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Victory Cross Roads

You might even say the Cross Roads grants the rider a purer, almost elemental wind-in-the-hair ride compared to other touring-biased cruisers.

Although the Cross Roads doesn’t provide what the Country does in terms of wind protection and creature comforts, it is otherwise the same basic motorcycle as the Country, a variation on the same theme, if you will.

Where the Country has a fork-mounted fairing and hard saddlebags, the Cross Roads is without wind protection of any kind, and its hard interior saddlebags wrapped in black vinyl with real leather accents, while quite roomy at 17.4 gallons total storage, are roughly 3.6 gallons shy of the upspec hardbags' total capacity. The Roads' bag lids use a common plastic buckle for opening and closing. A leather buckle attached to the upper plastic buckle helps snug up lid closure as needed. (Were the bags wholly lashed with a real leather buckle you'd likely get frustrated with having to line-up the pin to the holes, and also have to contend with the very real issue of leather stretch, dry rotting, etc. Ergo the plastic buckle presents a potentially more secure, simpler and reliable closure – hence their use on most cruisers' leather bags.)

No, you won’t get to tune in your favorite FM classic rock station or pump music from your iPod while aboard the Roads like you can on the long-haul-oriented Cross Country. But with the Roads you’ll enjoy a $3000 savings when comparing the Cross Country’s costlier $17,999 MSRP.

The Cross models’ potent 106-c.i. air/oil-cooled V-Twin with 6-speed gearbox carried in an aluminum frame proves plenty of go power, while an excellent suspension package gobbles up rough roads as you rack up the miles. During our recent 2011 Bagger Shootout the Cross Country’s forgiving ride and solid-handling chassis impressed us, as did its abundant lean-angle clearance. All those good qualities are also found on the Cross Roads.

"...An excellent suspension package gobbles up rough roads as you rack up miles."

The Cross Roads is largely the same bike as it was when introduced in 2010. However, for 2011 the 106-cubic-inch mill (now standard on all Vics) receives a reworked transmission to provide smoother shifting and quieter operation, while the Roads (along with select other models) also sports a new speedo/instrument cluster.

This new, single-unit instrument now includes integrated warning lights that Victory had previously placed in the top of the triple clamp. A comprehensive LCD readout in the bottom of the gauge displays a segmented bar graph fuel gauge, digital rpm readout, trip meter, odometer, gear-position indicator and clock. Indigo backlighting for the instrument is a slick touch – its illumination at night has a soothing effect on the eyes.

Victory claims the Roads’ dry weight of 745 lbs is 20 lbs less than that of the Cross Country. We’ve not had the opportunity to put each bike on a scale, but the Country’s batwing fairing (which houses a sound system, tachometer, other small gauges and LCDs), hard saddlebags and flying buttress-style aluminum highway bars seem like a combination that would add up to more than 20 lbs.

Regardless of how much the Cross Country’s fairing actually weighs, its added weight is up high and is what I suspect contributes to sometimes unwieldy slow-speed handling – like when picking your way through a U-turn or making that last-second dive for a parking space.

The Cross Road’s front-end is free of this added weight, and after a day aboard the bike, my perception is that low-speed handling is a touch more agile compared to the Cross Country.

If you’re the type of rider looking for an unadulterated view across the handlebar, then the Cross Roads might interest you. But as I’ve learned over my many years of riding, life behind a windshield is good.

My Cross Roads testing took place during a cold and windy late fall day in SoCal, and I couldn’t have been happier to have the accessory mid-height windscreen. Wind buffeting was limited, and I stayed much warmer than if I rode shield-less. The screen attaches rather simply but securely with four Allen bolts.

Victory’s intention with both Crosses was a direct aim for the heart of Harley-Davidson’s bagger dominance, attempting to offer more bike for less dollar. Where the Cross Country targets the Harley Street Glide, the Cross Roads is aimed at the more classically styled Road King.

As the Roads comes equipped, it doesn’t quite mimic the equipment the RK carries, but the Cross Roads also retails for $2K less than the $16,999 Road King in Vivid Black color scheme – other color choices raise the King’s base price. The Victory also comes with cruise control as standard (same on the Country), where H-D charges an additional $295 for that feature.

Another, more expensive option is available in the Road King Classic.

The RK Classic uses leather bags instead of the hard shell units on the standard RK, but the addition of Harley's new PowerPak (103 c.i., ABS and security system), whitewall tires and wire spoke wheels adds approximately $2500 beyond the standard Road King's tag, meaning the Classic ($19,499) is $4500 beyond the Cross Roads' starting price. Yeah, figured that'd get your attention.

