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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | Had a great day going down to NC for my #2 Granddaughters birthday who turned 6 today. Really enjoyed the day with my daughter and her brood at Chuck E. Cheese. Also took my oldest granddaughter for a ride back to the house.
On the way down taking the back way I stopped in the town of Tarrboro and you would have thought I had just brought the first T.V. to town. While I was in line getting a soda pop, the only pop I had today, a guy come up to me and said he had $200 cash and the title for a Grand Marquis (?) to trade for my bike. When I went back out to my bike a guy with a Harley shirt complimented me on the Vision and said that he believed Victory got its start by a harley guy that made the first one with a harley or and S&S, he couldn't remember. I mumbled something like it was built from the ground up, blah, blah, blah. He wanted to know if it was comfortable so I blew him away with the 45K on the clock in 19 months response. I thought I was going to have to pick him and his friend up off the ground, but they were convinced that it was comfortable. A little boy in a van next to me getting gas asked where I got that motorcycle and I told him from the motorcycle store. He says they were heading there now. I got a few other comments there and other stops along the way, more than I could remember in quit a while.
I rode a lot without the radio on and was amazed at how quiet this bike is with stock pipes and wondered if I should go with S1L1. The bike is running super lean and hot now, so I understand finally the heat issue everyone has been fussin' about. I'm still not going with the funky lookin' lowers, just not me at this time. I'm thinking that Victory may resolve this issue another way and I can hang until then. I know I could bake cornbread and fix a pot of beans just on the 3 hour trip today. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 669
Peachtree City, GA | I hear ya on the heat and the lowers... I am hoping that Victory will come up with another option... Like a closable vent in the inner panel... Just a thought.
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 13
| My Vision is also completely stock and I hear ya on the heat issue. I live in Atlanta so it gets plenty hot, especially on my right leg. Just can't bring myself to get those lowers. I may finally break down and get them but I'm trying to stick it out.
Edited by merc64 2009-06-28 3:08 AM
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Visionary
Posts: 3204
Memphis | I fought getting the lowers for a year and a half. I even took a holesaw to my bike, adding hotrod vents for cooling. (No luck.) I finally caved and took care of the only issue I have with my bike, the heat in the dead zone behind the fairing. I put the lowers on Tuesday. I'm over the looks and want 100% comfort. The heat index hit 115 in Memphis yesterday and the only part that was uncomfortable was my head under a helmet. Now that the lowers are on, the increased comfort far outweighs any perception I had about screwing up the lines of the bike. It kind of scares me to think how cold I will go next winter with the lowers flipped out to provide a bigger heat zone. My record this year was 11 degrees F without them. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 297
VA | I've been waiting for another solution as well. My only thing is, will they, or are the lowers the solution and they consider the issue resolved? Personally, my biggest reservation about them, besides the looks, is that they are held on with double-sided tape. I feel something more secure is needed, especially considering that the defelctors are not cheap. I know at least one person here posted about how they came off while riding and he watched one get crushed under a car. I'd like to see a more solid fastner, then I may consider doing it. I figure they can be flipped in like the small ones, right? So they would just be flipped out when I wanted them to. Still, it does detract from the asthetics. I am not usually as concerned with looks over function, but it's like putting a Moo-Moo on a super model. Just ain't quite right. |
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Tourer
Posts: 353
| varyder - 2009-06-27 6:09 PM
When I went back out to my bike a guy with a Harley shirt complimented me on the Vision and said that he believed Victory got its start by a harley guy that made the first one with a harley or and S&S, he couldn't remember. I mumbled something like it was built from the ground up,
I had a guy at work asking me what kind if bike my Vision was, moments later his partner mentioned that he heard the Vic power plant was made by Harley and assembly and instalallation was done by Vic. I unfortunately failed to ask why Harley was selling the better engine to Vic. |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | I agree with you Marc, they might hold for a few years but then one day they'll fall off I think, at least that is the way for me. Even with the additional heat, I'm really not bothered by it physically and just wonder what will happen in the next traffic jam. I could tell the motor was loading up by the pinging in the slower city traffic, but them lowers don't help that a bit. I wonder if there is a way to put on a larger oil cooler.
Also, is there something that will make it run cooler besides oil? I'm running the vic blend as I couldn't get my hands on the snakeoil from the local jobber when I finished the service. I do have new stock plugs, may I could go with a different plug if I do my homework. I'm using an octane additive but I don't think that helps any. |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | tralphaz - 2009-06-28 5:05 PM
varyder - 2009-06-27 6:09 PM
When I went back out to my bike a guy with a Harley shirt complimented me on the Vision and said that he believed Victory got its start by a harley guy that made the first one with a harley or and S&S, he couldn't remember. I mumbled something like it was built from the ground up,
I had a guy at work asking me what kind if bike my Vision was, moments later his partner mentioned that he heard the Vic power plant was made by Harley and assembly and instalallation was done by Vic. I unfortunately failed to ask why Harley was selling the better engine to Vic.
