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/128401
~2_0_0_6_~_ic_to_r,-y_Vc_e...:..g_o_s_Jo_c_k_p_o_t Thankfully. while the feeling always keeps you on your toes. the rear tire doesn't adversely affect the Vegas jackpot's cornering manners. In fact. the knife-blade feel makes it easier than you might first suspect to pitch the 650-pound machine into a corner. Then. and only then. do you get a feel for what that skinny. 21-inch tire-shod front end is doing. and it does quite well. thank you. The Vegas jackpot's n.5degree rake. while giving the Vegas jackpot a rather chopper-iffic stance. is still tight enough to make the bike a lot of fun in the corners without hinting that it might wash out. Typical of cruisers with low. forwardmounted pegs. about the only thing keeping you from running the Vegas jackpot into the turns harder is a lack of ground clearance. When you're forced to stand it up. or when you just need to stop for stopping's sake. you'll appreciate the strong power and progression of the Vegas jackpot's 300mm Brembo. four-pot front and twopot rear brakes. Victory engineers especially got the braking bias right with the fatty rear tire. which can be brought to a controlled stop or can be locked up. without sacrificing feel either way. Not all is perfect in Victoryland. however. and the Vegas jackpot is hurting in one area where I feel the entire Victory line comes up short when compared to much of its competition: the suspension action. All the Victory models that I rode on our intro suffered. some more and some less. from what felt like a severe stiction problem at the very start of the suspension stroke. On freeway expansion joints and bumpy two-lane roads of the variety you're likely to encounter when out on a typical ride. the harshness was noticeable and very unwelcome. Only when you hit a bump or a pothole large enough to really move the forks and shock into their stroke do you get the sense that the bike actually has some suspension plushness at all. but if you have to take a big hit to know that it's working. then it's not working. In all fairness to Victory. a couple of the models I rode tended to be a little more compliant. and these machines seemed to have a few more miles on the odometer than some of the harsher-feeling bikes. Coincidence? Maybe. maybe not. but then in all fairness to those who had come to test its bikes. Victory should take care to make sure that its test units are broken in properly. Overall. the function is there. but remember where we - and Victory - started: with the idea that all the function in the world won't get the job done in the cruising world if you don't have style to go along with it. Thankfully. the Vegas jackpot has more than enough. Great care was taken to incorporate a low and long. flOWing look on the Vegas jackpot. and nowhere is this more evident than on the stretched fuel tank. which features scalloped indentations and a split tail that molds nicely into the seat junction. Other custom appointments include polished. billet-style wheels. a trick HID/halogen headlight in a streamlined shroud. and a chassis that is painted to match the color of the bodywork. Our main test unit was adorned in Victory's Sunset Red with Extreme Graphics. and I have to admit that on several occasions during our test ride I caught myself looking down at the top of the tank just to admire the beautiful paintwork splashed on the bike. Of all the bikes that were on our test ride. this paint scheme was my second favorite. taking a back seat only to the Black and Faded Blue Flames paintwork on the Cory Ness Signature Series Vegas jackpot that was along on our intro. 38 ~-------- oaOBER 26, 2005 • CYCLE NEWS So does Victory have a winner in the Vegas jackpot' After 160 miles of starting. cruising. turning. stopping and braking. I'd have to say absolutely. Suspension hassles aside. the Victory Vegas jackpot feels as cool as it looks. and looks as cool as it feels. making it the two-wheeled equivalent of a SCUD-missile strike straight into the heart of Milwaukee. eN Victory Vegas Jackpot LIST PRICE $17,499 (base) $21.999 (ness) DISPLACEMENT 1634cc ENGINE TYPE Air-cooled. OHC. 50-degree V-twin BORE x STROKE 101 x 102mm COMPRESSION RATIO 9.8:1 CARBURETION Electronic fuel injection IGNITION .Digital electronic TRANSMISSION 6-speed STARTING SYSTEM Electric FUEL CAPACITY 4.5 gal. WHEELBASE 66.3 in. SEAT HEIGHT 25.7 in. FRONT TIRE 80/90-21 REAR TIRE 250/40-R I 8 FRONT-WHEEL TRAVEL 5.1 in. REAR-WHEEL TRAVEL 3.0 in. FRONT BRAKE 3OOmm floating single-disc REAR BRAKE ..loom floating single-disc FINAL DRIVE belt CLAIMED DRY WEIGHT 644 Ibs.