|
|
Puddle Jumper
Posts: 6
| Last week a friend and myself took a 100 mile journey to test ride the new Victory Vision. Both of us are in the market for a couple of new tour bikes and after watching the Victory Vision hype for almost a year, we both had saved up and were ready to plop down the bucks and ride Victory.
Much to our regret, after short ride we left the dealer un-decided mainly because of a some major problems we detected on the ride. I have listed them below:
1) For some reason, the free-play or backlash in the transmission is far too loose - if you ride one, just get in 3-4th gear and slowly add and lower the throttle. There is an amazing amount of free-play causing the transmission to clunk both up and down in power - it almost sounds as if your hitting the transmission case with a 5 lb sludge hammer. It un-acceptable for a new bike and I could not even imagine how bad it will get during summer when the oil heats up and some wear sets in.
2) I have no idea who designed that transmission but I never heard a transmission shift so poorly in my 40 years on a bike. Shifting both up and down clunked like a dump truck going down the street. I tried syncing the rpm to the gear as I do my Harley and nothing seemed to help.
3) Why in the world would a 2008 state-of-the-art motorcycle surface with a 1900 cooling system - what in the world was Victory thinking making this bike air-cooled. I can't imagine sitting in traffic with that heat pouring off those jugs. In addition, the vibration from the twin was just that. I could feel it through the entire bike, handlebars, and floor- boards
4) I don't know if it was just my bike, but my Vision never tracked very well. It felt overly sensitive at center.
5) During idle, the brake and shifter pedals were almost falling off they were so loose, I noticed mold dents in the plastic rear cases and a distorted windshield.
6) Last but no least, "Hey Victory" this is 2008 – how in the world do you come up with a futuristic touring bike without ABS. Shame on them for not looking out for our safety!
For myself, I'm disappointed, I went down there to buy one and now I'm not sure where I'm now going with Victory. It's not like I'm hurting for a bike - I presently own a Vrod, a Goldwing 1800, and an Aprillia Scarabeo. While I was willing to take the risk on a first year production, I now see far too many areas that need attention and I only drove it for a short period of time.
In conclusion, while I know Victory is looking at getting some of the touring market, the Victory Vision is just that; a vision of taking on bikes like the Honda Goldwing, but at least for now, there is absolutely no comparison to a Goldwing. The ride, the engineering, and electronics are as far away as the Visions futuristic styling.
Edited by RotoryMike 2007-12-16 5:36 PM
|
|
| |
|
Cruiser
Posts: 57
| Go plop your money on another Honda then. |
|
| |
|
Visionary
Posts: 2026
Brighton, TN | OOOOOHHHHWWWWEEEEE! What a tough crowd. I haven't been riding for quite some time on a large bike before I bought mine. Too me it responds like a sport bike, not a goldwing. There is absolutely no man handling at all involved in the bike. Matter of fact, if I wanted the passenger to drive all I have to do is give control over and she can drive it from the back seat quite easily with both of us on it. Yeah, it's a little warm in the summer time, but so was my last bike. Dude, it appears you took some of the complaints from here and made some of your own. Enjoy whatever you like. I would have to say that most on here 90+% are more than happy and ecstatic with the Vision. |
|
| |
|
Puddle Jumper
Posts: 47
Adamsville, Tn | All I can say is, if you don't like it, don't buy it. That's a lot of money to spend and not be happy. |
|
| |
|
Cruiser
Posts: 185
Nebraska | I was wondering how long it would take for the trolls to find this place. It may be down hill from here. |
|
| |
|
Tourer
Posts: 495
Carrollton, TX | It truly is amazing how several hundred people can ride the Vision and only a hand full or two experience something 180 degrees different of what everyone else does or at least they report so.
There is a wide and experienced group of riders represented on this board and many who now are the proud owners of the Vision and my guess is no matter what bike they have owned previous you couldn't pull the Vision from their cold dead hands. After only two test rides on the Vision I know this will be the case for me as soon as mine gets here... hopefully by the first of the year.
