Victory Is No More

[RossKean]

I suspect that dropping the Victory was in the cards ever since they acquired Indian. Once they had that brand developed and overcame the years of really bad reliability issues when Indian was owned by a succession of groups that could not make it work (at any price), the switch was almost certain. How could Polaris continue to manufacture two brands that essentially filled the cruiser market? The Victory has always been a good reliable motorcycle but the Indian name has some real history and nostalgia going for it.

 

[creg-ny-baa]

I think that Polaris is even less likely to allow Victory to be "snatched up" than HD was to allow Buell to be several years ago. Too much of their products are proprietary and some is too close to the Indian brand they're continuing with. I think what will be an interesting "administrative" aspect is the costs that the ex-Victory dealers incur to meet appearance requirements to transition to Indian shops, should they choose to do so.

 

[jmdaniel]

Funny thing is I never owned a Victory or had any desire to own one. However, I hate to see them go. I hate to see that one of the choices in American made bikes is not going to be made anymore.
I own two Japanese bikes, but I would like to see several American made bike companies doing well. I was hoping HD, Victory and Indian would continue to grow and prosper. Then one day they might make something that is not a cruiser that I would just have to have. You know like something Motus is doing, but at a price I can afford.

Right now I'll just stick with Yamaha.

Funny that people consider the Victory an American made bike. Designed and assembled here, sure, but a TON of the parts are sourced overseas.

I suspect that dropping the Victory was in the cards ever since they acquired Indian. Once they had that brand developed and overcame the years of really bad reliability issues when Indian was owned by a succession of groups that could not make it work (at any price), the switch was almost certain. How could Polaris continue to manufacture two brands that essentially filled the cruiser market? The Victory has always been a good reliable motorcycle but the Indian name has some real history and nostalgia going for it.

Bingo. I rode a Cross Country and a Chieftain last summer in Minnesota, and couldn't believe how nimble and actually small the Chieftain felt, after having wrestled with the Victory. They are both overpriced, IMO, but if I had to choose one, it would be the Indian, hands down.

 

[Bugman]

Here is the powerpoint for the curious. https://s2.q4cdn.com/339036663/files/doc_presentations/2017/Victory-Exit-1-9-17-F.pdf

 

[danh600]

Funny that people consider the Victory an American made bike. Designed and assembled here, sure, but a TON of the parts are sourced overseas.

That could be said for almost anything that is multi-component. It's a global economy.

I read somewhere that using certain data you can make a very good case that the most "American Made" car is actually a Honda Accord.

But I like neat little categories.

HD,Victory, Indian - American

BMW - German

Yamaha, Suzuki - Japanese

etc.etc.etc.

 

[jmdaniel]

Funny that people consider the Victory an American made bike. Designed and assembled here, sure, but a TON of the parts are sourced overseas.

That could be said for almost anything that is multi-component. It's a global economy.

I read somewhere that using certain data you can make a very good case that the most "American Made" car is actually a Honda Accord.

But I like neat little categories.

HD,Victory, Indian - American

BMW - German

Yamaha, Suzuki - Japanese

etc.etc.etc.

I read this morning that Toyota is saying the Camry is the most American car. I know Honda used to be able to say the Gold Wing was the most American motorcycle, when it was made in Marysville, Ohio.

 

[Kelvininin]

Funny that people consider the Victory an American made bike. Designed and assembled here, sure, but a TON of the parts are sourced overseas.

It's been a while since I researched it but at one point in time the domestic index of victory motorcycles was greater than 60%, beating out HD which was just shy of 50%.

A domestic index of 60% is pretty solid.

 

[Bugman]

You source parts from those that can readily supply them. So Brembo, Nissin, and Tokico immediately come to the front of the line for brakes. Then you also have quality and price. The Japanese and Europeans have a very good infrastructure to supply motorcycle parts in volume that the US simply does not have. So US motorcycle manufacturers get their parts from all over the world. If you don't need the volume, then you can use more of the small suppliers that are available here in the US. It all about managing the supply chain.

 

[Mossyrocks13k]

Here's an article on this announcement

Polaris says it's the end of the line for Victory Motorcycle brand

and here

Victory Motorcycles cease production

 

[HotRodZilla]

That's a bummer. Victory makes some nice bikes. It's a dammed shame they're going to continue the POS Indian line and let Victory go away. People designing and buying Indian need to let go of 1935. They are ugly as Hell and always have been. There's more than one reason they failed in the first place.

Victory had some things going for it. Retro ******** can only carry a brand for so long. It's a bummer for dealers, but I'm betting Bombardier is going to regret this when the Indian line fails in the next 10 years. I wonder if they'll try to bring Victory back then. How long have they been making the Indian junk again? 2, 3 years? I've yet to see one anywhere but at a dealership. They're going to sell like those Chevy HHR abominations, or those rounded El Camino remakes they tried. Notice those didn't last long either.

 

[jmdaniel]

That's a bummer. Victory makes some nice bikes. It's a dammed shame they're going to continue the POS Indian line and let Victory go away. People designing and buying Indian need to let go of 1935. They are ugly as Hell and always have been. There's more than one reason they failed in the first place.
Victory had some things going for it. Retro ******** can only carry a brand for so long. It's a bummer for dealers, but I'm betting Bombardier is going to regret this when the Indian line fails in the next 10 years. I wonder if they'll try to bring Victory back then. How long have they been making the Indian junk again? 2, 3 years? I've yet to see one anywhere but at a dealership. They're going to sell like those Chevy HHR abominations, or those rounded El Camino remakes they tried. Notice those didn't last long either.

