Love it or hate it, the Victory High Ball makes a statement few can ignore.
My first impressions hanging from the high handlebars with my feet forward, wearing black and riding through the traffic, was that my demeanour and attitude had started to change. I felt like Darth Vader, no actually, after a few more kilometres, I was Darth Vader, master of the universe, and leaning towards the evil side.
This must be the nicest sounding V-twin motor in the world. The test unit I was on had the optional aftermarket black pipes which I would suggest should be fitted before you leave the show room. It’s got a masculine growl with a rev happy motor that pulls from idle but makes you want to reach for higher revs in every gear; you don’t want it to stop. I would normally never give bikes like this a second glance, yet they offer something very unique, something you do not find in adventure or superbikes; and that is a certain sense of arrival. Do not buy a bike like this if you do not want everybody at the traffic lights to take a second look.
The reach to the top of the ‘bars from the low seat is a long one but that can be moved to fit all arm lengths, but why ape hangers? Not only do they feel “Gangsta” but urban legend has it that after the Vietnam War army vets returning home could just not adapt to a normal, simplistic and calm state of life. They started breaking into small gangs of bikers and, as a form of rebelling against the norm, started bobbing and chopping (recognise these terms?) their bikes. The minimalist look was it, so heavy mudguards and fenders and standard pipes were cut and changed, and the big indicators and all legal requirements for riding on the road were reduced to the absolute minimum. Just think of the movie Easy Rider; it was a hit in its time and was truly a feeling that came over the entire nation during that period. The Poms on the other hand were making cafe racers across the pond with their smaller capacity bikes, but the Yanks have always stayed true to their heritage. There is no substitute for cubic capacity, which brings me to the Victory High Ball motor.
Victory has chosen to stay with one motor in their offerings with the only differences being gearing and some camshafts between the models. I’m not sure if this is the right approach as consumers like choice, but what it does do for a new brand coming into a country is that the parts bin will almost always have what you are looking for. The High Ball’s engine is a 50-degree V-twin displacing 1,731cc. Hydraulic valve adjusters, lash-reducing split-gear primary drive, carbon fibre reinforced belt final drive and fuel injection mean there’s practically nothing on the bike that requires attention. The service intervals are every 6,000kms, so if its maintenance free bad boy travelling you are after, look no further.
Ok, so what is it like to ride? Your first thought is going to be that with those ape hangers you are going to have to re-teach yourself how to ride and, although slow manoeuvring in a car park for instance is the most difficult, it’s not nearly as bad as you first think it might be. The clutch and throttle are well mated and although the gearbox feels a little clunky, it’s got that solid, well built clunk to it when you change.
The suspension handles road imperfections well, to such a degree that when one looks at how low the bike is you will, at first, brace yourself for a few road imperfections, only to realise soon enough that the High Ball actually takes daily road imperfections in its stride. Telescopic 43mm diametre forks with 135mm of travel make up the front suspension while a single, mono-tube gas, preload adjustable spring with 81mm of travel complete the rear suspension. As for the brakes, the 3.5/16 inch Dunlop Cruisemax tyres are stopped with 300mm floating rotors with a four piston calliper in the front and two at the rear. The braking is adequate and on these kinds of bikes you use the rear as much as the front but I for one would have liked to have seen ABS fitted to this motorcycle. The tyres are Dunlop white sidewalls which complement the look, and are a hard compound for longevity
although the grip is ample to get to the max lean angle before scraping of the foldable footrests occur. This is a good safety feature as a lot of custom aftermarket products that you can buy for these kinds of bikes quite often do not fold, so a touch town normally results in either the front or the rear loosing traction. At least with the folding footrests you realise you are at the bike’s limits before anything dangerous starts happening. With the 16-inch tyres, even though they are quite chunky at 130/90 (front) and 150/80 (rear), the High Ball swings through turns with a pleasant, neutral feel, so much so that you really want to press on a little when the situation presents itself – even if the bike’s not in its natural habitat.
The gauge includes a digital inset featuring a number of functions, including an odometre, trip metre, clock and gear position indicator, which is handy. The engine, as I mentioned before, is a willing participant in conquering the world; what a ripper with its balls-out power delivery. Victory claims 97hp and 152Nm, and although we never put it on the dyno, it feels pretty close to me. I got pulled off by the cops while out testing and I stopped the whole roadblock when everyone of JMPD’s finest came
to look at the bike and, as I was keen to make a little spirited get away to impress, I revved her up to full tilt and dropped the clutch. I expected a little wheel spin but, looking back in the mirrors, obviously the cops expected a little less smoke as well and the Victory lit up the back tyre and just smoked and squirmed its way up the road. Now if ever you wanted a cool party trick that would be it! If this bike were mine, I’d do it often, especially in front of a group of Harley riders!
In terms of the paint scheme or bike theme for want of a better word, tradition has dictated a chrome trend but a new fashion sense is creeping its way into the motorcycle market. Polish, chrome and high gloss colours make way for powder coating, matt colours and a whole lot of black and the Victory High Ball is loaded with all three.
The finish on the bike is at a very high level, with the paint and decals at the top of the game and even though these bikes historically have always encouraged their owners into customising the hell out of them, with the High Ball, less is more. Our test unit was fitted with the curved number plate option and hidden LED indicator lights front and back and, obviously, an aftermarket matt black exhaust; for me that’s all the customising I’d do. I’d also obviously need to go and buy a vest, get a tattoo and put a stiletto wearing, g-string showing bimbo on the back, just to show how really bad to the bone I am. I’m telling you, this bike changes you, like no other.
Would I buy one? Yes if I could afford my ideal 10 bike garage. It’s not ideal for fast highway riding but like Bill Hunter once said about a bike with high, wide handlebars, it’s like you are strapped to a moose’s head because you get every possible bit of wind out there but, at slower cruising speeds and about town riding, I absolutely loved it, and it’s changed the idea I had about bobbers forever. Victory is brought
into the country through Cardinals by a gent named Bryan Berger who is passionate about the brand. They already have a few dealers countrywide and are starting a rider training centre in Boksburg, so yes, they are here to stay. And, based on their success in the motherland, be prepared to see a lot more Victorys on our roads.
