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.
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!
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 "
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.
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.
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!
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!
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!
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.
Well Done Video! I had the same thoughts myself, thank you for putting this on RUclips 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.
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.
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 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. 😊
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!
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
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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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
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!
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?
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 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’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.
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 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.
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!
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.
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 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!
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.
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!
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.
I owned a 2017 Magnum X1 and a 2017 Octane. A month later Victory shut their doors. I was pissed and had to make the call to keep these bikes or sell them while I still could. I took a hit on both of them. Victory built some of the best looking bikes on the market but the resale is pretty bad. I guess that can be considered a good thing if you're looking to buy a used Vic. Right now I own an Indian Pursuit and I love it. No hard feelings against Polaris, they did what they had to do. I hope one day I'll see an Indian that looks as good as my X1 did. I totally agree with this video but I don't see the dealer support happening unfortunately.
Thanks for jumping into the conversation! Man, having a Magnum and Octane both in the same garage represents some of the best that Victory produced. Definitely would have been a tough call to sell or keep given you had just got them. I don't blame you though. Glad you love your Pursuit. There is a lot to like about that bike. Be safe out there!
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
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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'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.
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.
So, I'm not going to say where, but I work at a company that, until very recently, was owned by Polaris. They sold the company for pennies on the dollar compared to what they initially paid because the ceo they placed for us did a mostly bad job and started to run things kinda downhill. Company lost a lot of it's core culture, good people, and made a lot of changes for better and for worse. I'm not sure if this is the same reason why they dumped victory, but I can say that they don't particularly seem to care about brand loyalty if it isn't about Indian(which I have one) or about the RZR. While I agree with everything you said here, I doubt it would happen.
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!
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 👍👍👍👍
Have you attempted to contact Polaris to pitch this? I have a 2017 Victory Gunner and love this idea because since I've had it, been thinking about "what's next" as afraid parts will be hard to find when needed. Thankfully Victorys are solid.
Hey James, I haven't apart from visits to my local dealer. Although, I'd take a meeting with them to discuss at any time if they want additional perspective. So much feedback just in these comments that should be looked at as an asset for the marketing team. I totally agree that Victory bikes last. But, everything breaks down over time. Things happen. Polaris should support when that happens. Thanks for the comment.
@@chasingredlineofficial if it's OK, if I email Polaris can I share link to video? I think they should hear/see this. (Who knows, enough people contact them, they might listen) I also think setting up a Victory trade in program would be great as well (something to give top dollar trade value to upgrade to an indian).
@@YoshiRambles Absolutely! Please share as much as you would like. My goal here was to get this message to Polaris with a mountain of customer support which is growing here by the day in the comments. I love the idea of your trade-in program. Pair that with continued support via the Indian network, they would have a winning strategy. Thanks for taking an active role in this!
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
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'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 like the idea, however i don't believe Polaris/Indian will ever support it. They are moving on and hoping they can grab up some riders and move them over to Indian. They got me as I rode a 2015 Magnum until 2020 when I bought my Challenger. I decided to move on because I got an outstanding deal on the bike during the pandemic prior to all of the supply shortages. I sold my Magnum that next weekend. Demand was still strong then. Do not know what it looks like today. 😮I do see more and more Indians on the road than ever before so at face value Polaris made the right choice of going all in on Indian. I'm pleased with the bike and my next bike will be ab Indian if they keep innovating and making things better ever couple of years.
Thanks for the comment and I'm glad you are liking your Challenger. That bike is innovating and pushing the boundaries for the performance bagger class. Indian is doing cool things (some of it benefiting from Victory concepts). Can't argue that Victory was a stronger play though. I get that it is far fetched to think Polaris will pivot based on a RUclips video. However, if it triggers a conversation at any level around the approach to Victory, I think that is a win. I do think there is value left on the table. Thanks for watching!
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 almost bought a Victory, but didn't because this was right when they decided to stop production. The parts availability was the main factor in not getting a Cross Country. My 2004 Roadstar now has 89k miles on it, and parts are getting scarce. Damn shane that you can't buy any non computerized full size bike anymore.
