victory cross country tour reverse

• Forum Listing
• Marketplace
• Advanced Search
• GL1800Riders Discussions
• General MC Message Board

Victory Cross Country... Good, bad or ugly?

• Add to quote

Anyone ride or have ridden a Victory Cross Country? I've got the chance on what looks to be a nice one complete with reverse gear. Not instead of my GW but to replace my Suzuki VL800 for something different. I'd be pleased to hear your comments, good or bad. TIA.  

I've read nothing but good words for the Cross Country. There are some very good prices out there now, question is, how long will the dealers be willing to service them?  

When the announcement of the closing came out, I read that Polaris had an agreement with Fed Trade Comm to manufacture parts for 10 yrs and that Indian Dealerships would honor the warranty.  

The last on I rode was actually smoother then my Goldwing/I was impressed! Ronnie  

I haven't ridden a Cross Country, but when sitting on one, I it felt more comfortable than my Gold Wing. I didn't buy a Cross Country because I don't like the looks of certain aspects, mostly in the front. Now that Victory is defunct, I don't think I'd be tempted to buy any of their bikes.  

I have a King Pin which is the same platform. I love this bike and Victory motorcycles are well built and worth hanging on to. Reverse is a plus as as soon as Victory production stopped the reverse gear went away and cannot be purchased any more.  

There is a series of YouTube videos showing the differences between the Harley engine and the Victory engine, and how much simpler the Victory is to perform maintenance on. The CCT had the largest luggage capacity of any touring bike on the road. I looked at the CCT when I bought my 2015 Goldwing, even waited to see what Victory's offering was for 2016, but in the end I wanted a liquid cooled engine.  

wingman05 said: There is a series of YouTube videos showing the differences between the Harley engine and the Victory engine, and how much simpler the Victory is to perform maintenance on. Click to expand...

I test rode the CCT three different times, too much engine heat, 1st & 2nd gear felt like an old tractor ( some folks may like that) otherwise it felt solid, I have read they did have other problems I was unaware of so I'm glad I didn't buy one now that Victory is no longer.  

I’ve been keeping a 2016 Cross Country bagger model for a friend who is out of the country. I take it out once in a while and actually rode it this morning. I’ve probably put about 1000 miles on it total – more than the owner. Full disclosure – I’m not much of a cruiser fan. I dislike the feet-forward seating position and having to reach forward and lift your foot to apply the brake. I much prefer the Goldwing riding position where the brake and shifter are right there without moving your leg. I’ve put nearly 200K miles on Goldwings in the last 12 years so my opinions are based on that as a comparison, even though I’ve owned a number of other bikes in that time. It has a fairly powerful engine and doesn’t look like a paint can shaker at idle. In a drag race it would probably keep up with the Goldwing, but it is quite a bit lighter too. It does not have the smooth pull of the Goldwing. It definitely feels more powerful than the 2014 Harley 103 I rode. A little vibration when accelerating but not bad. Where I can easily take off from a stop in 2nd on the Goldwing, and 3rd works smoothly when moving a little, the Victory bucks and complains like an old farm tractor. Don’t even try to use 3rd at slow speed. 6th gear roll on from about 70 MPH pulls pretty good. Transmission is clunky, especially 1st thru 3rd. I never shift to neutral at a stop light on any bike. If you do on the Victory you will be rewarded with a big CLUNK going into first. It’s not nearly as bad if you hold the clutch in for about 15 seconds or so before shifting into 1st. Brakes are very good, as long as ABS doesn’t kick in. It is HORRIBLE on this bike. I’ve tested the Goldwing ABS and it works pretty smoothly without a bunch of commotion. I tried a panic stop from 60 MPH on the Victory mashing both brakes hard and the thing bounced all over the road. This morning I tried mashing the rear only from about 40 and it felt like the rear drive sprocket was missing some teeth. It didn’t slow much and lurched every 10 feet or so. I had to slow down quickly at one point to avoid a car hazard. I was delayed getting to the rear brake because of the reach. At least I had the front brake applied. Maybe it’s just me, but the cruiser rear brake design doesn’t feel safe. It was breezy this morning and wind protection is nearly non-existent, even with the added Tourer windshield. But, it is a bagger with only a handlebar fairing so I accept that. I like the dash with the LCD showing lots of info. You don’t even have to push a button to get the ambient temperature! It’s right there on the display! There is a convenient button on the back of the left handlebar to toggle through trip meters, miles to empty, average mileage, etc. Cruise control works well but the controls are poorly designed. It looks like it was added as an aftermarket item. It’s too far for the right hand to get to comfortably and the layout is not great. Just my observation for what it’s worth. My friend got a smoking deal on it so it’s worth a look. Even though Victory is discontinued I’m pretty sure there will be parts and service available for years to come. I wouldn’t be afraid to get one if I wanted one. Hope this helps some.  

Attachments

Jim, that's a lot of writing, thanks for taking so much time. Nice picture, it looks very different as a bagger. Thanks too to all who have chipped in. This is the Victory in question...  

Back in 2015 I was looking to replace my good ol' Yamaha Venture and thought Victory Cross Country is it. I really liked the look (might be in minority here) and especially the comfort. Being 6'3" the CCT fits me like a glove. Big long bike. I was ready to pull the trigger. And then I test rode one... Felt underpowered and cheap. To me, at least. Plastic on the bike felt like the cheapest Tupperware you can find in the dollar store. Acceleration was poor, bike was loud but not that "nice loud", more like cheap, "drone-kinda loud". Vibrating too much, very clunky transmission,....overall very disappointing first riding impression. It didn't help that the demo ride was disorganized, people "in charge" were rude and with that "biker" attitude I can't stand. Overall, did not like the bike one bit. And I was ready to buy one, just based on the look and comfort. So glad I had a chance to ride it. And now that it's gone, I'm even happier I didn't buy one. I believe there are better options for a touring cruiser on the market. Absolutely. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk  

My exact thoughts, very interested until I rode one. You left out the awful right side heat. Sent from my SM-T520 using Tapatalk  

Heat has never been an issue with this one. Maybe because it’s more stripped down than the Tour. I also don’t get the impression it’s cheaply made. Yeah, I guess I ended up writing a magazine review. At least I don’t have to worry about getting advertisers mad at me. :wink2:  

Got a riding buddy that had one. 50,000 trouble free miles. Traded for a new Indian few weeks ago. Just because.  

First, it’s a Polaris, second it’s a Polaris, third, there’s a reason they don’t make bikes anymore! That’s a big nope for me! But it’s your dollar not mine!  

Having owned 4 Victory motorcycles, I totally agree. Yes, I'm a slow learner.  

I have read on a Victory forum there is some fuel pump issues and parts availability. One guy had been waiting on his part for over 6 months. I have a friend who just bought a used one and finding accessories has been a problem.  

Victory motorcycles are great and well worth a try. Parts will not be a problem in our lifetime as there are tons of parts available. Most of the bikes I owen are out of production like the valkyrie and Excelsior however parts is not an issue nor is service (if you do your own) Personally comparing the Vic to the Indian and HD - Vic is the clear winner.  

