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New user
Posts: 2
| Just joined today. I'm an 11 year HD rider. Had 3 Road Glides (2010 now w/trunk) as basis for my questions and comments.
First I'd like to say NEAT RIDE the Vision. Pluses: Auto windshield - loved it. Wind protection from fairing-loved it. Suspension-awesome..much much better than my Road Glide. Ergos...good but found myself feeling cramped after 30 minutes...not my feet (loved those boards!), but seating position in combo with the handlebars. I felt locked in place after a while. Good power. BTW, I'm 6', 230 pounds. Steering and tracking - very good. Gear indicator-like it. Neutral finder-AWESOME.
Minuses: MIRRORS!! Did Victory look for the one place that totally screws up your view or what? All I could see were my gloved hands and no amount of adjusting helped. Power delivery - OK, but not as smooth as my HD...could it be the lack of rubber mounts? Tiny buttons for cruise..I didn't feel comfortable with the hard to reach tiny switches and cruise operation wasn't as good/smooth as the HD. Windshield rattled (noisily) until in 6th. Handlebar position - left me feeling cramped. Sound - what sound? Ha I actually liked how quiet it is!
All in all- not enough to make me buy it today but seriously considering a deal.
So here are some questions: Can handlebars be adjusted-I didn't see how to do this.
Is there a mirror 'fix' out there somewhere?
Can seat be slid back to another position ?
Power delivery - despite the 106", it didn't seem as smooth as the 96" HD. I know that I've got 11 years of conditioning, but the Vision seemed like a tractor under load (shimmy and burp) vs smooth roll-ons with the HD. A lot more vibration at higher rpms than I'm used to also.
Why does shifting make so much noise?
Thanks in advance for help answering these questions..nice bike overall and loved the bronze mist color I rode!
Edited by jc2216 2012-07-01 2:12 AM
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Tourer
Posts: 432
Gettysburg, 2008 Tour Premium | After 3 years I am still considering the 'Ness" handlebars that are farther forward. Once you are confortable with the bike and allow your shoulders to relax the bars are not bad.
The mirrors you will get used to and never think about them again.
The vision will smooth out after a couple of thousand miles but it is hard mounted to the frame.
The gears in the transmission are huge and clunk away--nearly indestructible-- I have not heard of anyone with any problems. | |
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Visionary
Posts: 1365
Central Maryland | Wait until your discover the art of changing the headlight bulbs on this beauty... another fail for the Vision. Agree with the lack of view with the mirrors. But those two glaring issues are completely negated by the rest of the bike. | |
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Tourer
Posts: 446
East TN | jc2216 - 2012-07-01 3:09 AM Just joined today. I'm an 11 year HD rider. Had 3 Road Glides (2010 now w/trunk) as basis for my questions and comments. First I'd like to say NEAT RIDE the Vision. Pluses: Auto windshield - loved it. Wind protection from fairing-loved it. Suspension-awesome..much much better than my Road Glide. Ergos...good but found myself feeling cramped after 30 minutes...not my feet (loved those boards!), but seating position in combo with the handlebars. I felt locked in place after a while. Good power. BTW, I'm 6', 230 pounds. Steering and tracking - very good. Gear indicator-like it. Neutral finder-AWESOME. Minuses: MIRRORS!! Did Victory look for the one place that totally screws up your view or what? All I could see were my gloved hands and no amount of adjusting helped. Power delivery - OK, but not as smooth as my HD...could it be the lack of rubber mounts? Tiny buttons for cruise..I didn't feel comfortable with the hard to reach tiny switches and cruise operation wasn't as good/smooth as the HD. Windshield rattled (noisily) until in 6th. Handlebar position - left me feeling cramped. Sound - what sound? Ha I actually liked how quiet it is! All in all- not enough to make me buy it today but seriously considering a deal. So here are some questions: Can handlebars be adjusted-I didn't see how to do this. Is there a mirror 'fix' out there somewhere? Can seat be slid back to another position ? Power delivery - despite the 106", it didn't seem as smooth as the 96" HD. I know that I've got 11 years of conditioning, but the Vision seemed like a tractor under load (shimmy and burp) vs smooth roll-ons with the HD. A lot more vibration at higher rpms than I'm used to also. Why does shifting make so much noise? Thanks in advance for help answering these questions..nice bike overall and loved the bronze mist color I rode! JC, I too, came from a Road Glide ('06). I will tell you that there is NO WAY you feel cramped on a Vision compared to a Road Glide, I am 6'2" weigh 220 lbs. The Vision is a Cadillac compared to the RG. Once you relax your arms you will find that you have a ton of room and will find yourself slumping in the seat, like a Lazyboy recliner... Agreed, the RG or HD has a MUCH better button configuration but you learn to adjust to the buttons on the Vision, they aren't real bad once you get accustomed to them. The mirrors are a problem, my solution was to buy some blind spot mirrors (not the round ones) and that solved my issues, I have the big mirrors adjusted to see most of everything and then the blind spots for where Victory failed with the big mirrors...You could always add stemmed mirrors as an option too... For power, it has been so long since i had a stock Vision (106) thatI don't remember what it was like. However, if you want to drop $1400 you can get cams, fuel controller, and top air intake which will give you about 28% increase in HP and TORQUE...Check my sig line ( 111.95 HP and 112.9 Torque) and that is installed...It would be less if you wrench yourself...I have to disagree with you on the vibration on the Vision,mine is smooth as glass compared to my RG. That was one reason I sold the RG was it was horrendous to get on it an accelerate as it would beat me to death. Another thing you will find that is above reproach with the Vision is the lean angle and handling in the twisties. I would always scrape my floorboards on the RG and now it is tough to get leaned over far enough to drag the Vision...It can be done, but it is a lot further over than compared to the RG....