If you’re really keen on the base Road King’s standard goods of windshield, hard saddlebags and chrome tubular steel highway bars/engine guard, there’s a way to get a Cross Roads equipped in similar fashion.

Using what Victory calls its Cross Roads Core Custom program, you can build your Cross Roads online or at a dealer by selecting the aforementioned windshield for $550, hardbags for an extra $300 (listed separately for a grand) and highway bars for $350. For another $350 you can select crash-protecting bars for the hardbags.

So, equipping a Cross Roads similarly to a Road King certainly will boost the Roads’ base MSRP of $14,999, pushing it to within roughly $450 to $800 of the Harley’s price tag – depending on the number of add-ons for the Vic. But a key distinction remains in that the Victory comes with a 106 cubic-inch engine, while the standard Road King employs a 96-incher.

Dyno testing in this year’s Bagger Shootout revealed the Vic Twin churned out nearly 89 ft-lbs, while the Harley Street Glide – equipped with a larger 103 c.i. engine as part of the $1995 optional PowerPak – managed only 81.4 ft-lbs. Furthermore, the Victory hit peak torque later in its rev range and carried the power advantage farther compared to when and for how long the Harley achieved its peak.

Despite the obvious comparison of Victory to Harley, another player worthy of consideration waits patiently in the shadows.

Although Kawasaki's Vulcan 1700 cruiser platform consumes but a fraction of the bagger sub-segment dominated by Harley, the Vulcan 1700 Classic LT is an oft-overlooked contender in what is quickly becoming an American vs. American battle.

The Vulcan's 103 c.i. Twin is a bit less engine (1700cc vs. 1731cc for the CR) than what the Victory brings to the game, however, the Kawi's Twin does benefit from liquid-cooling. The soft-leather-bag bagger from Team Green also comes with a windshield as standard, and retails for $14,199 – an $800 savings compared to the Cross Roads.

In our recent Bagger Shootout, we dubbed the Country as the bike offering the most bang for the buck. Considering the Roads’ intended American competition, there’s no reason we couldn’t say the same for this other Cross model from Victory.

Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Vaquero

The company discovered that riders looking to move up from smaller cruisers to a larger model aren’t necessarily interested in or ready for full touring boats, like the Vulcan Voyager, Harley-Davidson’s Electra Glide models or H-D’s Road Glide Ultra.

Of course, the Vaquero is also crafted as a bike with an appeal all its own, drawing in riders that don’t always have a cruiser background – like ZX-14 owners. Long says these riders are part of the Vaquero’s demographic, as they look either to switch two-wheeled genres or further expand the type of mounts they ride.

And, naturally, with this latest Vulcan, Kawasaki hopes to woo riders from other cruiser brands as well.

During the Vaquero’s recent press launch in Montgomery, Texas, an hour or so north of Houston, Kawasaki staff didn’t specifically say the intent was to get in on the growing bagger sub-segment with the Vaquero, but more often referred to it as the next-step bike mentioned above.

Regardless of how much candor Team Green was willing or able to speak with on this matter of entering the realm of Harley’s Road Glide Custom and Street Glide models, Victory’s Cross Country and Star’s Stratoliner Deluxe, the fact is, with the Vaquero, Kawasaki has beat Honda and Suzuki to the lucrative bagger market.

To give you a sense of how important this part of the cruiser world is, Harley-Davidson says (without revealing any sales figures) the Street Glide is its top-selling model. Perhaps Honda and Suzuki don’t currently have any designs on the bagger game, but it would seem a wise move to join the party.

Another steel horse in the Vulcan stable

At its core the Vaquero is a Vulcan 1700. The latest V bike in Kawi’s big cruiser lineup shares its 1700cc (103.7 c.i.) liquid-cooled, SOHC, four-valve-per-cylinder, 52-degree V-Twin engine carried in a steel-tube cradle-type frame basic platform with its Vulcan Classic, Vulcan Nomad and Vulcan Voyager/ABS stablemates.

Changes to the 1700cc Twin unique to the Vaquero for 2011 include a new second piston ring for “improved durability,” and in the interest of weight reduction the lower primary chain guide was eliminated. Also specific to the Vaquero is a new first-gear ratio said to reduce shifting noise when clicking from neutral to first. Revised cogs for third and fourth gear also work to smooth out shifting action while reducing clatter from the gearbox.

Kawasaki noted that most Vulcan fans are satisfied with how the engine sounds and performs, but some riders with a touring bent requested a reduction of the noises generated when shifting gears. Finicky lot.

The Vaquero employs the same type of damper-less clutch found in the Vulcan Classic, which Kawasaki says gives the rider an increased feel for the engine, or a “higher torque feel.”