My lovely wife Julie has the Cross Country Tour and she loves it. She’s put 65k and it has been an excellent ride. Clutch burned out at 61k (I told her to knock off the wheelies!} and she replaced the drive belt (unnecessarily IMHO / no signs of wear) at 45k. Otherwise flawless. She has better wind protection than I do on my Wing and it is a blast to ride. We have done two Three Flags and it has been rock steady. Do it!  

It's all about profit and loss, Polaris is big, a product doesn't make a profit over time, they are done. They still own Indian, if they can't bring that back into the profit column, they are done, again. They can make less of them, as the market dictates, but it's volume that makes a product what it is and keep the price point competitive.  

A big thank you to all who have replied. It's a mystery how opinions can be so opposite. :grin2: I may have to go and give it a ride and a look see!  

Yep, I'm not worried about parts and service, I do my own work and there's the, allegedly, 10 years parts promise. For me it would not be my main touring bike, more of a toy I guess. The bike in question is 200 miles away so a 400 mile ride but it's in a lovely part of the country and all is turning spring green and the blossoms and flowers are out so a good excuse to go riding...if an excuse is needed. Hehe. I can see a ride coming up next week!! Thanks again for all the comments. :thumbup:  

I have been riding one for 4 years and it is a great bike if you put on a better seat and shield plus lowers to help buffeting. My biggest gripe is the heat since it is air cooled and gets extremely hot. The only other gripe is that after riding for half a day, my neck and shoulders are very sore. I even put on a different handlebar but didn't help, just a bad position I guess. I am looking at the new GW to upgrade but am not in a hurry, the Vic is still a great bike and I get lots of compliments.  

• ?            
• 65.7K members

Top Contributors this Month

• Become A Member

Victory Cross Country Tour Review

A Season on the 2012 Victory Cross Country Tour

Here in the Northeast, it’s just about the time that I add fuel stabilizer to the tank, run the bike for a few minutes, and call it a season.

The now-motionless bike in my garage is a Victory Cross Country Tour, and the season in question was my first on it.

Since the Cross Country Tour was new, not only to me but to everyone else, you might be interested in my impressions.

Here’s how that season went, how the bike performed, what’s particularly good about it, and what needs work.

A Short History of the Cross Country Tour

For the 2010 model year, Victory introduced a couple of fraternal twins, the Cross Roads and the Cross Country.

These “Cross” models – generally designated “XR” and “XC,” respectively are traditional-looking V-twin baggers.

They have the same 106 cubic inch (1731 CC) air/oil-cooled, fuel-injected, SOHC, four valves per cylinder engine (whew!).

Victory uses this powerplant across-the-board now.

The XR and XC also share Victory’s six-speed transmission, belt final drive, twin disks up front and single disk out back, ABS, and both have an 18″ front and a 16″ rear wheel (although the XR’s are spoked and the XC’s cast, with tubeless radials on the latter).

The XR has a fork-mounted windshield and minimalist instrumentation; soft saddlebags are now standard.

The XC, on the other hand, has a fork-mounted “bat-wing” type of fairing, more extensive readouts and sound system, and hard saddlebags; the XC also adds cruise control as standard these days.

You can read all the specs and pricing as you work your way through the  Victory Motorcycles web site .

One of the options for the XC was a top case. (It doesn’t seem to be offered for the XC for 2013, which is just as well – it added almost 10% to the price of the base bike).

For the 2012 model year, Victory started with the XC, did a little tweaking, added a bunch of options, and called their new creation the Cross Country Tour (or “XCT”).

The major additions to the Cross Country that comprise the Cross Country Tour are:

• Top case is standard.
• Heated seats and grips.
• Adjustable passenger mini-floorboards.
• A taller windshield (more about that in a minute).
• An HID low-beam for the headlight (and more on that, too, later on).
• Tubular front crash bars (like the XR; the XC has flat-style bars).
• Storage-pod lowers.
• An air-management system, which includes adjustable fairing-mounted winglets and adjustable openings in the lowers.

In 2012, the Victory Cross Country Tour list price was $21,999 in black, $22,499 in red or white.

And my simplistic color names don’t do the paint job justice, as we’re talking a sort of metal-flake, even in black…

For 2013, the choices are now black ($21,999, as before), or blue and a kind of bronze (all upped $100 to $22,599).

Keep in mind, however, that Victory runs a lot of special promotions, e.g., if you take a demo ride, go to a show, get on their mailing list, etc.

Also, there’s some bargaining room, or at least there was, back in January, 2012, when I actually signed the paperwork; at that time, there was a rebate program, and a discount for veterans, and a dealer incentive kickback, so I saved a lot of money.

Putting the Cross Country Tour Through Its Paces

I picked up my XCT, fresh from the crate, in late March. During the season, I did about 2,000+ miles of super-slabs, including a 600-mile day and a couple of 400-mile days.

At the other extreme, I rode The Dragon at Deals Gap, forward and back, along with many of that area’s great roads en route. Mostly, however, I did a lot of 200- to 300-mile day trips.

I live in the Albany, New York region, so my rides include the back roads of the Catskill, Adirondack, and Berkshire mountains or two-laners to Connecticut or Massachusetts to check out pizza and hot dog places for lunch and so forth.

Most of my riding was solo, but some was two-up with my wife, often for more than an hour at a time in between stops. Ambient temps ranged from 50 or so to the high 90s.

Some – not much, but some – of the riding was in mild rain, and some in pretty heavy rain. In short, I put the XCT through its paces. All told, I put about 8,400 miles on it in seven months.

So, how did it do?

Ride Quality and Handling

The ride quality of the Victory Cross Country Tour is great.

It’s stable in a straight line, but I don’t know what the top end is, but I “cracked the ton” a few times (professional rider, closed course, etc.), easily and without any drama.

It’s neutral in turns, and it has excellent ground clearance… yes, you can add the caveat “for a cruiser” or “for a tourer,” but, after all, that’s what we’re talking about here.

The floorboards fold up 5 or 6 degrees (I put an angle gauge on them a while back).

After that, the next thing to touch down will be an exhaust shield (my experience) or some part of the bag guards (others’ experiences).

The Cross Country Tour, by the way, uses a sensible (for handling) 180/60R16 rear tire (although Victory does offer some special phat-tired, hard-to-steer cruiser models, if that’s what you’re looking for).

No tracking of rain grooves, wobbling, or other handling anomalies.

There is minimal vibration (except when cracking it WFO, of course), even – and here’s a novel concept – at idle.

The XCT employs an aluminum frame and inverted forks (more rigid and less unsprung mass than “conventional” forks, don’tcha know).

Further, it has real suspension: there’s approximately 5″ of travel in both the front and rear.

The front suspension is non-adjustable, and seems well set up to me; the rear is a single air shock, adjustable via a Schrader valve under the right side-cover.

The size of the Cross Country Tour is in the same realm as most other full-dressed touring rigs. Victory lists its “dry weight” as 845 lbs.

I have no idea what it really weighs, when you add on such frippery as 5.8 gallons of high-test, five quarts of oil, and whatever else “dry weight” excludes (fork oil? battery?).

But both the seat and center of gravity are extremely low, so if you’re used to big bikes at all you’ll have no problem here.

The seat height is listed as 26.25″, and it’s definitely low; not only can I flat-foot it at stops, but my knees are bent, as well.

