While your suggestion is a good one and makes sense, I do not see Polaris doing this. The failure of Victory was due to faulty marketing and support services. They burned a loyal customer base and the resentment runs deep. They could provide parts for the next 20-30 years if they wanted to, but they don't want to. They are banking on us getting frustrated and paying a ridiculous price to purchase a new Indian. Unless they change that attitude I am very unlikely to do so.
After Polaris pulled the rug out from under their 100% Loyal Customers they can shove their fake “indian” badged junk straight up their collective sewer pipe.
The failure of Victory was two fold: First, Victory sold between 125 and 135K bikes TOTAL in it's 18 years of existence; Second, of those bikes that were sold, there were only 45K unique purchasers of Victory from the dealer, meaning people kept buying Victory's over time, but they weren't attracting new customers. High customer acquisition cost and generally low sales volume, coupled with large R&D dollars spent on models (can anyone say Vision?) didn't make the brand profitable as an ongoing concern. It's easy to blame Marketing and support, but it's a spurious argument at best. How else do you explain Indians success with essentially the same marketing/support operation and fewer dealers? FWIW, I currently own a Victory XC, an Indian Roadmaster and an Indian Challenger.
I'm just going to put it out there. I was all over the scout bobber. The style, and iconic indian branding was all it took to convince me it was the bike for me. Then I saw the vegas 8 ball.....the heavens split open, angels sung and I wept. Long story short, I bought a 2014 8 ball with 3500 miles on it this year and have never looked back. Victory motorcycles are by far the best bikes I've ever rode.
Ha! Love it! Hope you have many long rides, serenaded by the sound of angels, and cushioned by the heavenly clouds of fully Polaris supported suspension. Thanks for the comment bud. Got a kick out of this one.
I became a owner of a 2013 Vegas 8Ball this past summer. The former original owner only put 800 miles on it. And I love it!! I was always impressed by Victory style since they first came out. I agree with your video and statements regarding what Polaris could do with trying to embrace Victory owners. Thanks for trying to plant the " seed "
Howdy. I've been riding since 1963. I've owned a lot of Harleys in my life, and still own two. One of them I've had for 45 years. I bought a 2003 Victory V92C Deluxe through the custom order program the first year Victory offered it. Ordered the bike in September of 2002, took delivery in March of 2003. I still have it. It has 70,000 miles on it. It's the bike my wife and I use for long trips. I love that bike. I went to work for my local Victory dealer in 2004. Worked there until 2017. When they dropped Victory, I was done. I was at retirement age anyway, so I just went ahead and retired. I'll probably never sell my Vic, but I wouldn't have an Indian for love nor money. I have no doubt in my mind that as soon as Indian sales start to fall off, Polaris will drop Indian like a hot potato. I can still get parts for my two "antique" Harleys, so if my Vic ever dies, I'll just go back to riding them for long trips. Polaris can kiss my tired old ass.
Thank you for sharing Tom! I haven't had the opportunity to jump on a V92C yet but hope to at some point. You were there when it all started. You nailed it on the Indian concern. Hope you get many more miles out of your Vic. And your Harleys for that matter.
Its kinda funny the first thing i heard, when they introduced the challenger, from a tech at indian, is that its roots are from victory, they still embrace victory, just not in a promotional way.
Yeah, I had heard similar things. The Challenger could have easily had a Victory badge if things were different. But I have no way to confirm it. Your tech is probably the best source. With all the Victory spirit ingested into Indian bikes, bringing the riders along makes a ton of sense. Support a Victory bike just as you would previous Indian models. Thanks for the comment!
100% correct I loved my vision. Just lost it Thursday in a traffic accident. I will be buying another vision. I work at Harley also and have a deluxe as a back up bike for when the Vic is getting serviced. The vision was faithful and never gave me issues.
Oh man, hope you are ok from that accident first of all. Second, glad you liked your Vision enough to consider getting another one. I hope you don't have trouble finding one. Good luck to you!
I bought a 2004 Kingpin new in 2004. It is by far the best motorcycle I have ever owned. It just keeps going. Nothing breaks. That said, I agree whole heartedly with your thoughts on Polaris. I feel abandoned. As of now, I will never buy another Polaris product. If they took the approach you suggested, I might reconsider. Thanks for the video. You have my support.
Thanks for watching and for the comment! We will see if anything happens but the support in the comments is humbling and supports the case for lost revenue opportunity.
Great video. I also can’t help but feel for all the Victory dealerships who were left high and dry. One local dealer told me that if they wanted to carry Indian they had to pay the same as anyone else (no restitution or special treatment after losing the Victory line). Ride on!
Thanks! You bring up a great point! The customers weren't the only ones impacted. The dealers were left with an inventory to deal with and lack of continuity with Polaris. Great perspective to add! Thank you!
Kudos shout out to my local Indian dealer, Action Motor Sports in Mandan, ND, that continues to fully support Victory riders with their parts and service needs.
Love my 2015 Cross Country. I have 40k+ miles of memories. Riding it till I retire it. I just picked up a 2020 scout bobber. It’s such a blast! I agree with this video 💯. Im sticking with Polaris bikes over Harley because I feel the reliability is there and the fact that I don’t need 3 different oils for oil changes.
Thanks for watching and the comment! Hope you get many great years out of your Scout! I think the quality is there for Indian. The lessons learned through Victory absolutely helped to make Indian what it is today. If they pair that with moves like this to show that they are committed to the customer and not just the sale, that would make them a powerful force. Thanks again!
I still own a 2004 Victory Vegas that I bought new. It is still beautiful and runs great. I can't take it on the long rides anymore because of the risk of having a problem and not having any support to get it fixed. After the way Polaris did to it's watercraft customers and then to us loyal Victory customers I was unable to buy an Indian even though I like what they have done with them very much. They are just untrustworthy in my mind. So I bought a Moto Guzzi V85TT and am loving it. Moto Guzzi might seem to some like a bit of a gamble, but they have been around for a very long time and have been true to their customer's expectations. The hurt Polaris did to their reputation runs very deep. To put it bluntly, they were stupid!
Thanks for sharing! I always wanted a Vegas and probably would have bought one eventually if things had been different. Beautiful bike! Your choice to go with something other than Indian is a clear example of the point I'm trying to make here. So thanks for the supporting comment! Hope you enjoy the heck out of that Moto Guzzi!
Well Done Video! I had the same thoughts myself, thank you for putting this on TH-cam for all to see. I Really hope it gets back to Polaris. Polaris would benefit greatly by supporting Victory owners now ,who like you said very likely would become future Indian Riders 😎
Thank you sir! If nothing else, I hope it reaches them and prompts a conversation. I think Victory owners would rally around Indian and it isn't too late to turn it around.
As a former Victory owner, I will NEVER buy a Polaris bike. Not willing to be stuck with a bike with no value again. If Indian does not hit sale they want, it will be gone too. They did it to their jetski owners and victory owners so why trust them. Why do you think they never post sales numbers?
IMO...this video is spot on! I purchased a 2006 Victory Hammer in Jan of '06 (coming from the sportbike world, because I couldn't seem to keep out of trouble with the law). I've been ecstatic with it ever since and honestly it really was for the 4 reasons they state in the video! I talked at least 4 friends into buying a Victory and they have been loyal and happy as well. I DO wish Polaris would step up and give the support "Chasing Redline" is suggesting. However, I think it's probably too late to come through. Anyhow, I will continue to ride my Hammer for how long, IDK, but this bike continues to get attention and keeps me smiling along the way.
I own and love my 2011 Victory Vision! Wouldn't trade it for nothing! Owned it for about 3 yrs now. And went completely mad scientist had it completely rebuilt from the ground up. Built engine, trans, sound system and more. This Harley Killa is ready with only around 5k on the miles. 😊
You do make a great point and I back this idea. The large issue is one thing that Polaris can't get out of this.....$$$. The people that designed and built these fantastic bikes are not in charge of the purse strings at Polaris unfortunately.
So now here is the question with Victory bikes hitting crazy low pricing as the motorcycle market starts to reel back what are the thoughts on grabbing one? I have seen some Vegas models as low as $2800 and several in the $3500 range what are the thoughts on getting one in this price range or with the issues of service and parts just leave it and stick with another brand.
Hello there. It all comes down to risk vs reward. Here is my personal take. Once you hit a certain price point, the caliber of bike you are getting starts to far outweigh the risk of losing your investment if something catastrophic was to happen. Victory bikes are known to be reliable but things do happen. With that said, there are a few things I would do if I wanted to put myself in the best position to have longevity out of the killer deal found on a new Vegas for instance. First, I would do a full inspection as I would for any bike and make sure the bike was well cared for. Second, I would really think twice before purchasing one that had a lot of aftermarket work done. While cams and fuel controllers can improve performance, they can also add additional points of failure and complexity when attempting to perform a repair. So personally, I am choosing to remain largely stock outside of the additions I already made early (factory stage 1). This simplifies the system and reduces risk of additional issues. After considering those things, it really comes down to what price is low enough for you to feel comfortable parting out or scrapping the bike if something really bad happened. Run that against the pretty darn good track record and my guess is if you get 5-10 years out of a $3k Vic, that is a killer investment for 100 or 106cc head turning machine. Best of luck! Let us know where you land on the topic!
Real shame Victory tanked. Even here in Australia like Indian they were cheaper than HD and Victory did still have a good range as well as a good name.
I agree with you, and also believe Polaris could have easily made a Victory line from Indian and it would have been a financial and marketing "Victory" for bike owners and Polaris. Instead, they showed themselves to be only concerned with short term financial goals.
Fully agree! Running both brands side by side could not have been so hard for the engineers designing the new Indians have been the Victory engineers. But when quarterly financials rule the company, the strategic business view is obviously pretty short. That's what will not change with Polaris, and that's why I'll never buy an Indian - I don't need that sort of ...-kick a second time. Greetings from Berlin, Germany - a 2011 Victory Vegas 8-Ball owner
I disagree. I am a former Victory rider who now rides an Indian. The area rep for Indian came to our IMRG meeting a short time after the decision was announce. She was a Victory engineer and HATED seeing Victory go under. She also said Polaris was fully supporting both brands but looking for a way to keep growing Indian. An outside consulting firm was brough in. They are the ones who forced Polaris leadership to face the fact that Victory lost money in four of the previous five years. Very few if anyone at Polaris WANTED to get rid of Victory. They HAD to; the money just wasn't there. You may not LIKE it but business are in business to make money; if they don't make money they will go out of business.
3:30 this is exactly my check list when i was moving from a sport bike to a cruiser. I have a 2015 Highball and riding it into the ground. Solid design and solid engine. I can buy Vics for the rest of my life from used inventory out there and find parts from used bikes out there. I will admit though, Indian has the better bagger in the Chieftain vs the HD Street glide. I would go Indian for that bagger.
Polaris pulled the plug just a hair to early. Victory’s we’re just starting to show up at events with Harley’s. And it was starting to be all good. We were so close to having 2 American brand motorcycles worth buying. Indian will never be anything close to Harley. Everyone knows there just a name companies use to try to sell bikes. No soul in Indian motorcycles. Big companies will never get that.
