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2008 H-D Ultra Classic vs. Victory Vision Photo Gallery

Photos of the 2008 H-D Ultra Classic vs. Victory Vision. 2008 H-D Ultra Classic vs. Victory Vision.

2008 Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic Electra Glide vs. 2008 Victory Vision Tour

This statue in Santa Paula, CA, commemorates the heroism of two motorcycle officers who rode through the night to warn citizens of the Saint Francis Dam's failure and the approaching wall of raging water.

When classical styling meets modern design, something's got to give, because as the Highlander says, 'there can be only one.'

The HID headlight on the '08 Vision illuminates a wide swath.

Look - the Long Beach skyline sans fog or smog. The L.A. Basin can be a beautiful place when a storm cleans up the valley.

The Victory Vision put up almost identical mileage numbers as the Ultra Classic at 34.79 mpg.

The controls on the Vision are clustered centrally and were easier to read than the spread out layout of the Ultra's cockpit.

The dials on the Vision are larger and easier to read than the Ultra Classic's and comes with a sweet digital gear indicator.

Two roads diverged in the valley, and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. - Robert Frost

Even the statues couldn't help but ogle the visually stunning Vision tour.

One beef we did have with the Vision is its handlebar-mounted radio and cruise controls. Victory could have done a better job of integrating them into the handlebars.

The Victory Vision has a 147cc advantage over the Ultra, which means I spent a lot of time looking at the v-shaped taillights while trying to catch Adam on the Vision.

For a bike that is 105 inches long, the Victory Vision's handling belies its size.

The Vision's rear suspension features a mono air shock with coil spring and is manually-adjustable via a schrader valve located in the left saddlebag.

At the core of the '08 Vision is a 106 cubic inch 4-stroke 50-degree V-Twin with single overhead camshafts and 4 valves per cylinder.

With a class-leading 26.5-inch seat height and a long, low stance, the Vision provides riders the feeling of being 'in' the bike instead of merely ' on.'

The 2008 Victory Vision Tour sits atop Signal Hill with the downtown L.A. skyline in the background.

You can set the Vision on cruise control or keep all 1731cc of the Vision's power in the palm of your right hand.

2008 Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic vs. 2008 Victory Vision hp chart

The folks at Victory noticed that there were no American luxury-touring bikes with modern styling which helped spawn its Vision.

The '08 Ultra was good for 34.56 mpg during our test which included lots of stop and go action, highway and city miles.

Between its topcase and hard saddlebags, the Ultra Classic provides ample storage for extended tours.

Harley-Davidson didn't forget about the passenger. They get a comfy backrest with wrap-around armrests and their own volume control for the audio system.

In MCUSA's version of Westside Story, the Ultra Classic played the role of the Jets.

The fit & finish of the Ultra Classic is top notch and includes controls for the standard CB radio and intercom system on the left handlebar.

The dial guages fit into the classic styling scheme of the Ultra Classic but don't really match the state-of-the-art Harmon Kardon audio system.

While the Harley was the undisputed winner in low-speed handling, its rear end felt a little loose when leaning into heavy turns at speed.

Aboard the heavyweight American V-Twin luxury-tourers, we were ready to explore whatever lay around the next bend.

We posed the iconic Ultra Classic with two other icons of motorcycling, the statues honoring the motorcycle police who saved countless lives during the Saint Francis Dam disaster.

The unmistakable sound of H-D's V-Twin emanates from the Ultra Classic's chrome, touring cross-over dual exhaust with taper end caps.

The '08 Ultra Classic features the latest incarnation of the Twin Cam 96 with pushrod-operated, overhead valves with hydraulic self-adjusting lifters.

The Ultra we got our hands on had Harley's 105th Anniversary treatment - copper pearl and vivid black paint, special badging, and a serialized plaque engraved with the bike's production number.

Look! It's a Harley on a Harley! With my last name, you'd figure that I should be entitled to a free bike. Hear that, H-D?

The one-piece, two-up Electra Glide Comfort-Stitch seat is made of high-quality leather and is one of the most comfortable seats my backside has had the pleasure of sitting on.