victory motorcycles

[waveydavey]

Originally Posted by crash n bern

I haven't actually broken out the tape measure, but I reckon it wouldn't be too hard to shoehorn the motor out of my wife's Victory into my Roadking.

hmmmm, for some strange reason that has not become a popular swap. I wonder why? maybe your on to something!

[crash n bern]

Originally Posted by waveydavey

hmmmm, for some strange reason that has not become a popular swap. I wonder why? maybe your on to something!

I've been a Harley rider for 34 years now, I picked up a great deal on a 2004 Kingpin. I rode it and loved it. More so the motor. I had to decide between the two bikes when my wife took the Victory for a spin and fell in love with it, so I let her have it. At the end of the day the Road King suited me better and I prefer the old school styling of it.

The Harley motor is old technology revamped. I read an article once where the Harley engineers had designed a new motor, on paper it sounded like they got it pretty right except Willie G told them that the pushrods were on the wrong angle and Harley's are recognized by they're pushrods. He sent them back to the drawing board and they came up with the twin cam design to get the pushrod angle 'right' which was a compromise on their original design. The twin cam motor is O.K. but the motor in the Victory just creams it. My mate and I had to do a food run one night. He has 2011 103" streetglide, I took the wife's Victory with the 96" 5 speed. He tried to race me, the 103 TW runs good, but over a 10 klm race I had gained nearly 2 klm's on him. Smoking Harley riders would be a favorite pastime of Victory owners.

What got me interested in Victory's in the first place was being a long term Harley rider, as a daily commuter not a Sunday putter. I had the occasional love/hate scenario's with the motors and always wondered as you do, about a better mouse trap. When the Victory's were first released I read up on the engine design and thought it sounded like the ticket. I sat on a Victory sports cruiser on a trip to the U.S. and although a little clumsy in it's design the seating position fitted me like it was tailor made. Unfortunately they were not available in Australia. Over 34 years I've owned sportsters, flatheads, knuckleheads, panheads, shovelheads, evo's and twincams and I cannot say a bad word about the Victory's. Now I just need to find a wrecked Victory with a good motor and a good Roadking with a blown motor and build a better mousetrap.

[waveydavey]

Originally Posted by crash n bern

The Harley motor is old technology revamped. I read an article once where the Harley engineers had designed a new motor, on paper it sounded like they got it pretty right except Willie G told them that the pushrods were on the wrong angle and Harley's are recognized by they're pushrods. He sent them back to the drawing board and they came up with the twin cam design to get the pushrod angle 'right' which was a compromise on their original design. The twin cam motor is O.K. but the motor in the Victory just creams it..

So, tell me about the pushrod angle of the twincam harley engine compared to the pushrod angle of the victory motor. Did Victory use the right angle?

[crash n bern]

Originally Posted by waveydavey

So, tell me about the pushrod angle of the twincam harley engine compared to the pushrod angle of the victory motor. Did Victory use the right angle?

Ask Willie G, he'd know more about that. They should of done what Kawaski did and just put fake pushrod tubes in. Although they didn't know which side to put them on so they put them on both just to be safe.

[woodnbow]

Originally Posted by crash n bern

I've been a Harley rider for 34 years now, I picked up a great deal on a 2004 Kingpin. I rode it and loved it. More so the motor. I had to decide between the two bikes when my wife took the Victory for a spin and fell in love with it, so I let her have it. At the end of the day the Road King suited me better and I prefer the old school styling of it.

The Harley motor is old technology revamped. I read an article once where the Harley engineers had designed a new motor, on paper it sounded like they got it pretty right except Willie G told them that the pushrods were on the wrong angle and Harley's are recognized by they're pushrods. He sent them back to the drawing board and they came up with the twin cam design to get the pushrod angle 'right' which was a compromise on their original design. I think the story lost something in the translation from American to Australian... or at least it's not the version we heard.. TC pushrod angle is a result of HD wanting a straighter "better performing, longer lasting" angle, something between the 4 cam motors and the single cams... They retained pushrods because HD motors have pushrods and a 45 degree layout and that's pretty much that. I've often wondered why they haven't built a big (100" plus) 6 speed unit constructed 4 cam, (think Sportster on 'roids,) such a motor could fit in big twin chassis and pull from 2000-7500. It'd be a beautiful beast..

Over 34 years I've owned sportsters, flatheads, knuckleheads, panheads, shovelheads, evo's and twincams and I cannot say a bad word about the Victory's. Now I just need to find a wrecked Victory with a good motor and a good Roadking with a blown motor and build a better mousetrap. Wouldn't it be easier and cheaper to just pull off the bits that don't look like a Road King and replace them with aftermarket stuff that does?

[waveydavey]

Originally Posted by woodnbow

now there's some real information! no comment on Victory's pushrod angles??????

[Quedok]

Victory push rod angles? Now that's a good one being there are NO pushrods!!!! SOHC, chain driven, no pushrods.
This gives Harley the edge on changing cams but that's about the only advantage. Victory is a much more reliable engine with a lot fewer places to leak oil as well.

[woodnbow]

Originally Posted by Quedok

Victory push rod angles? Now that's a good one being there are NO pushrods!!!! SOHC, chain driven, no pushrods.
This gives Harley the edge on changing cams but that's about the only advantage. Victory is a much more reliable engine with a lot fewer places to leak oil as well.

