New from MN. Looking for a new bike. Have ridden Harley since 99. I am hoping to get some views of past Harley owners on here.

New from MN. Looking for a new bike. Have ridden Harley since 99. I am hoping to get some views of past Harley owners on here.

before my bike (07 8-ball) i had a custom 99 softail with a 119" in it. the 8-ball has just as much power and even better to ride, it handles great in the corners and is very torqy and my favorite thing about it is it doesn't "mark its territory" which is leak oil out of everywhere possible. where are you from in MN, thats where i live anywhere near Belle Plaine?

I live south of Rochester about 35 minutes or so, right on the MN/IA border. My last was an 05 Duece I got rid of a couple years ago...my wife although, only 27 years old, thinks it is Harley or nothing because that is what her family rode/rides and that is what my family and I have had since we met. So, I need to work on her to open her mind. The thing is I can get such a good deal on a Vic right now. Thank you for you experience. Hope some more are coming.

I live south of Rochester about 35 minutes or so, right on the MN/IA border. My last was an 05 Duece I got rid of a couple years ago...my wife although, only 27 years old, thinks it is Harley or nothing because that is what her family rode/rides and that is what my family and I have had since we met. So, I need to work on her to open her mind. The thing is I can get such a good deal on a Vic right now. Thank you for you experience. Hope some more are coming.

she must not enjoy being different i guess, o well some people just want to have the same bike as other people whatever works

Nah, I am the one that likes to be different. My dads bike is nasty as hell...but, he won't even buy a new Harley(fully built, 127hp/130tq), mostly because of the stealerships. That is my point...when have you ever seen a Harley lower than MSRP, other than a V-Rod I mean. But, I am working on her, I can't stand the frickin stealership acting like they are the only kids on the block and that we will buy them because it says Harley on their front door:mad:

Mac one thing about Victory is that they are rated number one in customer satisfaction. They are pretty much bullet proof bikes. Cubic inch for cubic inch the Freedom engine (Victory) puts out more HP and TQ than HD.

Style wise, Victory is cutting edge, forward thinking. So is their technology.

Buying a Victory now is a great time because they are throwing in a 5 year warranty.

Part for part Victory is a better deal. Yes a Premium Jackpot will run you in the high 17k - 18k BUT that is with chrome everywhere on the bike. Buy a softail or rocker and chrome it out like a Jackpot and I guarantee you will spend over 20k!!

This is my bike the day I picked her up. She was 17.8k out the door. The front end is all chrome, Stage 1 chrome drag pipes, chrome valve covers, chrome main pulley drive cover, chrome timing chain adjuster cover, polished billet wheels, chrome belt guard, chrome fender struts, chrome passenger seat riser, chrome switch housing, on the left side the primary cover is chrome. The pulley was replaced by Victory a week later because it was supposed to be chrome.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y255/diamondrmp/Misc%20Pics/1weeklaterNew3.jpg

Don't get me wrong I am in no way knocking HD. Just pointing out the positive differences between the two.

The negative side is the lack of dealerships. There is at least one HD dealer in almost every city in the US. Victory on the other hand is sparse.

This is my bike now. As you can see I am anti chrome! LOL

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y255/diamondrmp/Tear%20Down%202009/Almost%20finished/slammedsoloMedium.jpg

I won't dis the Harley bikes themselves but, good dealers are few and far between. I have 4 or 5 Vic dealers within about 100 miles. I just want something different I think. I know I will catch a crap storm from some of my buddies. When I blow the chrome off their Harley maybe the tune will change. For the most part I just want to ride and do it in a reliable fashion. Your bike is sick. The first picture looks pretty much identical to the one I have my eye on. Regardless of the make I just like black bikes. I could only dream of making a bike look like yours does now. I know I can get an 09 for 15899 from one of the dealers local to me. Good luck getting a Harley 3k under msrp.

Thanks for the compliment.

15899?? That is a STEAL!! Pick that up ASAP!!

Where are you located?

Minnesota. Seems like there are more dealerships around the midwest. Might have something to do with Victory headqtrs and production being located in MN and IA. Maybe it is just a by chance there are more dealers around here. I would think that deal would be pretty wide spread with factory rebates and all.