Excellent video. I owned an "orphan" motorcycle brand in the past, and there are issues. When the time came that I was searching for a Cruiser, I really really liked the Victory Boardwalk. Just as was ready to make the purchase - BANG - Polaris made there announcement. Two weeks later, don't hate me, I bought a Harley Road King. No more orphans!
Ha, no hate here man! Perfect example of how stability and longevity of support matters! I might feel a bit different if Polaris had gotten out of the motorcycle market entirely. But they didn't. Orphaned Victory hurts the Indian brand. Hope you love your Road Glide! I tease Harley here but it is all in good fun. The dealer network alone for HD is a strong argument to stick with them.
All of Victory's R&D went into Indian. I agree with several other commentors below, Polaris could have rebadged several other bikes with Indian badges and kept the line going. That is what happened to the Octane when it became the Scout. My Vision would outrun just about any stock HD.
Everything you said is spot on. Unfortunately I think the board at Polaris is only concerned with the return on investment in the Indian brand. Most likely the attitude is that they turned the page on Victory and it’s time to stop looking backwards.
Thanks for the input. I think you are right. But, I think if they do indeed have that mindset, it is from a commitment to short term payoff rather than long term success. Losing money isn't sustainable, but the motorcycle industry is a long game. I think it is possible to payoff for shareholders long term especially coming off a 2021 year of record growth per the investor relations page. Thanks for watching!
Hang in there the polaris board are not getting Christmas bonus sales are down bad and price don’t justify what your getting greedy board members heads will roll
As a die hard Polaris fan and a new Victory owner I cant agree more, perfectly said. I have already been eyeing up the Indian line and making a plan for my next bike when the time comes. And yes the reason I chose a Victory is because it wasn't a Harley.
Love my Vision and love supporting the builders like Rylan Vos, Scott K and Lloyd Greer... But without a move like you suggest, it would be very hard to consider another Polaris bike and I'll be heading towards a Goldwing or HD dresser. Excellent video.
Absolutely! We have to rally around those guys that are titans in the Victory space. They are walking the walk. I actually just sent someone Rylan's way. I've never met him but enjoy the videos and what he is doing to scale his ability to support the community via his website. Lloyd is the man. Scott's outfit is a great spot as well. I'm noticing quite a few are going Goldwing! My old man had a Goldwing for almost 20 years so I have a lot of fond memories riding next to one. Thanks again!
I have to say as a long time Polaris owner and current Indian owner I think this video is spot on! I had hoped years ago to get a Victory but was to late in my attempts to get the bike I wanted, but found a close 2nd in the Indian I have now. And yes IT IS NOT A HARLEY!
Great video and Great suggestions! 👍 I ride my Indian and know that without Victory there would be no Indian. My say on Victory was that its a great bike! Way ahead of the times (at that time) bigger engine than th HD and cooler looking too! As some said that Victory couldn't compete with HD for the American title as Indian has. I do to this day like looking at those Victorys! And wouldn't mind having one. Besides I always hear of old HDs needing work, I never hear of a Victory needing some. Hasta luego!
Thanks for the comment and for watching. The perspective from a current Indian rider is great to have here. Cheers to seeing Victory bikes on the road for years to come.
2 หลายเดือนก่อน
I'm a Victory crossroads rider who wears Indian Tshirts and apparel. Here in Sweden, the Victory owners club is Victory and Indian owners club. If only Polaris would do this, you suggested. That would be awesome. Cheers
I had a 2014' Victory XC, might be my most favorite bike I owned in my lifetime of 50+ motorcycles I've had! After they shut down I needed a right brake lever in black, I had to search high and low to find one, finally did and paid double the normal cost for it, the seller said he paid way above retail to get it. Then I saw that starters were hard to come by, got an email from a vendor that had found 4 of them at $400 each. Parts retailers were hoarding any Victory parts they could find to make a big profit at the expense of regular Victory owners. That for me was the writing on the wall, I was going to have to think long and hard about my favorite bike. Along this time I ran across a Harley that was being sold way below what it was worth as the owner had a financial crisis. I sold my Victory, I couldn't even watch as the new owner drove away, broke my heart! I've never really fallen in love with my Road Glide, as much as I've tried to make it into my bike. Right now if I went into the garage to start it, it wouldn't, as it has a small electrical draw myself or any dealer can find? What will be my next full tourer? Probably a Gold Wing. I really like the looks and reviews of the Pursuit, but I've been screwed once by Polaris, never again!
Thanks for sharing your experience! I recently picked up the last performance air filter (Victory discontinued them long ago) from my local dealer. The one they deployed with the original stage 1. I'm right there with you and love my XC. The idea of getting rid of it this early (2013) is a sad thing to think about. The Pursuit looks like a great option but Polaris needs to double down on support commitments to influence more to drop that kind of cash. Your Harley has an extensive support network so that is one thing you don't have to worry about. However, that starting issue has to get sorted out. But, at least you have a place to take it! Thanks again!
I test rode the first year Victory Cross Roads in 2010. After my test ride i was told of the Cross Country (outlr dealership did not have one on site), but i still put a down payment on one! I sold my 2010, with 35,000 mile on it in 2016 and bought a new Cross Country Tour right before the company dissolved. Still a GREAT BIKE! My wife traded her 2010 Vegas for a 2016 Cross Country the same month! We aren't sure what to do next, but they are still running smooth! Im headed to Sturgis on Tuesday with mine, the wife is choosing not to go this time, although she has ridden her own 13 times!!! I would buy another one in an instant!! Ride safe, everyone!
I ride a Victory because of the performance. I think there should be a Victory performance division of Indian. Same as screamin eagle for Harley. Use it to build over the top FAST motorcycles that most Victory riders are looking for. This is a way the Victory brand can live on.
This is the Vp of service for Polaris. Bridget McLennan, the VP of Service, 30 years at Polaris. Perhaps if we can find a email for her we can drop a link to this Video in it and ask her if she will just read the comments and watch the video. I am not worried about parts availability myself i will just retrofit with aftermarket and some salvage Vic parts from Ebay ! I understand not everyone is a old motorcycle technician like I ,so that makes your suggestions way more realistic . Your basic wear items at the least controls cables etc... Nice video valid points and issues with solutions!
Thanks for watching and for the input! Your ability to support your own bike definitely puts you in a great position to keep it running for years to come. I haven't heard any feedback from Polaris but I do hope the video made it to them and, if nothing else, caused them to reconsider how they support their Victory customers long term.
I’m new to victory. Just got a Boardwalk and I’m in love. I wanna fill up my garage with victory’s at this point. If I could fit an FTR in there as well… seems like you really hit at the core of Polaris with this video. Well done.
You may not know or have forgotten that this is the third time Polaris has pulled this stunt on their dealers and their customers. First was the POLARIS STAR CAR, then the Polaris Jet ski, and finally Victory. in each case, Polaris failed to support the units in the customer's hands through parts and dealer knowledge. That's not a track record I will support by buying an Indian!
Thank you for the context! More reason for Indian to step up and change the narrative. Commit to Victory owners and support them just as you would/should previous Indian model years. Polaris wants to be in the motorcycle market, has the dealer market, and could make this happen if those chose to. Starting there might help break the track record!
Being a new Victory rider this year, in March I picked up a 2013 High Ball that always caught my eye, whether it was on the road or window shopping on the interweb. Coming off a sports bike I wanted to experience something new something different. The High Ball didn't just do that for me it expanded it! Knowing that the market for Vics is very slim the Victory community is huge! Don't get me wrong Harleys are awesome but it looks all the same to me. After riding a High Ball I'd love to upgrade to a Habanero Orange Magnum. The torque the feel the bullet proof 106 when you open it up is just like music that plays on repeat and never get tired of. This video just got my like and sub! Thank you for the content and I support this!!!
Thank you for that! I always liked the High Ball. Congrats on owning an awesomesauce bike! The community around Victory is great and very supportive of one another. In some ways, we have to be. I hope you can find that Habanero Orange Magnum of your dreams!
Spot on assessment and spot on hope for the future. Hope isn't a plan, of course, but it's something. I'm pretty sure poor marketing had a lot to do with the failure of the brand. Here's a little free business advice to Indian: "Victian." It's part of a new line of Indian motorcycles. It has a new 106 CI engine that people are going to/already love. You're welcome.
2000 Sport Cruiser , all machine work , stage 4 , 112 hp , 118 torque , on the dyno , like riding on rails in the corners , foot pegs raised 1 inch , moved 2 inches forward , dragging the pegs in the corners , it handles
I agree one hundred percent of what you said. Indian also needs to release a victory magnum. And a indian octane victory with there lineup. Surprise all of us out of nowhere. It would be a great benefit to the company and brand
Yeah, I haven't seen them do anything yet that captures that "custom bagger" look that the magnum did. Tricked out paint jobs, slammed in the back, massive wheel in the front... Would be interesting to see that kind of approach from them even with their newer models. Simply a "factory custom paint" program could be cool too. Thanks for watching!
I'd be one of them as well. Love the victory, love indian, to choose a victory over indian comes down to finding the best deal. I loved my high ball, and would totally get another. Love the chief.
Thanks for tuning in! I always thought the Highball was a great looking bike. A lot of talk lately about the Sport Chief and I have to say I do like what they have done with it.
I owned a 2004 Touring Cruiser Classic which I purchased new. Prior to that I owned a Harley Davidson Wide Glide which I also bought new. My Vic served me well for 20 years but after Polaris discontinued the Victory brand none of the former Victory Dealers (now Indian Dealers) would do any repair or service work, including routine oil changes. I realized it was time to make a change since I wanted to continue doing long range touring. So, last year I went back to the dark side and bought a Harley Davidson Tri-Glide Ultra. I couldn't take a chance breaking down in the middle of nowhere without the support of a dealer network. Maybe Polaris made a good business decision to distance themselves from the Victory brand but they shot themselves in the foot by not embracing potential Indian buyers just because they didn't want to repair and/or service Victory Motorcycles.
I was a Vic CR owner. We were all mislead (in more ways than one) and let down by PII when they killed Vic. I was so angry. It took a long time for me to consider them again...time, a change in management, and a vastly superior product (over HD): the Challenger. My Challenger has Vic DNA coursing thru its veins. Its motor was designed to be the Freedom 2.0 until...well, anyway...great video.
Proud owner of #048 Victory 10th Anniversary Vision and '13 Cross Country. So done with what Polaris did to it's owner base. I bought a REAL Indian to add to my stable. A Himalayan!
@@chasingredlineofficial I love my Cross Country, but the Vision would be the keeper. It's the best handling, most comfortable motorcycle I have ever owned. I bought it used a couple years ago.
As a life long two wheeler, I bought a used XR for a milestone birthday. 40K later and I still love this thing. Absolutely the best bike I have ever owned. As a 6'3", 280lb, dude with big monkey arms, there is no other bike that fits my frame like this one. Period. When it comes time to replace parts, I'll find them and work on it myself. Screw Polaris.
