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Cruiser
Posts: 251
| Hey All After more than 3 years of hmmmmming and hawwwwing the wife.....God Bless Her heart......has finally convinced me that there is no good time to buy something this expensive so just go out and do it and make sure that I do it right!! So to this end I will be ordering my new 2009 Vision Premium Tour to take delivery this Spring. There is a bike show the end of this month in Langley which is when I will be working out the specifics toward placing my order. I think that I have a pretty good idea about what I would like, however, I would like to hear what those who actually own the bike have to say about what they would get or get differently, what works and what doesn't work so well, if they had it to do over again? Here are some ot the ideas that I have already come up with through my own research. 2009 Tour Premium black in color (with all of the chrome that comes with it) 1. Paint - I would like all one color (as much as possible) and then get a better clearcoat (aftermarket). Whatever I don't paint I would like chromed. I did notice that there are several option on the "build your own bike" section of the Victory website. I will need to look further into this. 2. I will be getting the reverse and trailer hitch as I plan on getting a bike camper trailer sometime down the road. 3. Pipes - I am thinking Stage 1 Level 2 (anyone have any thoughts?) 4. Leather seat with backrest (or possibly look at the after market backrest that I have noticed mentioned on this forum) 5. Electrics - GPS Mount for Garmin (I will buy my own GPS device), extra power outlet, IPod Cable, aux lights These are just my initial thoughts. I would appreciate any thoughts ideas from thoses who have already gone through this regarding things that I should be thinking/looking for. Also, I live on Vancouver Island and the closest dealer is on the mainland in Langley BC. Are there any other Canucks in either BC or Alberta that have had dealings with their local Victory shops I sure would appreciate your thoughts on the service and after purchase service that you have recieved......Alberta is only a short bike ride away!!! Thanks all in advance for any/all info that you might be able to give me!! Best to all in the New Year!! Gerry |
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Cruiser
Posts: 215
Boydsville, AR United States | If your riding with another passenger, I would get the high windsheild right off the bat. The wind caught my co piolet right at eye level. The radio reception sucks, so I am adding an XM radio this spring. I'm adding the Stage 1 , level 1 pipes. I think that level 2 will be too loud, and the ehaust tips will not work with level 2. Personally, I think the red looks better than the black, but look at both before you decide. Good luck, and ride safe! |
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Cruiser
Posts: 273
| Blue's faster, it attracts better looking women, and it's easier to clean.
Stage one w/gatlin tips.
Garmin GPS
Sirius/XM radio because the stock unit sucks swampwater. 30 miles from the station on my '09 with the "new and improved" radio and speakers and you can't pick up squat.
Rack on the trunk and leave the trailer hitch off and home. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 965
New York State | Black with chrome creates less wind resistance and is faster than colors which create drag  |
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Cruiser
Posts: 60
| Hi Gercia
I also live on Vancouver Island. Sea to Sky motorsports is great to deal with. The service Dept has been trying to fix my power drain problem but it is a little hard to get over there right now. Stage 1 level 1 are great sounding pipes and I would go with the utopia backrest and keep the original heated seat. Ipod cable is a must and when you get the right Ipod everything works nice. The hitch I still have to get and install as I have 2 trailers, one is a cargo and the other is a tent trailer.
I know you will love the bike when you get it, I sure do.
Happy New Year |
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Visionary
Posts: 1484
LaPorte,Tx. | The color is up to you, because you can't get the fastest color, the SSG was only on the 2008's. Satalite radio, I did the I-pod, didn't like it. Chrome is alway good. Utopia backrest, forget the leather unless you have big bucks and it is not heated. Reverse is good. Please put on the running lights. I would go with the Stage 1 level one, sound is good, and you get to use the Gatlin tips, or go with the aftermarket exhaust that uses the tips. I get a lot of good comments on my tips, .  Oh, by the way, your going to have sooooo much fun with this bike. Take care, ride safe.  |
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Tourer
Posts: 301
Buffalo Grove,Ill | The way i read it, (regarding color) is that he is ordering the black because it doesnt cost the premium, and he will be painting it his own custom color. Correct? sounds like you have it mapped out pretty well, and a cool S.O.