You're lucky to have that many. It used to be that way here in N. California but they are closing or dropping the Vic line up. Pretty soon my nearest dealer will be 100 miles away.

Are sales that bad for Victory, where they are closing dealerships. I know they are relatively new and a lot of people buy into the whole Harley heritage stuff. I know I was one of them that thought the long history was the reason to ride one.

Not just Victory. I recently saw on another forum the HD has closed almost 300 stores.

Look at GM and Dodge. Its everyone not just Victory.

For some reason I had in my head that the dealers are small enough they would have a lot smaller overhead at their stores. Keep forgetting they have been around since 98.

I just got an 05 Hammer this spring and I've owned plenty of Harleys over the years. My Hammer will leave most Harleys staring at my tail light. And I dont know if the one your looking at is a 6 speed but, that really impressed me on my Hammer, man is that 6th gear great for interstate cruising at around 85mph. I've never ridden a Harley 6 speed so I can't compare apples to apples there.
Hope this helps.

Looking at the Jackpot right now. I have talked to Harley techs that hate the 6 speed in the Harley. But, I have never ridden one with a 6 speed, from what I hear the 6th gear is worthless at normal highway cruising speeds.

No, the 6th gear is exactly right a normal highway speeds. Thats what gives you great gas mileage!

Around town the 6th and even 5th for that is worthless.

From what I heard about the Harley 6 speed is that it is useless unless you run 90 mph. I have heard the Victory 6 speed can be cruised at 55-60 no problem...that is just what I have heard.

I have both, 08 Harley Dyna StreetBob and an 07 Victory 8-Ball. I love the 8-Ball, just wish there were more options to customize. I do travel, so the 6th gear would be nice. I have always been a Harley person, or should I say a Dyna person, but when I was in the market for a SoftTail, I got the 8-Ball to try it out. To say what bike I like better, I cannot say, but the Victory does get more attention. Now of course, I do have it my way, all black, loud and low. The Dyna just fits me, love it to death, plenty of parts and peices to fix it up, just easier for me to work on. I am my own wrench, if I cannot do it, it does not need to be done is my thought. I would have to say that the Dealerships is Victory's biggest downfall. Where I am from, we have every dealership you can think of, but I will say, we have one of the best Harley dealerships around and one of the worse Victory dealerships maybe in the whole country. Yes, I do think that Victory is as good or better than Harley, if only we had more knowable people working at the Dealerships. Example, what Harley shop can you walk into that at least 5 people can answer your question, and 4 of those do not even work there. If I had to sell a bike today, it would the Victory, not because of the product, but because of the support.

Yes the 6 speed is great at speed limit and with the torque will pull strong from 60 without downshifting.

Billylewis there is a LOT out there for the Victory bikes now. Check out these vendors and be sure to tell them I sent you ;)

http://www.kewlmetalstore.com/
http://www.cycleopsusa.com/aboutus.html
http://www.conquestcustoms.com/
http://www.buywitchdoctors.com
http://www.santarosaveetwin.com

Also Billylewis, you can buy an overdrive pulley for your 8ball!

Of all the Harley dealerships the only people that I have talked to that knows anything is the Owner/Manager. Most of the salesman, I wound up telling them about the bike. Now, on the flipside, I went to the local Victory dealer after researching for two days straight on specs and everything else I could find on them. I talked to the salesman for an hour and not once did he not know what he was talking about. For a bonus he did not slam Harley once in that whole time. When I go to Harley dealership most talk crap about the other brands to sell you on theirs. Just my personal experience so far. I know not all dealerships are the same so, I know not every salesperson will be the same. That is just what I have seen to this point. I do like both but, for my money this time I think I will go Victory. Thanks for the links Diamond, I think I will check those out too. I already talked to LLoydz. He said RPW is coming out with a nice swept 2 into 1 that is supposed to perform.