(By the way, I believe that H-D lists measures height with some person of some weight actually sitting on the bike. So, cross-brand “seat height” comparisons may be as meaningful as, oh, weight comparisons).

What looks like a fuel tank actually is a fuel tank on the XCT.

While the fuel is up high, the bike is not top heavy; I guess the engine’s weight and placement, and the frame geometry, renders that a non-issue.

Even the battery is nicely placed for handling and C of G; it’s at the very bottom front of the bike, underneath the oil cooler (and you can get to it by removing four bolts, underneath the bike, that hold its covering panel in place).

If you’re not familiar with bikes of this ilk, I won’t give you any baloney like, “Once underway, it feels 500 lbs. lighter.” It’s still a big bike, and you won’t be out-carving the nearest supermotard.

And you may want to practice hanging off for U-turns in some vacant parking lot (no, not hanging off the inside – the outside, you young crotch-rocket whipper-snappers).

Getting the Power Down

The engine has plenty of power and torque.

Some folks feel that there’s never enough motor, this side of a blown Boss Hoss, or maybe whatever that concoction was where someone put a Dodge Viper engine in a concept that sort of looked liked a bike.

Back on Earth, however, the basic 106 cubic inch engine is more than adequate.

There’s never a problem getting underway from a standstill, even with a passenger.

You don’t need to shift down to pass, but if you’re in an absolute rush on two-lane blacktop, dropping down to fourth will take you past 100 in a hurry.

Sixth gear is used for loping along the Interstates.

I’ve been consistently getting low 40s for an MPG reading, whether on the highways or briskly riding back roads; I imagine you can get more than 50 MPG if you ride leisurely in 55MPH zones all day. Premium fuel is specified.

The transmission is not a “snicker,” but it’s not a “clunker,” either.

Works fine, no noticeable drive-line slop, no missed shifts. The cable-operated clutch has a good engagement range.

As an extra added attraction, there’s a trick neutral-assist function, akin to that of some Kawasakis of the last few years.

When you’re below 5MPH – stopped, for instance – all you have to do is shift up from first, and there you are.

That is, instead of maybe going into neutral or maybe going into second, you’re most definitely put in neutral.

There’s no gingerly playing around with the clutch, or rolling the bike a few inches back and forth; you just shift up to neutral.

Once the light turns green, you shift down to first, get underway – at which point hopefully you’re doing more than 5 MPH – and then just shift up to second, etc.

The triple-disk brake system gets the job done. I’d like a little more initial bite from the front brakes, but they’re linear and up to the task. The brake lever has a thumbwheel for reach adjustment.

The front tire is a braking-and-handling-sensible 130/70R18. The ABS is unobtrusive.

I don’t believe I’ve gotten the front to kick in yet. If you’re experimenting in this regard, it’s much easier, and safer, too, just to stomp on the rear-brake peddle.

To me, this is a highly significant part of the touring equation. The Victory Cross Country Tour seat is very comfy, fore and aft. Up front, nothing, um, gets squashed.

There’s an upturn before the pillion area, which I think should be positioned just a tiny bit more rearward. By the way, I’m 5’9″, with a 30″ inseam. The reach to the handlebars is just about right.

On the one hand, I’m thinking of replacing them with some 2″ pullbacks.

On the other hand, I’ve used bar-backs/risers on every bike I’ve owned, so I seem to prefer a more straight-up riding position, or at least have significant bend in my arms in normal riding.

Incidentally, as a result of the dash configuration, you can’t add risers – a bit of a shame – so you have to replace the handlebars if you want to bring them closer.

The floorboards are class-leading (long), according to Victory; they’re certainly the longest I’ve ever seen. You can move your feet from about straight down to straight out, depending on your inseam.

Of course, you 6’4″ types may still want highway pegs added up front. But the point is, as sold, this is quite a relaxing environment.

The shift lever is three-position fore-and-aft adjustable, and its height can be adjusted via a threaded rod; you have to let it come up pretty far on the uptick, so I guess a little shorter throw would be nice.

Out back, my wife tells me that she’s never had a better view, because the pillion portion is raised up (she considers this both a plus and a minus, as she sometimes doesn’t want to see what I’m doing, in terms of what’s ahead).

Anyway, the seat’s also comfy for her, and the modest wrap-around curvature of the top case makes her feel sufficiently secure. The backrest is well padded and its angle is fine.

By contrast, we rode a Valkyrie Interstate for seven years, and although I kept the stock seat, I replaced the backrest on the top case, essentially just to change that angle.

And for my former 650 Burgman Exec, I had a backrest for the Givi top case custom made by a local upholsterer…

Last and most assuredly not least, the Cross Country Tour passenger gets mini floorboards, adjustable for height (three positions) and angle (through a modest arc).

We have availed ourselves of these adjustments, to the point where I know the torque value for the two-bolt adjustment.

Victory also offers a reasonably priced option for passenger grab handles. Well, you might be thinking that these should be stock, and I might agree with you.

On the other hand, these are really nice handles, and they’re the most robust grab rails I’ve ever seen; with the proper straps and hoist, you could probably lift the back end of the bike off the ground with them – maybe even the whole bike.

Disclamer #1: The passenger grab rails you see on my bike are not stock!

Air Management

Let’s start with the windshield. Recall that the XCT one-ups the XC by adding a new, tall, windshield (along with some new brackets, to hold it in place). I did some demo rides on the XCT prior to buying it, and that windshield is too tall for me.

Pretty much everyone has to look through it, even if you shop at the Big and Tall stores.

Me, I already wear glasses, and then look through at least the shield on my modular helmet, and maybe its internal sun visor, too.

That’s enough.

Regardless, I’m a look-over rider, not a look-through one. So the stock windshield was a non-starter.

Luckily, the XCT is shipped in a crate  sans  windshield. The dealer agreed to install a different windshield for me, for free, since he had to put one on, anyway.

(By “free” I mean there wasn’t a charge for labor, just for the new windshield. I sold the stocker on eBay).

I bought the KlockWerks “Flare.” Don’t confuse this with the Victory-brand “Flip,” both of which are sold through Victory dealers.

The Flip is just a “shorty” type of windshield, while the Flare is a little larger and adds a curved-up top edge.

The Flare works, in terms of moving any significant buffeting over my head, and my wife says that it’s fine even way back there.

Disclamer #2: The pictures you see here do not depict a stock windshield!

Some people might actually like the stock windshield, especially if you’re already a look-through person. I’ve ridden behind it at several demos, as well as some extended stints on a friend’s Cross Country Tour.

It’s clear, and it creates an extremely calm pocket of air. I find it too calm; almost stagnant.

However, if you don’t wear a full-face helmet, or generally don’t like a breeze, it may be your cup of tea, especially in cold weather.

And if you want to add some air to the mix, you can open the winglets (see below).

For those of you who haven’t experienced electrically adjustable windshields, they’re a very nice feature for touring.

Unfortunately, I’ve never seen that functionality on bikes with fork-mounted fairings, and the XCT is no exception: it doesn’t have that capability.

You can, however, get a mount (with or without their windshield) from MadStad (see Victory Resources, below) that has a manual adjustment system; that mount has recently been redesigned and looks sleeker, as well as being a useful option in the windshield arena.

Next, regarding air management, there are winglets attached on either side of the fairing, just above the storage pods in the lowers.