Edited by joe schmoe 2012-07-01 7:10 AM
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Cruiser
Posts: 185
Rhode Island | The seat has no adjustment maybe an upholsterer can shave some foam out of the back.
As far as power, it all depends what you want. For smooth power delivery and increased low end, $700.00 will get you a Lloyds top air filter, VFCIII fuel controller and a Lloyds Adjustable Intake System; the difference is amazing. Shoot Lloyd an email telling him what you want and the budget you have and see what his advise is and depending on where you live who he can recommend to do the install.
Mirrors do take some getting used to.
They are noisy, I don't know that I'll ever like it but have gotten used to it.
Jim
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Iron Butt
Posts: 1109
| You get used to the mirrors, I never notice my hands anymore. I don't really understand your power delivery comment. My Vision rolls the power on much smoother than any ultra I've ridden. I agree with you concerning the buttons, they could be a bit larger. As someone else here said,the Vision is a cross between a harley and wing. | |
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Cruiser
Posts: 103
Duanesburg N.Y. | I have an 09 vision tour premium and have the same issues as you, My mirrors show my hands and thats it, My fuel mapping with the stage one level two exhaust in my opinion totally sucks, the bike will just shut off when trying to down shift when you give it a blip of the throttle and there is nothing and if you catch it quick enough you can stop it from stalling. The handle bars are another issue, I posted last 2 weeks about ness bars or the ness ape hangers as I have mc gilla gorilla arms and have real issues being cramped up on the bike like you have experienced so I am exploring theses issues. There are no adjustments for the bars, just some coin need to fix this issue.
I helped my dealer do demo days last month and the new bikes are much better as far as the fuel mapping goes, the transmission is better than mine, if you think the one you drove was noisy UGH!!! you should ride mine, sounds like a munci rock crusher transmission from an old chevelle I used to drive. You need to understand how the power goes from the engine to the transmission as there is no primary chain like a harley and it is all gear drive kinda like a Pete jackson cam gear drive for a chevrolet if you have ever heard one, so that kinds gives a different type of noise. nothing wrong here just different. Of course being in a full fairing bike the noise kinda gets trapped in the body so you hear it bore than a bike with an open frame. just the nature of the beast
Love my adjustable windsheild!!!, its the best. Why harley doesnt have it as they bragg about being the best touring bike for the long haul is beyond me as this should be standard on any touring bike.
Most of these mechanical issues are just minor annoyances as long as you know that this is the normal operation of the beast. With some coin just like the harley things like the handle bars can be changed to fit you to the bike better, mirrors can be put on the hand grips to help see out back etc, etc.
My biggest gripe is as far as I can tell the bikes dont hold the value as I would have hoped. My dealer is selling brand new 2012 visions for $19.999 right now and that is what I paid for my 09 in 10. Look in ebay or cycle trader at used visions and see what they go for. Good for the buyer, not so good for the seller. An flh or road glide would be selling for way more than if I was to be trying to sell my vision but i'm the kind of guy who buys some thing and runs it untill there is nothing left so I'm not too worried about this issue. I'll just keep my vision and buy another bike if I need to.
