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Cruiser
Posts: 64
Warren, Vermont | I picked up my Midnight Cherry Tour Premium on Tuesday and after a very wet ride back from Newport, Vermont today, I've hit the 500 mile mark. I'll change the oil and filter tomorrow and have Shaker Valley do the rest of the 500 mile service when I pick up my Stage 1 pipes which I hope come soon because my Vision is kinda quiet. Here's my report on the ups and downs
Ups
Comfort - This bike eats up the Interstates and handles like a dream on the twisties. I had some cold weather at night with a passenger and the heated seat and grips made the cold just disappear. The huge floorboards have plenty of positions but I added the highway pegs and that made it even better, especially on a hot day when you want to get your legs away from the engine. I bought the 2" shorter windshield and it seems to be about right. I don't like looking through the windshield normally and with the shorter shield it is out of the way. On the other hand, on the interstate with a cold wind, that windshield is sorta nice! The "blade" windshield might be too short because this one seems to be a perfect balance with a great range of motion.
Handling - Once I got over the fact that the fairing stays and the wheel moves, the handling was awesome on the twisties here in Vermont. I rode about 80 miles in a downpour with leaves all over the road and always had confidence that the Vision had solid footing and handling. It slid around a bit as I went up Prickly Mountain road which had turn to mud from the rain -- but a little juice and she straightened right out.
Sound system - I love the stereo system, the controls are really accessable and the sound is great, especially when I turned up the bass a bit. The iPod nano and shuffle work great but there definitely something going on with hard drive based iPods -- see the downs below. I like the addition of the weather band even though it only had bad news today.
Instrumentation - Everything you need, except for GPS but once I have the mount, I'll figure out how to mount my GPS.
Gas mileage - This bike sips gas sparingly. For an 850 pound bike, I am averaging over 40MPG and that is great news!
Storage - whoa! There is plenty. Those bags that I thought were small are actually plenty big. I bought the bag liners and they are actually as big, if not bigger, than the bag liners for the TCD. The trunk is cavernous. I love the glove box, too, I much better, water tight (I tested that today!) equivalent of the tank strap pouch that was on my TCD.
Drawing a crowd -- I drove up the Appalacian Gap and at the turn out at the top, a gathering place for bikers on our version of Deals Gap. When I stopped to turn around I drew a huge crowd peppering me with questions. Parking it downtown in Burlington had the same impact. This is one unique motorcycle and it seems to grab people's imagination.
Downs
Fit and finish -There were a lot of comments on the "automotive" fit and finish. Generally, the fit and finish is excellent but there are several little things that are annoying. There was a screw missing from one of the hinges that hold the trunk lid on, which caused a slight gap in between the trunk lid and the speaker. The dealer immediately sent me the missing screw. Both saddlebags seem to be a bit sticky - they do not open easily and have to be closed firmly, almost slammed to close. I suspect there is an adjustment needed - I'm gonna look at that. Stickers -- do they really have to put that stupid, hard to remove, sticker right in the middle of "tank" - -a heat gun and some elblow grease got that off.
HD iPods - I used my Hard drive based iPod today. The flash ram iPods all worked flawlessly, however, the hard drive based unit consistently crashed after about 45 minutes. The iPod itself was fine, just needing to be reset, however, there is definitely something going on that makes HD based iPods crash. I am still skeptical on the "resonance" explanation but for now, I echo the recommendation to stick to flash based iPods or MP3 players -- i.e. iPod nano, shuffle, touch & iPhone (note with iPhone you will need an adapter to use the headphone jack as it is recessed on the iPhone. Belkin makes one that we sell but it is huge -- but leaving it in the glove box is cool.
Exhaust sound - wimpy-- -where's my Stage 1!
Gas gauge/ fueling - So far each time I filled the tank, it has taken only 3-4 gallons, even though the guage showed near empty and the "range" indicated less than 50 miles to go. I'm going to have to run it closer to empty to really see if this tank holds 6 gallons!
Engine heat - in the 80° heat and your legs on the boards, the engine produces almost unbearable heat. My passenger also commented on the heat. Luckily, if you move your legs to the outside of the boards, the heat is not as bad. On the other hand, that engine heat was a big plus when it was 45 ° outside!
Dash illumination - I miss the ability to dim the dash illumination. It is pretty bright.
Overall impression --
This is one huge motorcycle -- sort of reminds me of a 40's Rolls or Bentley with the huge hood. It is a beautiful head turner that is a pleasure to ride. I wanna go on a long trip right now! My wife is worried that her TCD is just gonna be too old fashioned (i should have listed this as a down - because I can see another Vision some time in my future - I wonder how much it would cost to paint it retro tourqoise).
