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Victory V92SC SportCruiser 70 mph cruising the engine's turning over lazily at 3100 rpm according to the half-moon tachometer set into the bottom of the instrument dial, which also incorporates a digital infocenter that you can use your forefinger to scroll through via the switch on the right handlebar. This reads out the trip, odometer, fuel level, time and battery voltage in what is a welldesigned package that could, however, do with brighter bulbs for the various warning lights incorporated in it. The way the Victory pulls cleanly away in top gear with zero transmission snatch from as low as 1500 rpm with just a whiff of the fuel injection system's precise, light-action throttle allows you to revel in riding what is a very meaty torque curve that delivers chilled-out sportcruisin' - particularly since it means you can avoid having to deal with what is easily the single most disappointing feature of the entire motorcycle, namely the gearchange. This is incredibly clunky and noisy, with each gearshift clearly audible a couple of blocks away - I know: I listened while I let someone else ride itl - as well as echoing disconcertingly off the sides of cars parked alongside you, as you change gear while pulling away from a traffic light. Okay - Harleys aren't a lot better (but still not as bad as this), and any shaft-drive Guzzi built before. the VII would be proud takes care of front-end dive, while their massive forged triple clamps and beefy stanchions ensure there's no twisting or deflection even with all that weight to stop. Plus the use of solid engine mounts rather than rubber means the Victory chassis package is seriously stiff, in turn aiding handling integrity. The only thing chassis-wise within the context of the product that I didn't really care for was the fork damping, which seemed overly stiff on compression - so that your vision gets blurred and the rear mirrors defy their purpose during a rat-tat ride over a concrete freeway's surface joints - as well as too soft on rebound even by sportcruising standards: the ride's rather too bouncy, even choppy, when using only a part of the 5.1 inch wheel travel offered up front. The Fox shock works fine at the back - ride quality here is excellent by cruiser standards, though it would have been nice if the footpegs weren't quite so far forward, so you could put more of your body weight on to them to cope better with bumps or to load up the front wheel a little. But then, this is a cruiser, so stop trying to ride it like the U.S. version of the Ducati Monster or Cagiva Raptor Victory has obviously targeted the SportCruiser as being, and enjoy swinging through Florida country roads in the spring sunshine, with the lusty beat of that lazy-feeling but sporty-sounding engine throbbing away beneath you. The engine is smooth b'ut satisfying by V-twin-cruiser standards, with just the right amount of vibration dialed in to lend character without complaint at anything up to 4000 rpm. Rev it any higher than that, and the vibes start to intrude, but since by the time you're pulling 4600 rpm in top gear the needle on the big, legible speedometer set into the back of the crackle-black headlamp shell is reading 100 mph, that's not really an issue. At normal to call the Victory's transmission its own. But this isn't a neo-vintage, stoneage, Italian transverse V-twin with shaft final drive and an engine derived from a mid- '60s delivery truck - it's a modern, purposedesigned and relatively sophisticated powerplant with ultra-silent belt final drive, that's been seven years in the making, and I'm extremely surprised that Victory management could have allowed the bike to get this far along the R&D line without doing something about it. While it's functionally acceptable - the gears always go in, and the actual shift action is quite crisp, though neutral is sometimes elusive - the dreadful noise that accompanies each upward change in particular most definitely is not, and must be a major denial factor for a potential purchaser. Victory staff get all sheepish when you mention this _to them, and say they're aware of the problem - which apparently relates to the excessive inertia of the very large-diameter clutch - and are working on redressing it for the 2001 model year. About time - could do better, must do better. Apart from that, a day spent with the SportCruiser confirms that Victory has created a new-age motorcycle that's set to possess genuine appeal for the ".com" generation. Alongside the dynamic advantages of this clean-sheet design in engineering terms, the clean, uncluttered looks have a fresh, distinctive appearance, though they might benefit from a little more detailed finesse: removing the V92C's chrome cylinder fin edging is okay for a sportcruiser version, but why not replace it with, say, a red liner - and some aspects of the styling seem frankly incomplete, as if the designer got interrupted by a phone call and forgot to go back and finish them off. Look at the studded flanks of the rear fender, as well as its tail section, compare with any Japanese cruiser (especially the Kawasaki not-an-Indian) or even any Harley, and see if you don't agree: same thing goes for the rather bulbous shape to the fuel tank. The customer needs to feel pride in his bike's appearance, and combining Victory's advanced engineering with the Made in USA edge, plus the heavyweight design flair of a K-Vulcan or H-Shadow, would be a winning combination -that their rivals mast be hoping Victory never homes in on. They're getting there, though, and in the SportCruiser I'd say Victory has produced an imaginative new cruiser product that's almost unique in the marketplace, and deserves to do well once they've sorted out the styling details - and, above all, the gearshift. It's already a notable improvement over the first V92C I rode a year ago - and at this rate, the sports touring version and fuJI-dress tourer that are rumored to be next up on the Victory model roster, will be well worth waiting for. As new marques go, this one is serious: I'm sure Harley-Davidson management won't be underestimating Victory. CN 2000 VICTORY V92SC SPECIFICATIONS Engine Type Air/oil-cooled. 50-degree. V-twin, four-stroke Bo " Stroke 97 x 102mm Di.placement, 1507cc (91.92 cubic inches) Comp ion Ratio 8.5:1 Valve Train SOHC: four valves per cylinder: self·adjusting cam chains: hydrauliC lifters Carburetion ... Electronic Fuel Injection with 44mm throttle bores Exhaust Two-into-one. with oversized canister _. , 6 quarts Electrical Power 28 amps Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12v Primary Drive .. Gear drive with torque compensator Clutch . . . . Wet. multi-plate Transmi.sion 5-speed Final Drive , Belt Oil Capacity Brakes Front . .. Brembo. twin 300mm floating rotors with four.piston calipers Rear Brembo. 300mm floating rotor with two-piston caliper Length 90.2 in. Wheelbase 63,6 in. Seat Height _ 28.5 in. Ground Clearance . .......•.. 5.5 in. Rake/Trail . . . . 30J\/120mm Suspension Front. . . . . . . ... Marzocchi 50mm telescopic fork. 5.1 in. travel Rear Triangulated swingaml with single Fox shock. 4.5 in. travel Wheels Front 17.0x3.5 in.. 5-spoke cast~aluminum Rear , .. 17.0x5.5 in.. 5·spoke cast~aluminum Ti...s Front 120 70B/17 Dunlop D205F Rear, 180556/17 Dunlop D205 Claimed Dry Weight 657 Ibs. 20 MARCH 29, 2000' cue • • n eVIl'S