LOL...you mean these? I've had 4 sets of exhaust and these will be my 5th!! They are the RPW Big Slash.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y255/diamondrmp/RPW%20Big%20Slash/P9100001.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y255/diamondrmp/RPW%20Big%20Slash/P9100003.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y255/diamondrmp/RPW%20Big%20Slash/P9100005.jpg

Don't know??? If they are from RPW I would guess so. Where did you find those? I checked their site couldn't find anything on them. How are the really supposed to perform? I want it to look good but, I don't want to have to buy another exhaust set up when I start working on it after the warranty is up.

P.S. are they going to have a different billet tip available for them? P.S.S. I just read when I did a search that you may have to notch the frame? What is up with that.? I don't want to have to cut a new bike up.

I KNOW they are RPW's. I was questioning YOU if those are the swept 2 into 1's you were talking about?

Notch the frame for what? I don't know of one single exhaust for Victory that requires notching the frame.

RPW is a vendor on ****** and he posted those pics for us. Its not on the web site yet. They aren't for sale yet.

2 into 1's always out perform 2/2 exhaust.

Like I said, first time I have seen them when you posted it. Not new to exhaust but, for Victory I am. Just saying in general I don't like 2 into 1 pipes, they just don't look right. I will try to find the thread I found and post the link. On any of the sport bikes I had when I was younger, or any of the 3 Harleys I have had did you ever need to modify the frame.

http://******.net/forums/display_topic/id_2172/page_1/

Ahhhhhh...the infamous cutting the frame! Yes older style aftermarket pipes required that but no longer. The part of the frame you cut was not part of the structure it was strictly for the stock exhaust mount.

Now, everyone makes the pipes to fit or has an adapter.

Yes, I was one of the people that cut the frame.

Oh, I see.

I won't dis the Harley bikes themselves but, good dealers are few and far between. I have 4 or 5 Vic dealers within about 100 miles. I just want something different I think. I know I will catch a crap storm from some of my buddies. When I blow the chrome off their Harley maybe the tune will change. For the most part I just want to ride and do it in a reliable fashion. Your bike is sick. The first picture looks pretty much identical to the one I have my eye on. Regardless of the make I just like black bikes. I could only dream of making a bike look like yours does now. I know I can get an 09 for 15899 from one of the dealers local to me. Good luck getting a Harley 3k under msrp.

The dealership up in Prescott, AZ (pvmotorcycles.com) has an 08 Vegas Low black with 6 miles (brand new) that they'll let go for just under $13,000 out the door with the 5 year warranty. I know it's a ways away but shipping probably wouldn't that much or you could go get it and ride it back. Ask for Steve. PM me if you have any questions. I took a look but ended up getting an 08 with 175 miles that already had stage 1 pipes and air filter for a few hundred less here in Phoenix otherwise I would have picked it up.

heres my take , have owned many different brands, and all have a plus and minus column, the bike i just sold was an harley, FXRS had her for 17 yrs, knew her like the back of my hand, was dependable, I did most of the work myself, however here is a major beef i have with harley, to change the rear drive belt or sproket you, have to 1. pull thre rear wheel or at least remove the axle and dropit it down , remove the outer primary, remove the clutch assy, remove the primary chain and front end drive, remove the starter drive [ on my model] remove the inner primary and if nec. replace the drive sproket and or the belt, took me apx. 5 hrs. i have air tool a lift and am an old v w journney mech. wasn't hard just unnecessary, compared with a sporster or victory, Id venture a guess of 45 min. start to finish. the engine on the victorys make more hp and torque than a harley with the same cc I would say due to the fact victory has overhead cams compared to push rods and lifters, my son bought an 04 vegas, my friend bought an o5 hammer and I just bought an 09 vegas, as far as the vision goes I think you will either hate the look or love it, i personally love it but im still the cruiser type, the vegas handles like butter.
no matter what you decide on there is always going to be modifying it for comfort, as in handlebars , seat, pegs, grips, windshield, etc. chrome , paint, wheels,

in addition to the 5 yr. unconditional mile warranty now being offered, the stimilus pkg. that pres. obama passed covers motorcycles, you can deduct the sales tax and excise tax off your 2009, income tax return, also if your military either active or retired victory is giving an additional $1000.00 off,

before you buy check cycle trader.com you will find super deals, I d printed it out , took it to my dlr that i like and he had no problem matching the price.

hope this helps

steve