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Cruiser
Posts: 190
| Who Pulled the Rug Out?
Just read the news about Polaris dropping the Victory line. Initionally it upset me, but then I remembered 1973. I'd bought a TX-750 Yamaha as a 20th birthday gift to myself, and for those who aren't old enough to remember, were billed as the bike to "beat" the Honda 750. "Great!", I thought. It was a vertical twin with a counter-balanced engine that worked pretty well. Until you put 3,000 miles on it. Then, because Yamaha's engineer's didn't see fit to put any kind of adjustment on the counter-balancing chains, (automatic or otherwise), everything would soon...very soon, get out of balance and interesting things started to happen.
I still think they should find the executive who ok'd putting them on the market and hang him or her by the thumbs. But that's just me. And I was one of the lucky ones. Even back then when 3 or 4,000 miles a year on a bike was the average, I put 13,000 miles on mine that summer. Never had a problem with it until I started hearing things through the rumor mill and finally talked to one of the mechanics at the shop I'd bought my bike at. I sold it before it could bite me in '74. They also built the bike for only 2 years because the design was so good. It was the last time I let other people,(those nice folks in marketing), decide what I should buy.
Fast forward 22 years and I'm SO disappointed to hear about the end of Victory. Only it's a non-issue for me. I run my bikes into the ground. When I retired in 2002, I had an '85 K100/RT BMW with 78,000 miles on it. It's the first bike I ever pulled a camper with and by 2006 it had 230,000 miles on it. In 2006 I sold the 3 week old rear tire for $100 and threw the bike in with it. I got my money's worth out of it and had all ready bought a used '97 Concours with 18,000 on it which I sold after I got my Vision in 2013. The Connie had 165,000 miles on it and didn't owe me a thing. I'm sure both bikes would have gone much longer but by then I was ready to try another bike.
I'm bummed Victory is going away....we'll have parts for another 10 years the company says, but I'm betting my Vision will be long-gone by then and I'll have owned at least another brand or two. My Vision is, by far, the best and most comfortable bike I've ever owned even though Polaris never quite did it justice...I believe they built it to show the bike world what they could do..not neccessarily to be the flag ship.
Like Yamaha with the TX-750, I always thought Polaris, and Victory by extension, could have done a lot more with the Vision. I mean, that optional lighted Victory on the trunk was nice but there should have been an option for a 3rd brake light as far as I'm concerned. The non-existant tail/brake/turn lights in the trunk are another pet peeve, even though I put a Tri-Star module in there.
Everyone who's ever owned a Vision knows it's strength and weaknesses. Hell, all bikes have them. Yet, it's always disappointing when YOUR favorite bike or brand falls by the way-side, but personally, I have WAY too many other brands I want to check out. It's kind of like going to a smorgasborg...you can't keep going back and picking the same thing everytime.
For me, there's that California Touring by Guzzi I want to look at as well as the Thunderbird LT and a Honda F6B and Kawasaki Vaquero and a couple of those new Indians and Harley's finally got a good looking trunk now so I need to test ride a Road Glide and I've always thought Ural's were ugly enough to take a closer look at too...
Yep....there's a whole smorgasborg to pick from out there....
My Vision's still a fine bike and unless Polaris tell's me to give it back, I'm going to ride it into the ground.
Edited by beemerdad2@yahoo.com 2017-01-09 9:13 PM
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Pearland, TX United States | I'm with you on The Triumph Thunderbird Storm. I looked at that one before I bought my Vegas 8ball. I just couldn't get past the wide fuel tank. |
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Tourer
Posts: 400
| If the price of Victory's drop significantly, I'm looking at getting another (3rd) Victory. I've been riding the for 15 years with basically no problems. |
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| stupid ass polaris was making 11 vic's and 6 indians out of a small factory in a town where they could not get enough help.
If polaris would of dropped 6 vic's and 3 indians they could've made it.