100% true, I have 2 Victory bikes, XC and Kingpin, love them to death, , the best bikes ever built and when time comes for new one it will be Indian not a Harley.
Appreciate the input! I hope Indian sticks around for a long time so we continue to benefit from both companies pushing each other to innovate. We all win when competition is in play. Are you planning to ride the Vic bikes into the dirt or are you already plotting what you want in the future?
What a great video, and it would be awesome to have a dealer that could service my victory octane! Love my bike and I will continue to ride it, but the thought is always there about future parts and service. Hopefully Polaris can re-embrace the Victory linup!
I picked up a used but immaculate 2010 Vegas 8 ball from my local Indian dealer and it is hands down the most reliable and incredibly smooth bike I have ever owned! But the downside is if anything catastrophic goes wrong with it then I’m shit out of luck as no one services then and I can’t work on it myself due to no parts existing.
You nailed it. Lucky for us, a few of the after market champions are providing some things. Hopefully they stick with it. Also, hopefully you go many years without any major issues!
I totally agree with your ideas, the comments and emotional sentiments shared. I own a 2013 CCT and a 2016 Vegas. I love my Victory's and I will ride them till the end. I'm on the west coast of Canada. When Polaris made the announcement I immediately started my parts inventory to ensure my Vic's go forever. I agree that Polaris really screwed up and what your proposing would go along way to help rebuild customer faith in Polaris brands. But, regardless I'll be riding my Victory's till I die. They're incredible machines, true collector bikes. In a perfect world Polaris would clearly see the value of your proposal and seize the opportunity. However, knowing it's not a perfect world I'm just going to keep riding my Vic's cause there's no machine that comes close. "NO RICE, NO PORK, JUST ALL BEEF!" that's Victory Motorcycles. Glenn, Victoria, BC, Canada
I have a 2011 Vision and travel all over the country with it. After 50,000 miles I suffered one breakdown and that was a rear flat tire. If you change the oil every 5,000 miles this bike will run forever. If I ever purchase another bike it will be a Vision. There are so many still out there with low miles and as far as parts go you will always find them.
Love your optimism and I hope you can always find parts! I've experienced similar reliability and will ride my CCT into the dirt. At least that is my current plan.
I'm One of those people a Life long Harley guy, and i was going to buy a Victory Boardwalk AND an Indian Vintage, and then Polaris pulled the plug on Victory and in doing so i backed out of the deal on Both Bikes and Went back to Harley-Davidson
Your sentiment is 100% spot on, here in Australia, Polaris pretty much walked away with no support what so ever for owners, I have been to several Indian dealerships to get my Ness Cross Country serviced only to be told I would have to source my own parts as they have no access to them, that is simply no viable for any owner. Whilst I will no part with the bike it is going to inevitable become a rather large garage ornament at some point, I will buy loads more bikes but none of them will be a Polaris product, I simply don’t trust them.
Thanks for sharing what you are seeing in Australia! Rough that you can't get parts worth a darn. Will the Vic website allow you to purchase and ship parts to your home there?
@@chasingredlineofficial sadly no, I purchase a few bits from Witchdoctors who are really trying to continue to support the brand, freight from the states is often more than the parts themselves regardless of the supplier, which in itself stings a bit but is not prohibitive, the issue can be little things like having to replace an air filter as part of a major service, I have to order one, wait about 2 weeks to get one, and the freight cost nearly as much as the filter, why can’t an Indian dealer stock an air filter, that’s the frustrating bit.
Man you are absolutely correct brother that's exactly what they should have did and you got to ask yourself how come they didn't think of this their marketing department socks.
Loved those huge engines on the Victory engines. Such a shame they have not survived. But if I am very enclined for my next bike to be an Indian. Their engines are the most beautiful on this planet.
I bought a 2006 Victory Hammer earlier this year for $3500. Stage 1 80whp and 103wtq. 12.6@101 in the quarter mile. I may swap the orange/tribal paint for the aggressive red. That would look amazing on my motorcycle
Thanks for sharing and just an add on your idea of incorporating the Victory name with the Indian actually is a sound and sensible idea. Ok both Indian and Victory are from the same stable and Victory was cut off way to early. If Polaris did recognise Victory it would also be bringing Victory riders back to the fold as you said.
Thanks for weighing in! At the end of the day, it is Polaris Motorcycles regardless of whether we slap the Indian or Victory name on them. So keeping the Victory customer engaged generates a larger Polaris community overall.
More reasons why i love HD. Been around for ever. good dealer support across the country. If your a long distance rider that means alot. Lets see how long Indian stays around this go around.
You are right. Being a distance guy myself, I absolutely value the network. I want to know I have a place to go if I need it when hundreds of miles from home.
@@chasingredlineofficial I dont know how true it is. But someone told me once. No matter where your at in the lower 48 states. Your no more then 2hours from a dealer.
@@BrandonMartin-ob5eu Side note, I have a video about Iron Butt if you wanna check it out and comment on what you think and how your experience compared.
I'm from S.E. Wisconsin one month ago I sold the best bike I ever owned a 2016 Havasu red cross country to a nice gentleman from the U.P. and I believe my hand was forced due to the way Indian dealerships view Victory riders. I could get oil changes from the Racine dealership, but anything more involved and they couldn't handle it. I bought a Lloyd's fuel management system they could never properly tune and the Muskego dealership wouldn't try. I finally found a Kenosha tuner to try. I won't be replacing that bike with a Indian because of how Polaris and Indian dealers handled Victory.
I recently picked up a 2000 '92 c I like it Chevrolet Ford parts Moto guzzi parts those are the front fork seals and a couple good friends that are Master Machinist so God forbid something happens I was impressed
Indian is the only brand I never see around. Not sure why you would want to close victory over Indian. Should have just sold indian off and continued to make victory
Ive owned a few Victory's, Indian's and Harley's over the years and at 1 point in 2020 I owned 8 motorcycles, 3 Victory, 3 Indian and 2 Harley's; however, in March of 2021, i put the 3 Indian & 3 Victory motorcycles for sale, i was done with them & while i did like the Victory's, the aftermarket had pretty much dried up by then for Victory and pretty much non existent for Indian so i ended up selling all 6 and kept my 2009 Harley Rocker C and my 2014 Harley Dyna Wide Glide. In September 2021 i wanted a touring bike and picked up a 2021 Street Glide, I did look at the 2021 Indian Challenger and Chieftain but i was turned off due to how plastic they felt, if was kinda like getting into any Toyota, very plastic feeling 7 i hate the Indian Smoke colours. While the Indian & Victory motorcycles are long gone, my Harley's are the ones for me. The 1 thing i like about Harley is no matter what bike you own from an 81" Evolution, to Twin Cam 88, 96, 103 and M8, you can still find parts for all of them if you happen to need, pretty much, if you can want it or dream it, Harley or one of the zillion aftermarket parts companies will have it. Harley's are generational bikes that get passed down whereas Indian and Victory are pretty much throwaway bikes. Sure, you pay the same price as a Harley, but you get a Indian, the Dealer service, dealer network and aftermarket doesnt even come close, i dont see myself every going back to Indian
Hey there, thanks for sharing! You nailed it on the network, OEM, and aftermarket support for Harley being vastly superior to anything Polaris has attempted thus far. While I poke fun at Harley in this video, my points regarding Polaris truly highlight what Harley is doing right. Some of it is the bikes themselves, but so much of it is everything built around them. The ecosystem, the support, the community. Polaris has a long way to go and if they want a prayer at getting there, they have to play the long game and not short term payoffs or cost savings. You are a prime example of having a LOT of experience with all three brands and you landed on Harley at the end of the day. Thanks for watching!
@@chasingredlineofficial Agreed, here the Harley Davidson dealer has something going on every weekend to keep the community alive. In the spring they have a season opener, free food, Free Beer (limit if 3) live band, vendors for supporting the riding community and they dont care what you drive. at the end of the season they have a season ender with free food, free beer (limit of 3) more venders, everything on sale. They even host a ride in the rockies a couple times a year and this year they even rented an old air strip and surrounding area and had dozens of venders, food trucks, aftermarket companies and hosted the 3 day party. Indian Motorcycle of XXXXXXX, they did nothing all year, not even host a demo day. I will never own an Indian while this shitty dealership has the rights to the brand. HOG hosts a group ride every weekend, Indian once a month The Harley involvement and community is so much better
Good video with many hours of hard work putting it together. If your ever looking to do a follow up video Im sure i could add A WHOLE LOT of content and prospective that I havnt seen published yet. The Victory name may not exist but it still lives and hasnt died, its just wearing a mask....
Hey Lloyd, thank you for that! I am absolutely looking to create more quality content for the Victory community and Indian community for that matter. I can't tell if this is THE Lloyd or not. If you are THE Lloyd Greer, first of all, you are a legend. Second of all, I'd appreciate your take. Let's connect.
Indian went out of Business in 1953. Now it's Just Polaris Industries be it called Victory or Indian .. For the Victory owners who bought a Harley .. Look at how HD spent $115 Million to shut down Buell in Jan 2009 and does not carry much of any parts for Buell now ..
You know, I actually made calls to local HD dealers about Buell specifically when brainstorming for this video and that is a great parallel. Not well supported either by dealers.
@@chasingredlineofficial There are like 3 HD Dealers in the USA who still try to carry some Buell parts .. One is HD of St Paul MN.. They tried to sell me an upgraded 3 bearing rear wheell for $1,124.00 then tried to sell me the axle and space kit separately for $160.00 .. They are supposed to be includes in the part Number they were using along with the 3 wheel bearings and two dust seals. I found an Obsolete warehouse that had 4 new 3 bearing wheels with the bearings and spacers for $735.00 shipping and sales tax I think cost me $830.00
@@chasingredlineofficial Also there are some aftermarket Buell suppliers.. one of them is in the Netherlands . Buell is back in Business in Grand Rapids MI and they will supply parts for the EBR's and the Halicon engine ..built in Austria by Rotax ..
I ride a Kawasaki Vulcan. I have a co worker that owns a Vegas. He hasn't ridden it about 3 years. Im considering making him an offer. I also just purchased a Polaris Indy 650 snowmobile . I wish they would heed your advice . I dont see myself bying anIndian anytime soon. Beautiful bikes but out of my tax bracket.
Hey there, welcome to the channel! I almost bought a Vulcan once upon a time. Great and affordable bikes that will eat miles. The Vegas would be a great bike if it is in good shape and you can get a decent deal on it. I think that is one of the benefits of Victory at this point in time. Great bikes with big v-twins but still at a price point where folks can afford them. When comparing to newer Indians and Harleys rolling off the show floor today, it is hard to justify the price jump. You might research a little ahead of time to see if there are any servicing dealers left in your area just in case you need them. You can do that on the Victory Website. Always nice to DIY but that safety net is also nice if you need it. Cheers!