They can be rotated from a blocking position – an adjunct to the fairing itself – around to an on-edge position, in terms of incoming air.

In conjunction with a scooped area between the pods and the tank, they do a great job of letting you control the airflow to the upper torso.

Last, the storage pods/hard lowers have their own air-control doors.

These are less intuitive: opening them all the way does not provide the most cooling relief to your legs on hot days. What happens is that if you do that, you’ll mix too much engine heat with the incoming air.

Instead, given a lip at their inner rearward edge, you have to experiment with partial openings for maximum unadulterated fresh air.

This also depends on how you position your legs, i.e., forward or back on the floorboards, and toward the inside or outside of them.

Some Cross Country Tour owners just remove the entire pod/lower package in hot weather (seven bolts each, as I recall). Both the winglets and lower vents can be adjusted on the fly, so to speak.

However, it’s a long reach to those lower vent handles, and you may have to take your eyes off the road while bending forward, so be careful. If I do that, I need a clear road and the cruise control on.

Given the wide fairing, wide and tall lowers, and the fairing winglets, rain protection is excellent, by the way.

This is an area where the Cross Country Tour positively shines. The two saddlebags are huge – class-leading, according to Victory and I’ve seen my share of saddlebags, and don’t dispute that. The top case easily holds two full-face helmets.

Total storage, including the pods in the lowers, is said to be 41.1 gallons (c. 156 liters for the rest of the world; put another way, about 22% more than an Electra Glide).

Per Victory: “The Cross Country Tour has the most storage space of any motorcycle in the world.”

The saddlebag lids swing outward on a hinge, with the locks next to and below the passenger’s portion of the seat.

The top case is hinged by the passenger backrest on it; yeah, Harley’s TourPak side hinge is probably a better idea – you can’t have everything.

The pods just snap close. If you want to spring for them, Victory sells pod locks.

Other Amenities

The Victory Cross Country Tour cruise control is excellent.

If you’re holding the throttle steady and you press and release the cruise control “Set” button, and loosen your grip, there is absolutely no change in speed, no hiccup, nothing.

And it holds the speed nicely, even in sixth gear on steep grades.

The controls for the cruise are accessible via the right thumb, on a small plate by the throttle grip.

The heated grips have a low/off/high rocker switch on the dash, and do a fine job.

After a stop in a recent ride, I switched from cool-weather gloves to lighter gloves, and left the grips on low; after a few minutes – the temperature had gone up to 60-something by then – the heat was definitely too much, and I turned off the grips.

The heated seats have low/off/high toggle switches – one for the front and one for the back – located in a nook-and-cranny area just aft of the rider’s portion of the stepped seat, on the left side.

I tend to ride in cold weather with over-pants (FirstGear HT version), and add their liner if it’s really cold, so this doesn’t matter that much to me.

We were doing a day-long leaf-peeping ride recently, and at our first stop I reminded my wife, who was in jeans, about the switches; at the second stop, she remarked how well the system worked, and how welcome it was.

The XCT has a built-in radio, with four speakers: two in the fairing and two in the top case (on the outside of the passenger backrest area). There’s also an iPod (or, I suppose, iPhone) connector in the left pod.

There are functions for AM, FM, Aux, the iPod, and a CB, if you add one. The switchgear for all of this is inboard of the left grip, on a little mounting plate.

But, forgive me (or not), I admit it: I can’t tell you beans about how good any of this is, or how well it works. Simply, I don’t do tunes while riding.

There are three cigarette-lighter style outlets on the Cross Country Tour: one in the fairing, one in the top case and a third resides inside the left pod (corrected from two in the original posting).

Both are covered by rubber flaps, and both are “hot” with the engine on or off.

Victory sells Powerlet outlets, or you can add them yourself; there are two areas that seem intended for them, both on the left side: one under the tank, near the seat, and one way down low, in the front, by the battery.

The high beam on the Victory Cross Country Tour is a halogen bulb, and the low beam was an HID light. For 2013, Victory deleted the HID in favor of a halogen low beam, too.

All of the other lights are LEDs, and they are all very bright: the amber front and rear turn signals (with a four-way flasher switch by the left grip); the white license-plate light; and the red rear running/brake lights.

Regarding those last two, one is about 13″ tall, and “Frenched” into the rear fender, and the other is integrated into the top case lid, and is about 13″ wide. Nice job, all around.

I’d prefer, if I were to nit pick, that the turn signals were also running lights, and that the top case light was split in two, so that it could also function as a duplicate, high-eye-level, turn signal.

Disclaimer #3: Those lights you see down by the front brake calipers are not stock, and are not sold by Victory; they are Motolights (whose halogen bulbs I’ve replaced with 5-watt LEDs, if you must know).

Last, the dash gauges – speedo, tach, gas, and volts – are very readable in daylight. At night, they retain this readability with nice blue backlighting.

Maintenance

The Victory Cross Country Tour has an air-cooled engine, so there’s no coolant to change. It has hydraulic valve adjusters, so there are no valves to adjust.

And you don’t have to worry about final-drive gear oil, nor is there a chain to adjust or lubricate.

It has one engine oil drain plug, and one place to put in a fresh supply of oil. There is no bodywork to remove to get at the oil filter.

OK, so the final-drive belt is supposed to be replaced every 30,000 miles. And the air filter is under the fuel tank.

And, of course, you’ll have to change the two spark plugs once in a while, flush and refill the brake system, and replace the fuel filter. But that’s it.

What Victory Needs to Improve

What you might have picked up on by now is that Victory sometimes backslides, and sometimes needs to be reminded to keep it classy.

There are some nice touches on the Cross Country Tour; the fenders are steel, and you certainly don’t need to add a fender extender or mud flap to the front (or rear, for that matter).

The gas tank is smooth and without a flange along the bottom. The seat flows into the tank.

The saddlebag crash bars are standard, as are the ones up front (which the pods/lowers attach to).

But…What’s up with dropping the HID low beam? You have a unique feature, and you ditch it?

I noticed in one of the magazines that the H-D CVO Road Glide gets LED headlights this year. Maybe Victory is getting ready to join suit?

And what’s up with a cable-operated clutch? My 2000 Valkyrie had a hydraulic clutch, for cryin’ out loud, and it was hardly the top-of-the-line for Honda.

I carry a replacement cable, which can easily get lost in one of the cavernous saddlebags, but still…

In typical bike fashion, the Cross Country Tour horn is of the Road Runner “meep, meep” variety. I replaced mine with a relay-triggered  Stebel Nautilus air horn (review) , inside the fairing.

The switches for the heated seats ought to be rocker switches, not toggle switches. While they’re tucked out of the way, it’s possible to bump them, and you certainly can’t tell at a glance what position they’re in.

And you can’t tell from the photos, but those fork guards are plastic. About $30 apiece, and many owners have broken them. (You can buy metal fork guards from KewlMetal – see Victory Resources – for $143).

There are a few other plastic parts that really should be metal, too, such as what’s known as the “cheese wedge,” which is that part that says “106” on it, between the cylinders on the right side.

The saddlebag lids are a source of forum complaints, and rightfully so. If I didn’t wear hearing aids off the bike and custom-molded ear plugs on it, along with a modular helmet, their rattling would bother me, too.