It is a definitely a shame that these bikes are not experienced by many due to the fear of parts and serviceability. I find that there is definitely an appeal to not having infotainment on these bikes. When you really look, there isn't much value in modern baggers today outside of built in infotainment and navigation. To me, that isn't worth the price tag now-a-days. I'd rather just keep riding the bike I have which fits me like a glove. Safe riding!
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've always thought that instead of dropping Victory, they could have sold both brands at all their dealerships (kind of like Lincoln-Mercury dealers or Chrysler-Plymouth dealers have done for decades). People are familiar with the Indian brand, but not the Victory brand. The Indian name would have brought in customers who might not like the Indian, but would now be exposed to the Victory brand. They would have sold more of BOTH brands, IMO. Of course, that point is now moot. But to your point, it's not too late to include to the Victory brand, even though they don't make them any more. I know a lot of folks who won't buy an Indian because of the way they abandoned Victory..
BTW, I have a garage full of Victorys and parts. I don't rely on dealers myself, but not everybody can do that. I agree the Indian dealers need to step up to the plate.
Thanks for the comment Michael. Awesome that you service yourself and I just hope you are always able to get the part you need. I think the dual brand strategy they did for a while would have been far more powerful if they had deployed it in the manner you suggest. But in reality, you had some dealers selling Victory and other dealers selling Indian. Wasn't set up to succeed with that model.
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!
I have a Vision that I really like. I wouldn't touch a Polaris product again after what they did. They will do it again as soon as the next shiny thing comes along that makes them 3 cents more than Indian. In 2019, 2200miles from home when a rear bearing went out, the still branded Victory dealer/shop had a hard time getting the part and all the Indian bikes got pushed through first. In Spring 2022, I wanted to get fluid and tire change and once over after limited riding in the pandemic and it took 9 shops before one would even tell me an answer other than "We won't touch Victory". I like wrenching my own bike, but I don't want to HAVE to wrench it for every need. Next one will be a Goldwing.
Thanks for providing that experience. Absolutely a rough situation. Your stance aligns to mine. I like doing my own work, but sometimes you need a hand. Or, you need something done fast. Lots of folks going Goldwing! Thanks for watching!
Awesome Idea! It's a little late for that, They burned a loyal customer. I would have bought another Victory Vision! I did not even consider an Indian, I bought a New Honda Goldwing! After the Victory Vision motor died with a 150,000 miles on it, I ended up selling the for parts.
Hope you love the Goldwing! 150k miles on a Vision I bet was filled with awesome memories. I think some would bounce back if Polaris did this right. Some wouldn't. But it depends on how they communicate and follow-up with action.
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 bought a 2011 Victory Vision for under $9000.00 as the previous owner must have freaked when Victory said they weee changing to Indian. I love riding something different with stylish looks all the bells and whistles and the center headlight for night highway riding, the tip over protection, Hugh V tail light and plug in cord to play my music list off my phone. I love the leg room, the way i sit in the bike and not on it, the lower back support even without a backrest and easy manuvering i get out of such a long bike. I hate Polaris dropped Victory. I purchased my Vision because of the deep red color with black and chrome accents, its futuristic style as it didn't need expensive upgrades like Harley to look unique and there was no Harley vibration. Besides Victories were and STILL are more affordable. Indians have priced out Victory riders that don't want to sink 20k to 30k into purchasing a bike. At those prices I'll ride my Vision until it clunks, parts are no longer available or I'm too old and unable to ride which will be along time from now. Great Video. I think Polaris burnt 🔥 their bridge with many Victory owners. Now the trust is suspect that if Indian sales don't satisfy them they might quit on Indian like they did on Victory and then we are out again to choose between foreign bikes or Harley which are too top heavy for me. Enjoy your Victory's ✌️👍💯
Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoy your vision and I hope you get many years out of it. I'm right where you are, I'd rather ride my Victory until I can't repair it any longer than spend $30k to get a comparable model from Harley or Indian. While it doesn't have infotainment options, it already has heated seats, heated grips, etc. More than anything, it fits my body type perfectly. Have a good one!
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.
Yes. Put a lot of money in Victory's, promoted the brand. Then got burnt along with my favorite dealer, who was the best. I have 1 Indian, but mostly placing my money in Japanese market now. Yes Polaris missed an opportunity. They cold have made Victory into their Sport and adventure tour bikes and placed Indian into the cruiser sector. The Victory had solid engines. But with mechanic support drying up many had to bail. They should sell the brand.
