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By BLAKE CONNER
PHOTOS COURTESY OF VICTORY
V
ictory Motorcycles is serious
about cruising, and crUising into
more consumer hands is something that the company has
been working really
hard to achieve.
The company
n
e
vv
s
has invested substantial amounts of
money into its production facilities, not
only to improve production capabilities, but in an effort to improve reliabil·
ity and quality. For the 2003 model
year Victory introduced the Vegas,
which was met with rave reviews by
the public and the press alike.
The Vegas and Victory's factory
custom-order program, an industry
first, insured the company further
growth. Sales of Victory motorcycles
increased 124 percent during the second quarter of 2003 compared to last
year's second quarter. The increase is
largely due to the Vegas model, while
the company has enjoyed further
acceptance from the consumer. Additionally the timing of shipments of the
Vegas ramped up during the second
quarter. Sales of Victory motorcycles
for the year-to-date period ending
June 30, 2003, increased 58 percent
from the same period last year. Polaris
Industries, Victory's parent company,
has enjoyed growth as well with over
$1.5 billion in sales worldwide.
"The Vegas is the tip of the iceberg,"
according to Victory Motorcycles
..... a IItIck at.
general manager Mark Blackwell.
"You can expect to see one to two
dramatic new models from Victory
over the next few years."
For the 2004 model year Victory
has updated the Vegas and the Touring Cruiser and has introduced two
exciting new models. The Arlen Ness
Signature Series is a limited-edition
model designed by Arlen and Cory
Ness, who helped design the Vegas.
Then there are the Kingpin and Kingpin Deluxe, completely new models.
RETURNING MODELS
VEGAS
The Vegas has returned to the custom cruiser market for 2004, but it
has received further updates and
options. The biggest change to the
Vegas is the new wider rear wheel,
which was increased from 4.5 to 5.0
inches in order to run a wider 180mm
rear tire. The tire not only improves
the handling, but was also changed
for aesthetic reasons. The optional
billet three-spoke wheels have been
replaced with a new five-spoke
