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The end of Victory and how it could effect Vulcan

6K views 24 replies 9 participants last post by  twowheeladdict 
#1 · (Edited)
I was a bit shocked and disappointed to learn that Polaris was writing the final chapter for Victory motorcycles this week. Don't get me wrong I love my 09 Vulcan Nomad and have enjoyed it for 7 years and over 60,000 miles now but I will be looking for my next bike in another year or so and I am hoping Kawasaki will have a updated touring cruiser (a Vulcan 1800 if you will) by then but honestly with the demise of another competitor in the market I am not optimistic that will be happening anytime soon. Now that Kawasaki offers the only full sized touring cruiser for under $20,000 it essentially has no peers within it's price range and IMO gives Kawi even less motivation to do some much needed updates/refinements to the 1700 line which is unfortunate cause I will probably be buying my first bike that isn't a Kawasaki if that is the case.
 
#2 ·
Losing Victory and the pressure that an American motorcycle company put on the market does suck.

But, unless you're talking about full dressers; lots of mfgs have full sized touring cruisers on the market for under $20k.
And some of them are arguably a much better value for the dollar than the Kawi's.

Suzuki has the Boulevard C90T, Yamaha has the V-star 1300 Deluxe (for $15k you get a fairing, blutooth and navigation)

My favorites are from Triumph. The Thunderbird is a twin if that's the kind of powerplant you like and the Rocket III Touring is more comfortable than the Road King and faster than the V-rod.
Both priced under $20k at $17k & $17.5k respectively.

Heck even the boutique brand has the Road King starting at $18,900.
 
#4 ·
So I went to each mfg's web site on the bikes you listed, and the only one which I really count as a dresser is the Yammy. At $15,500 starting price, it ain't bad, and while it's got nav and a slightly lower price, the Kawi Vaq or Voyager beats it in all other categories. :)

Engine, power, saddlebag size, instrumentation and fairing, all in the Kawi's favor.

Despite its less-refined bits and lack of updates (other than new colors each year), the Kawi is a solid value proposal.

Yes, I'm somewhat biased, since I really like my Vaq.

-John
 
#7 ·
By full sized touring cruiser I was referring to at least bags & fairing with a 1500 cc motor or higher. Sorry I probably should have been more specific.

Yeah I like the Thunderbirds too. Would be great if Triumph did a dresser.
 
#15 ·
Yes Polaris owns both brands. While the decision to cut Victory in favor of focusing on their more popular Indian brand makes some logical sense. I am hoping that this doesn't mean the end of Value and Performance oriented full sized American cruisers.

The Voyager is a solid bike and a great value for the $ but I guess I don't want to buy what is essentially the same bike I did 7 years ago.
 
#20 ·
Hi guys, I am a former Nomad owner. I traded my 2010 last fall for a R3T. The Triumph takes me back to my Valkyrie days. I got a new in the box 2015 for $13800 minus my trade. I hear what you're saying about a fairing. I'm gonna swap for a Clearview shield for more protection. Other than highway pegs, that's it. Build quality is awesome. Very little plastic. This thing could climb a tree in fifth gear! I have no interest in attempting to match the power of the Roadster.
I am so looking forward to spring!!
The Nomad was a fine machine, but the Rocket is so much more.
Take care, Eric
 
#23 ·
Hey Eric,
I don't know if you're on the R3 forums; but here's a link. https://www.r3owners.net/
Good group of guys there with more info than you'll ever need. Just make sure you introduce yourself before you start asking questions. :)
The Aussie's can be fickle about helping 'strangers'; it's seen to be impolite.

Scott
 
#25 ·
I am a big triumph motorcycle fan. They are just not prevalent in my location. 2 hours away for the closest dealer once my local dealer had a falling out with them and left those of us who bought one stranded. I only kept my Triumph Trophy SE one year and 10,000 miles. I really didn't ride it much, just on trips because the weather protection was too much for local riding here in the southeast.

I will probably buy a used scrambler at some point, but put Bonneville exhaust on it. Like the 270 degree crank that is only on the scrambler.
 
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