I think Victory would have been a killer brand for sport, adventure, and naked bikes. They already had everyone jazzed after TT and Pikes Peak. Speaking of those segments and you mention the Japanese market. I'm looking hard between an Yamaha MT-09 and the alternative would be a Triumph Street Triple RS. Thanks for watching!
God I love my Kingpin, but just bought a Honda F6B. Figure I can sell the Victory before the market for them tanks. It is already hard or impossible to get some parts.. and yes they are bulletproof pretty much. Most problems are caused by rider error. Yet the Kingpin still sits in my Garage as there are a few things I don't like about the F6B. I gotta make my mind up on one or the other.
I don't see it happening for the same reasons all Harley dealerships won't work on any of their bikes that are 10-15 years old. It's not financially feasible to support a dead brand/discontinued product at that scale. Polaris offering support thru 2027 isn't a terrible deal, the customers weren't completely thrown to the wolves like in other cases when companies go under. Coming from a guy who rides a 90's Dyna, your best bet for support is the Indy shops on this one.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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!
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!
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!
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.
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 RUclips 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.
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.
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.
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.
Excellent ideas! Victory Cross Roads forever! 13 states last year😊
That is awesome!
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!
Love my 2013 Cross Country! Still running very very strong!
Same year as mine! Hope she keeps going!
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. 😊
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.
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!
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
They could produce Victory parts indefinitely, and they should !!!!
I know right?!?! :)
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
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!
Agree 100%. Keep up the good Victory work!
Thanks, will do!
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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, Vero Beach, FL
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'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!
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!
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. Sacramento, CA
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 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!
Great video! I'm sharing it for sure. I hope they hear us!!
Thanks Steve! I appreciate that!
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
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 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.
It's hard not to agree, and I totally do agree.
Thanks for watching Robert! Appreciate the support!
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!
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.
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 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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
I owned a 2017 Magnum X1 and a 2017 Octane. A month later Victory shut their doors. I was pissed and had to make the call to keep these bikes or sell them while I still could. I took a hit on both of them. Victory built some of the best looking bikes on the market but the resale is pretty bad. I guess that can be considered a good thing if you're looking to buy a used Vic. Right now I own an Indian Pursuit and I love it. No hard feelings against Polaris, they did what they had to do. I hope one day I'll see an Indian that looks as good as my X1 did. I totally agree with this video but I don't see the dealer support happening unfortunately.
Thanks for jumping into the conversation! Man, having a Magnum and Octane both in the same garage represents some of the best that Victory produced. Definitely would have been a tough call to sell or keep given you had just got them. I don't blame you though. Glad you love your Pursuit. There is a lot to like about that bike. Be safe out there!
They are becoming collectable however,the volume is. Not over!😉😉
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!
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!
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.
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?
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.
here, here. very astute and sensible advice. thank you
Much appreciated. Thank you 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 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.
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'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.
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.
So, I'm not going to say where, but I work at a company that, until very recently, was owned by Polaris. They sold the company for pennies on the dollar compared to what they initially paid because the ceo they placed for us did a mostly bad job and started to run things kinda downhill. Company lost a lot of it's core culture, good people, and made a lot of changes for better and for worse. I'm not sure if this is the same reason why they dumped victory, but I can say that they don't particularly seem to care about brand loyalty if it isn't about Indian(which I have one) or about the RZR. While I agree with everything you said here, I doubt it would happen.
It might be far fetched for sure. Did it by chance start with a T and operate in an industry that rhymes with "schmauto farts"? Thanks for watching!
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, I completely agree with you 💯
Thanks for watching!
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.
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.
Preach it, brother! Amen!
Thanks man!
Couldn't agree more, love my Victory.
That is awesome! Thanks for watching!
Have you attempted to contact Polaris to pitch this?
I have a 2017 Victory Gunner and love this idea because since I've had it, been thinking about "what's next" as afraid parts will be hard to find when needed. Thankfully Victorys are solid.
Hey James, I haven't apart from visits to my local dealer. Although, I'd take a meeting with them to discuss at any time if they want additional perspective. So much feedback just in these comments that should be looked at as an asset for the marketing team. I totally agree that Victory bikes last. But, everything breaks down over time. Things happen. Polaris should support when that happens. Thanks for the comment.
