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Cruiser
Posts: 180
Georgia On My Mind.... United States | BELOW ARE EXCERPTS FROM MY FIRST EMAILS TO MY BIKER FRIENDS ABOUT MY FIRST 1500 MILES ON LUCILLA (MY VISION). MOST OF MY BUDS RIDE BMWs. I WORK ABOUT 60 HOURS PER WEEK, SO RIDING TIME IS LIMITED RIGHT NOW.
THE DUDE IN THE PICTURE IS THE GUY WHO SOLD ME ON A VISION.
Went and done it.
Traded bikes.
Traded our beloved BMW K1200 LT for a new Victory Vision Tour.
We like it. Very different from the German LT, but the rider/passenger wind
protection is comparable.
It's all American. Wifey says the Vision is a little agricultural or
industrial, at least compared to the Porsche sounding and feeling LT. I say it
reminds me of a John Deere, but a NICE John Deere.
And what's really wrong with that!
Oh, it requires very little maintenance. Just change the oil and filter. Air
filter and battery are easy, easy to get to.
The Vision has all the enmities we require. ABS, heated grips and seats,
tip-over protection, cruise control, electric windscreen and so on.
Happy, happy, happy!
PS - It does handle VERY, VERY well.
EMAIL NUMBER TWO:
Still Very Happy!
I quickly put the first 500 miles on the Vision and was ready for the first
service. My dealer was booked-up and I had to wait about two weeks for an
appointment. They only have one Victory mechanic so I had to be patient.
They charged $180 for the service. The mechanic took about three hours to check
everything and adjust the drive belt and of course the oil change. He was very
thorough. They even detailed and washed the bike when the service was
completed. I was very impressed with the folks at Capital Cycle in Macon. They
offered to take me to lunch while I was waiting and brought me a complementary
soda.
The mechanic (Mark) spent some time with me going over some maintenance tips. I
was very impressed and it was a good experience.
Riding the big cruiser is a treat. She feels like an old American hot rod.
Big, long and King of the Road. Reminds me of my Dad's '49 Mercury. Riding a
cruiser is a new and different experience for me. Being a 1731cc V-twin, she
absolutely has great highway torque with a little added rumble. I love the long
floorboards and deep cushioned seat.
The brakes are linked and work very well. She surprisingly has great suspension
and no nose dive when stopping hard. I like the air adjustable rear shock. I
can't express how impressed I am with Victory's build quality. Fit and finish is
pure premium status. The ABS lines are top self stainless. The mag wheels are
finished very well and looks custom. She even has metal valve stems.
I took the bike out one night and I have never owned any vehicle with headlights
this good. Unbelievable! I can actually ride this bike at night with
confidence. It has better lighting than my F-150! The dash is really cool.
The gauges are white with red needles but at night the dials light up in blue
neon and the needles appear neon red. All the other control panel switches
light up in blue neon too. Very impressive.. It's been a very long time since
I've had a bike that I could even dare to ride in the dark!
The only complaint I have is that bike is too quiet. Quieter than even the LT.
I'll be looking at some upgraded mufflers in the near future. I want to hear a
little more of the air cooled V-twin rumble.
So far she is averaging 41.5 mpg. She handles superbly. Better than I would
have ever imagined a cruiser would. They tell me the proper term for this bike
is a "dresser". I'm certainly enjoying this new experience in riding an
American made Victory.
EMAIL NUMBER THREE:
I had my first day ride on the new Victory today. I was blessed with perfect
weather. I headed to Pine Mountain. The only route there is by back roads.
I'm now at the 1000 mile mark on the Vision's clock. I'm still very impressed
with the bike. I can say that she does handle as well as the LT. Mountain
curves are a treat. The motor actually performs better and smoother at lower
rpms when it is under a load like climbing hills. I'm getting used to the large
handlebars. They give much more leverage/input than what I'm used to with the
LT.
The floorboards are a treat and offer about 47 different positions for my number
12's. I never came even close to dragging a board. The roads were plenty curvy
too. See one of the pics attached. It feels great to put your feet forward and
have the cool breeze run up the pant leg.
Five hours in the seat proves it's a winner. Probably the best stock seat I've
ever encountered. All it will need is my sheep skin cover for those really hot
days. The seat is large enough to offer about four different positions to sit
in. That combined with my new Utopia backrest, I'm good to do some long saddle
time.
As far as the ride went; I had a bad experience with a Gold Wing rider that ran
across the center-line and almost hit me head long. If I had been sightseeing,
and not saw him and reacted, it would have been lights out. Yikes! Memories of
Deal's Gap.
I came to an intersection and a Duck Dynasty looking dude on an old Valkyrie
pulled up beside me, real close, leaned over and shouted "Hey man, been trying
to catch you! Dang, what kinda bike is that?" I told him it was a Vision. I
decided I better put some miles between us, so I turned left and let her fly.
About two minutes later I looked to my right and the Valkyrie was right on me.
He pulled up next to me, handlebar to handlebar, saddle bag to saddle bag and
began a conversation with me. "Man that thang looks great! It's so quiet! How
much did you pay for it?"
