I own a 05 Hammer, ridden everything from a V92C to a Vision. They are great machines period! My Hammer has over 500 passes at the strip, I also race in the AMRA, so if you attend one, look me up, there is only 4 or 5 of us racing Vics. These bikes are practically bulletproof, I'm a 275# rider, launching 1.68-1.73 60fts with ET's from 11.84 to 12.26 and I have yet to do anything except change the oil and sch'd maintenance (plugs, belt tension, brakes, etc...). I have litterally hammered my Hammer and it is 100% mechanically sound at 28k miles.

Yes they do have an industrial sound to them. It is the mechanics of the primary that give them the noise, mainly the TQ compensator, which reduces the pulses from each cylinder firing. The noises are only prominent during idle, once the clutch is engaged and power is applied the noises all go away.

The bikes come with a horrible sound from the factory with the stock exhaust...really muffled and have a stock RWHP of 76 and RWTQ of 95. Add a Stage I exhaust (Sounds awesome, not loud at all.) and an aftermarket air cleaner and you now have a bike that makes 96-98HP at the wheel and 108 ft lbs of TQ @ 2800rpm ON A 100" ENGINE. Throw in a set of cams and you now have 110+ HP and TQ at the wheel. These mods can be done cheap too, $400 Stage I, $300 intake and $350 cams, I can do the entire job in 5 hrs or another $300 from the dealer. For an additional $1350, you have 110+ RWHP and TQ, for you magazine readers, that's 129 HP at the crank. Where can you get that kind of perf for $1350? These bikes run! 11 seconds with a 275# rider, top speeds in excess of 140mph???

Tomt, your bike at peak TQ, doesn't even come close to mine at it's lowest TQ. Get that out of your head that your bike has more bottom end grunt. My buddy rides a wide glide and he rode my bike and said the same thing. We went out and did a 2nd gear roll on from 2000rpm, it wasn't even a race. I left him like his bike died and he's a 200# rider. My bike pulls hard all the way to redline. When you look at the graph attached you will see that both bikes lose TQ early on, that's the restrictive exhaust, cams and airbox. My bike makes it's peak TQ at 5800 RPM and makes 85 ft lbs at 2000rpm.

 

Had Harleys for over 30 years. Worked at a Polaris dealer for over 20 years. My take on it is if Harley would of thought of it first they would be engineered and look more like Victory. Been in the farm equipment business most of my life (they had a Polaris dealership) and to me Harley has got the same following as John Deere. Believe me there are just as good and better tractors than John Deere just as there are just as good and better motorcycles than Harley. If I was in the market for a new bike I would give the Victory a very strong look.

 

they don't hold value for ****!!! just go look for a used one and you will see. I was a Victory owner trust me. Nothing like buying a $17000 motorcycle and being able to sell it for less than half before its paid off

 

I often ride with a buddy who owns an 06 Victory Vegas Jackpot. He has done the stage I upgrade with Rhinehart Exhaust. His bike is fun to ride and very dependable. We have raced several times over the last couple of years, and they run together well. My bike has always had more top end, but now with 15k on both bikes I am leaving him in every gear after 2nd. I have the SE 103 Stage II build with 255 cams, V&H pipes, SE Pro Race Tuner.

The build quality it better with my Harley, but the Victory is considerably cheaper. Both bikes will offer you years of trouble free riding and the satisfaction of American thunder.

 

Well the Harley resale ain't what it used to be. Better than Victory, I think, but still takin' a hit. If you buy one to ride that really doesn't matter, now does it? I like the Victory lineup, but not sure I would buy one. I like having a choice though.

 

Harley vs Victory?

Harley, please...would I consider a Victory as a 2nd bike?

Sure...there's LOT'S of other bikes I'd consider as a 2nd bike...

 

It's your money and your life...spend it and live it as you wish, even if your persona epitomizes and perfectly illustrates a thin veneer of cliche' marketing.

 

Y'all ride ride whatever you want, I damn sure ain't payin' your bike payments. I don't like the Victoryies, don't like the way they look, they look like artificial pretty-boy wanna-be bikes to me, I'm sticking with my Fatboy, or a Road King Custom, possibly a Ducati as an extra,but thats just me.

 

that's why I'd never buy any 17K bike (no matter what the make). Yer gonna take a bath regardless.

and 100inchhammer, will yer Victory do this?
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/gener...ur-harley.html

 

When Harley decided to name the sissy bar on the new Wide Glide an "Attitude bar"...........that screamed "artificial pretty-boy wanna-be bikes' to me Dixie.
I think a part of me died when I read that.
Harley had officialy become it's own cliché.

Say what you want, but some of the new Harleys scream some pretty odd things themselves