However, a cush drive damper remains in the rear hub. Absence of a clutch damper ostensibly gives the Vaquero “more character.” The Voyager and Nomad retain the clutch damper in order to help reduce some of the sensation of the engine’s power pulses.

According to Long, perceiving the increased engine feel in the Vaquero is likely to depend on the rider and/or the type of riding.

He gave an example of when he and another Kawi employee, both “bigger guys,” immediately noticed the difference between two sample bikes – one with and one without a clutch damper – while riding two-up. Another pair of lighter-weight riders had greater difficulty discerning which bike used the damper-less clutch.

The unstated premise here is that a touring rig, one carrying a passenger and full up with gear, should better nullify engine shakes, rattles and rolls so as to allow the touring rider a more enjoyable tour, if you will. Kawasaki dubs the Vaquero as the “ultimate solo cruiser with unmatched style, power and comfort.” We might infer from this that a Vaquero customer is perhaps more interested in the bike’s performance quotient and might value the engine’s visceral appeal more than he or she would the highest level possible for comfort.

Is removing a degree of smoothness by design a smart marketing move or something more on the gimmicky side?

Hard to say; but then again, if ultimate comfort was a key motivator of V-Twin sales, every V-Twin engine on the market would likely then employ rubber mounting and all manner of engine counter balancing. Yet plenty of cruiser makers do just the opposite, so there seems some merit in Kawi’s effort to give the rider more feel from the Vaquero’s engine.

On the other hand, the aforementioned tranny revisions aimed at reducing noise and increasing smooth shifting seem in contrast to the intent behind taking out the clutch damper. If Kawi presumes a Vaquero rider may want to feel more in touch with the engine, would that same rider then mind a little clank or clunk from the gearbox?

For what it’s worth, I scale in at an out-of-shape 155 lbs and can’t say I really felt the Vaquero engine’s more rugged nature – just as Long indicated some riders might not.

To the contrary, after a150-plus mile loop the Vaquero’s powerplant struck me as considerably smoother than many of its competitors. Maybe only Harley’s rubber-mounted Twin Cam 96 is slightly smoother, but only when under power. At idle the H-D Twin shudders like a paint shaker. The Kawi Twin is smooth at just about every point, including idle, save for some low-resonating vibes around 70 mph when in the rather tall and overdriven 6th gear (5th is also overdriven).

There is, however, enough vibe and rumble from the Vaquero’s dual-counterbalanced engine to satisfy my tastes. One of the aspects I enjoy most about motorcycling is the mechanical-ness of two wheelers and the sounds and feel associated with them – on that level the Vaquero works just fine.

As exhaust works it way out of the Vulcan engine it passes through the Vaquero’s tapered muffler tips said to reduce exhaust decibel levels (Kawi wasn’t willing to state precise decibel figures) at cruising speeds while also mirroring the rest of the bike’s long, flowing look. Last year’s Voyager and Nomad sported slash cut exhaust tips but for 2011 they also get the tapered treatment.

A new casting mold for the intake manifold is said to increase flow volume for more linear throttle response and improved idle; this update is given to all 1700cc Vulcans. The combination of changes to the intake manifold and exhaust necessitated changes to the ECU, and so all Vulcan 1700s have an updated brain for 2011.

Lastly, the Vaquero’s final drive belt is 2mm narrower, from 28mm to 26mm, for better tracking between the belt’s pulleys and for reduced belt squeal and squeaks.

Ergos on the new Vaquero split the difference between a couple of its Vulcan brothers, for what Kawasaki says is an “expanded rider triangle.” The Vaquero’s floorboards are set in the same position as the Nomad’s, that is, more forward than the other Vulcans, and its all-new, tapered one-piece seat has a lumbar shape – or hump – similar to the Classic’s saddle.

The Vaquero seat is also ready to accept an accessory rider backrest and quick-release passenger backrest, while a separate accessory seat accommodates passengers better than the standard saddle.

The Vulcan Classic still offers the lowest seat height of all 1700 Vulcans at 28.3 inches, while the Vaquero, Nomad and Voyager all have 28.7-inch seat heights. Victory’s Cross Country and Cross Roads boast an even lower 26.25-inch seat height. The Harley Road Glide Custom, a direct competitor to the Vaquero, has a seat height 1.6 inches lower than the touring Vulcans, but it and the Street Glide also have pitifully less rear suspension travel.

Where the Vaquero offers 3.1 inches of rear travel from its dual shocks with air-adjustable preload and four-way rebound damping (same for all Vulcan 1700s), the Harley’s air-adjustable shocks move a mere 2.0 inches. The Vaquero’s combo of thick seat foam and ample rear suspension travel make for a downright plush ride compared to the often-jolting experience a rider gets from the back half of either Harley ‘Glides.