I own a 03 Heritage Anniversary HD runs great but My next ride will be an Indian Springfield and would not even consider a HD because a bike belongs on the road riding not in the shop every 3 months. You should be hired by Indian PR department for your innovative thinking instead of these companies hiring degree's and bean counters. HD has become a part selling company and that is why I am done with them
Thanks Don. That Springfield is a killer bike. For Polaris/Indian, building a community should be high on the priority list. I do think they are starting to build that up around the Indian brand. They simply could have had a huge jumpstart if they had redirected a little investment into transitioning Victory owners into Indian owners more organically. That investment would have been smaller if done right off the bat. The dollars required to recover that community grows the longer they wait. Thanks for watching and commenting!
I've now got over 100k (s)miles on Victory Visions (2009 & 2013 Ness). Your points are good but I would say "not a Harley" is the overall context (broth if you will) whereas the content (simmering in the broth) for me is Fresh Design, Engineering Impeccability, etc. etc. Polaris really blew it with the "abortion" (word chosen on purpose) of an amazing product they were still birthing/developing (Victory). I wished I was at the table when the execs were pondering this. I would have yelled... "You've got to be kidding!" I do think your suggestion that Polaris should welcome back their Victory customers by (requiring?) their Indian Dealers to support Victory. Thanks for your attempt at a solution. Polaris needs to bring in thinkers like you (and me! ) and dialog this out.
Love it Jeff. Well said! I would en"Vision" (sorry had to do it) including Victory support as part of the dealer agreement. While I don't have visibility into the dealer contract, I imagine there is an article which covers brand protection clauses intended to protect the use of the Indian brand and maintain consistent look, feel, etc. to some extent. Supporting Victory would be part of that brand protection language and a commitment in order to participate in the dealer program. I would welcome the opportunity to explore options with Polaris and would also welcome folks like yourself to join me. :) I learned a long time ago not to complain without providing a solution. Thanks for watching!
This would be amazing. buuuut. it is clear Polaris doesnt care, based on how they dropped us (2015 victory gunner owner). I like Indian, and still have a distaste for Harley, but in my opinion I could never trust Polaris to not drop me (eventually) when they see it convenient. Harley is toxic and expensive, and I will hate myself for selling out, but if I ever leave my current location (the Harley dealership here is horrific, so much so that I went to a different island to buy my Victory, for the sole reason that this dealership wont touch them, and therefore I wont be tempted to go to them when I need service.) Based on my Polaris experience with Victory, I would probably still go Harley, for the sheer fact that there will always be parts, and they have more customization. I want to want Indian more, but idk what it would take to earn back trust. Yours is the best solution I have heard of.
Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts. Definitely showcases a few things that Harley is getting right in terms of parts, support, and dealer network. It would be interesting to see Indian take any step whatsoever to address the trust issue but they could also take the do nothing approach that they've taken thus far. I do like some of the things Indian is doing. The limited release Jack Daniels collaboration bikes are sick.
@@chasingredlineofficial i really want a challenger. mainly for the liquid cooled engine. i know the scout has one, but scouts arent as fun to ride as my gunner, although my gunner will burn my leg through my jeans if i stop for any real amount of time. the reviews i have seen make it seem like the challenger is balance much better than the road glide, but i wouldnt complain about one of those either.
@@chazcrouse5259 The Challenger is hard not to like. Some argue that the motor was originally intended to be the Victory Freedom 108. I can't confirm that but some are insistent that was the origin of the motor. With that said, I think getting into the liquid cooled game is an example of a bold move from Indian. But, those origins with the Scout even date back to project 156 with Victory which lead to both the Scout and Octane. All that to say, I like the Challenger. I do think it is one of the more inspiring baggers out there. And I agree that the feedback around it overall is that it rides really well. My two cents. If I was to pick up an Indian right this second, the Challenger would be it. I like the Challenger Elite a lot (that saphire blue smoke is amazing) but that bike is $$$.
I’ve long thought there’s nothing in the market anymore like victory, yet people mod their bikes to kinda look like what victory was doing. as an dude in the advertising industry, I gotta tell you this is one of the smartest strategies I’ve heard in a long time. they’d be fools to see this video and not immediately do it
Ya I was a Victory rider, I loved my Gunner picked it up new in 2015. I was mad when Victory shut down but when they sent the letter thanking me for my loyalty here is 1500 dollars off a new Indian I ditched Polaris all together. I started riding a Harley because it wasn't an Indian.
@@chasingredlineofficial I was looking at a Cross Country because I wanted something to tour on, so I went with a HD Ultra Limited. When I got the Gunner I was looking at the 15 Fat bob but the Gunner had more power, larger engine and was 4k less. Wish Polaris hadn't done the loyal riders dirty but they are definitely building a base with Indian, unfortunately they did push a lot of riders away.
Hope you get a ton of miles out of that HD. You have access to a massive dealer networks and all the aftermarket parts you can think of. Just have to pay that Harley tax if you want anything with an HD badge on it. :)
I owned several Victory bikes . After the end of Victory, what happened at the end is destined to happen again. I was looking for another bike recently and ended up with a Honda ST1300. Closest thing to a sportier Vision which I loved. Indian never. I hold a grudge how things ended up. Though the anger and hatred has dwindled. There is always an internal reminder. They kicks in.
I'm hoping that Polaris doesn't end up in the same place with Indian simply to keep some competition in the US market. That Honda ST1300 would be a sweet ride though so hope you are rocking the miles on that thing. Thanks for watching!
I have owned HD Fat Boy , Big Dog Mastiff, Screaming Eagle VRod and a Victory Hammer S. I'm can say without a doubt the Hammer S was the best one of a very expensive collection of bikes. It was less expensive to buy and owne, it was the most comfortable and got more attention than anything I have owned. The Mastiff was the most fun to play with but it was punishing to ride. The VRod was scary fast but spent more time in the shop than on the road. My Fat body was a wonderful bike. But like all HD it was also a money pit. I put 78 thousand miles on my Hammer between 08 and 2012 and nothing ever went wrong with it. I am looking for a 08 maroon Hammer so if you have one and want to let it go please contact me.
I'll say the quite part out loud: Comparing the 2025 Scout Bobber to the 2007 Victory Vegas, I'd keep the 2007 Victory any day of the week! The only thing that's better about the Indian Scout is the power plant. And if they put that power plant on the 2007 Vegas platform then you'd have a perfect bike, in my humble opinion! The biggest downfall to the Victory brand in general wasn't the brand itself, but aftermarket parts. The Victory name alone, at the time, wasn't enough to inspire aftermarket companies to design and produce high end products. The Indian name, on the other hand, instantly jumped that hurdle! But I'm not pissed that Victory is gone, and you shouldn't be either! Most Victory owners are riding are rare and incredible motorcycle, that won't be copied! ;)
Thanks for sharing your take! Aftermarket is a good point related to Victory. While there were some, there was just never the overwhelming support compared to some other brands. Safe riding!
I ride m'y 2022 Indian roadmaster dark horse with m'y Victory cut, and I am about to buy another Victory this year because I really miss m'y 2013 Victory judge 👍👍👍👍
@@chasingredlineofficial we love it. And all of my HD bros confess that it is objectively superior in virtually every way to their bikes... But it's just not a Harley so it will never do for them.
I have a Harley an 06 Dyna Wide Glide and love it so no complaints from me. I was at one time thinking of a second bike and would have been a Victory. Never talked to an unhappy Victory owner and liked the styling. Indian has just never thrilled me.
Glad you like your Harley! I tease them a bit in this video but it is all in good fun. Two wheels are two wheels, ya know? We all appreciate bold steps by motorcycle vendors even if they don't pan out. Victory took bold steps in the styling department. Thanks for watching!
While your suggestion is a good one and makes sense, I do not see Polaris doing this. The failure of Victory was due to faulty marketing and support services. They burned a loyal customer base and the resentment runs deep. They could provide parts for the next 20-30 years if they wanted to, but they don't want to. They are banking on us getting frustrated and paying a ridiculous price to purchase a new Indian. Unless they change that attitude I am very unlikely to do so.
Good thoughts Vincent. Your comments showcase exactly what Polaris is losing because of the way they've handled Victory. Thanks as always.
Ridiculous price? 🙄
After Polaris pulled the rug out from under their 100% Loyal Customers they can shove their fake “indian” badged junk straight up their collective sewer pipe.
The failure of Victory was two fold: First, Victory sold between 125 and 135K bikes TOTAL in it's 18 years of existence; Second, of those bikes that were sold, there were only 45K unique purchasers of Victory from the dealer, meaning people kept buying Victory's over time, but they weren't attracting new customers. High customer acquisition cost and generally low sales volume, coupled with large R&D dollars spent on models (can anyone say Vision?) didn't make the brand profitable as an ongoing concern. It's easy to blame Marketing and support, but it's a spurious argument at best. How else do you explain Indians success with essentially the same marketing/support operation and fewer dealers? FWIW, I currently own a Victory XC, an Indian Roadmaster and an Indian Challenger.
@@oldylr41 own a 15 XCT, love it but refuse to buy an Indian ...I'll go BMW first !!!
I'm just going to put it out there. I was all over the scout bobber. The style, and iconic indian branding was all it took to convince me it was the bike for me. Then I saw the vegas 8 ball.....the heavens split open, angels sung and I wept. Long story short, I bought a 2014 8 ball with 3500 miles on it this year and have never looked back. Victory motorcycles are by far the best bikes I've ever rode.
Ha! Love it! Hope you have many long rides, serenaded by the sound of angels, and cushioned by the heavenly clouds of fully Polaris supported suspension. Thanks for the comment bud. Got a kick out of this one.
how is it to get parts for ?
I've just bought a 2013 Hammer 8 Ball with 3000 km a month ago. By far the best bike I've ever rode. Amazing build quality and design
@@jcsquared1111 plenty of original and OEM parts available.
I became a owner of a 2013 Vegas 8Ball this past summer. The former original owner only put 800 miles on it. And I love it!! I was always impressed by Victory style since they first came out.
I agree with your video and statements regarding what Polaris could do with trying to embrace Victory owners. Thanks for trying to plant the " seed "
For sure! Thanks for watching and congrats on your Vegas! 800 miles is nothing! You basically have a new bike on your hands!
Howdy. I've been riding since 1963. I've owned a lot of Harleys in my life, and still own two. One of them I've had for 45 years.
I bought a 2003 Victory V92C Deluxe through the custom order program the first year Victory offered it. Ordered the bike in September of 2002, took delivery in March of 2003. I still have it. It has 70,000 miles on it. It's the bike my wife and I use for long trips. I love that bike. I went to work for my local Victory dealer in 2004. Worked there until 2017. When they dropped Victory, I was done. I was at retirement age anyway, so I just went ahead and retired. I'll probably never sell my Vic, but I wouldn't have an Indian for love nor money. I have no doubt in my mind that as soon as Indian sales start to fall off, Polaris will drop Indian like a hot potato. I can still get parts for my two "antique" Harleys, so if my Vic ever dies, I'll just go back to riding them for long trips. Polaris can kiss my tired old ass.
Thank you for sharing Tom! I haven't had the opportunity to jump on a V92C yet but hope to at some point. You were there when it all started. You nailed it on the Indian concern. Hope you get many more miles out of your Vic. And your Harleys for that matter.
Its kinda funny the first thing i heard, when they introduced the challenger, from a tech at indian, is that its roots are from victory, they still embrace victory, just not in a promotional way.