Yes, HD are better for home hot rodders, especially given the aftermarket support.

Much more reliable? I couldn't say if they are, mostly because there are so few on the road relatively speaking, but HD's are as good as anything going. I've never been stranded by a Harley breakdown, I can't say the same for either of the two Japanese bikes I've owned.

Oil leaking? Really? You're going with that?

For me, Victory doesn't really build anything close to what I want. The Judge is as close as they come. I could live with that engine but not the raked out low slung style.. Harley only makes two models that interest me currently, the Road King and the Dyna Switchback. So it goes...

[AZbiker]

So who wants to do a spec sheet comparo between the OHC H-D and the OHC Victory?

[waveydavey]

Originally Posted by AZbiker

So who wants to do a spec sheet comparo between the OHC H-D and the OHC Victory?

that antique leaky harley ohc model might surprise some of those victory folk

[jharrell]

I just pick this 2007 Victory Vegas 8 Ball up this week.

[crash n bern]

Originally Posted by woodnbow

Originally Posted by crash n bern
I've been a Harley rider for 34 years now, I picked up a great deal on a 2004 Kingpin. I rode it and loved it. More so the motor. I had to decide between the two bikes when my wife took the Victory for a spin and fell in love with it, so I let her have it. At the end of the day the Road King suited me better and I prefer the old school styling of it.

The Harley motor is old technology revamped. I read an article once where the Harley engineers had designed a new motor, on paper it sounded like they got it pretty right except Willie G told them that the pushrods were on the wrong angle and Harley's are recognized by they're pushrods. He sent them back to the drawing board and they came up with the twin cam design to get the pushrod angle 'right' which was a compromise on their original design. I think the story lost something in the translation from American to Australian... or at least it's not the version we heard.. TC pushrod angle is a result of HD wanting a straighter "better performing, longer lasting" angle, something between the 4 cam motors and the single cams... They retained pushrods because HD motors have pushrods and a 45 degree layout and that's pretty much that. I've often wondered why they haven't built a big (100" plus) 6 speed unit constructed 4 cam, (think Sportster on 'roids,) such a motor could fit in big twin chassis and pull from 2000-7500. It'd be a beautiful beast.
Except I read it in an American publication, the new design had a different pushrod angle to the one Harley's have always had, so to correct it they had to come up with twin cams. The original design used one cam. I read this article before the twin cams were released

Over 34 years I've owned sportsters, flatheads, knuckleheads, panheads, shovelheads, evo's and twincams and I cannot say a bad word about the Victory's. Now I just need to find a wrecked Victory with a good motor and a good Roadking with a blown motor and build a better mousetrap. Wouldn't it be easier and cheaper to just pull off the bits that don't look like a Road King and replace them with aftermarket stuff that does?

The whole bike? If I pull everything of the Victory that doesn't look like a Road King, I'm left with a motor. Then I take a whole RK rolling chassis and bolt it to the motor. It just comes down to personal taste really. The Victory has a lot of 'metric' looking componentry were the Harley looks 'American' built. Besides I don't think anyone makes after market Harley looking bits to fit a Victory. Besides by the time you made everything fit and look right you could do the engine swap. The reality is that I will probably never do this, due to kids and limited shed time, but it's dreams that keep us going. I love my RK and the simplest solution is to put a 103 kit in it, but the Victory motor is still better in my uneducated opinion. Besides, I'm a bit of a fan of Franken bikes and if people can build twin engine'd Harley's, three cylinder Harley's, V8 Harley's then why not a Victorharley and give it time and someone will probably do this. I'm actually surprised that they haven't already.

[woodnbow]

Originally Posted by crash n bern

Originally Posted by crash n bern
The reality is that I will probably never do this, due to kids and limited shed time, but it's dreams that keep us going. I love my RK and the simplest solution is to put a 103 kit in it, but the Victory motor is still better in my uneducated opinion. Besides, I'm a bit of a fan of Franken bikes and if people can build twin engine'd Harley's, three cylinder Harley's, V8 Harley's then why not a Victorharley and give it time and someone will probably do this. I'm actually surprised that they haven't already.

You're right, especially about the dreams part... Personally, I don't think the Vic motor is that much better that I'd spend a bunch of time and money on the transplant. For you, it's apparently different...

[Trail Dumpster]

Originally Posted by jharrell

I just pick this 2007 Victory Vegas 8 Ball up this week.

Nice Vegas J, what kind of shield is that on the front. Don't be afraid to tour on that thing, I took my Vegas from Utah to Miami Las year and loved it. Post a few more pics!

[scrannel]

Originally Posted by fallingoff

i thought you would support a north american bike
manufacturer
you support hd
we have no real local bike maker in oz
wish we did
i know some of the styling is out there
but each to his/her own

looking foreward to your answer

I can give you my personal answer, not speaking for others... I'm sure you've noticed there are a lot of people on this site who would love to see HD offer a "real" bike... if you know what I mean. Something that doesn't need to harken to what HDs have looked like (and basically been like) since WWII. Well, Victory bikes look like those same lame retro-esque bikes that HD has been producing. So, while I wish them well, I personally don't find them remotely interesting. Again, that's just me.