I couldn't shake him. I did not know what road I was on. Hills and curves.
There he was dead beside me. I wanted to speed away but I couldn't go any
faster because of the hills. So, I carried on the conversation. He apparently
knew how to ride well and was used to this intimate riding style. It was like
we were the Blue Angles or something. I finally yelled that I had to turn in
the next store and I did. He was still mumbling something at me as I was
exiting the road.
I refueled when I returned home and we averaged 42.6 mpg. I was complaining
about how quiet the exhaust is, but I wore earplugs today. With the plugs in, I
could really now hear the lovely tone of the rumbling V twin. She sounds great.
My final thoughts?
Happy, happy, happy!
EMAIL NUMBER FOUR:
I didn't have much time or resources for a ride but I did get away for a 220
mile loop through south Georgia this morning. Lucilla is running smoother and
smoother as she breaks in. The transmission is also improving.
While I was filling up at a local gas station, I turned the bike around in a
tight circle and accidentally got my left foot caught on an uneven surface and
almost dropped her. I almost twisted my ankle as my foot got jammed between the
concrete and the left tip over bar. Dumb and dumber. But I digress.
I headed toward Andersonville National Cemetery. I took a quick tour and some
pictures. It is beautiful this year because of all the spring rains. Note the
Confederate flag picture from the Commandant's spot overlooking the great prison
pen.
From Andersonville I rode through Americus. I got caught between two eighteen
wheelers and an irrigation pivot blindsided me with a large amount of water
spray. Completely soaked me and my clean bike. Felt like a fire hose.
I had a quick lunch in Cordele. Decided to ride down US 41 to Tifton. This
road was a poor choice because the asphalt is getting old and has thousands of
ripples.
In Tifton, I visited my Grandparent's old church and their graves. I haven't
been that way since forever. I remember my Dad's first cousin was the preacher
there for a very long time. Our family has been members there since the end of
the Civil War.
In Tifton and in traffic my computer was indicating 95 degrees. I got
overheated and had to seek some AC and a Gator Aide for some relief. Must be my
new blood pressure meds. I can't stand the heat anymore. Of course the
humidity was about one-hundred percent too.
So far I was on all back roads, but I hit the super slab to return home. Had a
quick 80 mile return trip.
Many ask me if Lucilla has excessive engine felt heat. No she doesn't. But I
will say she has a warm heart. I kinda like air cooled motors.
I filled up at home and we averaged 43.3 MPG. Hard numbers as the computer said
about 46 MPG. The fuel gauge is very accurate as is the one-gallon low fuel
warning indicator. The speedo seems to be right on. Need to verify it
sometime.
So far, Lucilla is a keeper. She's getting better and better. I'm especially
enjoying the iPod and my traveling playlist.
Final thoughts?
Happy, happy, happy!
EMAIL NUMBER FOUR:
We decided to grab some local road patrol time today and toured Crawford, Peach
and Monroe Counties. We did about 260 miles. Wifey accompanied me the last
120 miles or so.
We found a great, almost canopy road. State Highway 42, in Monroe County was
cool and beautiful. It is overgrown on both sides and the outside temps dropped
five degrees rolling through the shadows on the curves and hills. This is a
great place to cool off when it's too hot to enjoy the ride.
We experimented with the Victory's air adjustable shock. I've named the Fox
Racing shock pump Elmer. Now I can say the Victory has ESA, just like the
Beemers. Elmer's Suspension Adjustment or ESA. Not a bad way to go for $26!
And boy does it work well.
We found our two-up sweet-spot. When set properly, the bike handles better
two-up than anything that I've ever experienced. Wifey agrees. A fine ride
indeed. Too much air and the bike steers quickly. Too little air, the bike
feels light in the front end. When adjusted properly, the bike is completely
level and rock solid.
I should say the Vision has blue ribbon quality suspension. No bouncing when
shifting gears. No nose dive, or helmet clanking when breaking. Wifey's
overall opinion of her comfort is that the Vision is comparable to the LT. The
Vision's ride is a little less plush than the LT, but to me, that's a good
thing.
This was a great day for a ride. We averaged 42.7 MPG on today's tank. At 1500 miles, Lucilla
is delivering as promised.
All the best and keep happy, happy, happy!
Edited by Pops 2014-05-15 10:10 PM
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Cruiser
Posts: 180
Georgia On My Mind.... United States | MORE PIX
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 33
Pillager, MN | Great write-up, Pops. I really love my Vision too. Came off a Valkyrie, but I promise I wasn't the guy trailing you. I can see how he was able to keep up with you...they run pretty good, but the Vision is way better handling in the twisty's (and a few Lloydz goodies takes care of the performance difference).
Your bike looks great. Nothing prettier than black...it's just so hard to keep it clean (my Valkyrie was black).
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Cruiser
Posts: 180
Georgia On My Mind.... United States | more pix...
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Cruiser
Posts: 207
| Enjoyed the write up and agree with your opinions about the VV. Came off a Valkyrie Interstate too and while it was a fantastic ride, the VV is better by far. 
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