 what's that movie line? "I don't care who you are, that's funny right there!" |
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Cruiser
Posts: 297
VA | VA, I haven't been using the Victory Oil. I've been buying Mobil 1 synthetic at Pep Boys or Advance Auto. It seems to run a little cooler, but it's hard to tell. Might be just the placebo effect. Anyways, I agree with the lowers, and the time when I notice it most is in stop-and-go traffic. So, no help there. But, it isn't that bad. Just gets a little roasty. Really, what I want is the highway pegs. For me, my legs cool down when I just move them out a little. The pegs would do that, plus give me an extended foot position which I could use on long ride. I got spoiled yesterday though. My buddy and I were riding back from near Lynchburg, and I had a large bag on the back seat. I was leaning back into it, it was like having a recliner. I might get the seat foam beefed up in the winter. Might see about putting the backrest on there at that time. People seem to like it. Just didn't want to cut the seat. Oh well. |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 11
Las Vegas | Just a little history about me, I sell Victorys along with 15 different other manufactures. I work for Arlen Ness Motorcycles of Las Vegas. The talk about a Vision over heating is crazy talk. The bike has been tried and tested in the desert and will not over heat. The lowers will help with the heat as well. Be sure to check your side flares, turn them all the way in to pull heat off of you.
For those of you using other oils, you're asking for trouble. If you bought an oil temp dip stick and you are watching the temp go up and down, it's going to drive you crazy! Throw it away! The bike runs at about 220 degrees, it's normal.
If you have any questions, e-mail me and ask the experts. tina@arlennesslasvegas.com
or twitter me at twitter.com/tinabattles
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | thanks for your input tina it is much appreciated. I personally don't think that I said the Victory was overheating, just hot. I've suffered from an exhaust leak and vacuum leak that was never discovered until I pulled my pipes recently. These leaks were causing my pop and stall yet I was encouraged by my dealer and others on this board to upgrade the exhaust. My perservence for my bike has paid off, I'm now pop free.
The bike runs much leaner and hotter than I came to be accustomed too when it had the leaks. I've also notice a ping now that either I didn't hear before because of the leaks or didn't exist. My gauge is now sitting around 210 or so whereas it was running around 180-190 before. The gauge is a reference for me and I do not live by it. I do not want to get the stick-on louvers to take the heat while I'm riding, I can live with it. I think the ping is really from the crap gas than it is from the engine running hot, it's an aircooled v-twin and believe it to be bullet-proof.
Don't misunderstand my post, my bike is not overheating. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 297
VA | Tina, the Mobil 1 is the V-twin version, so not running car oil. Mine isn't overheating either. Just hot in the summer. But, like VA said, it's an air-cooled V-Twin, so it'll get hot.
VA, I haven't heard any pining in mine yet, are you running 93 octane? I have heard that the ethanol could possibly cause some of that. Up here, everyone adds the ethanol, but I haven't heard any pinging yet. But, maybe I just can't hear it. Hope it works itself out for you.
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | Keep in mind my Vision-world changed for me June 20th when I sealed up all of my exhaust leaks so that put a new dynamic on the bike. I noticed the "ping" while riding two up on Thursday evening on some hilly back roads. It seems to be a pre-detonation knock more than a ping as it does not ping up more as you roll on the throttle. It will have the knock that will disappear when you downshift. Now, I'm not lugging the engine either, it has available roll-on power and it is different when you lug the motor.
I figure it is from the ethonol and I've not noticed it before because of all the exhaust chatter. I run 93 all the time and have even added a octane booster that does seem to make any difference.
For newcomers, I pulled my exhaust and found imperfections on the headpipe mating surface that prevented a good seal. I believe these where there from the factory and no matter how tight I had the exhaust clamps, it was still leaking. The leaks are gone now with the mating surface cleaned up and new gaskets. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1436
| varyder wasn't there some dude from AZ who used a dremel and took off 1.5" from each inner shroud (keeping the natural lines of course) last summer??? I thought he posted something about how successful it was?
My only oncern with doing that would be come winter it would also let the cooler air in, lol....
Mine doesn't bother me enough to make any change at this point. Rode through Pigeon Forge Tn a week ago in 100 degree temps, very slow/crawling traffic. No overheating but it was quite warm as was I. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 88
Billings, MT | I resisted the lowers for several months. Best thing i ever did was buy 'em. 2nd best thing i did was to paint 'em to match bike. When this is done, they almost disappear. I also painted the winglets too! With matching paint people barely know they are there at all. I have had passangers ask about them, then i show them what they do; then they are impressed! Just me two cents!!!! |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | thanks baddog, that sounds like a route I would go but would have to see that up close and really take to it. I think it just boils down to personal preference and not a knock against the product, I just think there will be a solution that I'll take too. For now, everythings cool, ah, well, you know what I mean... |
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Look Ma, No Pop