Yeah, I had heard similar things. The Challenger could have easily had a Victory badge if things were different. But I have no way to confirm it. Your tech is probably the best source. With all the Victory spirit ingested into Indian bikes, bringing the riders along makes a ton of sense. Support a Victory bike just as you would previous Indian models. Thanks for the comment!
100% correct I loved my vision. Just lost it Thursday in a traffic accident. I will be buying another vision. I work at Harley also and have a deluxe as a back up bike for when the Vic is getting serviced. The vision was faithful and never gave me issues.
Oh man, hope you are ok from that accident first of all. Second, glad you liked your Vision enough to consider getting another one. I hope you don't have trouble finding one. Good luck to you!
I bought a 2004 Kingpin new in 2004. It is by far the best motorcycle I have ever owned. It just keeps going. Nothing breaks. That said, I agree whole heartedly with your thoughts on Polaris. I feel abandoned. As of now, I will never buy another Polaris product. If they took the approach you suggested, I might reconsider. Thanks for the video. You have my support.
Thanks for watching and for the comment! We will see if anything happens but the support in the comments is humbling and supports the case for lost revenue opportunity.
Great video. I also can’t help but feel for all the Victory dealerships who were left high and dry. One local dealer told me that if they wanted to carry Indian they had to pay the same as anyone else (no restitution or special treatment after losing the Victory line). Ride on!
Thanks! You bring up a great point! The customers weren't the only ones impacted. The dealers were left with an inventory to deal with and lack of continuity with Polaris. Great perspective to add! Thank you!
Kudos shout out to my local Indian dealer, Action Motor Sports in Mandan, ND, that continues to fully support Victory riders with their parts and service needs.
Totally! Have to celebrate those dealers that are stepping up! Good work Action Motor Sports if you read this! Thanks for the comment Al.
Love my 2015 Cross Country. I have 40k+ miles of memories. Riding it till I retire it. I just picked up a 2020 scout bobber. It’s such a blast! I agree with this video 💯. Im sticking with Polaris bikes over Harley because I feel the reliability is there and the fact that I don’t need 3 different oils for oil changes.
Thanks for watching and the comment! Hope you get many great years out of your Scout! I think the quality is there for Indian. The lessons learned through Victory absolutely helped to make Indian what it is today. If they pair that with moves like this to show that they are committed to the customer and not just the sale, that would make them a powerful force. Thanks again!
I still own a 2004 Victory Vegas that I bought new. It is still beautiful and runs great. I can't take it on the long rides anymore because of the risk of having a problem and not having any support to get it fixed. After the way Polaris did to it's watercraft customers and then to us loyal Victory customers I was unable to buy an Indian even though I like what they have done with them very much. They are just untrustworthy in my mind. So I bought a Moto Guzzi V85TT and am loving it. Moto Guzzi might seem to some like a bit of a gamble, but they have been around for a very long time and have been true to their customer's expectations. The hurt Polaris did to their reputation runs very deep. To put it bluntly, they were stupid!
Thanks for sharing! I always wanted a Vegas and probably would have bought one eventually if things had been different. Beautiful bike! Your choice to go with something other than Indian is a clear example of the point I'm trying to make here. So thanks for the supporting comment! Hope you enjoy the heck out of that Moto Guzzi!
I own 2 Indians and a Victory. Couldn't agree more. Love them all.
Quite the collection! Thanks for watching.
Well Done Video! I had the same thoughts myself, thank you for putting this on TH-cam for all to see. I Really hope it gets back to Polaris. Polaris would benefit greatly by supporting Victory owners now ,who like you said very likely would become future Indian Riders 😎
Thank you sir! If nothing else, I hope it reaches them and prompts a conversation. I think Victory owners would rally around Indian and it isn't too late to turn it around.
As a former Victory owner, I will NEVER buy a Polaris bike. Not willing to be stuck with a bike with no value again. If Indian does not hit sale they want, it will be gone too. They did it to their jetski owners and victory owners so why trust them. Why do you think they never post sales numbers?
Yes!
- Victory Kingpin, Vero Beach, FL
IMO...this video is spot on! I purchased a 2006 Victory Hammer in Jan of '06 (coming from the sportbike world, because I couldn't seem to keep out of trouble with the law). I've been ecstatic with it ever since and honestly it really was for the 4 reasons they state in the video! I talked at least 4 friends into buying a Victory and they have been loyal and happy as well. I DO wish Polaris would step up and give the support "Chasing Redline" is suggesting. However, I think it's probably too late to come through. Anyhow, I will continue to ride my Hammer for how long, IDK, but this bike continues to get attention and keeps me smiling along the way.
I'm glad you love your Hammer and thanks for watching! Safe riding!
I own and love my 2011 Victory Vision! Wouldn't trade it for nothing! Owned it for about 3 yrs now. And went completely mad scientist had it completely rebuilt from the ground up. Built engine, trans, sound system and more. This Harley Killa is ready with only around 5k on the miles. 😊
Love my 2013 Cross Country! Still running very very strong!
Same year as mine! Hope she keeps going!
You do make a great point and I back this idea. The large issue is one thing that Polaris can't get out of this.....$$$. The people that designed and built these fantastic bikes are not in charge of the purse strings at Polaris unfortunately.
Excellent ideas! Victory Cross Roads forever! 13 states last year😊
That is awesome!
So now here is the question with Victory bikes hitting crazy low pricing as the motorcycle market starts to reel back what are the thoughts on grabbing one? I have seen some Vegas models as low as $2800 and several in the $3500 range what are the thoughts on getting one in this price range or with the issues of service and parts just leave it and stick with another brand.
Hello there. It all comes down to risk vs reward. Here is my personal take. Once you hit a certain price point, the caliber of bike you are getting starts to far outweigh the risk of losing your investment if something catastrophic was to happen.
Victory bikes are known to be reliable but things do happen. With that said, there are a few things I would do if I wanted to put myself in the best position to have longevity out of the killer deal found on a new Vegas for instance. First, I would do a full inspection as I would for any bike and make sure the bike was well cared for. Second, I would really think twice before purchasing one that had a lot of aftermarket work done. While cams and fuel controllers can improve performance, they can also add additional points of failure and complexity when attempting to perform a repair. So personally, I am choosing to remain largely stock outside of the additions I already made early (factory stage 1). This simplifies the system and reduces risk of additional issues.
After considering those things, it really comes down to what price is low enough for you to feel comfortable parting out or scrapping the bike if something really bad happened. Run that against the pretty darn good track record and my guess is if you get 5-10 years out of a $3k Vic, that is a killer investment for 100 or 106cc head turning machine.
Best of luck! Let us know where you land on the topic!
Real shame Victory tanked. Even here in Australia like Indian they were cheaper than HD and Victory did still have a good range as well as a good name.
My thoughts exactly! The number 1 reson why I will not but Indian is the way they are treating people that has a Victory
Thank you for watching and your comment!
VICTORY VISIONS are so, so great looking in my opinion! I hope Jay Leno gets one and keeps it running forever.
Ha! I don't think I've seen Jay do any episodes on Victory bikes. But I'd love to see him do one.
I agree with you, and also believe Polaris could have easily made a Victory line from Indian and it would have been a financial and marketing "Victory" for bike owners and Polaris. Instead, they showed themselves to be only concerned with short term financial goals.
Would have been a heck of an opportunity to just roll the Vic's into an Indian badge and support them under the same umbrella.
Fully agree! Running both brands side by side could not have been so hard for the engineers designing the new Indians have been the Victory engineers. But when quarterly financials rule the company, the strategic business view is obviously pretty short. That's what will not change with Polaris, and that's why I'll never buy an Indian - I don't need that sort of ...-kick a second time. Greetings from Berlin, Germany - a 2011 Victory Vegas 8-Ball owner
@@juergenrausch7991 Welcome! Thanks for joining us from Germany! Do you see many Victory bikes around Berlin?
I disagree. I am a former Victory rider who now rides an Indian. The area rep for Indian came to our IMRG meeting a short time after the decision was announce. She was a Victory engineer and HATED seeing Victory go under. She also said Polaris was fully supporting both brands but looking for a way to keep growing Indian. An outside consulting firm was brough in. They are the ones who forced Polaris leadership to face the fact that Victory lost money in four of the previous five years. Very few if anyone at Polaris WANTED to get rid of Victory. They HAD to; the money just wasn't there. You may not LIKE it but business are in business to make money; if they don't make money they will go out of business.
3:30 this is exactly my check list when i was moving from a sport bike to a cruiser. I have a 2015 Highball and riding it into the ground. Solid design and solid engine. I can buy Vics for the rest of my life from used inventory out there and find parts from used bikes out there.
I will admit though, Indian has the better bagger in the Chieftain vs the HD Street glide. I would go Indian for that bagger.
You are absolutely correct in all your statements...I am so pissed I won't ever buy a Polaris product ever again. I switched to Harley-Davidson
This is the video that I've been waiting on from you. It deserves so many more views and you deserve more subscribers. Good job guy.
I'm glad you found that it hit the mark! Appreciate the kind words. I'm looking to improve the quality of content on the channel over time.
Polaris pulled the plug just a hair to early. Victory’s we’re just starting to show up at events with Harley’s. And it was starting to be all good. We were so close to having 2 American brand motorcycles worth buying. Indian will never be anything close to Harley. Everyone knows there just a name companies use to try to sell bikes. No soul in Indian motorcycles. Big companies will never get that.
They could produce Victory parts indefinitely, and they should !!!!
I know right?!?! :)
Excellent video. I owned an "orphan" motorcycle brand in the past, and there are issues. When the time came that I was searching for a Cruiser, I really really liked the Victory Boardwalk. Just as was ready to make the purchase - BANG - Polaris made there announcement. Two weeks later, don't hate me, I bought a Harley Road King. No more orphans!
Ha, no hate here man! Perfect example of how stability and longevity of support matters! I might feel a bit different if Polaris had gotten out of the motorcycle market entirely. But they didn't. Orphaned Victory hurts the Indian brand. Hope you love your Road Glide! I tease Harley here but it is all in good fun. The dealer network alone for HD is a strong argument to stick with them.
All of Victory's R&D went into Indian. I agree with several other commentors below, Polaris could have rebadged several other bikes with Indian badges and kept the line going. That is what happened to the Octane when it became the Scout. My Vision would outrun just about any stock HD.
Curious if you've done any performance mods to that Vision? Thanks for watching!
@@chasingredlineofficial no, my bike was pure.
Everything you said is spot on. Unfortunately I think the board at Polaris is only concerned with the return on investment in the Indian brand. Most likely the attitude is that they turned the page on Victory and it’s time to stop looking backwards.
Thanks for the input. I think you are right. But, I think if they do indeed have that mindset, it is from a commitment to short term payoff rather than long term success. Losing money isn't sustainable, but the motorcycle industry is a long game. I think it is possible to payoff for shareholders long term especially coming off a 2021 year of record growth per the investor relations page. Thanks for watching!