@@chasingredlineofficial if it's OK, if I email Polaris can I share link to video? I think they should hear/see this. (Who knows, enough people contact them, they might listen)
I also think setting up a Victory trade in program would be great as well (something to give top dollar trade value to upgrade to an indian).
@@YoshiRambles Absolutely! Please share as much as you would like. My goal here was to get this message to Polaris with a mountain of customer support which is growing here by the day in the comments. I love the idea of your trade-in program. Pair that with continued support via the Indian network, they would have a winning strategy. Thanks for taking an active role in this!
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.
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!
That Vegas is a sweet looking bike!
For sure man! Definitely turns heads! Thanks for watching!
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.
I like the idea, however i don't believe Polaris/Indian will ever support it. They are moving on and hoping they can grab up some riders and move them over to Indian. They got me as I rode a 2015 Magnum until 2020 when I bought my Challenger. I decided to move on because I got an outstanding deal on the bike during the pandemic prior to all of the supply shortages. I sold my Magnum that next weekend. Demand was still strong then. Do not know what it looks like today.
😮I do see more and more Indians on the road than ever before so at face value Polaris made the right choice of going all in on Indian. I'm pleased with the bike and my next bike will be ab Indian if they keep innovating and making things better ever couple of years.
Thanks for the comment and I'm glad you are liking your Challenger. That bike is innovating and pushing the boundaries for the performance bagger class. Indian is doing cool things (some of it benefiting from Victory concepts). Can't argue that Victory was a stronger play though.
I get that it is far fetched to think Polaris will pivot based on a RUclips video. However, if it triggers a conversation at any level around the approach to Victory, I think that is a win. I do think there is value left on the table. Thanks for watching!
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 almost bought a Victory, but didn't because this was right when they decided to stop production. The parts availability was the main factor in not getting a Cross Country. My 2004 Roadstar now has 89k miles on it, and parts are getting scarce. Damn shane that you can't buy any non computerized full size bike anymore.
It is a definitely a shame that these bikes are not experienced by many due to the fear of parts and serviceability. I find that there is definitely an appeal to not having infotainment on these bikes. When you really look, there isn't much value in modern baggers today outside of built in infotainment and navigation. To me, that isn't worth the price tag now-a-days. I'd rather just keep riding the bike I have which fits me like a glove. Safe riding!
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've always thought that instead of dropping Victory, they could have sold both brands at all their dealerships (kind of like Lincoln-Mercury dealers or Chrysler-Plymouth dealers have done for decades). People are familiar with the Indian brand, but not the Victory brand. The Indian name would have brought in customers who might not like the Indian, but would now be exposed to the Victory brand. They would have sold more of BOTH brands, IMO. Of course, that point is now moot. But to your point, it's not too late to include to the Victory brand, even though they don't make them any more. I know a lot of folks who won't buy an Indian because of the way they abandoned Victory..
BTW, I have a garage full of Victorys and parts. I don't rely on dealers myself, but not everybody can do that. I agree the Indian dealers need to step up to the plate.
Thanks for the comment Michael. Awesome that you service yourself and I just hope you are always able to get the part you need. I think the dual brand strategy they did for a while would have been far more powerful if they had deployed it in the manner you suggest. But in reality, you had some dealers selling Victory and other dealers selling Indian. Wasn't set up to succeed with that model.
Agreed, sell the Indian as the classic cruiser, and the vic as the custom. Best of both worlds
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!
I have a Vision that I really like. I wouldn't touch a Polaris product again after what they did. They will do it again as soon as the next shiny thing comes along that makes them 3 cents more than Indian. In 2019, 2200miles from home when a rear bearing went out, the still branded Victory dealer/shop had a hard time getting the part and all the Indian bikes got pushed through first. In Spring 2022, I wanted to get fluid and tire change and once over after limited riding in the pandemic and it took 9 shops before one would even tell me an answer other than "We won't touch Victory". I like wrenching my own bike, but I don't want to HAVE to wrench it for every need. Next one will be a Goldwing.