Craig
Midnight Cherry Tour Premium on order
|
|
| |
|
Cruiser
Posts: 57
| This ROTORROOTER guy is a BSer you can find some posts over at gl1800 riders forum and he has been riding his new goldwing for a few weeks before he ever rode the Vision. If he did indeed ride the Vision. He also has a post bitching about the goldwings noisy transmission, the front end wobble and some other problem that he can't indentify. But all in all his goldwing is flawless. |
|
| |
|
Tourer
Posts: 496
Scottsdale AZ | I make a motion that "RotayMike" is banned from Vision-Riders, instructed to do 100 pushups, run 5 miles without shoes in the desert at 29 Palms,(no water), and apologize to the motorcycle gods for posting on this site. And, if you read this RotartyMike, ask your wife or SO what the word discretion means. |
|
| |
|
Tourer
Posts: 340
Regina Saskatchewan Canada | I have a hard time believing this guy has even ridden the Vision. His beefs are so outlandish you just know he is just trying to piss someone off or bash Victory because he doesn't own one but wish he did!
|
|
| |
|
Visionary
Posts: 1324
So Cal | Some people are better off on 4 wheels. With the long stroke of 106" V twin the goldwing trans wouldnt last 6 months. I experienced the trans noise and driveline clunk he mentioned when I first got the Vision. After the first service all those problems diappeared. Putting antifreeze in a motorcycle is just WRONG. If you need ABS on a motorcycle, you need to learn how to ride. Japanese bikes may be efficient, but the have no soul.
I love my Vision and will never give it up. |
|
| |
|
Puddle Jumper
Posts: 6
| Hey I went down there to buy one - I'm not hammering the bike, just teling it like it is. Maybe I got a bad one but this is exactly the way it is.
If you think I'm the only one here's some remarks from a Vision website where guys found somewhat the same problems:
19. RE: 2008 Victory Vision: Refreshingly Original Take on Luxury Touring Bike
Do you know if Victory is considering offering an ABS system mid year? It seems as though this could be a great way to increase first year Vision sales, especially since Harley is offering ABS on their 2008 models.
22. RE: 2008 Victory Vision: Refreshingly Original Take on Luxury Touring Bike
Victory hit Washington DC this weekend and coming from the sport bike clubs I though it was a nice bike. I wasn't sold on the loud clunk during shifting (Maybe this is normal V-TWIN shifting) but overall it was a nice ride.
29. RE: 2008 Victory Vision: Refreshingly Original Take on Luxury Touring Bike
I now have one of the Vision Tour's and it's an amazing bike. I look forward to putting a ton of miles on it! As for some of the posters that complain about ABS or the lack of it, the bike does have a linked braking system (depending on version). It may not be ABS but I slammed the brakes on in heavy traffic and it responded very well with no rubber streaks behind me. If you know how to ride a bike and let's face it, we all started out on bikes that probably didn't have ABS, you will be fine. Also, for the shift noise, it's a bit clunky but it also takes some practice and feathering on the clutch to make it smooth, just like any other bike out there. I like it for the fact that it tells me loud and clear that it's shifted, as the LCD display can be a bit delayed. And, it you are torn between the Tour and Street editions, the top case comes off within 15 minutes and 8 bolts...two bikes for the price of one. You can' beat that!!
25. RE: 2008 Victory Vision: Refreshingly Original Take on Luxury Touring Bike
I have a 03 Victory classic.. wouldn't replace with the Vision. The side bags have minimal space for storage; I didn't feel the "massive torque". Thought about getting one, but will pass.
3. RE: 2008 Victory Vision: Refreshingly Original Take on Luxury Touring Bike
I think this is a good move. H-D and once again, Indian, have retro covered, so it was time to think outside the box and do something different. I'm curious who the buyers will be. I don't think there are a bunch of BMW and metric touring owners sitting around saying "I wish I had a V-twin", but maybe there are enough potential electra and ultra buyers that will take a serious look. The electra and ultra are not retro, they are just stale and have the "sit on" of feel the whole H-D touring line. If you know Victory at all you know the quality will be very good and you won't need to service it every 250 miles
17. RE: 2008 Victory Vision: Refreshingly Original Take on Luxury Touring Bike
Motorcyclist has a great article on the Vision this month. The test rider who wrote the article said she saw MPG numbers in the mid to upper 30's.