Accessing the Vaquero’s dual air valves for the shocks is as simple as removing the seat; total pressure range for rear suspension is 0-40 psi. Recommend setting for a 150-lbs rider with empty luggage is 0.0 psi.

For the moto media’s test ride, Kawi techs set the shocks to 15 psi; the setting proved ideal for my 150-ish lbs frame. A Kawi staffer who weighs considerably more (I’ll spare him a guess at his “healthy” weight) said he often rides the Vaquero with the preload set only 5-psi higher.

Victory’s bar-mounted fairing bagger, the Cross Country, has even more rear suspension travel with 4.7 inches, as does the Star Stratoliner Deluxe with 4.3 inches. Reflecting on our recent Bagger Shootout that included the Vic and Star, I can say that despite more rear suspension travel than what the Vaquero has, neither of those bikes provides a significantly more forgiving ride than the Vaquero

The Voyager’s 45mm fork is given to the new Vaquero, while the Vulcan Nomad and Classic have a 43mm unit. Front suspension travel for the Voyager and Vaquero is 5.5 inches – 0.4 inches more than in the 43mm inverted fork on both the Cross Country and Cross Roads.

The Vaquero’s rather plump-looking 130/90 x 16 Bridgestone Exedra radial front tire appears like it might make for slow steering response; however, the front bun is a good pairing to the 170/70 x 16 rear tire. Neutral handling is a key characteristic of the Vaquero; steering effort is light, with a fluid, linear movement from upright to full lean.

This Vulcan’s claimed curb weight is 836-lbs. That’s 25 lbs more than the Road Glide Custom’s running order weight, and a whopping 41 lbs more than what Star says Strato Deluxe weighs fueled and ready to ride.

The Vaquero’s lean angle clearance isn’t as generous as that of the Victory Cross bikes – few cruisers in this class offer as much as the Vics – but is at worst, average. Standard calipers gripping 300mm discs handle braking, and at this time ABS is only available on the Euro version of the Vaquero. Only the heavier Vulcan Voyager offers optional ABS. Excluding ABS from the Vaquero seems inline with what the rest of the market is doing with baggers that aren’t intended as long-haul tourers.

Styling is elemental to cruiser/bagger design, and the Vaquero’s smooth, flowing lines, from the frame-mounted fairing with color matched inner fairing to the sculpted hardbags weaved into the shape of the tail section, the Vaquero’s look says that form is just as important as function for this Kawasaki.

All is not perfect, unfortunately, as the faux tank strap doesn’t fully disguise its plastic reality; and in a sacrifice to style the Vaquero’s 9.6-gallons-each side loading saddlebags lost about half a gallon of space compared to the Voyager and Nomad’s top-loading bags. The Vaquero’s bags operate with a reassuringly solid-functioning chrome handle/latch.

It’s prudent that the Vaquero’s bags require a key (same as ignition) to open and close so as to prevent your stuff readily dumping out. But the bags’ fixed mounting method, rather than a tool-less and easily removed Dzus fitting like the Harley and Victory use, makes accessing each of the Vulcan shock’s rebound damping adjuster atop the shock body unnecessarily frustrating. You’ll need patience or smallish hands, or both, to reach behind the saddlebags in order tweak the shocks.

Contrary to this lil’ shock access peccadillo is Kawasaki’s thoughtfulness in placing two helmet hooks under the saddle.

The large fairing and almost-not-there, style-conscious 6.0-inch windscreen sufficiently protected my 5-foot 8-inch frame from the wind without excessive buffeting, but taller riders may have a different, less favorable experience. A simple remedy for unwanted windblast is to choose from one of five optional screens ranging from 6.5 inches to 18.0 inches in height.

The standard screen and optional 6.5-inch unit are both dark tint; the remaining taller accessory screens are only available in clear.

Speaking of options for the Vaquero, about the only one not on offer is ABS. The Vaquero is otherwise just about as loaded as any bagger comes, with a robust sound system providing AM/FM/WX, and is XM ready – all that’s necessary is the accessory XM module – while the AUX mode on the sound system allows use of an MP3 player via an accessory adapter.

The sound system’s volume/mode and track/station selector switches on the left-side switch gear are joined by a built-in CB function switch that waits patiently for the addition of an optional CB system. Switches for the standard cruise control (also on Voyager and Nomad) are located on the right-hand switch housing. Cruise activates when in 3rd gear or any speeds between 30 and 85 mph.

A rider can increase or decrease cruise speed by as little as 1 mph at a time thanks to the EVT (Electronic Throttle Valve – type of throttle-by-wire) used on the Vaquero as well as on the Nomad and Voyager.