The wife is very happy with the vision, she's comfy, it keeps her warm when the weather turns to shit, she can see above me very well, loves the heated seat, and most of all she likes being in the local victory club (Adirondack Victory riders) http://www.adirondackvictoryriders.com/ as we're just a group of older people who love to ride with others regardless of what kind of bike you own and some do have harleys but there is none of the usual harley mentality that happens with a group of harley people. My buddy is that type, makes me want to just puke, Gotta have the harley, with the Chinese harley boots, wearing the chinese orange and black coat, with the pakastan harley helmet, with the harley jeans with the little metal tag on the pocket that says harleydavidson, His wife is the same way with her sportster. JEEEZZZZZE! give me a break!!!.
I really like the Harley product and I initally went to but a new road glide in 2010 and went to 2 local harley dealers in the Albany new york area and when I went in i got the typical they are doing me a favor by talking to me feeling so I decided to check out victory, My dealer is good, my bike.......yeah well I have minor issues with it but if I had bought a road glide i'm sure i would have issues with it also. so over all other than the bike.
Handle bars which I can fix with a little time and coin and my clunky transmission is here to stay. Victory addressed this better in the 2011 bikes. I'm pretty happy with the bike, real happy with all the other Victory riders I come acrossin my travels, happy with my victory club, real happy with my dealer so I'll keep the vision for a while thank you but I gotta admit i still love that road glide..........ahhh maybe some day .........good luck with you decision as it will be a tough on one
Eric | |
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| maybe you will under stand more from these 5 videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGkFPUeNUqc | |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 802
| It seems they have replaced all the gears for 2013. I rode a 2013 Judge and it shifts like butter. Still clunks into 1st but really smooth. Here is what it looks like with a couple of stem mirrors. I can see EVERYTHING!
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Cruiser
Posts: 259
Land O Lakes, FL | My buddy has a Road Glide and I see what you mean on smoothness, it is a touch smoother than the vision. I sort of compare the two this way, since I have ridden both, the HD is like riding a Marshmellow, you feel very disconnected from everything (not a bad thing by no means) the Vision is more in tune with what's going on. The HD is like a Lincoln Town Car, you feel pretty much isolated where the Vision is like a 5 series BMW, it's the ultimate driving machine.
The Vision is a faster bike as well, my buddy has the 103 engine and with Stage 1 I'm still faster stock. I also feel the Vision handles better, I actually compare the handling to the GL1800 Goldwings I used to own they are basically a 900lbs sport bike and handle really really well, my Vision is right up there with them in handling but you pay for that with a little less marshmellowyness so to speak.
The controls for me anyway are great. I thought they looked cheesy and flimsy but are very well built and logical. I like it better than the HD because it's so simple. The HD has so many buttons, pot switches, etc that when I ride it I find myself fumbling in the dark with all the buttons and not getting it right. The Vision's simplicity makes it very easy to almost ride it blind, you can reach with a thumb and do anything quickly.
Overall both are great machines. The Vision engine is a better engineered unit with less to go wrong than an HD. For example it's oil is circulated through the heads and around the engine for better cooling, the engine drive and transmission are linked via a huge gear (almost indestructible) vs a drive chain with plastic tensioners like the HD. This works for HD and they have been building engines for years but they still suffer some of the most common problems with chain tensioners breaking, slack and needing adjustment and of course heat but you already knew that lol.
I don't want to sound like I'm bashing the HD just giving some good points for the Vision is all, the HD is a fantastic machine that tools down the interstate like a town car and actually handles decent (though they still need better brakes, my buddies shake already after 10K). The linked brakes on the Vision are sublime, love them. | |
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New user
Posts: 2
| Thanks everyone for the comments and pics/videos. Like those stem mirrors, they fix what was my main gripe. But now I'm wondering about what's in store for 2013 and the transmission? Appreciate everyone taking the time to help! | |
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Tourer
Posts: 500
| jc2216...I am fairly confident that you will forget about any mirror issues after you ride the Vision for a while...Most riders adjust very soon and find hardly any problems with rear-view access....I have personally never had any difficulty with the mirrors on my 2011 Vision and they work just fine for me....I think if you make the move, you will really wonder why you did not get into a Victory sooner...HD's are a great bike, just not a Vision...... | |
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Visionary
Posts: 1365
Central Maryland | opas ride - 2012-07-02 2:06 PM
jc2216...I am fairly confident that you will forget about any mirror issues after you ride the Vision for a while...Most riders adjust very soon and find hardly any problems with rear-view access....I have personally never had any difficulty with the mirrors on my 2011 Vision and they work just fine for me....I think if you make the move, you will really wonder why you did not get into a Victory sooner...HD's are a great bike, just not a Vision......