16. RE: 2008 Victory Vision: Refreshingly Original Take on Luxury Touring Bike
rode it at minneoplis, drivetrain was jerky at slower speeds, radio not as good as my 1800 goldwing, other than that, it was very impressive.
11. RE: 2008 Victory Vision: Refreshingly Original Take on Luxury Touring Bike
Rode the Spaceship this weekend in Minneapolis,Mn. Was excited about bike until I drove it. The drive train feels like it is from the 19th century and not the 21st. Noisey tanny,kluncks, wines, missed shifts. Not impressed and doesn't do the rest of the bike justice. To bad, but I'm really glad I drove one before placing an order.
10. RE: 2008 Victory Vision: Refreshingly Original Take on Luxury Touring Bike
My main concern is how much engine heat hits the rider. Is there any type of air flow management to carry engine heat away?
9. RE: 2008 Victory Vision: Refreshingly Original Take on Luxury Touring Bike
I can't believe it doesn't offer ABS. I own an 05 HD Ultra Classic as well as two 05 BMW bikes: a sports bikes and a sports tourer, I cannot believe Victory is not offering ABS. I would buy this bike if not for that amazing oversight. The Beemers have amazing brakes and inspire great confidence. The HD is, at best, adequate. Even though I've ridden the HD across 4 states (CO, NM, AZ and NV), I wouldn't consider it a serious touring bike given its lack of powerful, panic-stop braking.
|
|
| |
|
Iron Butt
Posts: 721
| Can you say "TROLL"
I AM a rider of TWO Hondas right now, a '03 Goldwing and a '03 VTX 1800, as such I have done an extended test ride of the Vision and because of what I saw and experienced I am currently selling BOTH Hondas to buy the Vision Tour. It combines the best parts of what I like in the Goldwing and the VTX. I am a performance nut, I love to "road surf" through places such as Deals Gap and all the nice twisty roads in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Tennessee and North Carolina, and although the Vision lacks the amazing roll-on power that the Goldwing has, I am betting that the handling in the twisties will be equal or superior to the Honda. The foot forward riding position provides the comfort level for my bad knees that the Goldwing lacks for long rides. I just can't wait until next riding season when I can ride my first IBA ride on the Vision.
If what you are saying is true I would say that you rode one of the very few bad ones to get through the QC checks. The 6 speed transmission has an excellent history of reliability and the Freedom engine likewise is a proven performer. As far as air cooling goes, the Freedom engine is not just air cooled, it is air and OIL cooled, and if you know anything about cooling systems, oil is one of the best mediums for such a task. The H-D accessory catalog even offers such an add on system for their engines, but most H-D riders don't like the look of the little oil radiator that has to be mounted on the down tubes. |
|
| |
|
Puddle Jumper
Posts: 6
| cjnoho - 2007-12-16 9:23 PM
Some people are better off on 4 wheels. With the long stroke of 106" V twin the goldwing trans wouldnt last 6 months. I experienced the trans noise and driveline clunk he mentioned when I first got the Vision. After the first service all those problems diappeared. Putting antifreeze in a motorcycle is just WRONG. If you need ABS on a motorcycle, you need to learn how to ride. Japanese bikes may be efficient, but the have no soul.
I love my Vision and will never give it up.
Your remarks about the V twin over-working a Goldwing transmission might just make sense since no transmission can take the beating from all that vibration I felt.
Regarding the goofy comments about anit-freeze that's not worth even answering.
Regarding the ABS - there's must be 10,000 post from guys who busted their AZZ when the front wheel locked up on gravel - painted lines, etc. You need to get with the times. ABS is the best thing that happened to motorcycles.
Vision created their own problems by copying Harley's 100 year old air cooled twin design with the same clunky transmission. |
|
| |
|
Tourer
Posts: 547
Mount Vernon, WA United States | First... RotoryMike, thanks for your input. It's always a bummer when you are psych'd to ride something new and end up being disappointed for ANY reason.