On the subject of adapters and music, the Vaquero’s left-side locking glove compartment is prewired to plug into Kawasaki’s accessory iPod adapter kit that comes with a foam-rubber holder for your iPod. The adapter is pre-molded in the shape of the compartment for a secure fit.

Thirty-five accessories are available now with many more in the chute; and when it came time to plan for Vaquero accessories, Kawasaki took a calculated approach to making the bike as plug-n-play as possible.

The bike’s wiring harness has many accessory plugs prewired (like the aforementioned iPod connector plug), and the ability to purchase accessories a la carte allows a consumer a modular path to building exactly the Vaquero they want without committing to extras they aren’t necessarily interested in.

Ride ‘im, cowboy!

Prior to the Vaquero’s launch, the Victory Cross Country arguably provided a whole lot of bang for the buck.

The Vic offers the roomiest saddlebags in the class, a comprehensive sound system, second-largest V-Twin in the class, a stout aluminum frame joined by excellent overall ride quality and comfort, all for $17,999.

Although the 2011 Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Vaquero’s 1700cc engine isn’t quite as big as the Victory’s 1731cc lump, when we lasted dyno tested a Vulcan 1700cc in the Vulcan Classic vs. Triumph Thunderbird comparo, the Vulcan managed 86.3 peak ft-lbs. In our 2011 Bagger Shootout the Victory Cross Country churned out just less than 89 ft-lbs.

We’d expect a little better performance from the Vulcan’s liquid-cooled engine, but then again we’re only talking a deficit of a couple ft-lbs.

Furthermore, the Vulcan’s chassis performance and ride comfort are right there with the Victory. And the Vaquero provides a level of rider entertainment comparable to the Cross Country, including multi-menu access for MP3 players. Standard cruise also matches the Victory.

One of the few areas the Kawasaki comes up short to the Cross Country is hardbag volume. But the Vaquero’s impressive standard three-year warranty with optional warranty add-ons extending base coverage an additional one to three years is a rare offering in the moto world. And the warranty remains in tact if you use Kawasaki accessories.

Star’s Stratoliner Deluxe has the most powerful V-Twin in the segment, but beyond the extra power, and an iPod connector in its batwing fairing, it’s hard to justify the Star’s $17,499 price in the face of the competition.

No question the Vaquero is influenced by the venerable Road Glide Custom from Harley. The bike from Milwaukee is a quality machine and it has an excellent dash, but for now H-D doesn’t offer a plug and play setup for the iPod – something I see as a new standard.

Then of course there’s the issue of the Harley RG Custom’s smaller 96 c.i. Twin (good for 80.4 ft-lbs the last time we dyno’d), not-so-great rear suspension, the extra $295 required for cruise control and a class-topping base MSRP of $18,999. In fairness, what Harley does boast over most other brands is typically good resale value.

With the recent addition of Victory’s Cross models, the bagger battle has almost overnight become a war in which a manufacturer must offer the most motorcycle for the least cost – not just the best bike at any cost. Victory sets the bar high in this new paradigm.

But now comes the $16,499 Vulcan Vaquero to meet most of Victory’s standard; a good ol’ fashioned duel ensues. Perhaps the new guy in town might even beat Victory at its own game.

Honda VT1300-based Concept Cruisers

The custom-type cruiser models share the same powertrain platform of a 1312cc, liquid-cooled, SOHC, 3-valve-per-cylinder, single-pin crank, 52-degree V-Twin – the same Twin design found in the wildly successful Fury – which has been a core platform in Honda’s arsenal for some time now.

However, each of the three new VTs received a specific design directive, thereby creating three separate models.

The VT1300 Sabre, with its long, low and unencumbered look accented by a chopper-ish 21-inch front wheel, is what Honda considers the “pro-street” VT. The VT1300 Stateline retains the Sabre’s flowing lines, but it sports a chubbier 17-inch front tire; it’s essentially a stripped version of the VT1300 Interstate that wears a windshield, soft saddlebags and roomy floorboards rather than footpegs, as standard touring equipment.

If you’d asked us before this year’s Long Beach, Calif., stop of the 2010/11 IMS whether custom-type bikes were still a strong part of the cruiser segment, we’d have guessed no, not so much. Honda thinks differently.

Starting with bone-stock models of the already-edgy-for-Honda Fury, joined by a Sabre and Stateline, Honda gave three of its designers from Honda Research & Development Americas located in Southern California, an opportunity to build customs based on where their visions would take each machine.

The designers were given free reign within a limited budget and two stipulations: that each bike remains a full-on runner and stays true to the core of the production vehicle. The designers had a scant three months to accomplish their reimagining of the VTs.

