here is the bottom line . for a 105 years Harley has had some good compition thru the years . and harley has had some tuff years but when it comes down to it there is only one . in there class that is Harley yea you are always going to have some people not happy. hell even i had a shovel that wasn't great . that is one harley out of five that i have owned . the other four have been great bikes .and companys can keep coming up with look alikes . but when the dust clears. harley is still going to stand tall.

 

Victory seems to take one step forward andtwo steps back. The Ness designed bikes were a major step forward in the styling department. Then along comes the new Vision. I don't get their thinking.

 

The Ness editions are poo-poo. Nothing but tacky bolt-ons that I wouldn't buy.

 

Arlen Ness is whacked! His stuff is out of this reality. Yuk!!!!
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So is his bank account.

 

Just, nevermind.

 

I love mysport ... but I gota be honest, I've done my research. You see, I'm a true proponent of buy American. I'm a veteran and I belive that if we keep shipping our money oversea's there wont be any left here. My next bike will be a Victory, as of today 92% of all Harley's are made in japan (2% in china), the rest here in the USA. All of them are assembled here, but it still has japanese carbs and pipes and seats and forks and shocks and wheels and pistons and on and on.... 32% of the Victory is made in America, which is the most american vehicle you can buy today... not even chevy or ford can claim that. I could give a rats *** if its plastic, it rides well, handles well, and is proven for the long haul. I wont be selling my sportster, hell he and I have 16 years of history... but my next one will be "More American"

 

I would like to know where you got your information!

 

I had a Kingpin for two years. 2006, 100ci engine w/ 6 speed tranny. Not a bad bike at all, really. Good HP out of the box, and the stage 1 really opened it up. Nice and fast, with good roll-on power. Had a couple Harleys want to race at stop lights--they were no match for the Vic.

However.....

I had owned Road Kings before the Vic & thought I wanted something different. Got tired of the HD bullshit: You know, the "attitude" some folks get when they own one...the constant marketing with toys and diapers and who knows what all... the fact that you see alot of bikes just like yours wherever you go... Anyway, so I pull the trigger on the KP. Wasn't much cheaper than a Harley, pretty close in price actually. I enjoyed the speed ( a little too much!) and...that's about it. Other's comments here are pretty much on target. I will say the fit and finish were very good--it didn't seem that cheap to me, it's just that HD does it better. I didn't like the way the bike handled nearly as much as I like the RK. The Vic didn't feel as solid in sweepers, and felt lighter in the front end (because it is...duh!) The saddle bags Vic has for the KP are a joke--way too small and they leak! The dealer support is very weak--I think there are only about 300 dealers in the entire US, and they vary widely in service.

So... traded it on an 07 RK that I love! It's slower and heavier....and I'm fine with that... ymmv

 

In my opinion the HD is over-priced, but I like riding it. Hell, I own two, but I still think it's bullshit that it costs so much to ride one. I can buy a nice new car for the same money, and not have to spend near as much to maintain that big beast automobile.
I know HD is 'American Made' and union made, but so are the cars and trucks.

On the other hand, I have no idea what it costs to maintain a victory, or what one even costs.

I do like the 'brotherhood' of HD riders, when they are brotherly, and that's a big plus for riding.
I have gotten a little fed up with the hoops I've had to jump through to get this bike to run the way I want though. More of a hobby keeping the thing running when the hobby is supposed to be riding it[sm=icon_blah.gif][sm=smiley29.gif]
enough of my rant.
I don't fault anyone for riding what they feel comfortable on. It's their choice. I just like knowing there are folks that know what's up with my bike if something happens and needs fixing or adjusting, or if I need parts there's a place or someone around with them.