The new Cycle World magazine has a cover story about Victory's Project 156. The project is a combination of a prototype Victory 1300cc liquid cooled V-Twin racing engine, a race bike built by Roland Sands to put the power to ground, plus Cycle World staffer/racer Don Canet to ride it in the Pikes Peak hill climb. The number 156 represents the number of turns in the run up the mountain. In the end, a valiant effort on a very tight schedule ended in a heartbreaking DNF just two miles from the finish line, but it was a great run and everyone involved did an impressive job against the odds. In the end, though, could this be the beginning of a high performance American sportbike from a company with the financial wherewithal to go from concept to production and keep it alive?
Here at The Kneeslider, we've been promoting the idea of a big American V-Twin in a sportbike chassis for so many years I've lost count. Erik Buell had a very nice run, but it was always a struggle, even when under the wing of Harley Davidson since the Motor Company didn't really know what to do with him. Curt Winter has his own ideas and built several prototypes and there were the Roeher and a few others, but none had the backing to take it beyond the handful they managed to build.
Victory, operating under the umbrella of Polaris, might have the staying power to make it happen. Though Project 156 was an after hours, skunkworks effort, the company seemed to support the idea of letting their engineers color outside the lines a little bit. You have to figure that racing engine might have some real street potential, though the 15:1 compression might have to be dialed back a bit.
With the economy still having the jitters, this may go nowhere, but if anyone can pull it off, Victory might be the one to do it.
Chuck says
This has to be the ugliest bike I have ever seen!
Clive says
You’re out of your gord! Its unrefined, what with the angular bladder, which im assuing is the gas and oil tank because it looks like they stuffed a turbo or maybe supercharger up in the traditional tank, makeshift heatshield over the pipes which looks like it was an afterthought when someone complained of crotch heat and general sloppyness, but its got a great aggresive stance, that intake is freakin cool (like the wakan) and those forks… sweet jesus. Im a huge fan of Roland Sands’ style.
Too bad it crapped out.
Paul Crowe says
Yep, this thing’s all business, very raw, no swoopy fairings and shiny bits. They didn’t mention any numbers, but you have to wonder what kind of power a 1300cc V-twin with 15:1 compression generates. Yowza!
It will be even more interesting to see version 2.0.
Jason says
The bike only crapped out after Canet crashed it.
zipidachimp says
Too big, too heavy, too complicated. Speaking of financial muscle, Polaris/Victory/Indian has the muscle to give us bikes in the 650-900 range which, in my opinion is the ideal range for the majority of riders. I’d give my left one for that new Indian Scout as a 750, really beautiful.
If only they had the will and the imagination! And hey folks, it’s 2015!, lets dump wire spoke wheels on street bikes!!!!
Paul Crowe says
From concept to competition was five months, weight and complexity take time to sort out, though I saw no weight numbers to compare and any liquid cooled bike looks a little busy without fairings, they had almost no practice time, they were tweaking engine mapping up until the race, but even when the bike died due to vapor lock, its times were, at that point, ahead of the pack in class. I guess that weight and complexity didn’t hurt it too much.
Yeti2bikes says
People bitch and moan about anything that isn’t the accepted norm. Big bore V-twin naked “street fighter” bikes are are right up my alley (Buell Lightning owner). I think this is a great platform for a production bike.
Clive says
And where are the wire spoke rims?
Clive says
Yeah, because that indian scout is trim and slim….
Chris says
I haven’t gotten my copy this month, so maybe they address this in there, but is that a fuel tank *under* the engine? That’s gotta have some crazy baffling and flapper valves in it to keep the pickup(s) from un-porting under acceleration or deceleration loads if it is. I guess putting it down there provided a lower-enough cg that it was worth it? It also looks like they didn’t really have any room to speak of above the engine; that area looks like it’s all airbox.
cl
bicho says
I wonder,why did Victory use a Ducati swingarm…………….???
Paul Crowe says
Roland Sands built the bike, Victory supplied the prototype engine and was the motivation and probably major funding behind the project. If Victory takes this idea beyond the one off race bike stage, I’m sure they’ll use their own parts and pieces.
bicho says
You are right about everything,i guess…….but still,a Victory sticker on a Ducati Panigale 899 swingarm,just looks wrong(unprofessional)RSD or not!
Drive The Wheels Off says
cheers to the effort so far. It sounds fantastic. Looks/styling? Yamaha’s new R1 is leading the way in faired sport bike design at the moment.
Lost Boy says
Heavy and Ugly? I think it looks awesome. Its exactly what an American sport bike should be…. raw. My Buell was no feather weight and only made about 80hp. They were cool looking, but that’s about all they were. I for one don’t like Victory’s styling, but this is refreshing.
Alan Caldwell says
I wouldnt be surprised if the Victory 156 is a test bed for something. Theres alot of expense into a nearly whole new engine not to produce it. I know theres lots to be gleaned from a racing project. Im going to through my hat into the ring and say “re-Buell”. By that I mean I think Polaris may have a longer game plan of replacing the American Vtwin “sports bike” into the market. Buell was a marque that had/has lots of devout followers. Like a good American, Buell was anti mainstream, and it is also a anti sports bike. Itll never have the tall legs of 300kph that a 600cc will have, but my god they can carve a canyon like no one else (when properly set up). A few decried the use of a “Stock” HD engine, why not a (supposedly) better engineered S&S…. The HD engines are full of foibles (no surprise), logiacally they went Rotax at the end. From what I have(nt) read Polaris/Victory motors are pretty bullet proof. They have been smart in quite a few of their choices…they arent going 1:1 with HD model for model. No need, they dont need to . So with 9 models (not including the Impulse TT which has beaten HD to the market with a working electric bike by years. Id guess itd be at least 3 years before we see the HD electric bike in the stores). It makes perfect sense to see Polaris try to fill a niche market. Even if they only sell a few thousand thats about what Buell sold….when the markets were good. I know Eric Buell by all reports is going to stay on with EBR.. I kinda wish Polaris would poach him, even if its just as a consultant.
Polaris isnt going to try and out nostalgia HD it cant. No one can. I think Yamaha finally figured that out. Their Warrior and Stratoliner pays homage to the history and design (and heart and soul). The Indian brand isnt going head to head with HD but its more firmly aimed at the hearts of American riders. But where they will rule, IMHO, is engineering. Polaris makes more than 1 type of engine, its nice to see their engineering dept getting to have some fun too.
What I cant figure out is why bring Roland Sands on board? Lately he seems to be more of a project bike guy than a real builder….that leaves me to believe his team does the building, hes the guy who walks in when the camera is on. What ever happened to his 200mph Victory? I think hes more of a “Brand” to get a younger (sportier) HD crowd aware of the bike.
YMMV
ride on!
Rudedog4 says
It’s very clearly not ready for production, but it’s definitely got potential. Looks like it has fairly upright ergonomics. I like the tank, but the seat looks very uncomfortable, and the rear suspension looks Macguyverish. It should be interesting to see if Polaris ever brings such a bike to production.