The 2011 Cory Ness Cross Country has incredible custom paint, Anvil wheels, billet Ness Holeshot controls, a Ness crossbar handlebar and a Cory Ness engine cover.
After another round of motojournalist shuffle, we once again got seat time on the
2011 Cross Country, this one dressed up in Cory Ness trim. If I thought the Pearl White scheme looked good, the Cory Ness bike got many unofficial “Best-Looking 2011 Victory Motorcycle” nods by the attending press. Sunset Red paint, Ness graphics, billet Anvil wheels and Ness Holeshot controls give an already bold bagger even more panache.
Big floorboards, wide-set bars and a big, padded 26.25-inch high seat leave riders comfortably upright and ready to tackle long miles. The fork-mounted fairing is wide and does a stellar job of deflecting wind blast away from riders. Besides being a focal point of the bike’s styling, the 5.8-gallon fuel tank gives the Cross Country great range. We easily stuffed cameras, a backpack and jacket in the roomy, 21-gallon stock saddlebags, adding to its credibility as a long-distance tourer. Riders will also enjoy standard features such as cruise control and an audio system that includes MP3 compatibility and an AM/FM stereo. Victory worked to get more of that sound back to the rider by making the holes in the speaker grills mounted inside the fairing bigger by 275%.
Between its 43mm inverted front fork and its air adjustable single shock absorber, the 2011 Cross Country can provide a plush ride when the rear’s dialed in right. Stopping power is much improved over the single disc arrangement of the Hammer 8-Ball thanks to the Cross Country’s stronger dual 300mm disc arrangement on the front. Another big 300mm rear rotor with a 2-pot caliper has a solid bite comparable to the front.
With a relatively light 29-degree rake and the same 65.7-inch wheelbase as the cruisers, the Cross Country is one of the best handling baggers out there. The bike is capable of generous lean angles and is rock-steady when tilted over. Its low center of gravity and seat height make for smooth side-to-side transitions. The Freedom 106/6 is well-balanced and vibes are nominal until they creep into the floorboards at higher rpm. And the foil-shaped highway bars help dispense some of the heat from the air-cooled V-Twin by deflecting air across the cylinder heads but the mill still puts out some inner-calf roasting heat after sitting long at idle.
The 2011 Victory Vision Tour has 29 gallons of trunk and saddlebag storage, ABS as a standard feature, an adjustable windshield, cruise control and dual-zone heated seats and handgrips.
We finished up the day with a spin on Victory’s luxury-tourer, the
2011 Victory Vision Tour. The Vision Tour shares a very important trait with the Cross Country – its handling belies its size. For a bike that tips the scales with a claimed dry weight of 869 lbs, the motorcycle tracks where you point it and holds its line well when tipped over.
It’s also decked out to make the long haul as easy on the rider as possible. The seat is ultra comfy and has ergonomics that keep pressure off the lower back. The ample-sized floorboards allow riders to easily shift their body weight or to stretch their legs on long runs. There are plenty of creature comforts like a push-button adjustable windshield, dual-zone heated seats and handgrips and cruise control as standard features. Throw in factory ABS and a linked braking system and you’ve got an American-made luxo-tourer with features comparable to its Japanese counterparts. Touring riders will also appreciate the claimed 29 gallons of trunk and saddlebag storage.
Victory's touring motorcycles are built for the long haul.
Victory Motorcycles prides itself on bringing fresh takes on what constitutes an American V-Twin. This daring-to-be-different attitude has attracted the attention of custom builders like Laura Klock and Roland Sands. Klock is running a 2008 Victory Bagger at the 2010 BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials while Sands has been working on a project called The Road to 200. Roland has used his racing pedigree to make a Victory land-speed racer in the Modified Partial Streamliner class. He switched the bike’s standard controls for billet rearsets, threw on an Ohlins steering damper, some ultra-light prototype wheels, dropped the seat height, made an aerodynamic rear hump to match the arc of the rider’s back and did a chain-drive conversion. It also has a small dugout in the top of the tank so riders can tuck their chin in behind the rounded front fairing. The goal is to breach the 200 mph barrier and on its initial test, it reached a max speed of 151 mph.
Victory’s 2011 strategies are highlighted by the decision to use its Freedom 106 engine in all of its models. The mill injects more attitude into its power cruisers and provides a torquey foundation for its tourers. The company continues to develop uniquely styled motorcycles with high quality fit-and-finish. The 2011 Cross Country is striking with the Cory Ness treatment and we love those supersized saddlebags. The Visions continue to impress with their combination of comfort and handling. The upgraded transmission is a step up from the gearbox of old and even with the improvements, Victory has kept price points on several of its models the same as last year. More power, smoother trannys, more customization options and a new marketing campaign encouraging riders to “Fuel It” have Victory gearing up for a successful run in 2011.
