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A new Cross Roads owner

3K views 11 replies 12 participants last post by  DakotaRider 
#1 · (Edited)
I have had my 2013 Cross Roads Classic for a couple of weeks picked it up yesterday from it's first service at which time the dealer installed my D&D pipes, performance air filter, stage one flash, tach etc. I did a 200 mile ride today in the mountains and am starting to get used to the XR.

I am a retired Canadian living in Vancouver but I spend the winters in Palm Desert CA. I did not ride for many years but after I retired and moved to the desert for the winters I re discovered my passion for motorcycling on the great roads in the area.

I have owned several bikes in my life but 4 of them were Triumphs, 2 Bonnies years ago and recently an America and a Thunderbird 1700. I absolutely loved the Thunderbird but unfortunately I got one that had reliability problems and last winter (my main riding season) the bike spent 3 months in the shop waiting for parts from the UK. I decided that I was going to change bikes to avoid any more frustration. I am also doing more 2 and 3 night trips and the Thunderbird is really more of a muscle cruiser than a touring bike. I have an older Honda VTX 1300 in Vancouver for summer trips.

I am an analytical type of guy so I did a spreadsheet comparing soft baggers with all the things that were important to me in a new bike. The list included power, touring range. luggage capacity. ABS, value for $ etc and the XR won easily.

I have to admit I struggled a bit with the XR style and looks as I am a bit of a traditionalist and prefer old style bikes. The LE or Classic are more to my taste although I haven't learned to love the back end yet :) Most people seem to think it's a drop dead gorgeous bike so it must be my weird taste.......

I am enjoying riding the XR a lot. It is way more comfortable than the Thunderbird and once I get an aftermarket seat I think I will be good for long days in the saddle. The fit and finish on the bike is excellent and shows real quality. I am really enjoying things I have not had before like cruise control, heated grips, multi display computer etc.

I was hoping that I would be satisfied with the power and torque produced by the 106 with the D&D's air filter and stage 1 flash. It's certainly not bad but I miss the raw torque of the TBird with the big bore kit. The standard Thunderbird 1700 joke is that the don't include a gear indicator as they don't need to .....it rolls on pretty well in any gear and virtually at any revs. I will definitely go the Lloyds Cam route but I believe I have just missed out on Kevin X's latest cam party in California so it may be a while before I can get it done.

Anyway I have already learned a lot from reading this board. I must have read hundreds of posts before I made up my mind to buy a Vic and it was great to have all that knowledge and experience available to me.

Please be patient with my rookie questions as there are sure to be many of them.

Peter Kelly
 
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#2 ·
I came from a 125 cubic inch Vulcan and was very disappointed with the XR power at first. I like everything else about the XR, so overall I prefer the Vic. With cams, PCV/At , Lloydz filter and D&Ds, the XR is a faster bike, but does not have nearly the low-end TQ of the Vulcan. (141 ft/lbs at 2200 rpm, I seem to recall) After a while, you'll forget about the lack of low end and love the XR for what it is!!
 
#3 ·
I have had my 2013 Cross Roads Classic for a couple of weeks picked it up yesterday from it's first service at which time the dealer installed my D&D pipes, performance air filter, stage one flash, tach etc. I did a 200 mile ride today in the mountains and am starting to get used to the XR.

I am a retired Canadian living in Vancouver but I spend the winters in Palm Desert CA. I did not ride for many years but after I retired and moved to the desert for the winters I re discovered my passion for motorcycling on the great roads in the area.

I have owned several bikes in my life but 4 of them were Triumphs, 2 Bonnies years ago and recently an America and a Thunderbird 1700. I absolutely loved the Thunderbird but unfortunately I got one that had reliability problems and last winter (my main riding season) the bike spent 3 months in the shop waiting for parts from the UK. I decided that I was going to change bikes to avoid any more frustration. I am also doing more 2 and 3 night trips and the Thunderbird is really more of a muscle cruiser than a touring bike. I have an older Honda VTX 1300 in Vancouver for summer trips.

I am an analytical type of guy so I did a spreadsheet comparing soft baggers with all the things that were important to me in a new bike. The list included power, touring range. luggage capacity. ABS, value for $ etc and the XR won easily.

