Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128335
~ST LO 0 KIt:J,--20_0_5_~_ic_to_r..:....y_H_a_m_m_e_r _ _ " The Hammer's fuel-injected Freedom 100/6 SO-degree V-twin is claimed to pump aut 88 horsepower and 110 footpounds of torque. The sportbike-inspired seat cowl hides a minImalist passenger pillion for twa-up riding. Victory Drops The New power cruis~r sports the biggest rear DE tire around H mer am By Scon ROUSSEAU PHOTOS COURTESY OF VICTORY MOTORCYCLES N Ot mer ely conte nt to rest on the increas ed visibility and sales of its we ll-built alternative Am erican metric cruiser s, Victo ry Motorcycles' new goal is to nail down a good share of the power cruiser segment by introd ucing a new model, the 2005 Victory Hammer. Spo rting a third-gen, 100 cubic-inch version of Victory's Freedom V-twin, the Hammer is claimed by the company to produce 10 percent more horsepower and 22 percent more torque than the 92 cubicinch Freedom. Victory claims 88 horsepower and I 10 foot-pou nds of torque for the EFI, 50-degree, sohc, four valves per cylinder V-twin, which features a new earn 58 A UGUST 4, 2004 • drive, oil pump drive and primary gea rs for reduced mechanical noise. The crankcase has also been narro wed IOmm for increase d ground clearance. New for the Hammer is a six-speed tra nsmission tha t feat ures an ove rdrive sixth gear that makes for a I3 percent rpm reduction when cru isingas co mpared to a I: I ratio top gear. Victory says that the ove rdrive delivers vibration -free highway speeds. In kee ping with its performance-oriented theme, the Hammer sports a 43mm inverted cartridge fork that offers 5. 1 inches of front wheel travel, and dual 300mm floating roto r front disc brakes with fourpiston caiipers. CYCLE NEWS The Hammer sports styling that is distinctively Victory, incorporating a scalloped 4.5-gallon fuel tank that slopes back into the so lo saddle, for a long, low look. Speaking of long and low, the Hamme r rides on a 65.7-inch whee lbase, with a 32.9-degree fork rake. Seat height is 26.4 inche s. Claimed dry weight for the Hammer is 657 pounds. For the real big news, though , you need look no further than the back of the Hammer, which smacks the pavement with the largest rear tire ever to be fitted to an O EM motorcycle. The 250/40RI 8 Dunlop Elite 3 was developed in collaboration between Dunlop and Victory specifi aily c for the Hammer. It rides underneath a 40th Anniversary sportbike-inspired rear fender th at has been bobb ed to show off the gargantuan tread. A 300mm floating rear roto r with a tw o-piston caliper is fitted as we ll. The 2005 Victory Hammer will be available in several colors, including basic Black, Indy Red, Cosmic Sunburst, and Flame Yellow There are also two schemes that . incorpo rate what Victory calls Tribal Tattoo graph ics. The extra visuals can be had over Indy Red or Toxic Green . MSRP for the Victory Hamme r is $1 6,499. Victory offi cials say tha t the Hammer will begin to hit dealerships in spring of 2005. For more information, see your local Victory dealer or check out www.victorymotorcycles .com. eN