The Furious, based on the Fury, is the chopper; the Switchblade pro-dragger was morphed from the Sabre, and the Slammer is a low-lying bagger born from the Stateline. The concept models debuted at the December 17th, 2010 International Motorcycle in Long Beach, Calif., and will stay on as part of the Honda display for the remainder of the IMS 2011 show dates.

2010 Honda Stateline "Slammer"

Based on a 2010 Stateline, designer Erik Dunshee (Honda R&D Americas) sees the Slammer bagger as an ultra-low interpretation of the genre. The Slammer sports fully adjustable air-ride suspension, NAV/Multimedia, 10-inch subwoofer and 500 watts of music-pumping power. With a full front-end conversion, including a lean 23-inch custom wheel, the designer achieved all this without frame or engine modification.

Taking the 2010 Sabre as a starting point, designer Edward Birtulescu conceived the Switchblade. Racing-inspired styling cues come from Formula1 and MotoGP according to Honda. The ‘Blade sports full carbon fiber bodywork, an Ohlins front-end, a single-sided swing arm with a 535 chain conversion from the VT1300’s standard shaft final drive and dual Brembo calipers, as indicators of the concept bike’s race bike-influenced design.Nick Renner remolded a 2010 Fury into the Furious, a design exercise Honda says is a blend of new and old school flavor. Pounding the street with a 23-inch wheel up front and a 20-incher for the rear, the Furious concept strikes a stretched, no-b.s. pose. A 45-degree rake makes for a long looking front joined by a converted hard tail that says simply: chopper. Metal-flake, variegated leafing, and diamond-stitched seat contrast with the five-spoke hoops and Fury tank. An instant neo-classic, says Honda materials.

Victory High-Ball

Victory Motorcycles today unveiled an all-new model called the High-Ball.

The High-Ball’s minimalist, tough guy appearance results from its tip-to-tail matte finish black-out treatment, chopped fenders, ape hanger style handlebar, solo saddle and 16-inch spoke wheels carrying plump whitewall tires.

It’s a look that unabashedly draws inspiration from the lowbrow bobber scene, where riders and bike fabricators in that two-wheeled subculture eschew brand loyalty, and instead fashion motorcycles into no-nonsense machines that seem to make some kind of anti-moto-establishment statement.

While this latest offering from Victory is ultimately still mainstream, it does an impressive job of mirroring the “just gimme what works, man” sentiment that seems to issue forth from the bobber crowd.

"It’s a look that unabashedly draws inspiration from the lowbrow bobber scene..."

Powered by Victory’s 106-cubic-inch, sohc, 50-degree V-Twin with 6-speed gearbox, this 106/6 is also graced with Stage 2 cams, and is likely the same engine design the Hammer, Hammer S and Vegas Jackpot models run with. Victory says this engine platform is good for 97 hp and 113 ft-lbs.

The High-Ball looks as though it may have started life as Vegas 8-Ball. But aside from atypical Victory cruiser styling and the hot-rodded Freedom 106/6 powerplant, the High-Ball’s chassis dimensions also help define it as a new model.

A shortest-of-all-Vic-models 64.8-inch wheelbase joined by a 31.7-degree steering rake make for a pretty aggressive combo of steering dimensions when compared to most other current Victorys, but the High-Ball’s longest-in-the-lineup 6.7 inches of trail helps tame those assertive numbers, and will likely serve up a somewhat quick steering but stable cruiser. The new Victory’s 25.0-inch seat height is second lowest in the line – only the Vision 8-Ball and Arlen Ness Vision have lower saddles at 24.5 inches.

The High-Ball’s 43mm telescopic fork with 5.1 inches of travel, and rear suspension providing travel of 3.0 inches, is the same setup as on the Vegas, Vegas Jackpot, Vegas 8-Ball and Kingpin 8-Ball.

Unique among Victorys is the High-Ball’s adjustable handlebar position that allows a rider to hang ‘em high in true ape hanger style, or rotate the bar into a lower, laidback setting. Victory says all that’s required to reposition the bar are simple hand tools, while control cables – and presumably switchgear wiring – are already setup to accommodate either position.

Victory isn’t the first big brand to the ol’ skool motocool party. Harley-Davidson delivered the Cross Bones in early 2008, reaching into its own heritage for design inspiration, with touchstone features like a springer front-end, bobbed fenders, blacked-out motif, chubby tires and solo springer saddle that recall Harley’s post-war past.

Yep, once again, H-D was there first.

However, the 106 c.i. mill in the High-Ball is more powerful (although certainly not smoother) than the 96 c.i. counter-balanced Twin in the Cross Bones, and the High’s seat is a whopping 5.1 inches lower than the Bone’s springy saddle.

Furthermore, with an MSRP of $13,499 for the new High-Ball, Victory has created a $3500 dilemma for riders that were just about to saddle up to the more expensive Harley retro bobber.