Im planning on getting mine in the spring or early summer as well and pretty much on the same page as you. Have fun |
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Tourer
Posts: 367
Cottage Grove, Mn | One thing to keep in mind when it comes too the exhaust and a trailer hitch. Not all trailer hitchs can be used with Level ll exhaust. I have a Bushtec hitch and they say it can only be used with level l exhaust.(they say not me). My choice is MidNight Cherry with lost of chrome, XM radio and GPS and a tall windshield, by the way it tows a trailer and two up like a dream. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 251
| I just had to jump in here.....Thanks so much everyone for your thoughts and ideas so far.....keep'em coming..... The color thing....I am saying black but I also like the cherry - black was the wife's suggestion so that it will be in fashion with her bike (also, down the road, if she likes it I can give her my bike and I can upgrade.....gotta always be looking beyond your headlights....Ha Ha!!) As for the pipes, I was on the fence about the level 1 or 2. Because of the points that were mentioned I am going to take a harder look at the options out there. I will search this forum because I know that I have seen some very good info in earlier posts. The seat I am going to install the Utopia backrest.....couldn't remember the name earlier but I do remember seeing this discussed awhile back and looking into it myself. And of course the gadgets! I will be looking for a GPS that will integrate with the vision as well as my cellphone (that I never answer now) and an IPOD/MP3 player. I had not looked too closely at the sat radio because my wife had it with her car and there seems to be a lot of dead areas here. I also just read a post about heated jacket hookups (especially after the weather that we've been having) and I am going to get them installed under the seat with a battery charger hookup. I believe on the 2008 models there was an option for an upgrade to the electrical system....Does anyone have that? Is is worth it? Yes I have talked to the folks over at Sea to Sky, I actually took a test ride on one of their Visions. Nice folks, I was just wondering if anyone had actually bought anything from them? Thanks Again to everyone for your thoughts and advice.....Keep'em coming!!!! Gerry |
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Visionary
Posts: 1632
Jasper, MO | It sounds like you already have the bike mapped out pretty well. I would get the reverse. It's a 900 pound bike when gassed up and loaded. I wish I had reverse on my 08. Heated riding gear is great and extends your riding season considerably. The Vision already has two outlets available for plugging in accessories. One is key switched and is in the glovebox. The other is unswitched and is in the trunk. You can get the cords which just plug in to these outlets and into your heated gear. The trunk outlet is also great for plugging in a battery tender. All you need is the BMW (Powerlet) to SAE cord, which is inexpensive. Of course, you can also get the two optional power outlets, and they aren't very expensive. One goes in front of the rider in the center console, and the other goes under the rear speaker on the right side. You'll still need basically the same cords for your heated gear, either way. Your wife would probably like the intercom, and the stereo in the helmet. On the Vision, the passenger has her own separate volume control for music, intercom, and CB, which is independent of yours. My wife loves that feature. The intercom unit comes with the CB unit. The best stereo sound comes through helmet speakers. I would have the CB/Intercom installed, which comes with the outlets for the headset hookups. The headsets are purchased separately, and are installed on whatever helmets you choose. I find the CB radio to be a very useful feature, and we use it a lot. My wife appreciates the intercom feature. I wouldn't be in any hurry to modify or add to the stock seat. You might end up wanting the Utopia backrest, but you might find you don't need it. I understand it's easy to install at a later date if you do decide you need it. The stock seat is pretty darn good as is. I would consider getting the luggage rack instead of the louder pipes. The rack is useful, and loud pipes get old in a hurry on a long trip. Once you get the Vision, you're going to be taking some long trips.
Ronnie |
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Visionary
Posts: 1340
Gainesville Fl Home of the Gators | Just a quick comment on pipes from someone that has done several variations
S1L1 with stock tips make a minor power boost, and increase the sound to a very reasonable level
S1L2 Make a moderate power boost, and sound slightly louder then S1L1. IMHO the map for these pipes has the best drivability
S1L1 with Gatling tips make about the same power as S1L2, but are actually louder then them
Ness big Honkers make about the same power as S1L2. With stock tip they are louder then any of the above, and with Gatling tip they are just plain LOUD
Ness Thunder Sticks To loud, and though they make good power with a PCIII; the drivability SUCKS
Edited by kevinx 2009-01-04 7:51 AM
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 41
| How have you had the chance to hear all those different exhausts?
I would love to hear each of them live.....
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Cruiser
Posts: 136
CALGARY ALBERTA | HI Gercia, I have an 08 Premium (Gray) and live in Calgary. Mine has the S1L1 exhaust which provides plenty of power and V TWIN sound. As I have many miles of riding with my Vision on the Island and more, I would recommend the same exhaust levels due to the reverb you get from the center island barrier on the Island Highway. There is a give and go on any mods that you do. More exhaust note, less stereo sound and possibly more complaints from the better half. I'm very happy with levels of sound and performance. No tickets. so far.
Our dealer here is Cycle Works and have provided good service for me and all that I have talked to. I think prices are about to jump due to the weak Canadian dollar, so do it soon!!!
Bobby B |
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Tourer
Posts: 423
northwest florida | if you really want a fast one then you need to get the blue color. It is the fastest color. |
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Visionary
Posts: 3006
San Antonio, TX | Do the smart thing, get the color your wife likes best.
I have the Stage 1 Level 2 pipes and love them. S1L2 pipes sound like you ride a V-Twin but you can leave the house without waking up everyone in the area.
Like you I am trying to paint and chrome anything that is not the base color of the of the Vision.
