Victory High Ball - First Ride Report

[TBirdVI]

Don't know where to post this.

It's not a rant about Victory, more on Motorcyclist. Friend lent me the June 2011 edition. This report on the Victory High Ball has to be the worst written article I've ever seen. No idea what he was trying to say, was it a rant? Irony? Humour? Just awful http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/firstrides/122_1106_2012_victory_high_ball/index.html  

[atadaskew]

I thought this stuff was funny:

I’ve never been a gangster, but there’s no denying riding ape changes a guy. Less than 20 miles into our test rumble, I’m chafing at The Man and his arbitrary rules. Another 20 ticks and a brooding sense of injustice has me flipping the bird at fellow road users for the slightest real or imagined infractions.
.....
There’s a big sign: “Motorcycles please don’t block entry.” You talkin’ to me? I park the High-Ball directly in front of the door. I swagger; then strut; then prance into the restaurant and apologize to the owner for parking where I did. It seemed like a good idea when I was astride the High-Ball. Now, drinking warm milk and eating a children’s meal burger, I’m thinking it wasn’t a nice thing to do.

I had a Harley Dyna that came stock with mini-apes and so can relate to this.  Apes really are not much good for anything apart from posturing and riding, well, slow.  It is costume.  If that's yer bag, then good for you.  Mine had a buyer but a Subaru took care of all that nonsense..

[Tyrroneous]

Hmm...I read the article when my magazine arrived a couple weeks ago and got a chuckle out of it.  I think it was written very tongue in cheek.  Why build a bike like the one reviewed?  For posing, for looks, for attitude.  Its certainly not to ride great distances swaddled in comfort.  The bike has that 1%-er look and imparts that same attitude on the rider.

[atadaskew]

  Why build a bike like the one reviewed?  For posing, for looks, for attitude.  Its certainly not to ride great distances swaddled in comfort.  The bike has that 1%-er look and imparts that same attitude on the rider.

Eggsackerly!
This bike is purely about playing tough guy, which is how the author reviewed it.  If you want to ride distances, then get one of Victory's Cross Dresser baggers.

[jadziadax8]

I always assume guys with ape hangers are in such a bad mood because the wind is pulling their armpit hair.

[Flyer]

the High-Ball is indeed a production bike and Victory really is going to sell it.

"It" maybe, but I'm guessin' the production line's not going to be busy.
 

[chesthing]

Article was pretty funny, not sure why you are confused?  

[Tar Snake]

  If you want to ride distances, then get one of Victory's Cross Dresser baggers.

Finally a bike for all my moods! and clothes!

[TBirdVI]

Hmmm, guess I'll reread the article. Totally missed the point the first time. Damn! I'm usually pretty good at appreciating dry humour.  

[SuperHans]

I've never liked Victory from and aesthetics standpoint. They always make bikes that seem over the top with too much gaudy bling bling.

[jfurf]

That bike is absolutely vomitous. Why pay money for a brand new bike that's done up to look like a rattle-canned, chopped up bag of Craiglist shit?  

Go check out the Craigslist Gold thread. It's full of used bikes that look like that thing. Also... naming the bike after a cocktail? Really?

[Grumbler]

That bike does absolutely nothing for me. I'd like to demo the Triumph Thunderbird 1700 Storm
if we stilll had a dealer here in Boise. Besides, I like to keep a low profile so I can ride without
being hassled by the man. A dude wearing FF helmet on cruiser with 'shield is less likely to
get pulled over than a dude with shades, do-rag, fingerless gloves, vest and ape hangers.

[chesthing]

That bike is absolutely vomitous. Why pay money for a brand new bike that's done up to look like a rattle-canned, chopped up bag of Craiglist shit?  

Go check out the Craigslist Gold thread. It's full of used bikes that look like that thing. Also... naming the bike after a cocktail? Really?

Tbird, imagine if Jfurf wrote the review - will make more sense.

[stealth1]

 Also... naming the bike after a cocktail? Really?