Harley-Davidson Blackline Softail

“Lean as wire, hard as iron, and dark as a tar road at midnight,” is how H-D describes what is essentially just a variation of the high-end Softail series, but the Blackline has several notable features that grabbed our attention when we saw it at its New York City media reveal last week.

The Blackline brings in a new “Black Denim” powerdercoating for its frame and swingarm, laced aluminum wheels with black-anodized rims, a fresh FX front end topped with a new “Split Drag” handlebars mounted directly to a thin upper triple clamp powdercoated black.

Inspiration for the Blackline came from H-D Senior Industrial Designer/Stylist, Casey Ketterhagen, who emphasizes the importance of the bike’s proportions, wanting it to look like “a person just riding a motor.”

To that end, graphics are subtle (with no raised badges), chrome is minimal (black is the main accent), and slenderness is emphasized. A Softail’s 5-gallon fuel tank is stripped of its tank-top instrument console to lower its profile and is substituted by a small gauge atop the triple clamp. The analog speedo is augmented with a miles-to-empty LCD readout, replacing the old fuel gauge that looked like a filler cap at the top of the tank’s left side.

Although the Blackline is fundamentally a familiar Softail, the H-D boys have made changes that pushed the legal limits. It all began by pulling the rear fender down as low as possible – the first thing done to this project – which helped bring the seat height down to 26.1 inches, the lowest two-up seat offered by the Milwaukee crew. Similarly, the mirrors are pushed inboard to the DOT minimum, and the upper triple clamp was made as thin (1 inch) as they could get away with while maintaining structural integrity.

“We tried to make it look as illegal as possible,” says Ray Drea, VP and Director of H-D Styling Department.

The minimalist theme carries over to the rear of the bike. A narrow (144mm) tire, borrowed from the pre-’08 Touring platform, is a middle finger to the tired fat-tire movement. Its rear fender is nicely bobbed and further cleaned up with Harley’s combination stop/tail/turn lights. A composite license-plate holder mounts to the lower edge of the fender. The rear fender struts are left in their raw forged finish and powdercoated matte black.

The stripped-and-lean theme is continued with the wide spacing of the FX 41mm fork tubes that make the 5.75-inch headlight look tiny, and a gap between the nose of the seat and the fuel tank exposes the top of the frame, contributing to the bike’s airiness.

Just like other Softails, Harley’s counterbalanced TC96B powers the Blackline through a 6-speed transmission, but it boasts a fresh two-tone look. Its lower end is powdercoated gloss black, accented with silver powdercoat on the cylinders with machined highlights. Chrome brightwork is provided on its derby and timing covers and its simple, round air cleaner, followed by a chrome over/under shotgun exhaust. “Just enough shine to make the black parts look blacker,” says Harley.

The Blackline’s riding position is aggressive, with a fists-forward reach to the narrow, internally wired handlebar. H-D’s designers first tried to fashion clip-on handlebars, but they proved to be hard to fit while maintaining adequate steering sweep, and they’d also take away customization options. Forward foot controls are polished.

The axles of the 21-inch front wheel and 16-inch rear are set 66.5 inches apart, while the rake angle is laid down to 30 degrees. As is typical of Harley’s slammed cruisers, lean angles when cornering are quite limited: just 24.4 degrees to the left and 25.9 to the right. Rear-suspension travel is a decent 3.6 inches.

Braking duties are handled by 4-piston calipers biting on 292mm rotors front and rear, which should be adequate for the Blackline’s 683-lb fully fueled weight. Anti-lock brakes are available in an optional $1195 package that includes H-D’s Smart Security System.

Although the Blackline began as a side project for Ketterhagen, Harley’s team of 12 designers all had their input, including the legendary Willy G Davidson. Harley’s Ray Drea describes the styling process as organic, adding the team reviews everyone’s projects each week. “We expect to have the garbage can filled with ideas,” Drea says about the synergetic progression.

The Blackline is now en route to dealers, retailing for $15,499 in its Vivid Black base version. An extra $499 buys your choice of Cool Blue Pearl or Sedona Orange.

Suzuki RMX450Z

Suzuki instead went the four-stroke route with the DR-Z 250 and 400. Both were solid trail bikes, but were too heavy and old fashioned to be competitive without spending a fortune on modifications. Serious off-road customers ignored them and continued modifying RM 125s and 250s for off-road racing. The release of the all-new RMX450 raised a ton of questions. Would it be a fat trail bike like a DRZ400? Would it be a ‘soft’ motocross bike, more suited to GNCC racing than fun weekend trail rides? Despite high demand for the new machine Suzuki dragged its feet getting the RMX to dealerships. We were glad to finally receive our test bike and answer those questions once and for all!

