Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

its own in cruiser use, especially with the available grip from the skinny 80/90-21 front Dunlop Cruisermax tire, especially with the option of really stamping on its rear partner for panic stops. With a passenger? Well, ride accordingly, I'd say. Moving to the engine, it's worth underlining that this was the one element in the previous Victory program not subject to clean-sheet re-engineering. Instead, it was "merely" subject to total revamping by Hurd and his team, since this is naturally the same liquid-cooled V-twin power unit with belt final drive used by Victory from the outset, and which at concept stage was at pains to break free from the historical baggage of 100 years of tradition (read: Harley). So, instead of a 45-degree cylinder angle, 50 degrees; instead of two valves per cylinder, it has four; instead of push rods, it has a single chain-driven overhead camshaft per cylinder, with self-adjusting hydraulic valve lifters; instead of a chain primary drive, it has a unit-construction five-speed gearbox with gear primary; instead of carbies, it has multi-point fuel injection. Built at the Polaris engine plant in Osceola, Wisonsin, alongside those engines for its other products that Polaris doesn't source from Fuji Heavy Industries in Japan, and then trucked to the company's motorcycle assembly line in Spirit Lake, Iowa, the power plant was developed 100-percent in-house at Polaris, rather than by an outside consultant such as Ricardo or Cosworth - or Porsche. Fuel injection now comes courtesy of a U.S.-made package from former Ford Motor Co. subsidiary Visteon, featuring the fuel pump now mounted inside the fuel tank, paired 44mm throttle bodies, a single injector per cylinder and with intricately stylized chrome covers to the airbox intakes centrally located between the cylinders under the 4.5-gallon fuel tank to prevent owners from having to ride with their right legs permanently cocked outwards to avoid the air cleaner, as on other products. Measuring 97 x 102mm for a capacity of 1507cc, or 92 cubic inches, the V92 engine employs German-made Mahle pistons running in the same company's Nikasil chrome-bore cylinders and now in Vegas guise delivers 80 bhp at 5200 rpm at the drive belt pulley - equivalent to around 74 bhp at the rear wheel, a hefty 25 percent up on what the Y2K version of the same engine produced. That's because Allan Hurd's engineering team is engaged in an ongoing makeover of the Victory powerplant which, after a comprehensive overhaul, was relaunched a year ago in Freedom V-twin guise, so that for the first time since the marque's kickoff in 1998, the true potential of the 1507cc power unit has begun to be realized. Even in '03 form as fitted to the Vegas, there are more than 70 detail changes, indicating continuous evolution, the biggest of which is a forged steel crankshaft replacing the cast-iron one used before. The geardriven counterbalancer located between the crank and the gearbox input shaft (one reason the Victory engine package is rather long, though nothing like a Hog) has thus been reweighted, with the engine balance factor rechosen to suit - all aimed at enhancing harmonics in conjunction with the all-new chassis. What this also does is reduce flywheel effect in order to provide quicker throttle response and a faster build-up of revs, according to Hurd. "We're constantly working on improving the engine, which is effectively all-new in terms of transmission and engine internals," Hurd says. "We realized we had to address the gear change, which we've done, but we've now got a very wide spread of power, with peak performance held from 4700 rpm to 5400 rpm, where there's hardly any difference, and we've closed up the transmission ratios, so that the bottom three gears are all higher, then fourth and top are the same. It makes for a more zestful engine response, which is paradoxically also more muscular and relaxed." Cruising south down the San Diego Freeway out of Los Angeles, I could tell straight away there had been some big-time engineering improvements to the Victory package - chassis and especially engine. Sling a leg over the Vegas' low 26-inch seat, grope around beneath the left flank of the graceful bulky fuel tank to find the ignition key, pull the handlebarmounted choke lever - which it's a surprise to find fitted to a fuel-injected motorcycle (why still no automatic cold-start enrichener? Victory is going to revamp the EFI package to incorporate the relevant sensor, says Hurd) - thumb the starter button, and the Vegas engine spins into life with a satisfying but muted crack from the twin slash-cut exhausts. Coupled with the intake hum, the exhaust notes sound good at speed, too, without any of the engine clatter from previous Victory models - it sounds more sophisticated, better put together. Now came the moment I was dreading - hoicking it into gear. Hmm - not bad: not exactly silent, but a (Lett) The Vegas' liquid-cooled, 50degree V-twin is the one holdover from previous Victory offerings. The engine sports fuel injection designed by Visteon, a company formerly owned by Ford Motor Company. (Right) The massive 300mm Brembo disc that appoints the 21-inch front wheel is an OE item, while the wavecut wheels on this test bike are actually Victory aftermarket catalog pieces. (Above) If there is one area where the new power package has received a lot of extra attention, it is in the clutch and transmission~ The redesign has the Vegas shifting much more smoathy than previous Victory models. (Lett) Instrumentation is sparse, with a single 130 mph speedometer and digital odometer/tripmeter overseeing a host of idiot lights. (Below) Unlike previous Victory models, the seat on the Vegas is nat bulbous and actually enhances the look of the bike. Seat height is 26 inches· three inches lower than any other Victory - and also narrower. (Below) The Vegas' rising-rate rear suspension boasts a single-shack adjustable only for preload. Both the shock and the 43mm forks up front are Kayaba units acquired through Triumph. eye I e n e _ S ' JANUARY 22,2003 19

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