I do think indian will be put on the shelf in 5 years making way for the electric bikes |
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Cruiser
Posts: 190
| You think the T-Bird Storm's got a wide gas tank? Took me a month to get used to the one on my Vision..but now I kinda like it. One of the biggest surprises for me when I took the Indian Roadmaster(?) for a test ride was how tiny it was.
Didn't expect that at all. If Polaris has done ONE thing by dropping Victory it's that I was thinking I might have to trade it in once I get 100,000 miles on it because I'm learning as I approach 64, that it's not getting any easier to move the bike around before I ride it. That's why the T-Bird LT and the Moto-Guzzi California Touring were on my radar...but now I'm leaning toward keeping the Vision which will mean it'll be harder for me because I'll have to save up quite a bit more money without the trade. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1632
Jasper, MO | My Victory dealer was also a Triumph (and Suzuki) dealer. He hired me and a friend several times to lead demo rides. Some of those were for the Triumph brand. These rides are about 30 miles long through the Ozarks hills.
That Triumph Thunderbird Storm is a hoot. The only thing about it I didn't like was the forward controls. Fine for interstate cruising, but not so much for the Ozarks backroads. However, I usually rode it with my feet on the passenger pegs, rearset style. What a hoot. That thing has so much torque and engine braking that shifting and rear braking was not needed very often and I could fly through the hills and curves. I told the factory Rep at supper that I would buy one in a heartbeat if it had mid-controls.
I still would.
Ronnie |
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Visionary
Posts: 1632
Jasper, MO | double post
Ronnie
Edited by rdbudd 2017-01-13 10:32 AM
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Visionary
Posts: 2118
Pitt Meadows, BC Canada | Well, SHIT HAPPENS .... I am 73, and my Vision is my last ...vision. And my last bike ever. When I am 92 or so, I will make a Lawn Ornament out of it. And I am happy that my last bike - has been my BEST !!! RIDE ON - and ignore the IGNORANT comments from folks who just don't know what we know. I will continue to enjoy the 'SPCSHP' for as long as I am given on this Earth. RIDE ON!!! .... my GOAL is to get the SPCSHP to numbers that VARYDER has long surpassed ! Maybe the ORIGINAL 'Vision' design will be ready then ...
(Original VISION design - 2007.jpg)
(My Vision.jpg)
Attachments
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 Original VISION design - 2007.jpg (51KB - 3 downloads)
My Vision.jpg (147KB - 0 downloads)
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | I saw on Facebook for those that care, a fellow Vision owner with a 2013 model went to a dealership to trade it in after he heard this news (his personal decision) in the dealership would not take his vision on trade in.... after this announcement fromantic 5 days ago ... I found that interesting what is a way I don't blame the dealership that Vision was not a successful model as victory hoped it would be that's no reflection on how well made it is. But the dealership doesn't care how well made the bike if he cares how fast he can get it off his floor.. |
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| there was a guy down in AZ and bought new 2017 vision for 16K |
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Cruiser
Posts: 154
Danbury, Connecticut | johnnyvision - 2017-01-14 5:34 PM
there was a guy down in AZ and bought new 2017 vision for 16K
I've been scouring for deals on a 2016 or 17 blue Vision since the announcement and have found some very cheap new 2016s-seems they can't advertise deals on current model year so that will require some calls. It's not like there were any changes from 16 to 17 anyway. Won't be parting with the 09 Anniversary, just need to make more room. |
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Visionary
Posts: 2118
Pitt Meadows, BC Canada | johnnyvision - 2017-01-14 3:34 PM there was a guy down in AZ and bought new 2017 vision for 16K My 'full load' 2008 Vision was $24,000 US$ including all taxes. Add another $3000 for KevinX, speakers, etc. - So $27,000 for a 2008 vs $16,000 for a 2017. Yikes ... what does that say about the US Economy ??? C'mon TRUMP - drive Harley into India where it should be .... |
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Cruiser
Posts: 190
| Man, I love the Ozarks. I camped along the Buffalo River (if I remember the name correctly) a few miles south of Yellville while visiting friends of mine and I think I could live there...those roads are just too much fun.
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | https://youtu.be/bBmkwK1qb2c |
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