And while they have sufficient sealing and overhang to prevent any problem with rain, they let dust in quite easily.

There is no adjustment capability in either the hinge or latching mechanism.

The bottom line is that Victory needs to refine its tolerances in this area, or provide adjustment capability, or both.

Along those lines, the locking mechanism on the top case lid is a little weird. It’s a separate mechanism, i.e., not part of the snap closers. This is nice in that you don’t need to lock the top case (or the saddlebag lids) in order to close them.

However, the top case lid lock allows a good deal of travel, if some miscreant unsnaps the lid – very inviting for something used to pry it open.

The dash has a gear indicator, but the clutch must be engaged for it to work.

To find out if you’re in, say, first or second, you have to let out the clutch.

My buddy’s R 1200 RT has no problem indicating the gear with the clutch disengaged, and I’ve read that when the XC first came out, its gear indicator worked that way, too.

This maxim comes to mind: if you’re going to do something, do it right or don’t do it at all.

The gas gauge of the Cross Country Tour drops to the bottom about the same time the “Low Fuel” warning comes on, which is about when you have 50 or 60 miles left in the tank.

The warning is fine, but the fuel gauge pointer should be recalibrated such that it should then point to the top of the red-outlined warning area, not at its bottom.

Last, the engine puts out a lot of heat, and that’s especially noticeable when you’re not moving on a really hot day (say, 90 and up).

I don’t know whether Victory has any wiggle room left with this engine, in terms of EPA approval; if they do, they should use it to make the engine less lean… and as I understand the matter, therefore generally less hot.

That R 1200 RT I mentioned runs about 20 degrees cooler in the cylinder-fin area than the Cross Country Tour – I’ve checked periodically, with a non-contact thermometer.

Yes, the Beemer has a smaller engine, but it’s also very powerful, too. Now, for you folks who are used to air-cooled twins, this may not be an issue.

Forum posts indicate that H-Ds get even hotter, and Victory has not felt the need to shut down the rear cylinder, by using something akin to Harley’s “parade mode” on certain bikes.

I ride Harleys every year at Americade (in large measure because they’re the only vendor who lets you go out on your own – on a prescribed route – on everything but V-Rods).

Americade weather is usually not hot enough for a good test of heat output, but every once in a while it is.

I rode a Buell Ulysses a few years back on a very hot day, and at the first stop was wondering whether I should’ve been wearing a Nomex suit, especially on my right leg (although the ride itself was a joy).

The Bottom Line

Let’s say my wife and I are going on a two- or three-week trip, which will include plenty of scenic by-ways, some Interstate traveling, and a dash of everything else found in on-road riding.

If I were to have my pick of any bike, I’d choose the Victory Cross Country Tour. You’re probably asking yourselves, “What the heck is he smoking?”

No, really, I’m serious. Let’s review: Fine handling, suspension, and ground clearance. Very good power, shifting, and ABS braking.

Very good weather protection, and air-management adjustability. Excellent ergonomics – seats (front and back), feet options (front and back), etc.

Excellent amenities – heated grips and seats, cruise control, etc. Superb storage capacity.

You want to relax and stretch out? Check. The Gold Wing, Harleys,  et al ., don’t have those expansive floorboards.

My wife thinks the ‘Wing has the best passenger accommodations going, but admits that the back seat of the Cross Country Tour is actually pretty good, including the back support.

And then there’s the adjustable mini boards back there.

Comfort is covered, front and back. And I’ve ridden on Road Glides, Road Kings (even rented one), Electra Glides, etc., and I feel cramped on them. Yeah, I know, the aftermarket has plenty of seats.

And longer floorboards? And Harley’s web site doesn’t even bother to list the suspension travel. And I don’t like how they shake at idle, either…

You want to pack multiple pairs of jeans and a hair dryer? The Cross Country Tour has it covered. You want a bike with as little as possible that can go wrong? Tubeless tires, too?

Check that off, as well. Not too shabby, huh?

A nice touring addition would be an electrically adjustable windshield (see my buddy’s RT, or my former Burgman Exec, or a current Connie, or…), but even a Gold Wing doesn’t have that, and it doesn’t have a fork-mounted fairing like the Cross Country Tour.

So that’s not a unique flaw, and at least you can add a manually adjustable one.

Now, I probably have a different definition of a “tourer” than most of you, anyway.

I’d insist that a tourer have a feet-forward riding position, or at least straight down. If you think that’s a strange requirement, how do account for all the highway peg sales in the world?

And if you’re going to stretch out that way, you might as well have the controls up there, too. Yes, that almost excludes the ‘Wing.

Hey, I rode a feet-straight-down Valkyrie for seven years; while that’s comfortable, any one position gets old after an hour or two, in my opinion. I’d exclude the ‘Wing on the basis of trying to get at its oil filter, too.

And it does exclude every Beemer.

I’d leave out BMW, anyway; their  K 1600 GTL (report)  has a back seat that covers half of the passenger grab rails (design by committee? multiple committees?) and that top case backrest is simply inadequate (as are the top case backrests on a lot of other tourers).

The one caveat I would add is that if that three-week tour’s destination is, say, New Orleans in August, I would opt for something water-cooled…maybe the Vulcan 1700 Voyager.

I rode the Vaquero (essentially the same thing, sans topcase) at Americade last June, and it was a similar experience to riding the XCT or an XC… but just a bit less so, in whatever feature you’re talking about.

On the other hand, one of the “less” categories was definitely engine heat. Sure, the Cross Country Tour is not perfect; no bike is.

Having said that, it has what you need, and most of what you want, to go for a long ride, and do it in style and comfort and ease. Just fire it up, and roll. So I’m sticking with my choice.

Victory Resources

Victory, the “other” American motorcycle company, seems to be doing well.

At any rate, it has done well enough that a cottage industry of Victory-exclusive or at least Victory-oriented aftermarket suppliers has sprung up. Here are the ones I’m aware of.

Victory-Oriented Aftermarket Companies Lloyd’z Motor Workz   |   KewlMetal   |   CycleOps USA   |   WitchDoctors   |   Heavy Metal Designz   |  Rick Fairless’ Strokers Dallas

Aftermarket Windshields for the Victory Cross Country Tour MadStad Engineering    |   Gustafsson Plastics   |   Clearview Shields   |   Cee Bailey’s Aircraft Plastics   |   7Jurock Plastics

Victory Internet Forums VictoryForums   |   TheVOG.Net

Owner Comments and Feedback

From “C.N.” (March 2014):  “I felt compelled to drop you a line and thank you for such a well thought out and comprehensive review of your Victory Cross Country. Hands down the best one I’ve read, and the most extensive (not to mention open and honest).

I nearly bought a XC myself last year, but financially I decided it was best to wait until this year.

The new changes to the HD’s have caught my eye though (“Project Rushmore”), and after riding my father’s 2013 Ultra Classic I put HDs back on the table.

Having said that, I’ve never ridden a Victory as the only local dealer doesn’t seem terribly interested in offering one.

Your review has definitely reminded me of why I was interested in the XC in the first place — they just seem to be better thought out. I’ve been a sportbike rider since my late teens (I survived!), so this is my first foray into the cruiser/touring world.

