Teach - 2008-08-05 11:23 PM Well if the new Motorcyclist review is anything like the one conducted by biketest USA, it isn't worth the paper its written on. Really it all comes down to rider preference when choosing a bike. The Vision wasn't aimed at HD, GW, or Triumph rider audiences so it is really a worthless comparison. Many bikes of the year have come and gone, mostly because the manu. didn't take care of something they should have. The book is still out on victory for me. Don't get me wrong I love the Vision I ride, but I'm really disappointed at the same time.

I don’t understand your statement that the review is worthless. When Victory say’s they didn’t design the Vision to compete with the Harley or Gold Wing they are talking style not handling, comfort and all the other points any touring rider would be concerned about.

These reviews deal with the same issues that most touring riders are concerned with; comfort, handling, wind and weather protection, performance, integrated electronics and safety. There is a lot of sub text for each of these main categories also. Granted there are some of these areas that are somewhat subjective to the rider but for most areas it can be clearly substantiated.

The reason I bought the Vision was for all of these reasons as in my opinion and almost everyone I have talked to that has ridden the Vision is that it rules in the vast majority of these areas. I am not married to the Vision and if another company produces a bike that is noticeable better in these areas than the Vision I will buy it as life is too short not to be riding the best touring bike as much as I ride and as important it is to me.

My Victory dealer takes care of me just like my auto dealer does. If I have an issue it is their job to go to bat for me and get the manufacture to support them. Back in 2001 I bought a Victory V92C from my dealer and I had a couple of things go wrong way out of warranty but the dealer got Victory to cover it anyway. After 12,000 miles on my Vision to date I haven’t had any issues but I know if I do my dealer has the stroke to get it taken care of. This is no different than an automobile. I have had issues on autos that the manufacture said was not covered on warranty but after my dealer went to bat for me they reversed their decision. Choosing the right dealer on any major purchase is very important.

AzCruizer - 2008-08-06 12:04 PM You hit the nail right on the head! So far I've nothing but good to say about my Vision and my dealer. It's almost gotten to the point where I don't want to log onto this site for fear of hearing nothing but bitching about how bad their bike is. Perhaps we can make a special forum where disheartened owners can vent...that way the rest of us don't have to read it. If there's a problem, address it with the dealer and have them take care of it. All the negative talk on here just leads riders to start looking for problems they don't have....just my .02

Guilty, guilty. This forum has been great to help me understand more about my 'chine and the issues others were having. But bottom line is that if there is a problem take it to the dealer. All we can do with one another is point in a direction, nobody can fix my problems. I've come to the point where I'm not complaining about the Vision because it is too awesome of a ride. If I have a problem that is worth sharing so others can check their bike out that is what I'll do. I'm really done "bashing", ride what you want to ride, my butt and Airborne knees have made my decision for me, and if something ever comes along better than the Victory Vision, I'll be inclined to go that route if I can afford it. I see 200K or more before I think of geting another bike, and that is a few years from now.

I saw a Harley rider on the side of the road yesterday. I went passed him at first because I was on the inside lane and he on the shoulder. I got off at the next exit and came back around and stopped. There was little I could do for him and he had called his wife to come and get him. All I thought about was helping a fellow biker. Even though he didn't know me, he said, "you're not bash my Harley are you?" I said "No sir, we ride and that is all that matters." I went away very humble as I know that I can bash with the best.

So a suggestion to JAM and Miles, while you are in the mood in starting forums, take AC's suggestion and create a "No Victory on My Vision" forum for the disheartened and discouraged, and leave the rest to those who love to ride.

When you look at what people are really concerned with on this forum it's pretty minor stuff when compared to what it could be. 

The main topic right now is engine heat on the legs.  Victory has a fix that everyone agrees works.  The problem is it doesn't look good enough for some people.  Now the push is on to fix the engine heat without messing up the looks of the bike.  I think it's a healthy discussion and it really amazes me how much talent there is here. 

I just got the the latest Motorcycle Consumer News and it has a long article about the BMW final drive failures and BMW's denial that the problem even exists.  It included a sobering picture of a final drive where the rubber boot covering it is on fire.  Four BMW's had final drive failures during this year's Iron Butt Rally and a fifth bike failed right after the rally was over.  Owning a premier bike and having the company deny that the condition even exists (to the point of even blaming my riding style) would make me psycho.

Belt sqeaks, radio quirks, exhaust/mapping gremlins, bag aligment, the price of accessories, whatever.  If this is all we can gripe about I think Victory had done a pretty good job overall.  For every problem on the forum there seems to be a new post about someone else happily picking up their new dream bike with proud pictures in the gallery. 

I wish the magazines would have a camparison between the bikes after they are broken in and the writers have a few thousand miles with some extreme weather changes under their belts.  Then the Vision would really rise to the top.