Even though I rode all day, there was no fatigue. I drove it at night on the interstate and through the mountains to my home and the lights were brilliant and the handling precise. I think I'll be putting lots of miles on this one! My wife wants me to train Hammerhead, my bulldog, to ride on the back seat...
Hippo
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Spawn of the Devil
#1150 Antares Red '99 V92C (HIPPO)w/ matching Champion Sidecar
2008 Victory Vision Tour Premium Cherry (2FUN)
2003 Retro Torquoise/White TCD (MORFUN)
2003 Vegas (FLUSH) custom paint - Morton's Bluffers
For everything Mac & iPod - www.smalldog.com | |
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Cruiser
Posts: 223
Valdosta, GA | 1000 Mile Report...
I'm still in love with bike. It'll be better when the NEWness wears off and I don't have cars/trucks chasing me down to see what it is I'm riding and I can just enjoy the ride for what it is...
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Visionary
Posts: 1324
So Cal | Right on!!!! Ride till the wheels fall off. Its still under warranty. | |
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Visionary
Posts: 1324
So Cal | The seals on the side bags are still new. Give them some time to seat before adjusting the latches. | |
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Cruiser
Posts: 223
Valdosta, GA | Hell, it's under warranty for another 4 years, 11 months, ad two weeks!!!
I am having an issue with the right side bag sticking, though. The left bag fall right open when I push the button, but I damn near have to pry the right side bag open. One of these days, I'll read the MOM and see if there's an adjustment...
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Tourer
Posts: 562
SC, Bluffton | mike s - 2007-10-10 9:25 PM
Hell, it's under warranty for another 4 years, 11 months, ad two weeks!!!
How much did that 60 Month cost you? And, was it with a Zero $ deductable per incident,
or a $50 deductable per incident?
Herb | |
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Visionary
Posts: 2027
Brighton, TN | Mike s, why did you buy the bike if you didn't want to be noticed. You could have bought any other bike that looks like any other bike. I thoroughly enjoy riding it because it makes a statement all on its own and it is the best bike I have ever ridden. Maybe I have just stereotyped myself like a Harley guy. I was looking at Harleys, because if ya gonna own a motoscooter you gotta have a Harley. I just never have bought into the mind set of that. I might not ever buy another brand of bike than Victory based on what I have now.
JUST CALL ME A VICTORY LOYALIST. I am making my own club. Anybody Joining "VIC's Visioneers" (maybe a name change, but I kinda like it. | |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 849
, FL United States | pls tell us all the details re: the extended warranty - what did it cost,how many years were the options you could choose from,what's the dedctibles,etc. Inquiring minds want to know lol Luke | |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 47
Lake Park, GA | My warranty options was 3, 4 or 5 year warranty.
I bought the 5 year warranty, $0 deductible - $900. I figure with a first year bike with all the gadgets, its money well spent. | |
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Visionary
Posts: 2027
Brighton, TN | It looks like my right side bag is sticking. Looking at the bottom toward the motor I can see the bag is rubbing on the lower cowling and hanging. I'll see if there is a way to adjust the height of the bag. When I got it, it opened flawlessly so there must be some way to adjust. | |
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Cruiser
Posts: 223
Valdosta, GA | There are essentially 6 options for the extended warranty from the paperwork I was looking at. 3,4, and 5 year options with either a $50 (or was it $100) deductible or a $0 deductible. I opted for the 5 year, $o deductible. Price was somewhere around $975. For a first year bike, the extended warranty, for me, wasn't an option, but a requirement.
The warranty is through GE (same as HD's extended warranty)
As for not wanting attention...Yes, I bought the bike for it's design. Yes, I knew that design would draw attention (especially with it being one of the first on the road). No, I don't mind talking it up with anyone that has a question to ask. However, I prefer not to do that at 70-80mph in traffic. Having someone give you the thumbs up while your passing them or they're passing you if fine, but when they start driving like idiots just to get close enough to take a look, or drive close by to get a better look, it makes me a bit uncomfortable. I'd just as soon have folks focus on driving and leave the gawking for the parking lot.
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Visionary
Posts: 2027
Brighton, TN | Mike s, totally agree, I've already had my fair share of gawking at 70-80 in traffic. Enjoy, no offense intended. I have also had my parking lot share of gawking. It draws attention like no other bike I have ever seen in my lifetime. When was the last time you stood in a shopping center parking lot and have to say, "excuse me" to 10 different people who have gathered looking at it and say, "I have to go home". | |
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500 Mile report