So, finally, we get to the question: Is the Vegas a better cruiser than the Harley?
Even Harley now has a keyed fork lock, though it is a separate switch on the steering head rather than incorporated somehow with the tank-mounted ignition switch. Like most Harleys, the Deuce's barrel-type ignition switch can be unlocked so that the key is no longer necessary to fire up the bike. This turns out to be both handy and a hassle. Handy in that you don't have to search for the key after stop at the coffee shop, but a hassle because it forces its rider to fish around in his pocket for the key when he needs the bike secured. And don't make the mistake of leaving the key in the ignition switch when riding away, because it has no retainer and it will fall out by the time you get to your destination.
So here we are at the end of the test, the Victory's fresh face and superior mechanical bits going up against the classic chiseled features, grunty motor and legendary badge of the Harley.
We were fully impressed with the eye-pulling appeal of the Vegas, and in many ways it is superior to the Deuce, both mechanically and visually. But there's something special about the finely honed appeal of the Harley, and it's amazing how the H-D bar-and-shield crest immediately earns respect from bystanders/onlookers, whether they understand bikes or not. It's impossible to quantify that kind of instant status the Harley offers its rider.
The winner of this comparo ultimately depends on the potential consumer. An independent-thinking buyer will love to get the modernistic and unconventional Vegas for several thousand dollars less than the cookie-cutter Deuce.
But the extra money the Deuce demands also comes with membership into an exclusive and revered club, and if that's what a rider is looking for, then there's no other way to get it.
One anecdote from the test says it all: After a Harley guy spent several minutes complimenting the style of the Vegas at a biker hangout, I asked him if he'd consider buying one instead of a Harley. Even though he was admiring the bike seconds prior, he quickly responded, "No way," before the question had a chance to fully come past my lips.
And for some Harley aficionados, that's as complicated as their decision-making gets.
Check out the "Bottom Line" of the 2004 H-D Deuce vs. Victory Vegas.