Thanks for providing that experience. Absolutely a rough situation. Your stance aligns to mine. I like doing my own work, but sometimes you need a hand. Or, you need something done fast. Lots of folks going Goldwing! Thanks for watching!
Awesome Idea! It's a little late for that, They burned a loyal customer. I would have bought another Victory Vision! I did not even consider an Indian, I bought a New Honda Goldwing! After the Victory Vision motor died with a 150,000 miles on it, I ended up selling the for parts.
Hope you love the Goldwing! 150k miles on a Vision I bet was filled with awesome memories. I think some would bounce back if Polaris did this right. Some wouldn't. But it depends on how they communicate and follow-up with action.
I will never own any Polaris product. Burned once was enough
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. :)
Best Idea Since Victory Itself!🏆🇺🇲🏁🕊️
Thanks! Hopefully it resonates with enough to make a strong case.
I love Victoy,I own a 08 Vegas Low,a13 Victoy Vision Tour.
Great combination!
I bought a 2011 Victory Vision for under $9000.00 as the previous owner must have freaked when Victory said they weee changing to Indian. I love riding something different with stylish looks all the bells and whistles and the center headlight for night highway riding, the tip over protection, Hugh V tail light and plug in cord to play my music list off my phone.
I love the leg room, the way i sit in the bike and not on it, the lower back support even without a backrest and easy manuvering i get out of such a long bike. I hate Polaris dropped Victory. I purchased my Vision because of the deep red color with black and chrome accents, its futuristic style as it didn't need expensive upgrades like Harley to look unique and there was no Harley vibration.
Besides Victories were and STILL are more affordable. Indians have priced out Victory riders that don't want to sink 20k to 30k into purchasing a bike. At those prices I'll ride my Vision until it clunks, parts are no longer available or I'm too old and unable to ride which will be along time from now.
Great Video. I think Polaris burnt 🔥 their bridge with many Victory owners. Now the trust is suspect that if Indian sales don't satisfy them they might quit on Indian like they did on Victory and then we are out again to choose between foreign bikes or Harley which are too top heavy for me. Enjoy your Victory's ✌️👍💯
Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoy your vision and I hope you get many years out of it. I'm right where you are, I'd rather ride my Victory until I can't repair it any longer than spend $30k to get a comparable model from Harley or Indian. While it doesn't have infotainment options, it already has heated seats, heated grips, etc. More than anything, it fits my body type perfectly. Have a good one!
Great video and idea, I think it makes perfect sense and they should do it.
Thanks for tuning in and for the comment!
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.
Yes. Put a lot of money in Victory's, promoted the brand. Then got burnt along with my favorite dealer, who was the best. I have 1 Indian, but mostly placing my money in Japanese market now. Yes Polaris missed an opportunity. They cold have made Victory into their Sport and adventure tour bikes and placed Indian into the cruiser sector. The Victory had solid engines. But with mechanic support drying up many had to bail. They should sell the brand.
I think Victory would have been a killer brand for sport, adventure, and naked bikes. They already had everyone jazzed after TT and Pikes Peak. Speaking of those segments and you mention the Japanese market. I'm looking hard between an Yamaha MT-09 and the alternative would be a Triumph Street Triple RS. Thanks for watching!
God I love my Kingpin, but just bought a Honda F6B. Figure I can sell the Victory before the market for them tanks. It is already hard or impossible to get some parts.. and yes they are bulletproof pretty much. Most problems are caused by rider error. Yet the Kingpin still sits in my Garage as there are a few things I don't like about the F6B. I gotta make my mind up on one or the other.
Congrats on the Gold Wing! I spent many years riding next to one. Curious about what you would change on the F6B?
I don't see it happening for the same reasons all Harley dealerships won't work on any of their bikes that are 10-15 years old. It's not financially feasible to support a dead brand/discontinued product at that scale. Polaris offering support thru 2027 isn't a terrible deal, the customers weren't completely thrown to the wolves like in other cases when companies go under. Coming from a guy who rides a 90's Dyna, your best bet for support is the Indy shops on this one.
I won hundred percent agree I sewed a victory one year ago because it was getting so hard to get parts and service I hated it I still miss the bike
That is how I'll be if I sell mine. Hopefully you found something else that moves you.
Roadmaster
@@jondoe1784 Rock on. Hope you love it!