VICTORY CROSS COUNTRY (2010 - on) Review

Victory is no stranger to the custom-tour theme. The Cross Country is based on the Vision, an outrageously-styled grand tourer that spins heads everywhere. The Cross Country is in the same vein – modern sharp and curved lines mixed with traditional touches of half fairing and screen, tall bars, luxurious seating, stereo, solid panniers and so on. Traditional also meets modern with Japanese –spec switch gear, aircraft-filler fuel cap and suspension. As for the engine, gorgeous, thudding greatness you’d expect from an air-cooled V-twin. A definite alternative American machine to the great American alternative from Milwaukee.

Weight and high-ish bars conspire against shorter riders. It makes slow 360° turns in car parks frustrating when arms struggle to achieve full-lock. But when you’re away the bike is surprisingly agile and oh so stable. Rear suspension is set to firm but not uncomfortably so. It allows you to feel what’s going on underneath you. The front end is softer so doesn’t give the same level of feel as the rear, but it copes well with the engine weight and under braking. Ride quality is plush and comfortable, but six-footers will need the taller screen that is available.

Air-cooled engine rumbles are a plenty at standstill to give this engine character and the rider a smile. The smooth delivery of torque makes pulling away on a 345kg (dry weight) bike a lot easier than you’d think. Throttle response is weighted perfectly so you can dial in exactly what your brain demands – slow traffic isn’t such a bad place when you can simply trickle along without worry. But it’s the open road where the engine excels; where every gear is precisely engaged and neatly spaced for the twists and turns or flowing A-roads. 

Polaris Industries, the company behind Victory, make big noises about quality – mostly about how its American-made bikes should be world leaders in this area. So far the majority of its customers (and MCN) have nothing bad to say about the brand; the price of the accessory topbox being the exception…

A bike of this calibre – big, stylish air-cooled touring V-twin – at a price just above Japanese competition, and slightly more affordable than a Harley should not be dismissed. Victory is making big waves in the custom and custom cruiser market through value and quality, and this is translated in sales and happy owners. Find a Victory Cross Country for sale.

Love the solid, locking panniers and (as shown) the cavernous topbox, except the topbox – complete with high mounted lights, rear speakers and 12V socket – is a £1869 accessory. Gulp! And this is the reason why it’s not four-star rated in this section. Nicely made, though. The stereo is also cool and comes with the usual bar-mounted volume/tune access switches. Cruise control is perfect on average speed camera roads. And while the spoiler-like crash bars grate on first sight, like the rest of the bike’s styling you soon fall for the uniqueness. Compare and buy parts for the Victory in the MCN Shop.