The RMX is indeed pretty much an RM-Z450. The fuel injected 450 engine is based on the motocross version, albeit with milder cams, some EPA mandated intake and exhaust neutering, and the prerequisite electric starter. The transmission ratios are wider than the RM-Z, but still reasonable for singletrack and moto use. The frame is based on the 2009 RM-Z frame, which Suzuki factory test riders preferred over the 2010 RM-Z frame for its flex characteristics.

The suspension components are the same as the RM-Z, just with more off-road appropriate valving and spring rates. Compared to the typical Japanese ‘enduro’ bike the RMX is a very serious offering. Going by specs alone you can tell Suzuki was targeting serious weekend trail riders who like to mix up their woods rides with some motocross and cross-country seat time. Sounds good so far!

Everything on the bike is tucked in well – it has a skid plate, radiator overflow tank, a back up kickstarter, a quick access airbox, minimal lighting and a kickstand. It’s even got a digital trip meter with a low fuel light. The bike shares the same small alloy fuel tank as the RM-Z. The Internet is full of people crying about the bike’s short range. That depends on how you use the bike. On the East Coast, and with the proliferation of ‘new school’ enduros with gas stops closely spaced together, the gas tank size might be a non-issue. We loved the slim ergos and think they are well worth the trade-off in trail riding range…sort of. We got around 30 miles to a tank of fuel, riding hard. Thankfully the aftermarket is working on bigger tanks for the cross-country and trail-riding crowd.

Anyway, all the enduro gear added a lot of weight to the RMX. It’s about the same weight as other bloated enduro four-strokes, 272.3 pounds. That’s about 25 pounds heavier than the RM-Z motocrosser. Some of that weight can be carved off quite easily for racing, and the battery and electric starter can be even removed without affecting the operation of the engine or fuel injection system. The RMX kick starts pretty easily too, so maybe that isn’t as silly an idea as it sounds.

What’s it like to ride? Our shorter test riders loved the general feel of the RMX. It also turns well, with the tradeoff being questionable high-speed stability. That’s a Suzuki trait that drives some riders crazy, but it’s one that we can live with. The fork is awesome, generating zero complaints. The shock was a little confused, feeling like it needed stiffer overall valving. Our 160-pound intermediate ended up stiffening the rebound and compression to get the back end to quit wallowing.

Like most EFI dirt bikes dead engine electric starts take a few revolutions. We found it much faster off the line just to kick start it. In choked-off EPA form the bike is also slow. It won’t wheelie in third without using the clutch, it won’t rev out, it flames out and runs really hot. With the EPA stuff in place the flywheel feels too light and the bike feels like it’s geared too tall. It drove us nuts! Our bike didn’t have the half-throttle stop the U.S bikes use to meet EPA specs, but it did have the pencil sized exhaust tip and sealed up airbox. We brought it home, read reports online saying the bike won’t run right without that EPA stuff, and then we took it off anyway.

Results? Instant transformation! The bike did unfortunately become about as loud as the motocross version, which isn’t exactly obnoxious but is still too loud to be politically correct. Despite what we’d read our bike didn’t run noticeably lean in our humid 85-degree weather with the exhaust and intake unplugged. There are aftermarket gizmos to add to the wiring harness which richen the EFI settings if you find the need. We didn’t.

The uncorked, ‘closed course only’ RMX now ran like a real 450 should. A torquey, powerful and very smooth 450! The gearing and flywheel weight suddenly felt just right, throttle response was crisp and power wheelies in any gear were possible. It never stalled or boiled after we uncorked it, and we actually preferred the smooth power delivery of the milder RMX to that of the motocross version.

We didn’t have time to unbolt the other stuff that weighed it down, but the potential of the RMX to become a winning off-road race bike is very real. You can feel the weight of the highly placed battery, but the bike is light on its feet for a 270-pound enduro machine.

Stuff we didn’t like? The airbox is quick to access but it is very difficult to get the filter element itself in and out. We took off the seat and peeked in with a flashlight just to be confident the filter was seated properly. The bike is too slow when corked up and too loud when it’s uncorked. We’d love to try it with an Akrapovic or FMF-Q silencer, guessing it would be a great compromise.

So what do we think? When uncorked the RMX jumped up to the position of our favorite 450 of the year, solely for its ability to do just about anything well. It turns great, it’s fun to play on and will run pretty hard on a MX track without being too unruly for the forest. But if we were casual trail riders used to typically fluffy Japanese trail bikes, or long distance adventure trail riders, the RMX wouldn’t rate so highly. This is an all-around fun, competent motorcycle with a ton of untapped potential.