They already had the Eight Ball and Hairy Ball didn't sound right.

[vguy]

There's also that cool "no-neck" look you get with the ape hangers.

[ConPilot1]

Fun seeing an ATGATTer riding that ugly piece of dysfunctional American shit.  

[Kraz]

Article was funny and I would ride the bike... albeit with different bars installed.

[OrangeSVS]

I like the whitewalls. I like the lack of chrome. I like the V-twin motor.

I dream of a little ripper... light tube frame, low to the ground, low power, tons of torque, a real retro sportbike going back to the board track days, but with enough modern equipment to make it a sporting amusement.

There's nothing out there that's retro enough for me. But I'd say the HD XL1200 comes closest. But even that looks 30 years too new for my tastes.

Yeah, I'm a sucker for the steam punk aesthetic, too.

My biggest beef with cruisers is that they're stuck in the 50's and 60's when the really cool bare bones shit was back in the 20's and 30's. The funny thing is, a bike like that could be mass produced in China and sell for $2000 with 45hp and I'd have one tomorrow. HD, or Victory could try to replicate it with their off-the-shelf motors and that'd probably be pretty cool too. I'm just tired of the 50's and 60's rehash. I get that cruiser aesthetic... I just wish the companies would reach a bit deeper into the past for inspiration.

Something inspired by board track racers. That's the kind of "around town" "cruiser" / "scooter" that would get my checkbook out. Seriously, it wouldn't even have to be a great bike. Better-than-a-scooter performance, a nice V-twin rumble, a good classic pan seat, and a skinny tube frame. Man, I'd be all over that.

I mean, seriously... think about it. Imagine it. A "scooter" with lower power, pretty big displacement, a real suspension, a real down and dirty 30's-style scoot. Part Harley, Part Schwinn. What better notional/impulse buy could there be? For Sportriders? Cruiser riders? First time riders? Fuel efficient. As a cheap runabout, it'd span across every genre...

Motorcycle cred (not a scooter). Cruiser cred (hearkening back to the old days). Efficiency cred (could easily get 60+mpg). Sportbike cred (old fashioned sport riding). Hipster cred (classic, yet modern and affordable). DIY cred (basic frame, easily modifiable). Old lady cred (unintimidating, "nice" motorbike). Gearhead cred (barebones simplicity). It'd be a flat out fun machine.

[atadaskew]

 The funny thing is, a bike like that could be mass produced in China and sell for $2000 with 45hp and I'd have one tomorrow.

No it can't.

Right now you can buy a Chinese 150cc scooter for that $2K.
That makes 6 hp and falls apart after 3 months.

[OrangeSVS]

No it can't.

Right now you can buy a Chinese 150cc scooter for that $2K.
That makes 6 hp and falls apart after 3 months.

True true. I was being overly optimistic.  But a $4500 "starter bike" that was also a pretty cool retro machine would be pretty awesome. Tube frames are cheap to produce. Something cheap to allow new riders to test the waters, simple to maintain, but with a nod to performance heritage by being more "classic" in style and function. Something that the guy on the biggest and baddest harley could be seen riding with a grin.... just for being a neat little putter-about. Just a "riding is fun" kind of machine with the details hearkening back to the simple "motor, handlebars and a seat" concept.

As a 4 season rider, there are plenty of times when something basic and almost scooter-like would be just fine. A nice put-put-put machine with a pan seat and handlebars.... cheap enough to not take too seriously. The perfect 40mph putter-about with enough retro style to actually be cool. There's nothing like that out there right now. The best option for that is a scooter or maybe a honda rebel. There's no real cross-over from a bicycle motorcycle out there with a shred of style. Why not?

I dunno... maybe I'm describing the Royal Enfield. LOL. Actually yeah. That'd be an awesome second bike.

The High Ball is dandy, except that it's probably twice or three times as expensive as it deserves to be as a functional piece of putter-about butt-jewelry.