For the rest of you, take a chill pill. To think that 100% of the people out there would LOVE this machine at first try is just silly. 99% maybe,  100%, no way.
It can be for a lot of reasons. One thing that stuck out for me, and I've heard this on the older Vic's especially from anyone who has ridden a Harley... it has to do with the "slop" in the drivetrain. My guess is many people think it's a low rpm bike and are in 3rd loooooong before they should be. Just because these are V-twins, they are NOT low rpm thumpers like a Harley. The gears aren't as high as something like a Guzzi or BMW, but they are up there. I tend to run a little high on the rpm's myself but essentially, I try to keep it around 2500-3000 rpm no matter the gear. I hate the slack of the higher gears, especially in the moderate speed twisties cause you have essentially no engine braking.
The other issues, I totally agree on most, some I don't... doesn't really matter. For a bike they have been building since 2000-01, it should have had the ABS as at least an option already. The linked brakes are VERY good, the best I have ever used, but still... ABS should be an option too The radio reception should be better. There have been several complaints about the heat. Several complaints about the mirrors which apparently RotoryMike didn't have a problem with, or didn't mention. SO WHAT????
Anyway, to each his own. I still think it's a fantastic bike, especially for the money and it's frankly nice to hear objective views.
I happen to like Victory transmissions. I also like my Guzzi transmission which has a similar "personality." You won't EVER hear me say it shifts as smooth as a Honda. It isn't going to. In fact I had a Triumph Bonnie America that shifted so smooth I'd end up running it through all of the gears just trying to get into 2nd cause I couldn't feel it shift and I hated that. Again , each to his own.
Bottom line... ALL OPINIONS WELCOME.
If you seriously think someone is "trolling" then by responding to the thread, you are assisting in that troll.
The old "if you're not part of the solution, then you're part of the problem" comes to mind. |
|
| |
|
Puddle Jumper
Posts: 6
| Travelin' Man - 2007-12-16 10:11 PM
Can you say "TROLL"
I AM a rider of TWO Hondas right now, a '03 Goldwing and a '03 VTX 1800, as such I have done an extended test ride of the Vision and because of what I saw and experienced I am currently selling BOTH Hondas to buy the Vision Tour. It combines the best parts of what I like in the Goldwing and the VTX. I am a performance nut, I love to "road surf" through places such as Deals Gap and all the nice twisty roads in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Tennessee and North Carolina, and although the Vision lacks the amazing roll-on power that the Goldwing has, I am betting that the handling in the twisties will be equal or superior to the Honda. The foot forward riding position provides the comfort level for my bad knees that the Goldwing lacks for long rides. I just can't wait until next riding season when I can ride my first IBA ride on the Vision.
If what you are saying is true I would say that you rode one of the very few bad ones to get through the QC checks. The 6 speed transmission has an excellent history of reliability and the Freedom engine likewise is a proven performer. As far as air cooling goes, the Freedom engine is not just air cooled, it is air and OIL cooled, and if you know anything about cooling systems, oil is one of the best mediums for such a task. The H-D accessory catalog even offers such an add on system for their engines, but most H-D riders don't like the look of the little oil radiator that has to be mounted on the down tubes.
Bar Hopper - just make sure you drive your bike before you pay for it - I'm sure the bikes that are used for reviews and demos are hand picked pieces.
Like I said, I really liked the looks of the Vision - I went down to buy one, but the one I drove had problems - I'm not saying all of them have the same problem, I can only speak for the one that both my friend and I drove. |
|
| |
|
Puddle Jumper
Posts: 6
| As a nitecap for tonight's activities - I will like to say that I'm sorry if I offended anyone or their bike. I found the forum and posted my remarks in hopes of finding some answers. Both Bob and I still like the looks of the Vision. Bob has a dealer close to him and hopefully he'll be able to ride another Vision to see if perhaps the one we dove was built on a Monday or something. |
|
| |
My First Vision Ride!
Discussion -> Vision Discussion