I still have my sportbike (a mint Suzuki GSXR1K5, best sportbike ever made if you ask me), but it simply is not up to the task of the longer rides my girlfriend and I are interested in. A proper trip on a sportbike can be pretty torturous.

Going back to the XC, one of the things that still gets my goat is the cheap looking trim (e.g. the “chrome” surrounding the headlight).  It just looks flimsier than it should.

Compare that to a new HD’s proper fit and finish, and some of the Victory’s cockpit/fairing bits just looks like they should have a “MADE IN CHINA” label half-stuck to the bottom.

The cruise control buttons and whatnot I’m not terribly thrilled with either. If I had one other complaint about the XC, it’s the ignition position/key setup. The HD just seems much sturdier and well made.

Anyhow, if you’ve read my blurb up until this point, thanks again for your write up. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Any feedback, suggestions, or warnings as I continue my research and pondering is welcome and appreciated. Thanks again and take care.”

Bill’s Reply:  Having ridden the Tour for another year now after writing the review, I still think it’s a terrific bike.

I completely agree with you regarding H-D, though: they have better paint, more attention to detail, and seem to put more thought into overall integration.

Victory falls short in these aspects, and I agree that items such as the cruise-control and radio buttons look kind of just tacked on.

That said, I think the Victory is still a much better long-distance mount, with its better handling and clearance, better suspension, smoother (at idle, anyway) and more powerful (stock) engine, larger storage capacity, and roomier ergos.

I have an H-D dealer about two miles from me, which I often visit, and I continue to test-ride all the Harleys at Americade (less than an hour away) each summer.

And I have a Victory dealer 14 miles away, where I go every time the factory demo fleet is in town, so I keep up with developments.

Since the perfect bike still awaits both of us, it’s a matter of deciding on priorities while we’re waiting.

Also: See  this thread  on the Victory forum. The poster wanted responses from current Victory owners who had switched from H-D, asking why they switched, and got a couple dozen cogent answers.

Since I’ve only ridden and rented — but never actually owned — a Harley, they provide insight that I can’t.

From “S.O.” (August 2013):  “Great article Bill. I too drive a ’12 XCT, red, just like yours. Love it. 15K in 1.5 seasons and it’s been great. Just today in the ship for the first “repair” for my ABS light coming on.

One thing I don’t have is the passenger grab rails. Vic wants $300. You mentioned yours were not Ma Vic’s. Where’d you get them and how much dinero??

Bill’s Reply:  I see now that — if you can imagine this! — I wrote a statement that was unclear. I wrote: The passenger grab rails you see on my bike are not stock!

What I meant by that was that the grab rails are not part of what you get when you buy a Victory “Cross” bike.

That is, I didn’t want readers to think that if you buy an XCT, what you see (in the wBW pictures) is what you get (with regard to the grab handles or the windshield).

On the other hand, the grab rails are made by Victory — you just have to pay for them. Maybe I should have said, the way they do in car commercials, “optional equipment shown.”

As I stand by my description of the grab rails — they’re extremely robust and well-made — I think they’re worth the money.

In addition for use by an actual passenger, you can use them to grab onto if you ever need to “back-walk-up” a dropped bike and also for luggage tie-down points.

I have not read about any aftermarket supplier for grab rails for the Victory “Cross” bikes, so I think it’s Victory or nothing. Sorry about the confusion.

From “J.T.M.” (January 2013):  “Nice bike, but: (1) It’s $22,600! These toys are getting a bit pricey. You can get a pretty nice 2013 Honda Accord Coupe for that much. Or, a real Harley-Davidson.

(2) I’ll never appreciate the looks of the Victory. The “Nessie” style just looks dated, to me. Not classic, dated.”

Bill’s Reply:  “If you start with a similar H-D dresser — fork-mounted fairing, hard saddlebags, and a top case — you’re looking at the $19,699 Electra Glide Classic.

Add (single-color, non-black) paint, ABS (available only as part of the security package), cruise-control, and freight, to make the bikes more or less equivalent, you’re now up to $22,139.

You’ll have better security on the Classic, but you still won’t have the Victory’s suspension travel, cornering clearance, long floorboards, and storage volume.

And you’re more likely to get a greater discount at a Victory dealer, so we’re probably talking less money for the Tour.

I don’t know what makes a Harley any more “real” than a Victory, but they’re certainly in the same price range.

I agree that “these toys are getting a bit pricey.”

Not much you can do about that if you want a full-dressed touring rig. If you want to buy an Accord instead, that’s certainly an option, but it’s not nearly as much fun.”

From “J.K.” (November 2012):  “I am on my second Victory Cross Country. I had an early 2010. I now have a 2012 Tour. I have a few quick comments.

I have not had my saddlebag lids rattle on either bike. There is a small amount of adjustment that is available on each lid (not sure if it will help or not).

I have ridden in very warm weather as well as quite cool weather. There seems to be some variance with peoples experience with heat.

I have ridden in the south during the summer and 100 degree days have not had any significant heat issues (100 degrees just standing is quite warm).

It seems that there may be some variation in some of the bikes that causes this issue for some people.

The HID lighting can easily be remedied for about $50 from Victory HID (it includes both the high and low beam — it makes daylight out of the night).

I had added to the 2010 and replaced the HID bulb in the 2012 with one of their bulbs as well.

Lastly, there are actually 3 power outlets. The two mentioned in the article, but also one next to the iPod connector in the left pod.”

I see you used to be a Valkyrie rider, I am still riding my 97 tour which I love but am considering the cross country tour to finally replace it. I would like your thoughts on comparing the two bikes. Power, ride, reliability, comfort on the long haul.

Comments are closed.

wBW is an A07 Online Property

• Advertising
• Privacy Notice
• Review Policies
• Terms and Conditions

• Order status
• Email us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
• Check your order status 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Special order item

Victory - reverse kit.

Manufacturer

Manufacturer part#, item number.

Adept Powersports currently does not sell Victory parts. Information is available for reference only at this time.

Product Description

Add some ease to your parking lot maneuvering. Complete kit includes everything and adds electric motor reverse.

This part is utilized in 18 assemblies  Filter list by year 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009

2009 victory vision street/ness/touring/10th ann. (v09sb36/sc36/sd36/sz36).

This part is number on this diagram

2010 Victory CROSS COUNTRY/CROSS ROADS ALL OPTIONS (V10DB36DA/EB36DA)

2010 victory vision tour premium/ness/8 ball all options (v10sd36/sc36/vb36), 2011 victory cross roads custom/cross country all opti (v11bb36/db36/dc36/eb36), 2011 victory vision all options (v11sw36/sa36/aw36), 2012 victory cross country all options (v12tw36/dw36/kw36), 2012 victory vision/aness all options (v12sw36/aw36), 2013 victory cross country/touring all options - v13dw36/tw/kw/zw, 2013 victory vision/aness all options - v13sw36/aw36.

1-800-90-TRIKE • [email protected]

Dealer locator.

• Accessories

Choose from the following makes to see which conversion is right for you:

Harley-Davidson

See all trikes Find trikes for sale

Select either the GLT for Honda GL 1800 bikes or the Lil' Deuce for any Harley, trailers by Thoroughbred Motorsports.

Make your trike your own with the specially-designed customization options below:

General Accessories

Tri Glide Accessories

Harley-Davidson Reverse Gears

Trikes for sale, merchandise, request a brochure, testimonials, standard features, independent rear suspension.

