Unique and eye-catching, the Victory Cross Country Tour has a design and styling not found in any present classic-styled cruisers.
The overall design of this bike revolves around angular lines which is reflected by the fairing, tank, saddle bags and the rear light.
In short, the Victory Cross Country Tour design is timeless.
The minute I hopped onto this American saddle, I was stunned by how light the bike felt despite its huge size.
Meanwhile, the easy to read instrumentation and the integrated audio system with four speakers were definitely a treat when I took it for a spin on an outstation adventure.
Victory’s Cross Country Tour is a large machine, but the 66.8cm seat height allows practically anybody to ride this bike.
The riding position is upright and relaxed.
My long legs were happy with the wide and long floorboards positioned a bit forward, allowing me to stretch them whenever I got tired on my 300km plus ride.
On long rides, these types of floorboards are very welcomed.
Transmission is a 6-speed type.
At 3,000 rpm, power and torque were more than ample.
The Victory’s power band is very progressive, strong yet manageable.
And for a 384kg tourer, acceleration was a breeze.
I have no complaints on the throttle response.
Regardless of what speed and rpm I was at, I did not feel any twitch in power delivery. Simply awesome!
The first gear came with a loud clunk but after shifting gears, it became smooth and quiet.
I found it very easy and quick to shift the gears and the ratios seems to be very close.
On the first gear, Victory is comfortable at 75kph without any strain on the engine.
The second gear gave me the go up to 105kph before clocking the ‘unapproved’ speeds on the rest of the gear upshifts.
Don’t forget, this machine is rigid-mounted so I was expecting some sort of vibrations.
I tried hard feeling for vibrations but I did not sense. Bravo!
Occasionally on the highways and while at the traffic lights, I did feel the engine heat on the legs.
To disperse the heat, the engineers have devised the Victory Comfort Control System that channels the hot air flow from the engine via the adjustable wind control which looks like vents situated on the top and bottom parts of the fairings.
While riding at 100kph in Kuala Klawang, I was forced to hit the brakes abruptly when a huge monitor lizard suddenly dashed across the road.
My heart stopped for a second.
The bike’s stability under heavy braking saved me from crashing and serious injuries.
During that sudden braking, I realised that the rear brake was very sensitive.
It locked up the rear wheel before the anti-lock braking system kicked in. But nothing to worry about.
On the back roads of Nilai, I had a pleasant ride over the potholes, humps and bumps.
The 43mm inverted fork soaked up all the punishment from the road before it reached the bar.
Meanwhile the rear mono shock kept me firmly planted.
The suspension is close to perfect.
I decided to push the bike hard on a stretch with twisties and corners for a good 45 minutes at Kuala Klawang.
I was simply amazed by how a bike of this size and weight was able to tackle the corners without breaking a sweat.
On few occasions, the floorboard kissed the tarmac…it is expected when one rides this sort of bike aggressively.
With a comfortable motorcycle like this, you need to enjoy the machine and the journey; and not challenge it like a sports bike.
My experience on the Victory Cross Country Tour was fun.
As far as the irresistible classic styling, performance, comfort, modern technology and touring pleasure go, Victory has gone all out for the Cross Country Tour.
I am so glad Victory is in Malaysia.
I am really looking forward to reviewing the next family member of Victory which is the Victory Vision Tour.