Hang in there the polaris board are not getting Christmas bonus sales are down bad and price don’t justify what your getting greedy board members heads will roll
Agree 100%. Keep up the good Victory work!
Thanks, will do!
As a die hard Polaris fan and a new Victory owner I cant agree more, perfectly said. I have already been eyeing up the Indian line and making a plan for my next bike when the time comes. And yes the reason I chose a Victory is because it wasn't a Harley.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and congrats on becoming a Victory owner!
Love my Vision and love supporting the builders like Rylan Vos, Scott K and Lloyd Greer... But without a move like you suggest, it would be very hard to consider another Polaris bike and I'll be heading towards a Goldwing or HD dresser. Excellent video.
Absolutely! We have to rally around those guys that are titans in the Victory space. They are walking the walk. I actually just sent someone Rylan's way. I've never met him but enjoy the videos and what he is doing to scale his ability to support the community via his website. Lloyd is the man. Scott's outfit is a great spot as well. I'm noticing quite a few are going Goldwing! My old man had a Goldwing for almost 20 years so I have a lot of fond memories riding next to one. Thanks again!
Yes!
-Victory Kingpin. Sacramento, CA
08 Vision. 2nd owner. Love it. You are talking sense. The money people dont see past 3 years.
Glad you love your bike! Thanks for the support!
I have to say as a long time Polaris owner and current Indian owner I think this video is spot on! I had hoped years ago to get a Victory but was to late in my attempts to get the bike I wanted, but found a close 2nd in the Indian I have now. And yes IT IS NOT A HARLEY!
Great video and Great suggestions! 👍 I ride my Indian and know that without Victory there would be no Indian. My say on Victory was that its a great bike! Way ahead of the times (at that time) bigger engine than th HD and cooler looking too! As some said that Victory couldn't compete with HD for the American title as Indian has. I do to this day like looking at those Victorys! And wouldn't mind having one. Besides I always hear of old HDs needing work, I never hear of a Victory needing some. Hasta luego!
Thanks for the comment and for watching. The perspective from a current Indian rider is great to have here. Cheers to seeing Victory bikes on the road for years to come.
I'm a Victory crossroads rider who wears Indian Tshirts and apparel. Here in Sweden, the Victory owners club is Victory and Indian owners club. If only Polaris would do this, you suggested. That would be awesome. Cheers
Thanks for watching and safe riding! Awesome that the club is combined in Sweden!
I had a 2014' Victory XC, might be my most favorite bike I owned in my lifetime of 50+ motorcycles I've had! After they shut down I needed a right brake lever in black, I had to search high and low to find one, finally did and paid double the normal cost for it, the seller said he paid way above retail to get it. Then I saw that starters were hard to come by, got an email from a vendor that had found 4 of them at $400 each. Parts retailers were hoarding any Victory parts they could find to make a big profit at the expense of regular Victory owners. That for me was the writing on the wall, I was going to have to think long and hard about my favorite bike. Along this time I ran across a Harley that was being sold way below what it was worth as the owner had a financial crisis. I sold my Victory, I couldn't even watch as the new owner drove away, broke my heart! I've never really fallen in love with my Road Glide, as much as I've tried to make it into my bike. Right now if I went into the garage to start it, it wouldn't, as it has a small electrical draw myself or any dealer can find? What will be my next full tourer? Probably a Gold Wing. I really like the looks and reviews of the Pursuit, but I've been screwed once by Polaris, never again!
Thanks for sharing your experience! I recently picked up the last performance air filter (Victory discontinued them long ago) from my local dealer. The one they deployed with the original stage 1. I'm right there with you and love my XC. The idea of getting rid of it this early (2013) is a sad thing to think about. The Pursuit looks like a great option but Polaris needs to double down on support commitments to influence more to drop that kind of cash. Your Harley has an extensive support network so that is one thing you don't have to worry about. However, that starting issue has to get sorted out. But, at least you have a place to take it! Thanks again!
Well said. Only difference is I love my road glide.
I test rode the first year Victory Cross Roads in 2010.
After my test ride i was told of the Cross Country (outlr dealership did not have one on site), but i still put a down payment on one! I sold my 2010, with 35,000 mile on it in 2016 and bought a new Cross Country Tour right before the company dissolved.
Still a GREAT BIKE! My wife traded her 2010 Vegas for a 2016 Cross Country the same month!
We aren't sure what to do next, but they are still running smooth!
Im headed to Sturgis on Tuesday with mine, the wife is choosing not to go this time, although she has ridden her own 13 times!!!
I would buy another one in an instant!!
Ride safe, everyone!
Be safe this week and have a great time!
I ride a Victory because of the performance.
I think there should be a Victory performance division of Indian.
Same as screamin eagle for Harley.
Use it to build over the top FAST motorcycles that most Victory riders are looking for.
This is a way the Victory brand can live on.
Great idea! Victory performance parts, custom fit for Indian Motorcycles and dealer/warranty supported.
I agree. Pretty sure the Victory 106 has more potential than the Thunderstrokes. Indian should have a Victory line.
This is the Vp of service for Polaris. Bridget McLennan, the VP of Service, 30 years at Polaris. Perhaps if we can find a email for her we can drop a link to this Video in it and ask her if she will just read the comments and watch the video. I am not worried about parts availability myself i will just retrofit with aftermarket and some salvage Vic parts from Ebay ! I understand not everyone is a old motorcycle technician like I ,so that makes your suggestions way more realistic . Your basic wear items at the least controls cables etc... Nice video valid points and issues with solutions!
Thanks for watching and for the input! Your ability to support your own bike definitely puts you in a great position to keep it running for years to come. I haven't heard any feedback from Polaris but I do hope the video made it to them and, if nothing else, caused them to reconsider how they support their Victory customers long term.
I’m new to victory. Just got a Boardwalk and I’m in love. I wanna fill up my garage with victory’s at this point. If I could fit an FTR in there as well… seems like you really hit at the core of Polaris with this video. Well done.
Thank you sir and congrats on your Boardwalk! I remember when the Boardwalk came out and I loved the look.
Want to buy a 2011 Kingpin? About $5000 in xtras
You may not know or have forgotten that this is the third time Polaris has pulled this stunt on their dealers and their customers. First was the POLARIS STAR CAR, then the Polaris Jet ski, and finally Victory. in each case, Polaris failed to support the units in the customer's hands through parts and dealer knowledge. That's not a track record I will support by buying an Indian!
Thank you for the context! More reason for Indian to step up and change the narrative. Commit to Victory owners and support them just as you would/should previous Indian model years. Polaris wants to be in the motorcycle market, has the dealer market, and could make this happen if those chose to. Starting there might help break the track record!
Being a new Victory rider this year, in March I picked up a 2013 High Ball that always caught my eye, whether it was on the road or window shopping on the interweb. Coming off a sports bike I wanted to experience something new something different. The High Ball didn't just do that for me it expanded it! Knowing that the market for Vics is very slim the Victory community is huge! Don't get me wrong Harleys are awesome but it looks all the same to me. After riding a High Ball I'd love to upgrade to a Habanero Orange Magnum. The torque the feel the bullet proof 106 when you open it up is just like music that plays on repeat and never get tired of. This video just got my like and sub! Thank you for the content and I support this!!!
Thank you for that! I always liked the High Ball. Congrats on owning an awesomesauce bike! The community around Victory is great and very supportive of one another. In some ways, we have to be. I hope you can find that Habanero Orange Magnum of your dreams!
Spot on assessment and spot on hope for the future. Hope isn't a plan, of course, but it's something. I'm pretty sure poor marketing had a lot to do with the failure of the brand. Here's a little free business advice to Indian: "Victian." It's part of a new line of Indian motorcycles. It has a new 106 CI engine that people are going to/already love. You're welcome.
Great video! I'm sharing it for sure. I hope they hear us!!
Thanks Steve! I appreciate that!
2000 Sport Cruiser , all machine work , stage 4 , 112 hp , 118 torque , on the dyno , like riding on rails in the corners , foot pegs raised 1 inch , moved 2 inches forward , dragging the pegs in the corners , it handles
Love it! Bad bike on the roadways! Should film yourself a walkaround of that thing and post it for the world to enjoy.
I agree one hundred percent of what you said. Indian also needs to release a victory magnum. And a indian octane victory with there lineup. Surprise all of us out of nowhere. It would be a great benefit to the company and brand
Yeah, I haven't seen them do anything yet that captures that "custom bagger" look that the magnum did. Tricked out paint jobs, slammed in the back, massive wheel in the front... Would be interesting to see that kind of approach from them even with their newer models. Simply a "factory custom paint" program could be cool too. Thanks for watching!
I'd be one of them as well. Love the victory, love indian, to choose a victory over indian comes down to finding the best deal. I loved my high ball, and would totally get another. Love the chief.
Thanks for tuning in! I always thought the Highball was a great looking bike. A lot of talk lately about the Sport Chief and I have to say I do like what they have done with it.
It's hard not to agree, and I totally do agree.
Thanks for watching Robert! Appreciate the support!
Fell in love with my buddy's Vegas when he bought one. Still thanking God that I didn't go that route myself.
It was a hell of a bike but I understand completely.
I owned a 2004 Touring Cruiser Classic which I purchased new. Prior to that I owned a Harley Davidson Wide Glide which I also bought new. My Vic served me well for 20 years but after Polaris discontinued the Victory brand none of the former Victory Dealers (now Indian Dealers) would do any repair or service work, including routine oil changes. I realized it was time to make a change since I wanted to continue doing long range touring. So, last year I went back to the dark side and bought a Harley Davidson Tri-Glide Ultra. I couldn't take a chance breaking down in the middle of nowhere without the support of a dealer network. Maybe Polaris made a good business decision to distance themselves from the Victory brand but they shot themselves in the foot by not embracing potential Indian buyers just because they didn't want to repair and/or service Victory Motorcycles.
Well said. Thanks for watching and safe riding!
I was a Vic CR owner. We were all mislead (in more ways than one) and let down by PII when they killed Vic. I was so angry. It took a long time for me to consider them again...time, a change in management, and a vastly superior product (over HD): the Challenger. My Challenger has Vic DNA coursing thru its veins. Its motor was designed to be the Freedom 2.0 until...well, anyway...great video.
Thank you for the comment. Glad you are having success with the Challenger and I agree that the bike screams Victory lineage.
Proud owner of #048 Victory 10th Anniversary Vision and '13 Cross Country. So done with what Polaris did to it's owner base. I bought a REAL Indian to add to my stable. A Himalayan!
Dude! A Vision AND Cross Country. So I have to ask, if you could only keep one of the two, which would you keep and why? Vision or Cross Country?
@@chasingredlineofficial I love my Cross Country, but the Vision would be the keeper. It's the best handling, most comfortable motorcycle I have ever owned. I bought it used a couple years ago.
I love Victoy,I own a 08 Vegas Low,a13 Victoy Vision Tour.
Great combination!
As a life long two wheeler, I bought a used XR for a milestone birthday. 40K later and I still love this thing. Absolutely the best bike I have ever owned. As a 6'3", 280lb, dude with big monkey arms, there is no other bike that fits my frame like this one. Period. When it comes time to replace parts, I'll find them and work on it myself. Screw Polaris.