Have fun and enjoy the ride! |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 810
| Gerica, Congradulations on your new bike. Here are my 2 cents. - Hard-wired Gerbing heat controllers for heated clothing for both for you and your passenger (especially since you live up North). 65-amp charging option if your dealer can get it. Also, wire your passenger's heated clothing controller with a relay that is switched by the ignition switch. The standard plug wiring harness in the back of the bike stays hot after you turn off the bike. Just a precaution to prevent a dead battery. - Ditto the higher windsheild (Victory or Cee-Bailey has shields for the Vision. Cee-Bailey's windshield is wider on top than Victory's shields). - Comm system if you ride 2-up or in groups. - Ditto the Utopia Backrest. - iPOD Cable - J&M Speaker Upgrade front and back. (more efficient speakers, play louder with less volume than stock speakers). - XM is nice, but the sound quality is poor compared to the iPOD or a good FM signal. - Have your tins chromed by Cycle Dragon (don't buy the factory chrome). They have the best chrome I have seen to date for the Vision. Their chrome is done by a guy that does salt-water boats and are tripple chromed. - Wait for the RPW 2-into-1 pipes. They should be available in February and will come in chrome or black and should have the best power boost of all of the Vision pipes to date. They are ceramic coated so they should address some of the heat issues with out the need to wrap the pipes. They do not have crossovers to heat up the oil filter like the stock pipes and are lighter than stock pipes. - BushTec is the only current company providing a Vision Trailer Hitch. UniGo is supposedly working on a hitch or a modified BushTec hitch for the Vision to handle single wheel trailers. UniGo has a 5 cubic foot trailer and is working on a 8 cubic foot trailer that can be rolled into the hotel room like luggage. - The trailer hitch requires a lot of disassembly, thus if you are changing the color of your grab rails, do it at the same time to save the labor. Also, install a trailer light controller at the same time. If you buy a heavy duty trailer light controller, you can add auxillary lights to you bike and drive them off of the same controller without taxing your bikes existing lighting harness. - The Vision luggage rack leaves a lot or room for improvement. It is too small to be practical, too far backwards and bags get in the way of the CB antenna. Their luggage rack should have went further forward to protect the paint in front of the luggage rack. I would look for another solution if I did it again. - Definitely buy your own GPS, they are a lot cheaper that way. I don't see why the Victory dealers charge so much for 3rd party items. You should be able to get a good price on the recently discontinued StreetPilot 2820 and it integrates into the stereo system. Hopefully, Victory will make the Zumo 550 integrate with the stereo system now that it is the only Garmin motorcycle GPS that has not been discontinued. - You might want to add the PIAA fork-mounted running lights and upgrade the bulbs in them to 55 watts. The 35 watt bulbs that come in the Vision kit do not add anything when you already have the Xenon HID. The 55 watt bulbs do and give you a light source outside of the 3-bulb cluster for better visibility by cages. - Aftermarket products if you can get them. Turn and brake lights in the mirrors. Turn and brake lights in the tour pack. Congrats on your new forthcoming ride. Happy New Year, Tim
Edited by TimS 2009-01-04 1:50 PM
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Iron Butt
Posts: 810
| I have the Ness Big Honkers with Gatlin Tips and VFC3 and heard them side-by-side with the Thundersticks and the PowerCommander. The Thundersticks have a slightly deeper exhaust note than the Big Honkers. I did not notice anything else in performance or loudness (SPL) when riding and revving both bikes side by side. Both bikes had a lot of decel pops, but that was before the factory's reflash recall. The factory reflash recall has vertually eliminated all of the decel pops on my bike and probably had similar effects on the Thunderstick/PowerCommander bike. HTH, Tim
Edited by TimS 2009-01-04 2:03 PM
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Iron Butt
Posts: 1158
Richmond, Virginia | ok, everyones commented on pipes/sound/exhaust so I will direct you elsewhere.
1.Definately get the CeeBaileys tall windshield replacement. you and your passenger will appreciate it esp in bad or cold weather.
2. Add the lower wind deflectors, they look awesome but more importantly, they do the best job of buffeting the cold air in the
winter, yet can be turned inward for summer and all that passing air completely removes the engine heat while you are riding.
3. Dual power port on center console if you have electric clothing. If you plan to remove the rear trunk, then install the dual ports
up front for both riders. The power ports are only sold in pairs so why not use em both. If you plan to only run with the trunk, then
you can install the second one on the side of the trunk for your passenger.
4. Chrome chrome chrome then you dont need lights to be seen, blind em with beauty not disco.
Color is a personal choice, Black goes with everything and REALLY shows off the contrast with the chrome. Its easier to match
helmets and gear as well. The blue is awesome, slightly difficult to color match but the color in the sun is outstanding. Cherry red
is pretty but like black, every motorcycle out there comes in black and red. bottom line walk into your dealership and go with
whichever one draws your attention FIRST. Forget what your wife thinks, she will be behind you the whole time and cant see
anything anyway. Just buy her a pretty jacket... ha hah a ha |
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Cruiser
Posts: 175
Hinton, Iowa | akabubba42 - 2009-01-04 9:38 AM
How have you had the chance to hear all those different exhausts?
I would love to hear each of them live.....
Kevin is aVic tech. Probaly one of the best and most respected around.
Ride Safe, Mike |
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