Yo Po Bro, this Pep's for you!

dr_pepper_can.jpg (13KB - 1 downloads)

pollolittle - 2008-08-07 7:46 AM Oh thank you Northofthemasondixonlineryder, the decaffeinated cells in my body sing out many praises in your northerly direction. With many thank you's and "We're not worthy!" (Wayne's World quote), since cells have no hands to raise up and down, they are merely squishing themselves together to make an hour glass figure, repeatedly. So drink up and let's Git'R DUN!

Now don't go slingin' insults at me there Chicken Hockey. But I guess I should understand that you couldn't even spell geography, must less know your history.

pollolittle - 2008-08-07 10:22 AM "Now don't go slingin' insults at me there Chicken Hockey. But I guess I should understand that you couldn't even spell geography, must less know your history." Longdistancevaryder, I couldn't stand to add this to the above "blog"! I always thought you speeled "goggrafe" like that! That's the way you taught me. And since you are older than me, I am not personally responsible, so you are to blame. What do you mean couldn't speel it I just did. FYI - A reacent studdi haz chown thet peple hoo r awsum n bid r orrible at spelen. That's just what I heard though.

Sorry there Polittle, it just struck a cord when you called me a bad name, 'specially after sending a digital pep. Now about all that other stuff....

And keeping with the theme of the thread, I'll add my cents, which I'm about out of.... did I hear an applaude?... Anyway, I'm going to do a 25k review that I hope JAM or Miles will post here to replace my 10K review. I've got about a couple months to go. But my assessment of magizine reviews, complaining about problems and bashing is, I happily go down the road on the best touring bike ever built. We can teeter back and forth, and some can glean good and bad, but the bottomline is my Vision was built for me personnally, problems and all. I'm dreading to take my bike to the dealer to get the problems fix, mostly fit and finish, because I'll be without my daily fix for an undetrimined time. I just talked to a Winger who was riding an Intruder that is talking about getting another V-twin, the VTX. We talked for a good while on the good points of the Vision. He recognized the obvious ones that are an aggrevation to him on the Wing. Such as seat height and breadth, floorboards and having to throw your legs up and around the engine for the highway. He liked the Vision for narrowness of the seat, the floorboard and the height, also how it looked to be very comfortable for the pillon and easy on and off. However, he didn't like the space agey look of the bike so it is not for him. I offered for him to sit on my Vision and he said no thanks he sat on one in the show room. So I can only suggest to those with problems, that you file formal complaints against Victory to get them resolved. I'm am very glad I didn't listen to folks who had bad experiences concerning Victory who said things like, "they don't have resell value" "they're a snowmobile maker, what do they know about motorcycels.", "there isn't any good dealers", "my friend had one and blah, blah, blah...". I'm also glad I didn't listen to the Wingers and Harley riders who thought they look funny and nothing is better than their bike, and oh by the way, I would hear them say things like "I wish my bike had such and such..." or "I wish they would get "X" problem fixed." or "I wish I could ride longer, but it burns my butt." or .... well you get the picture.

Since having the Vision, I can not find one thing that I say I wish it had, with one exception, a true leather seat, but hey, that's my problem. Hopefully, Victory will fix all my "problems", but if not, I'm still with the comfort that this is the best ride out there, bar none, for me.

Teach - 2008-08-07 12:54 PM ... For the record all you folks that don't have ANY problems... You are mistaken. You may not be experiencing any issues as some of us are, but the underlying defect exists on ALL Visions. So you might want to thank the folks who have spoken up instead of promoting silence & live with it. ALL of the Visions have a defective bar control, ALL. Whether it has already failed or will in months to come is a given, Victory says so. This type of brand loyalty "don't speak up" attitude is what I'd expect to read on the HD forum. It also isn't productive or helpful. Just my thoughts......

Bar control, tell me Teach. I stay out of the bars just fine, but I've not heard of a defective bar control.

Teach - 2008-08-07 1:21 PM varyder, sorry bud it was a reference to the handlebar mounted radio control module. Evidently its a resistance style module that wasn't engineered properly resulting in cross bleeding of controls and eventual failure. The new module was in final testing last I heard, but no dealer bulletin yet for its availability. Minor issue.....

Gotcha, that is true statement and hopefully these things will get resolved. Not being able to garage my bike I find the controls gives me some problems from time to time. I think Victory is learning some hard lessons right now in building bikes and now a world class cruiser. However, they got the part that really matters right the first time, comfort and ride. Though we all hope for no problems at all, they indeed do arise. Hopefully they will be all corrected, and if not, only we as individuals will decide to what level we'll be satisfied. I don't ride to listen to the radio or my iPod, and I expect some level of issues such as heat and other elements considering the absurdity of riding a motorcycle to begin with. But when I paid for those items I do expect them to function as intended. And I expect that Victory will eventually will make good on everything, but I know I have to wait in line since there are others in front of me, my time will come. Until then, ride on!