100% true, I have 2 Victory bikes, XC and Kingpin, love them to death, , the best bikes ever built and when time comes for new one it will be Indian not a Harley.
Appreciate the input! I hope Indian sticks around for a long time so we continue to benefit from both companies pushing each other to innovate. We all win when competition is in play. Are you planning to ride the Vic bikes into the dirt or are you already plotting what you want in the future?
here, here. very astute and sensible advice. thank you
Much appreciated. Thank you for watching!
What a great video, and it would be awesome to have a dealer that could service my victory octane! Love my bike and I will continue to ride it, but the thought is always there about future parts and service.
Hopefully Polaris can re-embrace the Victory linup!
I was fascinated with the Octane from the word go. Love the design, the inspiration, that motor. Hope you get many years out of it!
I picked up a used but immaculate 2010 Vegas 8 ball from my local Indian dealer and it is hands down the most reliable and incredibly smooth bike I have ever owned! But the downside is if anything catastrophic goes wrong with it then I’m shit out of luck as no one services then and I can’t work on it myself due to no parts existing.
You nailed it. Lucky for us, a few of the after market champions are providing some things. Hopefully they stick with it. Also, hopefully you go many years without any major issues!
@@chasingredlineofficial I have no doubts my friend that our bikes will outlast any in the roads!
I totally agree with your ideas, the comments and emotional sentiments shared. I own a 2013 CCT and a 2016 Vegas. I love my Victory's and I will ride them till the end. I'm on the west coast of Canada. When Polaris made the announcement I immediately started my parts inventory to ensure my Vic's go forever. I agree that Polaris really screwed up and what your proposing would go along way to help rebuild customer faith in Polaris brands. But, regardless I'll be riding my Victory's till I die. They're incredible machines, true collector bikes. In a perfect world Polaris would clearly see the value of your proposal and seize the opportunity. However, knowing it's not a perfect world I'm just going to keep riding my Vic's cause there's no machine that comes close. "NO RICE, NO PORK, JUST ALL BEEF!" that's Victory Motorcycles. Glenn, Victoria, BC, Canada
Thanks for the comment. Love my 2013 CCT as well! I don't have 16 Vegas though so now you have me jealous. :)
I have a 2011 Vision and travel all over the country with it. After 50,000 miles I suffered one breakdown and that was a rear flat tire. If you change the oil every 5,000 miles this bike will run forever. If I ever purchase another bike it will be a Vision. There are so many still out there with low miles and as far as parts go you will always find them.
Love your optimism and I hope you can always find parts! I've experienced similar reliability and will ride my CCT into the dirt. At least that is my current plan.
I'm One of those people a Life long Harley guy, and i was going to buy a Victory Boardwalk AND an Indian Vintage, and then Polaris pulled the plug on Victory and in doing so i backed out of the deal on Both Bikes and Went back to Harley-Davidson
I remember really liking the boardwalk. Can't blame you for backing out on them. Definitely makes you rethink things.
They are becoming collectable however,the volume is. Not over!😉😉
Thanks for watching!
Your sentiment is 100% spot on, here in Australia, Polaris pretty much walked away with no support what so ever for owners, I have been to several Indian dealerships to get my Ness Cross Country serviced only to be told I would have to source my own parts as they have no access to them, that is simply no viable for any owner. Whilst I will no part with the bike it is going to inevitable become a rather large garage ornament at some point, I will buy loads more bikes but none of them will be a Polaris product, I simply don’t trust them.
Thanks for sharing what you are seeing in Australia! Rough that you can't get parts worth a darn. Will the Vic website allow you to purchase and ship parts to your home there?
@@chasingredlineofficial sadly no, I purchase a few bits from Witchdoctors who are really trying to continue to support the brand, freight from the states is often more than the parts themselves regardless of the supplier, which in itself stings a bit but is not prohibitive, the issue can be little things like having to replace an air filter as part of a major service, I have to order one, wait about 2 weeks to get one, and the freight cost nearly as much as the filter, why can’t an Indian dealer stock an air filter, that’s the frustrating bit.
Yeah I agree. Expensive shipping is at least better than the parts being unavailable.
I liked the victory just couldn't get financed for one but Harley did finance me. Looking for a used one to play with.
Hope you find one. I have seen that Harley dealers will go above and beyond to assist with financing.
Man you are absolutely correct brother that's exactly what they should have did and you got to ask yourself how come they didn't think of this their marketing department socks.
It's not too late! They can set things right. Regain many who were lost. Not all, but many. Still opportunity there. Thanks for viewing!
Loved those huge engines on the Victory engines. Such a shame they have not survived.
But if I am very enclined for my next bike to be an Indian. Their engines are the most beautiful on this planet.
Hey there. Which Indian engine is your favorite? The Powerplus platform or the Thunderstroke platform?
@@chasingredlineofficial Yep that's the one.
@@chasingredlineofficial sorry I was half asleep
The Thunderstroke.
@@xchalibur77 Roger that! I keep wondering if they will lean one direction or the other long term. Or, if they will continue both lines.
That Vegas is a sweet looking bike!
For sure man! Definitely turns heads! Thanks for watching!
I bought a 2006 Victory Hammer earlier this year for $3500. Stage 1 80whp and 103wtq. 12.6@101 in the quarter mile. I may swap the orange/tribal paint for the aggressive red. That would look amazing on my motorcycle
Heck of a bike for $3,500! If you redo the paint, you should share some photos with us all!
Thanks for sharing and just an add on your idea of incorporating the Victory name with the Indian actually is a sound and sensible idea. Ok both Indian and Victory are from the same stable and Victory was cut off way to early. If Polaris did recognise Victory it would also be bringing Victory riders back to the fold as you said.
Thanks for weighing in! At the end of the day, it is Polaris Motorcycles regardless of whether we slap the Indian or Victory name on them. So keeping the Victory customer engaged generates a larger Polaris community overall.
More reasons why i love HD. Been around for ever. good dealer support across the country. If your a long distance rider that means alot. Lets see how long Indian stays around this go around.
You are right. Being a distance guy myself, I absolutely value the network. I want to know I have a place to go if I need it when hundreds of miles from home.
@@chasingredlineofficial I dont know how true it is. But someone told me once. No matter where your at in the lower 48 states. Your no more then 2hours from a dealer.
@@chasingredlineofficial also im usually 1,000s from home. Doing some short of iron butt shit lol
@@BrandonMartin-ob5eu I get ya. What IBs do ya have? I'm at saddle sore, bun burner, and border to border so far.
@@BrandonMartin-ob5eu Side note, I have a video about Iron Butt if you wanna check it out and comment on what you think and how your experience compared.
I'm from S.E. Wisconsin one month ago I sold the best bike I ever owned a 2016 Havasu red cross country to a nice gentleman from the U.P. and I believe my hand was forced due to the way Indian dealerships view Victory riders. I could get oil changes from the Racine dealership, but anything more involved and they couldn't handle it. I bought a Lloyd's fuel management system they could never properly tune and the Muskego dealership wouldn't try. I finally found a Kenosha tuner to try. I won't be replacing that bike with a Indian because of how Polaris and Indian dealers handled Victory.
I've opted to stay mostly stock for those reasons. Performing additional customization to anything drive train brings a bit of risk.
I recently picked up a 2000 '92 c I like it Chevrolet Ford parts Moto guzzi parts those are the front fork seals and a couple good friends that are Master Machinist so God forbid something happens I was impressed
Congrats on the new purchase! I hope you get many years and safe miles out of it. Thanks for watching.
Indian is the only brand I never see around. Not sure why you would want to close victory over Indian. Should have just sold indian off and continued to make victory
Ive owned a few Victory's, Indian's and Harley's over the years and at 1 point in 2020 I owned 8 motorcycles, 3 Victory, 3 Indian and 2 Harley's; however, in March of 2021, i put the 3 Indian & 3 Victory motorcycles for sale, i was done with them & while i did like the Victory's, the aftermarket had pretty much dried up by then for Victory and pretty much non existent for Indian so i ended up selling all 6 and kept my 2009 Harley Rocker C and my 2014 Harley Dyna Wide Glide. In September 2021 i wanted a touring bike and picked up a 2021 Street Glide, I did look at the 2021 Indian Challenger and Chieftain but i was turned off due to how plastic they felt, if was kinda like getting into any Toyota, very plastic feeling 7 i hate the Indian Smoke colours.
While the Indian & Victory motorcycles are long gone, my Harley's are the ones for me.
The 1 thing i like about Harley is no matter what bike you own from an 81" Evolution, to Twin Cam 88, 96, 103 and M8, you can still find parts for all of them if you happen to need, pretty much, if you can want it or dream it, Harley or one of the zillion aftermarket parts companies will have it.
Harley's are generational bikes that get passed down whereas Indian and Victory are pretty much throwaway bikes.
Sure, you pay the same price as a Harley, but you get a Indian, the Dealer service, dealer network and aftermarket doesnt even come close, i dont see myself every going back to Indian
Hey there, thanks for sharing! You nailed it on the network, OEM, and aftermarket support for Harley being vastly superior to anything Polaris has attempted thus far. While I poke fun at Harley in this video, my points regarding Polaris truly highlight what Harley is doing right. Some of it is the bikes themselves, but so much of it is everything built around them. The ecosystem, the support, the community. Polaris has a long way to go and if they want a prayer at getting there, they have to play the long game and not short term payoffs or cost savings. You are a prime example of having a LOT of experience with all three brands and you landed on Harley at the end of the day. Thanks for watching!
@@chasingredlineofficial Agreed, here the Harley Davidson dealer has something going on every weekend to keep the community alive. In the spring they have a season opener, free food, Free Beer (limit if 3) live band, vendors for supporting the riding community and they dont care what you drive. at the end of the season they have a season ender with free food, free beer (limit of 3) more venders, everything on sale. They even host a ride in the rockies a couple times a year and this year they even rented an old air strip and surrounding area and had dozens of venders, food trucks, aftermarket companies and hosted the 3 day party.
Indian Motorcycle of XXXXXXX, they did nothing all year, not even host a demo day. I will never own an Indian while this shitty dealership has the rights to the brand. HOG hosts a group ride every weekend, Indian once a month
The Harley involvement and community is so much better
@@snakebite6511 I hope Polaris reads your comment. Thanks for jumping in here.
Good video with many hours of hard work putting it together.
If your ever looking to do a follow up video Im sure i could add A WHOLE LOT of content and prospective that I havnt seen published yet. The Victory name may not exist but it still lives and hasnt died, its just wearing a mask....
Hey Lloyd, thank you for that! I am absolutely looking to create more quality content for the Victory community and Indian community for that matter. I can't tell if this is THE Lloyd or not. If you are THE Lloyd Greer, first of all, you are a legend. Second of all, I'd appreciate your take. Let's connect.
Indian went out of Business in 1953. Now it's Just Polaris Industries be it called Victory or Indian ..
For the Victory owners who bought a Harley .. Look at how HD spent $115 Million to shut down Buell in Jan 2009 and does not carry much of any parts for Buell now ..
