Victory motorcycles have had a few false starts in New Zealand, but early build-quality issues have now been resolved. Its owner -- Polaris -- is more serious than ever about its road bikes now Indian's been added to the portfolio, and so is the Australian and New Zealand team behind the brand Downunder.
As a competitor to Harley-Davidson they had their work cut out, for buyers rate not only that brand's visual and aural muscle, but also a heritage that's lasted well over a century. Victory's a raw stripling, the range of in-your-face twins launched as a Harley alternative on July 4, 1998 -- just 16 years ago.
The brand's designers have certainly done an impressive job of creating a handsome line-up with almost custom looks that'll cover everything from the muscle bike fan to the long-distance cruiser, from traditional Harley buyers to those looking at the likes of Triumph. The vibe is young, dynamic and b-a-a-a-d, as a foil to the more sedate Indian, or the Harley brigade, which numbers lawyers and accountants in their black-leather weekend fancy-dress and "club" patches.
Many of these bikes come as standard with the radical paint jobs, concept-bike lines and super-wide rear rubber that'll normally cost a cruiser buyer a pretty penny from the aftermarket catalogues. It's that, and competitive pricing, which drew a sprinkling of buyers when the brand first arrived here. And perhaps the array of comic book name tags also enticed, for the line-up includes such models as the Kingpin, the Hammer and the Judge. Cue the Batmobile, while the Vision's straight out of the Jetsons.
