Victory Ness Cafe

[County Tar]

http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2012/01/victory-ness-cafe-victory-getting-a-message/

Good, bad, ugly, weird, like, dislike, hate, yawn, Nescafe coffee????

[Meemuh]

Well - better than a factory Judge.

[Rincewind]

I think it's a nice effort and shows a direction in which I'd like to see Victory head.  I like the cafe styling versus the street tracker styling of the HD XR1200.  The rear end is really well done, as is the seat.  Too bad that the rear sets are pretty far forward which might make for awkward ergos with the clipons.  I wonder what the final weight is versus the HD XR.  I think the Judge starts at 660lbs dry.

[st2sam]

I think it's a nice effort and shows a direction in which I'd like to see Victory head. 

Can I get a AMEN brothers!  
I would love nothing better than to spend my money on a motorcycle made in America.
I hope in a year or two Victory will head the Judge in this direction or at least offer a few options (most people could afford) to give it better handling.  

[SalsaShark]

I think it's a decent look in a different direction, but I would rather them build a performance machine from the ground up... not a cut up cruiser.

[County Tar]

With the peg placement I could see ditching the clipons and attaching a higher drag bar or the like.  

[Papa Lazarou]

Hate Nescafe but not a bad first attempt. But then, when could the Yanks ever build a cafe racer? After all, aren't they 50 years too late on this one?  

[ConPilot1]

Well now. That's more freaking like it.
That's the only Victory I've seen yet that I actually like.

Nice move. Love the paint job, color scheme is beautiful. I would have flat-blacked out the pipes on that though.  

Impressed. And I usually hate anything Victory or Harley puts out with the exception of this and the XR1200.

[Roadscum]

Hate Nescafe but not a bad first attempt. But then, when could the Yanks ever build a cafe racer? After all, aren't they 50 years too late on this one?  

Thriumph Thruxtons sell well here in the USA. I'd like to see and American mfg enter the market.

Regards, Paul

[Rincewind]

Thriumph Thruxtons sell well here in the USA. I'd like to see and American mfg enter the market.

Regards, Paul

Me too; however this Victory weighs likely 200lbs more than the Thruxton.  We can do better. 

For a modern American cafe, there will soon be the new Brammo Empulse.

[County Tar]

With over 100 hp and 113 ft./lbs. I would think it would still get up and go.

[Dan K]

Like it.

[bomber]

Looks like someone grabbed a Drag Specialties catalog and went to town --

The parts don't gel or work together, the peg placement is silly, and, all in all, I would have expeccted better from a Ness . . . . .

It IS great that Victory is trying new things . . .. . perhaps a Crocker-like bike with their Indian brand . . . . .

[MisterSmooth]

I think the Judge starts at 660lbs dry...

and

Me too; however this Victory weighs likely 200lbs more than the Thruxton.  We can do better. 

For a modern American cafe, there will soon be the new Brammo Empulse.

Yeah, what do they make cruiser frames out of anyway?  Depleted uranium?    The Honda Fury is as stripped down as they come and it weighs about 650 lbs.


The paint on the Nescafe is a bit over the top for my taste--needs dialed back so it's more like the new Norton.  Upgrading the suspension to Ohlins, well, that's always a good idea.  And the foot controls look odd way out there on the frame like that.  But if Victory made a bike like this, it's the first Victory that I would consider owning.  It's a couple of tweaks away from being very, very cool.  

[Orson]

With the peg placement I could see ditching the clipons and attaching a higher drag bar or the like.  

Yah, that peg / handlebar placement looks wrong.

On the surface, it would appear that it's as much a cafe racer as a 1960s era muscle car is a Porsche 911.

[Dan K]

The controls are a bit too forward, yes, but I still like it.  I'm sure it would outhandle a restored old CB750 or some such without a problem, maybe even a modern day retro cafe style bike like the Thruxton, particularly with the upgraded suspension.  Yes, it's probably still heavy, but I really like it.

[Mookie]

That frame looks like it's bending just sitting still  

Those wheels, that paintjob, those footpegs, crap brakes and forks are all so ugly they don't form even the slightest bit of cohesiveness.  

I do like the pipes.  I still can't figure out who keeps thinking that giant aircooled v-twins should be the basis for a cafe bike.  They just don't work aesthetically.

[R Doug]

Forward controls, wheelbase looks like it's too long, and the bike is too heavy.  I call lame.  

[Orson]

I keep holding out hope that Victory might eventually get around to making something along the lines of a Motus sport tourer. This bike is at least a nod in that direction  

A torquey V twin provides all the horsepower I need