You know, I actually made calls to local HD dealers about Buell specifically when brainstorming for this video and that is a great parallel. Not well supported either by dealers.
@@chasingredlineofficial There are like 3 HD Dealers in the USA who still try to carry some Buell parts .. One is HD of St Paul MN.. They tried to sell me an upgraded 3 bearing rear wheell for $1,124.00 then tried to sell me the axle and space kit separately for $160.00 .. They are supposed to be includes in the part Number they were using along with the 3 wheel bearings and two dust seals.
I found an Obsolete warehouse that had 4 new 3 bearing wheels with the bearings and spacers for $735.00 shipping and sales tax I think cost me $830.00
@@chasingredlineofficial Also there are some aftermarket Buell suppliers.. one of them is in the Netherlands .
Buell is back in Business in Grand Rapids MI and they will supply parts for the EBR's and the Halicon engine ..built in Austria by Rotax ..
@@mikeskidmore6754 No way! I just pulled up the website! First thing I see is "Buell is back". Nuts.
@@chasingredlineofficial th-cam.com/video/ukD10_rFEu4/w-d-xo.html
I ride a Kawasaki Vulcan. I have a co worker that owns a Vegas. He hasn't ridden it about 3 years. Im considering making him an offer. I also just purchased a Polaris Indy 650 snowmobile . I wish they would heed your advice . I dont see myself bying anIndian anytime soon. Beautiful bikes but out of my tax bracket.
Hey there, welcome to the channel! I almost bought a Vulcan once upon a time. Great and affordable bikes that will eat miles.
The Vegas would be a great bike if it is in good shape and you can get a decent deal on it. I think that is one of the benefits of Victory at this point in time. Great bikes with big v-twins but still at a price point where folks can afford them. When comparing to newer Indians and Harleys rolling off the show floor today, it is hard to justify the price jump. You might research a little ahead of time to see if there are any servicing dealers left in your area just in case you need them. You can do that on the Victory Website. Always nice to DIY but that safety net is also nice if you need it. Cheers!
@Chasing Redline Thanks for the advice.
I very Much appreciate your insights.
Cheers.
I own a 03 Heritage Anniversary HD runs great but My next ride will be an Indian Springfield and would not even consider a HD because a bike belongs on the road riding not in the shop every 3 months. You should be hired by Indian PR department for your innovative thinking instead of these companies hiring degree's and bean counters. HD has become a part selling company and that is why I am done with them
Thanks Don. That Springfield is a killer bike. For Polaris/Indian, building a community should be high on the priority list. I do think they are starting to build that up around the Indian brand. They simply could have had a huge jumpstart if they had redirected a little investment into transitioning Victory owners into Indian owners more organically. That investment would have been smaller if done right off the bat. The dollars required to recover that community grows the longer they wait. Thanks for watching and commenting!
I've now got over 100k (s)miles on Victory Visions (2009 & 2013 Ness). Your points are good but I would say "not a Harley" is the overall context (broth if you will) whereas the content (simmering in the broth) for me is Fresh Design, Engineering Impeccability, etc. etc. Polaris really blew it with the "abortion" (word chosen on purpose) of an amazing product they were still birthing/developing (Victory). I wished I was at the table when the execs were pondering this. I would have yelled... "You've got to be kidding!" I do think your suggestion that Polaris should welcome back their Victory customers by (requiring?) their Indian Dealers to support Victory. Thanks for your attempt at a solution. Polaris needs to bring in thinkers like you (and me! ) and dialog this out.
Love it Jeff. Well said! I would en"Vision" (sorry had to do it) including Victory support as part of the dealer agreement. While I don't have visibility into the dealer contract, I imagine there is an article which covers brand protection clauses intended to protect the use of the Indian brand and maintain consistent look, feel, etc. to some extent. Supporting Victory would be part of that brand protection language and a commitment in order to participate in the dealer program. I would welcome the opportunity to explore options with Polaris and would also welcome folks like yourself to join me. :) I learned a long time ago not to complain without providing a solution. Thanks for watching!
This would be amazing. buuuut. it is clear Polaris doesnt care, based on how they dropped us (2015 victory gunner owner). I like Indian, and still have a distaste for Harley, but in my opinion I could never trust Polaris to not drop me (eventually) when they see it convenient. Harley is toxic and expensive, and I will hate myself for selling out, but if I ever leave my current location (the Harley dealership here is horrific, so much so that I went to a different island to buy my Victory, for the sole reason that this dealership wont touch them, and therefore I wont be tempted to go to them when I need service.) Based on my Polaris experience with Victory, I would probably still go Harley, for the sheer fact that there will always be parts, and they have more customization. I want to want Indian more, but idk what it would take to earn back trust. Yours is the best solution I have heard of.
Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts. Definitely showcases a few things that Harley is getting right in terms of parts, support, and dealer network. It would be interesting to see Indian take any step whatsoever to address the trust issue but they could also take the do nothing approach that they've taken thus far. I do like some of the things Indian is doing. The limited release Jack Daniels collaboration bikes are sick.
@@chasingredlineofficial i really want a challenger. mainly for the liquid cooled engine. i know the scout has one, but scouts arent as fun to ride as my gunner, although my gunner will burn my leg through my jeans if i stop for any real amount of time. the reviews i have seen make it seem like the challenger is balance much better than the road glide, but i wouldnt complain about one of those either.
@@chazcrouse5259 The Challenger is hard not to like. Some argue that the motor was originally intended to be the Victory Freedom 108. I can't confirm that but some are insistent that was the origin of the motor. With that said, I think getting into the liquid cooled game is an example of a bold move from Indian. But, those origins with the Scout even date back to project 156 with Victory which lead to both the Scout and Octane. All that to say, I like the Challenger. I do think it is one of the more inspiring baggers out there. And I agree that the feedback around it overall is that it rides really well. My two cents. If I was to pick up an Indian right this second, the Challenger would be it. I like the Challenger Elite a lot (that saphire blue smoke is amazing) but that bike is $$$.
@@chasingredlineofficial true that. if only i had 30k to drop on a bike today! :P
@@chazcrouse5259 Ha! Yeah, if only we all had that money tree handy. :)
Couldn't agree more, love my Victory.
That is awesome! Thanks for watching!
Great video, I completely agree with you 💯
Thanks for watching!
Great video and idea, I think it makes perfect sense and they should do it.
Thanks for tuning in and for the comment!
I’ve long thought there’s nothing in the market anymore like victory, yet people mod their bikes to kinda look like what victory was doing.
as an dude in the advertising industry, I gotta tell you this is one of the smartest strategies I’ve heard in a long time. they’d be fools to see this video and not immediately do it
Thanks for watching and the support! Ride safe!
Ya I was a Victory rider, I loved my Gunner picked it up new in 2015. I was mad when Victory shut down but when they sent the letter thanking me for my loyalty here is 1500 dollars off a new Indian I ditched Polaris all together. I started riding a Harley because it wasn't an Indian.
Knowing you had the Gunner, what Harley did you end up with? Thanks for watching!
@@chasingredlineofficial I was looking at a Cross Country because I wanted something to tour on, so I went with a HD Ultra Limited. When I got the Gunner I was looking at the 15 Fat bob but the Gunner had more power, larger engine and was 4k less. Wish Polaris hadn't done the loyal riders dirty but they are definitely building a base with Indian, unfortunately they did push a lot of riders away.
Hope you get a ton of miles out of that HD. You have access to a massive dealer networks and all the aftermarket parts you can think of. Just have to pay that Harley tax if you want anything with an HD badge on it. :)
I owned several Victory bikes . After the end of Victory, what happened at the end is destined to happen again. I was looking for another bike recently and ended up with a Honda ST1300. Closest thing to a sportier Vision which I loved.
Indian never. I hold a grudge how things ended up. Though the anger and hatred has dwindled.
There is always an internal reminder. They kicks in.
I'm hoping that Polaris doesn't end up in the same place with Indian simply to keep some competition in the US market. That Honda ST1300 would be a sweet ride though so hope you are rocking the miles on that thing. Thanks for watching!
I have owned HD Fat Boy , Big Dog Mastiff, Screaming Eagle VRod and a Victory Hammer S. I'm can say without a doubt the Hammer S was the best one of a very expensive collection of bikes. It was less expensive to buy and owne, it was the most comfortable and got more attention than anything I have owned.
The Mastiff was the most fun to play with but it was punishing to ride. The VRod was scary fast but spent more time in the shop than on the road. My Fat body was a wonderful bike. But like all HD it was also a money pit. I put 78 thousand miles on my Hammer between 08 and 2012 and nothing ever went wrong with it.
I am looking for a 08 maroon Hammer so if you have one and want to let it go please contact me.
Great comparison James! Maybe someone here has the Hammer of your dreams. Hope you find it!
I'll say the quite part out loud: Comparing the 2025 Scout Bobber to the 2007 Victory Vegas, I'd keep the 2007 Victory any day of the week! The only thing that's better about the Indian Scout is the power plant. And if they put that power plant on the 2007 Vegas platform then you'd have a perfect bike, in my humble opinion! The biggest downfall to the Victory brand in general wasn't the brand itself, but aftermarket parts. The Victory name alone, at the time, wasn't enough to inspire aftermarket companies to design and produce high end products. The Indian name, on the other hand, instantly jumped that hurdle! But I'm not pissed that Victory is gone, and you shouldn't be either! Most Victory owners are riding are rare and incredible motorcycle, that won't be copied! ;)
Thanks for sharing your take! Aftermarket is a good point related to Victory. While there were some, there was just never the overwhelming support compared to some other brands. Safe riding!
I ride m'y 2022 Indian roadmaster dark horse with m'y Victory cut, and I am about to buy another Victory this year because I really miss m'y 2013 Victory judge 👍👍👍👍
Awesome man! Thanks for tuning in! Hope you find a Judge that fills the garage slot left by your 2013.
Agreed 👍
Indian Roadmaster rider who always admired Victory bikes, checking in and up-voting.
Thanks! Hope you love your Roadmaster!
@@chasingredlineofficial we love it. And all of my HD bros confess that it is objectively superior in virtually every way to their bikes... But it's just not a Harley so it will never do for them.
Best Idea Since Victory Itself!🏆🇺🇲🏁🕊️
Thanks! Hopefully it resonates with enough to make a strong case.
Great video 👍
Have 2 Victory's. They will be my last bikes. Nothing else compares to them.
Thanks man! Which models do ya have?
@@chasingredlineofficial 2013 Hammer 8 Ball and 2016 Magnum
@@darrinsmith1868 Perfect combo! You can just go out in the garage and stare at the eye candy.
I have a Harley an 06 Dyna Wide Glide and love it so no complaints from me. I was at one time thinking of a second bike and would have been a Victory. Never talked to an unhappy Victory owner and liked the styling. Indian has just never thrilled me.
Glad you like your Harley! I tease them a bit in this video but it is all in good fun. Two wheels are two wheels, ya know? We all appreciate bold steps by motorcycle vendors even if they don't pan out. Victory took bold steps in the styling department. Thanks for watching!