• On-Board Air Compressor
• Patented Air Ride Suspension
• Over 4" of Suspension Travel
• Progressive Coil Over Shocks
• Integrated Disc Brake System
• Trunk Light on Interior of Door
• Hidden Trunk Door Hinges
• 12 Volt Power Outlet in Trunk
• Billet Aluminum Torque Thrust Wheels
• LED Air Suspension & Voltmeter Readout

Available Options

• Premium Wheel Upgrades
• Performance Machine Wheel Upgrades
• Fender Bras with Optional Embroidery
• Front End Rake Kit
• ( Do I need a rake kit? )

Do I need a rake kit?

It depends on the level of steering comfort you experience. If steering seems more difficult, demo a raked trike to decide whether or not adding a rake kit would be best for you.

Motor Trike does not increase the wheelbase length when they install a trike conversion onto a motorcycle. Other trike convertors increase the wheel base length when they add a trike conversion. This puts more weight on the front wheel making the trike more difficult to steer. To correct that issue a bigger rake is needed. More weight on the front tire also increases tire wear.

Since Motor Trike conversions do not add any significant amount of static weight to the front of the conversion, less rake is needed to achieve the desired steering effort. Tire wear is also decreased. Motor Trike's custom rake kit provides the correct amount of steering assistance without compromising the steering feel for our trike conversions.

• ABS Integration Kit
• Parking Brake Kit
• Electric Reverse Gear
• Vortex Trax Running Boards
• Vortex Trax Fog Lights
• Vortex Trax Bras
• Vortex Trax Color-Match Paint
• Trailer Hitch Assembly
• Trunk Carpet
• Trike Cover
• Color-Match Paint

**Non-painted kits are manufactured and shipped to a dealer in 5-7 business days. Painted kits are manufactured and shipped to a dealer in 14-17 business days.

**Due to incredibly high demand, we are experiencing longer than normal lead times. Please contact Motor Trike/your dealer for details.

Specifications

• Forum Listing
• Marketplace
• Advanced Search
• Victory Forum
• Discussions by Model

Cross Country Tour issues

• Add to quote

I got my first Victory in September, coming from the metric cruiser community, a '12 Cross Country Tour (hit a deer with my '08 Nomad). Love the bike. Having a couple issues, wanted to know if they were particular to this bike or the model. First (believe it or not), I have to ride three miles on gravel to get to hard road. My drive belt absolutely howls when it gets gravel dust on it. I'm half crazy by the time I get to the car wash. The howl is so loud, people actually turn and look because of the odd sound. Is this normal? The other issue is the weather seal on the bags, it doesn't seal well. The bags get an incredible amount of gravel dust in them. They seem weatherproof for the most part, although occasionally I will get some water ingress from the car wash in one of them. The dust ingress is amazing, like you blew up a small bottle of talc in the bag. Trunk is bomb proof. Anybody else having any problems??  

I can't comment on the howling; I haven't taken my XC off road for more than a few dozen feet (driveways, shoulders). But we just returned from a 1300 mile trip through fog, rain, and a heavy dust storm (on I-10) and my saddle bags innards were dry and clean.  

Jag, Thanks for the info. I am going to take her in for warranty maintenance on these items, but wanted to check my expectations beforehand. I've been putting it off trying to milk all the riding I can before things get crappy, but it needs to get done. Mama's getting ticked about her saddlebag being full of dust.  

I think the poor fit and finish on the one saddlebag should fall under warranty as it is not protecting the contents inside the bag. As for the squeal, that is a new one to me. You surely cannot be the only one on here that rides on gravel roads on a regular basis. I have been on gravel several times and never experienced what you are describing. I'm guessing something is out of spec....but the question is gonna be: Can they find it? Best of luck to you and please keep us posted as you get more information.  

Phoenix9, Thanks for the info, I will keep all posted on my luck with these issues.  

I live on a dirt road about a mile long Drive belt perfectly quiet.....also perfectly adjusted No dust inside my 2010 Vision  

Make sure your seals are seated well and if your lids rattle a lot make sure they are adjusted. Next to the latches there should be a thick chunk of rubberized foam with doublestick tape on it; pull this a little to put pressure on the latch and eliminate lid rattle - push it in to make the lids close easier and push on the seals more. Play around with them a little and it should keep the dust out. Also search for "dust" and you'll find hints on how to decrease the dust coming from under your seat.  

I have a 2010 Cross Country, Ive been down several stretches of gravel roads, anywhere from a couple hundred feet up to 5 miles or so. Never had dust in the bags or had the belt squeal. I am guessing you just have a case of things being out of adjustment.  

ammo_umb said: Also search for "dust" and you'll find hints on how to decrease the dust coming from under your seat. Click to expand...

Sorry, "dust" should have brought up the link below. Please note that you'll have to be a little creative, there aren't pictures but when you pull your seat off you should be able to see what's being talked about amd how their fixes could work. http://www.thevog.net/forum/cross-country-44/cc-hole-in-rear-fender/  

Say open your bags and stick dollar bills on the seals and then close the lid. If you can pull the bills out then you don't have a good seal. Use this trick when you ask your dealer for new ones. Don't go for the BS of putting in new seals cause they will be just as bad. As for your belt I would say its out of alinement. Its to bad vic doesn't go to a mm narrower belt.  

vision_nut said: Say open your bags and stick dollar bills on the seals and then close the lid. If you can pull the bills out then you don't have a good seal. Use this trick when you ask your dealer for new ones. alinement. Its to bad vic doesn't go to a mm narrower belt. Click to expand...

Never had my bags or trunk leak dust or water, and they had better never leak.  

I don't have a XC, but as mentioned above check rear axle alignment and belt tension. Belts have been known to get noisy if they get out of spec. One:Thumb:  

We had one guy that bags didn't seal right, one of his riding gloves would come through the gap between cover and bottom, he had it changed through warranty Regards  

As for belt squeal... check the belt alignment. My CCT was making a similar sound when first starting to ride (no dust). It tended to go away in few minutes. BUT... I just had the 5k service done and I mentioned the squeal so they would be sure to check alignment. All better now. Here's the interesting thing... My fuel economy improved by about 4mpg. I went back and asked about that and the guy said he didn't think he did anything that would improve fuel economy. I believe belt alignment might have been the whole issue...  

Fuel economy will improve as you add miles.  

crick616 said: As for belt squeal... check the belt alignment. My CCT was making a similar sound when first starting to ride (no dust). It tended to go away in few minutes. BUT... I just had the 5k service done and I mentioned the squeal so they would be sure to check alignment. All better now. Here's the interesting thing... My fuel economy improved by about 4mpg. I went back and asked about that and the guy said he didn't think he did anything that would improve fuel economy. I believe belt alignment might have been the whole issue... Click to expand...

Re: "Fuel economy will improve as you add miles." True. However, this was an abrupt improvement. Before 5k service the average was 38-39 mpg. After 5k service it's been 42-44 mpg.  