Well, maybe that's cause yer a runt and runts look under the handlebars to view the mirrors; so the view isn't obstructed by their hands?   | |
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Visionary
Posts: 1365
Central Maryland | Just a joke ya old fart... | |
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Visionary
Posts: 1229
Rancho Cucamonga, CA | As stated, the HD and Vic go about engine and tranny design a lot different, so you are going to hear different noises than you are used to, especially when it is so much easier to hear everything now. If the bike you test rode didn't feel smooth and vibrated a lot, you may want to test ride a different Vision, that one might have been out of adjustment. Most HD riders (including me) that have switched to Victory find it just the opposite.
Every bike I've owned, I've had to change the seat around a little, but not the Ness Vision seat. It fits perfectly with enough back support that I don't even use the back rest I purchased for it. Nobody's butt is the same and some seats work for some and not for others. That's what seat customizers are for. Same goes for handlebars. I always thought Bikes should not come with stock seats or bars, but should be fitted to you by the dealer before you ride out the door. A big failing in my opinion by the whole industry. It does seem the stock setup on the Vision has the largest range though, people from 5'4" to 6'8" have found it comfortable, but not everyone will. | |
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| jc2216 - 2012-07-01 2:09 AM Just joined today. I'm an 11 year HD rider. Had 3 Road Glides (2010 now w/trunk) as basis for my questions and comments. First I'd like to say NEAT RIDE the Vision. Pluses: Auto windshield - loved it. Wind protection from fairing-loved it. Suspension-awesome..much much better than my Road Glide. Ergos...good but found myself feeling cramped after 30 minutes...not my feet (loved those boards!), but seating position in combo with the handlebars. I felt locked in place after a while. Good power. BTW, I'm 6', 230 pounds. Steering and tracking - very good. Gear indicator-like it. Neutral finder-AWESOME. Minuses: MIRRORS!! Did Victory look for the one place that totally screws up your view or what? All I could see were my gloved hands and no amount of adjusting helped. Power delivery - OK, but not as smooth as my HD...could it be the lack of rubber mounts? Tiny buttons for cruise..I didn't feel comfortable with the hard to reach tiny switches and cruise operation wasn't as good/smooth as the HD. Windshield rattled (noisily) until in 6th. Handlebar position - left me feeling cramped. Sound - what sound? Ha I actually liked how quiet it is! All in all- not enough to make me buy it today but seriously considering a deal. So here are some questions: Can handlebars be adjusted-I didn't see how to do this. Is there a mirror 'fix' out there somewhere? Can seat be slid back to another position ? Power delivery - despite the 106", it didn't seem as smooth as the 96" HD. I know that I've got 11 years of conditioning, but the Vision seemed like a tractor under load (shimmy and burp) vs smooth roll-ons with the HD. A lot more vibration at higher rpms than I'm used to also. Why does shifting make so much noise? Thanks in advance for help answering these questions..nice bike overall and loved the bronze mist color I rode! Ness makes 2" shorter bars You can put mirrors on your controls if you want Windshield can be fixed pin is in wrong You were driving a new bike after you get miles on it will be smoother and you can put in cams and a fueler for a thousand buck and have a hundred horse where your harley would coast you two thousand and at thirty thousand miles on your harley you can do cam shoes and if you don't catch it in time you can do a oil pump to all for twenty five hundred bucks. Give the vision another ride ask dealer if you can go out for a hour you'll be surprised | |
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Cruiser
Posts: 59
| I really like the looks of the mirrors you added, what brand are they?
What is it that you put in the place of the stock mirrors on eaither side.
Thanks, Mark | |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 31
Las Vegas, NV | Heres what I did with my mirror space... Removed the mirrors and ADDED SPEAKER GRILLS FOR MORE SPEAKERS!!!!!!!!
(PIC_0009.JPG)
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 PIC_0009.JPG (18KB - 1 downloads)
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Iron Butt
Posts: 802
| jomar - 2012-07-03 1:02 PM
I really like the looks of the mirrors you added, what brand are they?
What is it that you put in the place of the stock mirrors on either side.
Thanks, Mark
They are just cheap aftermarket mirrors I picked up at Chapparal. Nothing fancy but they work perfect. I had my local upholsterer cover the original mirrors with material which looks exactly like the black dashboard.
Marc | |
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