I have to admit I struggled a bit with the XR style and looks as I am a bit of a traditionalist and prefer old style bikes. The LE or Classic are more to my taste although I haven't learned to love the back end yet :) Most people seem to think it's a drop dead gorgeous bike so it must be my weird taste.......

I am enjoying riding the XR a lot. It is way more comfortable than the Thunderbird and once I get an aftermarket seat I think I will be good for long days in the saddle. The fit and finish on the bike is excellent and shows real quality. I am really enjoying things I have not had before like cruise control, heated grips, multi display computer etc.

I was hoping that I would be satisfied with the power and torque produced by the 106 with the D&D's air filter and stage 1 flash. It's certainly not bad but I miss the raw torque of the TBird with the big bore kit. The standard Thunderbird 1700 joke is that the don't include a gear indicator and they don't need to .....it rolls on pretty well in any gear and virtually at any revs. I will definitely go the Lloyds Cam route but I believe I have just missed out on Kevin X's latest cam party in California so it may be a while before I can get it done.

Anyway I have already learned a lot from reading this board. I must have read hundreds of posts before I made up my mind to buy a Vic and it was great to have all that knowledge and experience available to me.

Please be patient with my rookie questions as there are sure to be many of them.

Peter Kelly
hi peter, welcome to the victory club. i too gave up my 2012 t-bird storm but i never had any issues. i rode harleys for years but grew tired of the "have to be a bad ass" to ride harley scene. bought the t-bird and you had the best name for it. a muscle cruiser for sure...i called it a torque monster. it was great but definitely not a touring bike. i got the xr le (#105). i do like the bike but get frustrated with the lack of support, by both Polaris and the aftermarket. however, the latter is slowly coming along. i have done most mods myself and recently added the cobra controller. without opening that can of worms so far I am happy with the results. kinda with you on the rear of the bike. love the led light but the way the rear sticks way out is a little weird. best of luck and ride safe!
 
#4 ·
I came from an 800 suzuki M50 and love the muscle cruisers and the T-bird was on my short list but I knew any thing I bought I would have to put on a sissy bar, windshield, and some sort of luggage. That is when I started looking at the XR and it had everything I needed for mostly local 2-up riding with a few week long trips each year. I expected going form a 50 ci engine to a 106 would be huge difference but I too was a little dissapointed. I love the upper end power but down low my 800 zuki seems more responsive and quicker. Still love my XR so that is why I am keeping both bikes.
 
#5 ·
Enjoy the XR.
I am tracking with you about the bike's behind. I have had my Cross Country Tour since October and still I excuse away the cartoonish stretch to myself. More than I can recall with my other brand and model choices I tell myself that the bike is a product of committee compromises.
The good news for me is that the tail of the bike isn't what I see 90% of the time. I get the benefit the fender stretch offers by way of saddlebag volume, increased rear wheel suspension travel and the tails contribution to a structural geometry that offers my bulk a more comfortable riding position than other bikes.
As far as the looks go I fall back on the opening of that classic movie Gumball Rally which included the great line "And now my friend the first rule of Italian driving ... What'sa behind me izza not important."
 
#8 ·
The CR is nice. The Boardwalk is really nice too. I even like the Vision, Alot! Sorry, but the Cross Country is the best bike!:D
 
#12 ·
Nuh uhhhhhhh. XCT it is big guy! And that is the end of this discussion!!!! thumb upcheers
 
#11 ·
Re: New Cross Roads owner

I just bought a 2010 Victory Cross Country last month, but have not ridden it much, mostly because of the weather here. I did take it on a short ride, but found it very uncomfortable. The previous owner put 2-inch pull-back handle bars on it, as well as a lowered seat and rider backrest. I am also not used to forward controls, although I do own a Victory Hammer S. Perhaps part of the problem is getting used to the floor boards, although I've been told they are very comfortable on long trips. I am planning to put the factory handle bars back on, change the seat back to one that is of stock height, and remove the back rest. Hopefully then, I won't have the feeling that I'm being pushed forward in the seat when I'm riding it. It will take some getting use to for sure.
 
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