I have also found as the outside temperature rises so does my mileage, if you had a sudden hot spell that might explain it. My average in cooler weather is about 47 mpg and as it warms up it increases to 54 mpg.  

mileage just remember that a U.S. gallon is calculated as 3.8 litres and a Canadian (imperial) gallon is calculated as 4.55 litres...this will make those changes in mileage look a little skewed...upwards of 8mpg highway...then of course how hard you twist the throttle, weight on the bike, wind and weather, tire pressure and quality of fuel are all factors to consider...but having said that, my own mileage averages in the mid to high 40's up here in canuckland.  

Ok, it's been almost 8 months, so here's an update. Got around 8500 miles on the bike. Victory finally replaced the rear pulley after several "by the book" attempts to adjust for tension. Seemed to work for a week or so, but now it pretty much squeals/chatters as much as it always has. Once I ride in to the house (3 mi. gravel, min.), it always chatters loud on the way out. By the time I get to the hard road, she's a howlin. Let's up some after several miles on the hiway, but doesn't quit until after she's washed, always the first stop. I haven't said much since they replaced the pulley, kinda tired of having it in the shop. I bought mine to ride, not to be a hangar queen. I had a rear wheel bearing go out in February, more time down for that fix. They put a new saddle bag seal on the right side bag, but it still leaks dust and sometimes water at the wash if I'm not careful. I've never owned a bike that was so "needy" (never been a Harley guy...), so I gotta admit my enthusiasm is a tiny bit dampened, but the bike offers SO much more than anything else in the class that I can't get too bummed. Rode from Des Moines, IA area to Kentucky/Cincinatti area and back last weekend, had a great ride, 1500 miles, no probs once we left the car wash. Nothing but PTA cleanups for her the whole trip and not a chatter.  

• ?            
• 49.9K members

Top Contributors this Month

• Forum Listing
• Marketplace
• Advanced Search
• Victory Motorcycles
• Victory Cross Country and Cross Roads

Right Saddle Bag Latch Kit

• Add to quote

Need some help... I saw few weeks back that Vic had a kit to replace the commonly worn/damaged latch for the right saddle bag. The kit did not come with a new lock, supposed to reuse your existing lock. I have looked everywhere and can’t find the information.  

Perhaps all you need is this http://buywitchdoctors.com/p/2905/v...all-motorcycles-saddlebag-latch-bikes-sc-620/  

I don't think Victory has made any effort to replace these. I don't even think they sent out a Bulletin .  

There is no reason Victory can't offer a latch and either have dealer techs transfer the whole original lock cylinder or replace the tumblers of a new lock cylinder with the original lock cylinders tumblers. Dealer auto techs do it all the time. I noticed HD's new saddlebag latches feature two striker plates to secure the lids. They must use a single latch/lock and linkage. I'd like to see Victory do something like this. Tech23  

Tech .. Dream on. They don't even recognize it is a problem  

If its not too worn, just bend the loop over and call it good  

Gave mine a few sturdy taps with a hammer. So far, so good!  

Someone posted the part number for just the pot metal latch housing and a short write-up on how to take it apart and put it back together. Apparently that was not here. Already modded the loop. Latch was about 50% worn at the time and hasn't moved since. I will be tearing the bike down for paint here in a few weeks and wanted to fix this while I already have it apart.  

BeoBob said: Someone posted the part number for just the pot metal latch housing and a short write-up on how to take it apart and put it back together. Apparently that was not here. Click to expand...

I'm glad I stumbled on this thread because I had not heard about any latch problems. Can someone please tell me what exactly I should look for? What exactly is wearing out?  

Archer.. look at the thread above for the Witch Doctor link.Go to DIY videos and look for chassis . There is one in there about this latch.  

OK thank you. I will do that.  

I took off the loop, bent it a bit, reinstalled it and also put a cut up bungee cord in the top rubber stopper. The lids close tight now, no movement on the latch. Seems to be all good. I also lock the bags when I ride. I found that ever since intiating that little ritual, my bag lids never open on the highway or any other time I don't want them to.  

Took my saddle bag to the dealer in December said he called ma victory and was told that they had a repair for this. Got a call the parts are in will take over to them next week will see what they do  

Here's a movie that shows an excellent idea on how to fix the latch. This vid is not about the latch or the fix, but it does show clearly. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6jY_SPxijzcWjh4OFFuN3lCUTA/view  

I did that exact fix but it took 2 washers when I used 1 I still had paint touch the latch hoop, so I added another and no more paint transfer. Who ever thought that idea up Thanks much for the tip!!thumb up  

geeky.. that link doesnt seem to work for me.  

Not sure why it doesn't work unless you need to be logged into Facebook for it to work. Here's a "copy and paste" version if you want to try it. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10204170688002565&set=gm.879843495405109&type=1&theater  

latch took both bags to the dealer last Friday replace both latches still same key right side closes better than the left now will see how long it last  

I tried finding part# 7082111 on a Victory dealer website with a parts lookup page but it didnt recognize that number in the search. Is this part number for dealer's only to access?  

Well the entire Polaris site is "down for maintenance" right now, but if you go to www.purepolaris.com and dig down to Victory parts, you can find it there.  

every thing worked fine for me today http://www.victorymotorcycles.com/e...B36//DB36//DC36//EB36_ALL_OPTIONS/78839/78848  

I tried the part #7082111 in the part number box and it is not recognized. The parts diagram still says it is sold only as part of the ignition lock package.  

Knew I'd found it somewhere. Here's the search link that'll take you to the part: http://parts.polarisind.com/AdvancedSearch/AdvancedSearch.asp Not sure if you can really order it there, since I'm waiting for my dealer to handle for me.  

I don't know where I read it but apparently someone started a class action suit against Victory for this EXACT issue. If I find where I saw it I will post up.  

Found it. Should have searched before posting. http://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-...is-hit-saddlebag-defect-class-action-lawsuit/  

I went to my dealer and gave them the number in this thread and it worked. I have mine on order and it did cost 18 bucks.  

Is it easy to transfer the locking mechanism/tumbler (the part the key goes in) from the current latch to the new one? G'day, Vinish  

It looks pretty straight forward. There is a spring under the steel plate you need to be aware of as you remove the phillips head screw that needs to be transferred over with the steel plate. I believe that had Victory made these parts available separately when the problem was first discovered dealer techs could have done this repair under warranty quickly and easily, and inexpensively rather than only offering a complete lock set, denying warranty claims and raking many customers over the coals with a $400 bill for parts alone. Also I've noticed that when Victory offers a new part number such as this case with the lock housing many if not all online Victory parts dealers part number search box will not recognize the "new" part number in the online part number search box. You will have to call in...for some reason only the dealer will be able to enter and locate the "new part number". I've encountered this several times using the piss poor online microfiche offered online for Joe Public to use. Tech23  

Just received my kit today that I ordered last week. Very easy transfer of key tumbler. Even comes with new Philips screw for plate. Remember how you took it apart and re assembly is a breeze. Less than 10 minute job. Anyone hoping that this is different than the original will be disappointed. It's the same housing as the one that is currently failing on your bike. The service manager and I compared it to one on a new bike, and Polaris changed the assembly for new bikes because it was very different. Should have taken a picture. I did the washer mod while it was off hoping this latch assembly will last longer than the original, so I can save on the cost of winter gloves that have flown out of the bag when it opens up on the interstate. Sent from Motorcycle.com Free App  

• ?            
• 498.4K posts
• 49K members

Top Contributors this Month