The Kneeslider

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Victory Vision 800cc parallel twin automatic concept

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Victory Vision Concept bike
Polaris, well known for ATVs and their Victory cruiser line, came to the Long Beach motorcycle show loaded with something a bit outside their usual lineup. Taking an 800cc parallel twin from an ATV, they built the Vision, a concept bike that looks like nothing I’ve ever seen.

The bike uses a CVT type transmission and shaft drive on a single sided swingarm. There are no foot controls, no gearshift due to CVT and with no rear brake lever you have to figure linked brakes from the hand lever. The engine lies low so the area above contains huge storage plus a bladder type fuel tank above the engine and behind the front wheel. Floorboards suggest cruiser type ergonomics.

When an American motorcycle company known for cruisers starts building concepts like this, I get the feeling at least a few guys have some idea that riding attracts people with differing tastes. We might eventually have a chance to see something outside the cruiser/chopper line, even from a company like Victory. I’m not even sure where this type of concept fits in and there don’t seem to be any plans to build this but it sure gets your attention. I give Victory a big thumbs up for trying something different.

via Motorcycle Cruiser

Victory Vision Concept bike

Victory Vision Concept bike

Comments

  1. “When an American motorcycle company known for cruisers starts building concepts like this, I get the feeling at least a few guys have some idea that riding attracts people with differing tastes. ”

    Not to argue your point too much, but I don’t see Victory really breaking much new ground here, aside from the somewhat “Tron” looking bodywork. The parent company, Polaris, has been using CVTs for how long in their snowmobiles? The same tech. has been used in golfcarts for decades, and a few import autos, like the Subaru Justy, and either a Daewoo or Daihatsu (can’t remember which one right now). I’m not knocking it, I just don’t think it’s that revolutionary. The way I perceive this thing is like a scooter on steroids, and so will the general biker. Dan Gurney, http://www.allamericanracers.com/alligator/alligator_home.html , already has some big V-twin powered scooters.

    I’d much rather see Victory release an actual sportbike.

    I agree that there should be more diversity in the motorcycle designs besides cruiser and sportbike, especially since there really aren’t any “standard” bikes available in the U.S. anymore. I like some of the Honda line that are available overseas, especially the Deauville, http://world.honda.com/news/2005/2050929_a_2.html , which looks like a more refined V-strom 800 .

    I like the shots I’ve seen of the new Ninja 650R. Any idea when that bike’ll be reviewed by anyone?

  4. It’s nice that Victory is trying something different and all, but good god, that thing is hideous!

    I agree with Matt, Victory should consider building a sportbike. A naked cafe racer style with Victory’s V-Twin and six-speed transmission would be pretty cool.

  6. Mark,

    I couldn’t agree with you more. Victory’s 100 c.i. engine in a naked cafe bike would be awesome. They just need to make the drivetrain smaller. Ducati, Moto Morini, & the Japanese engines have very tidy “stacked” drivetrains. A big twin with a small drivetrain would open up the “street performance” market for both the OEM’s & custom builders. (Victory-you could sell crate motors for very cool specials).

    A cafe bike built around a great chassis, high-end suspension, and big twin motor could be the motorcycle equivalent to the Shelby Cobra. Incredible torque with great sound and looks.

    Victory is partially on its way to this concept by having a gear-driven primary in a unit-construction. [why did the MT-01 result in such a large motorcycle? If Yamaha had made the overall dimensions of that bike in line with a Ducati Monster, Moto Guzzi V11 Sport, or previous steel-framed Buell it would have had a much bigger demand.]

  7. the reference to the Shelby Cobra is that he took a big, torquey American V8 engine and shoe-horned it into a seemingly unlikely sports car chassis (as opposed to using a strict sport performance engine)

  8. polaris has no intention on building a bike like this or even a street cafe racer. The idea behind concept bikes is to showcase your engineering talent, to drive home the point that they are not just another kit-bike-clone manufacturer There was no market study done for this concept (actually just a non functioning model right?) and nothing I’ve read from victory would suggest they intend on developing anything other than big V-twin cruisers and choppers. I’m sure if the majority of bikers in the US started riding cafe bikes that’s the direction they would go. They are only after a piece of the largest pie, the pie in the shape of the big H-D.

  9. when does a company publicize every move they are about to make? Did Triumph announce to the world that they were working on a 675cc sport triple or a monster Rocket III before they were ready? Did anyone know about Ducati’s wild Supermotard from the start?

    If Victory is ONLY wanting to mold themselves according to the “pie in the shape of the big H-D” (as Todd suggests), then they should consider a sport-oriented bike like stated above, anyway. H-D is already producing the Street Rod, a bike that could easily be turned into a sport tourer in a next model built with the Revolution engine. Besides, the topic of a cafe bike built by Victory was brought up in the context of the concept bike process.

  10. I have seen a “V” bike kit from some manufacturer that is made from the HD motor, big twin not the sporty and in kit form, so a cafe Victory kit could be just as easy to build?, but why HD is not known for speed and handling just big fat cruisers, at that they are the king of the road!