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A 10k Mile Review of the 2008 Victory Vision Motorcycleby Chris (Varyder) Nelms
Part 3: Handling, Power, & Controls
 Handling
Oh baby! My friends are sick of hearing me talk about how the Vision handles. I really don't know where to start, and someone who has ridden the Vision can only understand what I will say. That is not to insult any ones intelligence, it really is indescribable. Comfort coupled with the handling, it is the perfect touring bike to me.
During the MSF Experienced Riders Course (ERC), a man walked over to me and started asking me questions. He started by saying that he had a Gold Wing and it was as big as the Vision. He wanted know how I got it to handle so well and I had to explain to him that it was not as easy as I thought it would be. He reemphasized that I was making it look easier than what he could do on the Wing and wanted to know how. I explained to him the Vision had a very low center of gravity which made it handle well, not because of my skill on the course. I did well in the U-turns, S-turns and tight turns, but I could not get it to do well in the 20 foot cones serpentine or the offset serpentine. I ran over cone after cone, had to put my feet down and sometimes downright gave up until my next turn. I also had some difficulties with the release point of the clutch in feathering through the friction zone, but that was more me than the Vision.
Out on the open road, I find the handling downright phenomenal. I know of no other word to describe it. The feel of the bike is not that I am sitting on it, but I'm sitting in it. It grips the road and is ready for whatever I need it to do. The bad part about this is that I take "chances" more than I have with my other motorcycles. There is no give (flex) or wiggle in the twisties that I have experienced with the other bikes. Its acceleration allows it to move into position with ease and the streamline designs minimizes wash that affects handling in heavy traffic. There was an adjustment period for my body to realize it was not riding my other bike, but now I find that the Vision is much more sensitive to rider input and conditions. Once my body was tuned in after a few weeks I was experiencing the full realization in the engineering of this bike. Even with the pillion and the shocks properly inflated, the Vision glides down the highway with surefootedness and no bounce. I am amazed how it will take rough roads, even in a curve, smooth as glass. I have exceeded the previous thresholds on the twisties that I set with my previous bike. I also find that I can "scrape" on tight turns with no concerns. Though I do find the bike not scraping when my other bike would I do scrape because I'm taking the curve faster and tighter than I did on my Gold Wing. Even my pillion doesn't seem as concerned on the twisties as she was on the Wing and she finds more enjoyment in riding through them, though she prefers the flat open road. At a stop, the Vision never feels like it is going to fall over, even with my beloved Pillion riding. It is very well balanced and easy to handle at a stop or slow speeds.
Power Plant, Drive Train, Tires and Brakes
Since I want a touring bike, I am not concerned on how fast it comes off the line, I want to deal with the highway and twisties. With that said, I have never given to the thought in five months that I wished the Vision had more power. It has never let me down in any situation that I have encountered. Even running at top highway speed, I have plenty of power in reserve. It comes away from the traffic light strong, even riding two up. I used to think that shaft drive was the way to go, but now I believe the belt is. Chain drive is too messy and unreliable, but the belt seems to be a perfect solution without all that additional weight and headache. It makes it easier to change the rear tire, and there is not much to service. I do not find myself running out of gears when hitting the highway, six is perfect but do find that I want second gear to be closer to first gear when doing a lot of in town riding.
I am learning more about the V-Twins and I have always wanted to ride one. I appreciate the simplicity of a V-Twin in spite of the federal regulation that dictates the EFI and only detracts from developing a decent low cost power plant. I also appreciate the V-twin as it offers a narrower profile that suits me better in the saddle. I spoke about the V-twin in the reliability section, as I'm new to riding V-Twins, and knowing they are harder to keep cool, and that they may have more issues. However, I am convinced that Victory knew what they were doing when they oil cooled the heads and satisfied that this is a bullet proof motor. I really like the throaty sound of the stock pipes, though there are those who are trying to convince me to get the S1L1. Coming off of a "quiet" bike, it is good to hear what you are doing and not guessing whether the motor is running. I'm not sure if I want anything louder on a long, multi-day and into a week trip, so at this time it'll be the stock ones.
Another thing to get use to is the heat coming off the right side. It seems to be intense at times but not unbearable. I don't know if the design has anything to do with it, but I do notice that the engine is offset to the right, putting the pipes closer to the right leg. Also, the oil cooler is on the left side, making the greater airflow over the front pipe and channeled right at the right leg. As long as my pant leg doesn't start smoldering, it is tolerable to me, but this summer will be the test.
In the early days of my Vision I was disappointed that I was only getting around 32 – 36. After the 7,500 mile service, there has been a marked difference in my fuel mileage being anywhere from 36 – 40 mpg. I attribute this to the fouled plug situation and do expect to continue to get this kind of mileage and even better on longer trips.
I gained an appreciation for Dunlop E3 and was pleased that the Vision came stock with them. I anticipate I will get approximately 15k out of the rear tire and at least 30k out of the front. This is not pushing it to the extreme either as these tires still have plenty of meat. I have not taken a close inspection of my brakes but expect to get many miles from them.
Driver Controls
Brake and shifter levers are perfectly positioned on this bike and response from braking is what I would expect. I find it that it stops quickly, even from high speeds. I am pleased with the size of the buttons on the left and right handle bars. It has taken a while to figure out how to make adjustments, such as the VOX volume, but that understanding has come with using them. Sometimes I will get out the manual to go over once again the control functions, such as how to set the clock. The only controls I would move would be the heated seats, though that seems to be the ideal place for them. The pillion can turn hers on and off at will, though I have to reach back to turn mine on or off. The four switches just forward of the ignition switch could have traded places with the ignition switch, because the location now makes them harder reach.
Part 4: Opinion & Summary
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