Ha! The number of reasons Indian failed in the first place aren't related to their current situation; the brand is now owned by a company with the deep pockets and expertise to do something with it. And you should probably ride one before you slam them, you might be pleasantly surprised. I know I was.

Of course, you might want to figure out who makes them first, it sure as hell isn't Bombardier.

 

[Kelvininin]

Victory had some things going for it. Retro ******** can only carry a brand for so long. It's a bummer for dealers, but I'm betting Bombardier is going to regret this when the Indian line fails in the next 10 years.

I don't think Bombardier is going to have anything to worry about concerning Victory or Indian, they don't own polaris.

 

[bigjohnsd]

According to the latest Polaris Corporate Investor News, the average Victory dealer retailed TWENTY (20) new Victory motorcycles in 2016. You can't stay in business selling that few bikes as a dealer or as a company

 

[majicmaker]

No offense to the fans but, the vision was the ugliest thing I've even seen in my life. End of statement.

 

[Kelvininin]

No offense to the fans but, the vision was the ugliest thing I've even seen in my life. End of statement.

It grows on you, the Vision rides so beautifully.

 

[RossKean]

No offense to the fans but, the vision was the ugliest thing I've even seen in my life. End of statement.

I agree. Supposed to be a pretty good bike to ride. Bet I could do some great long-distance rides on one - I would be too embarrased to stop anywhere and take off my helmet! I have a friend who has a dolled-up Cross Country and it sucks much less than the Vision.

 

[HotRodZilla]

That's a bummer. Victory makes some nice bikes. It's a dammed shame they're going to continue the POS Indian line and let Victory go away. People designing and buying Indian need to let go of 1935. They are ugly as Hell and always have been. There's more than one reason they failed in the first place.Victory had some things going for it. Retro ******** can only carry a brand for so long. It's a bummer for dealers, but I'm betting Bombardier is going to regret this when the Indian line fails in the next 10 years. I wonder if they'll try to bring Victory back then. How long have they been making the Indian junk again? 2, 3 years? I've yet to see one anywhere but at a dealership. They're going to sell like those Chevy HHR abominations, or those rounded El Camino remakes they tried. Notice those didn't last long either.

Ha! The number of reasons Indian failed in the first place aren't related to their current situation; the brand is now owned by a company with the deep pockets and expertise to do something with it. And you should probably ride one before you slam them, you might be pleasantly surprised. I know I was.

Of course, you might want to figure out who makes them first, it sure as hell isn't Bombardier.

Right, but why would I give a ****? I had Victory mixed up with CanAm. Doesn't make the Indian suck any less. What makes you think I haven't ridden one. We have a dealer in Albuquerque. I would buy a Victory. I wouldn't own an Indian if someone gave me one.

 

[jmdaniel]

Right, but why would I give a ****? I had Victory mixed up with CanAm. Doesn't make the Indian suck any less. What makes you think I haven't ridden one. We have a dealer in Albuquerque. I would buy a Victory. I wouldn't own an Indian if someone gave me one.

Sorry, you did say you only saw them at the dealership; I thought that meant you hadn't ridden an Indian. So how was that CanAm dealer? Good to work with? Ha!

 

[HotRodZilla]

Right, but why would I give a ****? I had Victory mixed up with CanAm. Doesn't make the Indian suck any less. What makes you think I haven't ridden one. We have a dealer in Albuquerque. I would buy a Victory. I wouldn't own an Indian if someone gave me one.

Sorry, you did say you only saw them at the dealership; I thought that meant you hadn't ridden an Indian. So how was that CanAm dealer? Good to work with? Ha!

You see? Now you're just being mean! Haha...Actually, our CanAm dealer sells KTM, Suzuki and Kawasaki also. Biggest MC store in Albuquerque, so we're in there a lot. The people who own our Victory dealer are very cool. Thankfully most of their sales seem to come from quads and side by sides.

 

[Abercrombie FJR]

Well now it is all making more sense to me. Earlier this winter a local large dealership (for Fargo) that handles several brands including Victory, Polaris, Slingshot, Kawasaki, and Suzuki, announced they were dropping Suzuki and taking on Indian. They remolded the whole store creating an elaborate approximately 3000 square foot display for Indian. I thought that it was sort of a **** head move since another small dealership just down the street already carried Indian, along with Triumph, and Can-Am.

The new Indian display appeared to be going after Harley because it had all the non motorcycle Indian merchandise **** you would find in a Harley dealer. Since the dealer was already carrying three Polaris lines it wasn't a huge surprise that they also wound up with Indian but the huge Indian display was baffling. I just found it so odd that the new Indian display squeezed Victory into a dark corner of the showroom where it had been a featured brand.

I think with the historic Indian name that finally produces a reliable motorcycle, Polaris can now truly break into the Harley market of peripheral marketing ( tee shirt, apparel, coffee cups and **** like that). I think Indian would like to position themselves as Harley and sell lots non motorcycle stuff. I'm sure you have all traveled with a Harley rider (or had the unfortunate opportunity to be married to one like me) and had to go out of your way to stop at some Harley store in a touristy town to buy some kind of t-shirt or trinket. Hell, many Harley stores my wife has brought me to don't even sell motorcycles and only has one sitting in the front window as a display!

Well that is my .02 cents but of course I think I am right. Any how I was never interested in a Victory until they came out with the Octane. I have ridden most of the Victory line except for the Octane at demo days and none of them floated my boat.