racing environment. Top speed is about 120 mph (190 km/h) at 5,500 rpm; the ECM contains a rev limiter which can be overridden by reprogramming the EPROM. The Victory engine is air-cooled, and also circulates crankcase oil through a cooler mounted between the front frame downtubes. A section of the rear swingarm can be removed to change the drive belt or the rear wheel.

The motorcycle's designers had approached several European manufacturers, particularly Cosworth, about designing and producing the engine, but ultimately decided to design and build it in Osceola, Wisconsin. Several variations on engine-frame geometry were tried until the best configuration was found, with the crankshaft geometrically aligned with the axles, a concept developed by Vincent Racing in the late 1950s.

The V92C weighed about the same as a Harley, approximately 650 lb (290 kg). The original V92C engine produced about 55 hp (41 kW) at the wheel; with high-performance cams and pistons, this could be boosted to 83 hp (62 kW) and torque of 86 lb·ft (117 N·m).

In 2002 company introduced its Freedom 92/5 V-Twin, a 92 cubic inch engine mated to a five speed transmission. The new Freedom Engine had rounded cylinders and a smaller oil cooler and provided greater power output than the previous mill.

Victory continued to expand its model lineup in 2005 with the introduction of its Hammer, a muscular power cruiser with a 250mm rear tire and the Freedom 100/6 engine. It also began offering its cruiser motorcycles with the blacked-out treatment, using the styling scheme on its Vegas 8-Ball.

In 2006, both Arlen and his son Cory Ness selected the Vegas Jackpot to customize for the Ness Signature Series. The custom-inspired motorcycle was equipped with the same Freedom V-Twin powerplant and gearbox as the Hammer.

Victory would again demonstrate its forward-thinking in 2008 with the release of its radically-styled, luxury touring motorcycle, the 2008 Victory Vision. With a chassis composed of three big castings and an integrated 11-liter airbox incorporated into its design, it also featured the company’s proprietary Air Victory Brakes. Designed by Lead Industrial Designer, Michael Song, the aerodynamic, futuristic-looking luxo-tourer created plenty of ripples when it hit the market.

For 2009, Victory offered a 10th Anniversary Victory Vision. With an Antares Red and Black paint scheme that pays tribute to its first motorcycle, the V92C, the limited edition Vision includes a reverse gear and tons of luxury touring amenities like heated grips and seats. Only 100 were made.

Victory has also made a point of offering various models in Low versions, with seat heights and controls better suited to smaller riders.

Moto blog

2012 Victory Hard-Ball Preview

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.

Gresini Promotes Moto2 Pilot Pirro to Ride CRT Machine in 2012 MotoGP Championship

Gresini announced the re-signing of racer Michele Pirro, with a promotion from the Moto2 class to the premiere MotoGP class. Pirro raced for Gresini in the Moto2 class in 2011, finishing ninth overall with a third place finish and a victory in the season-ending Valencia round. For 2012, Pirro will compete in the MotoGP class riding a CRT bike with an FTR chassis and a Honda CBR1000RR engine.

A New Bobber From Victory?

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. What follows is a montage centered around pinstriping and boulevard attitude, as the video sequences between scenes of a man applying pinstripes to what presumably is Victory’s new model and POV shots of this machine rolling down a typical avenue.

Rossi Finishes Second to World Champion Loeb at Monza Rally Show

Valentino Rossi is back on the podium. Not a MotoGP podium, mind, but for a rally car race at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Italy. (Post updated with video.) Driving a Ford Fiesta RS with co-driver Carlo Cassina, Rossi won two of nine stages and finished second overall to eight-time World Rally Car Champion Sebastien Loeb at the 2011 Monza Rally Show.

The ‘Gunny’, Toys for Tots and New Victory Motorcycle at Long Beach IMS Dec. 9 [Video]

  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.

EBR 1190 Wins 2011 European Superbike Championship

Harald Kitsch and the Pegasus Race Team has won its second championship on the EBR 1190RR, capturing the 2011 European Superbike open race class title. The championship follows Kitsch’s win in the 2010 Sound of Thunder V-Twin Championship on the Erik Buell Racing racebike. While the Sound of Thunder championship was won against other V-Twin machines, the European Superbike class included sportbikes from the Japanese Big Four, BMW, Aprilia and Ducati.

Rookie of the Year: Crutchlow vs. Abraham

The MotoGP championship is all settled with Casey Stoner lifting the title, but there is still an underlining honour yet to be decided at Valencia; the Rookie of the Year between Cal Crutchlow and Karel Abraham (and Moto2 and 125 - but they seem to be safely in the respective hands of Bradl and Terol). Coming into the final race this weekend, Crutchlow leads Abraham by one point in the championship. Both riders have common knowledge of the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, the Briton having raced there in his World Superbike and Supersport years whereas Abraham scored his only Grand Prix victory at Valencia in his final Moto2 race last season.

Polaris Reports Q3 2011 Results

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.

Million Dollar Man: Ryan Villopoto Wins Monster Energy Cup

Ryan Villopoto swept all three main events to win the inaugural Monster Energy Cup and take home the $1 million prize. The 2011 AMA Motocross and Supercross Champion was a favorite going into the Oct.15 Monster Energy Cup at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev. Villopoto completed the hat trick by winning the Cup and the prize money.

2011 World Supersport Champion Chaz Davies

Chaz Davies has captured the 2011 Supersport World Championship, completing a triumphant return to the series for Yamaha. Davies, the 2008 Daytona 200 winner, finished the Magny-Cours round in sixth place, giving him an insurmountable 35-point lead over Hannspree Ten Kate Honda‘s Fabien Foret with one race remaining. The championship comes in Yamaha‘s return from a one-year absence from the series.