Veiled in secrecy, members from the Victory Motorcycles design and marketing teams summoned the media to a swanky buffet and bar in downtown Long Beach, CA, to give us a glimpse of two new models in the future Victory lineup. After a patriotic homage to the American touring-bike rider filled with forward-thinking verbiage, data, demograhics, quotes, movie and Steppenwolf tunes, the "New American Motorcycle Company" pulled the bedsheets (with Victory logos) off the futuristic-looking Vision motorcycles.
A collective gasp was heard from the assembled journalists-the visionary bikes gleamed under the spotlights. At first glance, the Visions are bold and futuristic, making a loud statement that's impossible to ignore. It appears that the Victory engineers paid attention to which amenities touring riders yearned for, as the bikes are packed with comfort features and friendly ergonomics.
Victory's motto, "Two Bikes. Two Types of Riders," refers to the '08 Vision Tour and the Vision Street. The Tour, complete with tail trunk, sleek saddlebags, and storage compartments, is targeted toward the long-haul, two-up rider. The Street, geared toward the occasional long trip rider, appears similar but without the trunk. Smooth styling is complemented by attention to ergonomics and comfort.
A 26-1/2-inch seat height allows for civilized slow-speed riding and confidence for smaller riders. Lights for style and safety are found all over the motorcycle, from the fixed fairing to the distinctive tailsection. Speaking of the fairing, the windscreen and side wind deflectors can be electronically adjusted on the fly to tailor the airflow to your liking and conditions.
As of press time, many details of these bikes were still under wraps. For instance, the Vision bikes will be powered by the proven, overhead-cam, air-/oil-cooled Freedom motor, but the displacement and specs are being kept hidden somewhere in Minnesota. It'll feature closed-loop EFI and an overdrive six-speed transmission. A welcome feature is the 6-gallon fuel tank capacity. We will bring you info and a road test as soon as it's available. All of the specifications Victory released to us are listed in the chart shown here.