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Octane as a first bike?

11K views 26 replies 18 participants last post by  Peterc 
#1 ·
Hi all

I am in the market to buy my first bike. I am a 39 year old expat living in Saudi Arabia and I have taken the initial training classes from Harley Davidson here. I passed the training easily, something about 2 wheels that it all comes naturally to me. Didn't drop the bike or failed to complete any exercise. The instructor used a HD Sportster 48 to train me and recommended the same bike. I really liked it but the tiny fuel tank put me off.

Plus reading about Victory bikes really got me interested and I love the styling. The local Vic dealer recommended a Hammer 8 ball (which I admittedly fell head over heals for) as a good enough first bike but I think he just wants to make the sale and it isn't a good first bike. So my trust in his advice is up for debate.

There is not a significant second hand market here to buy a starter bike and then upgrade. With motorcycles being considered a hobby here (no one commutes here due to the extreme heat) they are on the expensive side compared to US and Europe. I pretty much have to buy a bike that would be good for at least 2 years.

So is the Victory Octane a good starter bike?

Appreciate your feedback!

Thanks
Jaz
 
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#2 ·
Not sure on the Octane, I rode one but I'm big and didn't fit me well. Quick little bike though for what it is. The Hammer in my opinion has larger tires, and the engine size may be intimidating at first but my KP rides better and swings around easier than lots of 750's I've ridden. Even the new CC Tour feels very light on its feet and has excellent slow speed handling. I say test them both and see which fits you better and which one you feel more confident on. That is the one you will want to ride more often, and frankly...that's what its all about. Enjoyment.

As a first bike I can only tell you try a few and see which one suits you. Nothing worse than cracking the wallet only to find you are on a bike you don't like to ride. You may find the Hammer inspires more confidence, or the Octane may. Its about fit and feel my friend. Welcome to the forum.
 
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#4 ·
I've owned six motorcycles in just over 45 years of riding and I really am not sure if the Octane makes a good first bike.
The Octane is very light and has a low seat but is loaded with power and runs very hot. Ride it in Saudi for a good 30 minutes and see if it bothers you when that radiator fan comes on.
Have you considered a Kawasaki Vulcan 900? It has a 5.3 gallon fuel tank, runs much cooler and the 2009 I had was the most dependable motorcycle I ever owned, if not as exciting as my Octane or my Honda Magnas were.
Whatever your decision ends up being, enjoy the selection process and base most of your decision on how it feels to you when you ride it.
 
#5 ·
@jazi Welcome to the forum. Some good responses so far. It really does depend on what the expectations are for the bike. Range is a big consideration, and a 3.4 gallon tank won't take you as far as some others. Not saying the Octane would not be OK, it is really light and very nimble. But as @TexasTom was saying (and this is not the first time I have heard this) the engine, though water cooled tends to run a bit hot. All the other Vic steel frames have the 4.5 gallon tank. I tend to like the Hammer myself! That fat rear tire makes the bike a little harder to turn, but that may not be such a bad thing out where you are.

I think you have to go and do some test rides. Try different things, too. This is truly the only way to really discover the bikes and how they feel to you. Good luck!
 
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#6 ·
the first bike question is a tough one.

I've got a lady friend that just passed her motorcycle class at the local tech college.

She's likes the Octane a lot, as well as the Indian(she likes their coats haha).

She's a taller woman at 5'11" and fairly slim. So she's tall enough to flat foot anything in the Victory fleet. I told her she needs to focus on upper body strength at the gym since it does take some effort to throw the bike around a bit on longer rides.

I pointed her towards a 2012 Highball, under 6,000 miles, crash bars, pipes, rear pegs, sissy bar etc, various other doodads etc for $7400.

She saw a Vegas with about the same miles, a 2013, less add-ons for 6500.

Think she's leaning towards the Vegas now.

In any case, I've told her the goods, bads, doesn't matter across the various bikes. However the reality is that she doesn't know what her real riding style is going to be yet, what she will/won't like.

That comes with time and experience.

Pull the trigger, hope you make the best decision. My first bike was what I could afford, these days I buy bikes for my riding style(mostly touring, grocery shopping, commuter to work).

Everything else in between was the best looking bike to my eyes with the funds I had to spend.

Bottom line, no one can really answer your question but you at this point.
 
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#7 ·
I'd say it depends on what you want to get out of the bike when you ride it. Aggressive riding for shorter periods of time, I think the Octane might be the more fun bike. Rides that last more than a half hour and comfort being a consideration, I'd go with the Hammer. Or the nearly identical Vegas, Gunner, or Highball. Coming off a Sportster the Octane will immediately feel like a good fit and the Hammer will feel big and heavy. That will last for about 100-200 miles and then you'll be flicking it around just like you were on a smaller bike.
 
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#8 ·
Hi all

Thanks for the excellent inputs so far. I am 5'10" and 184lbs. Any bike with a 100 mile range is good enough for me as the bike is going to be used during the weekend only for casual riding and occasional group trips to nearby villages.

Appreciate highlighting the fact that the engine runs hot despite being liquid cooled. Over here the riding is done mostly in winters where the temperature drops below 10 celsius during day time. Summer riding is restricted to wee hours of the morning only but I reckon I would really end up storing it for the summer.

I think I will have to go out and do some test rides as soon as I can arrange my licence. With the long winding roads here in Riyadh (capital city of Saudi) the Hammer might be ok as well. Man I love the look of its rear tire.

Victory sure made a looker here. The dealer will get an Octane in October and a 2015 Hammer 8 ball is sitting with him looking pretty for which he wants USD 16,500. I will have to pay for registration and insurance.
 
#9 ·
In my opinion I personally think this is going to depend a lot on you and your riding style. It's a good first bike in that it is lighter and nimble and if you can stay out of the throttle it responds well. That said if you have a habit of going fast and twisting the throttle to its potential this bike could get you in trouble quick. I never would have handled this as my first bike because I probably would have ended up in a ditch or wrapped around a tree (also why I didn't get a sport bike). All that said this is my 4th bike and I've been riding for over 15 years - I absolutely love the bike and it's a blast to ride - although it could still use a suspension upgrade/better tires. If you do get it start off slow and get used to the brakes/acceleration/cornering. Once you think you've got it all down and are comfortable remind yourself that is usually when a lot of first time riders end up crashing. ;)
 
#11 ·
It's my first bike.

It depends on what you're going to use it for. I was going to use it for commuting, short cruises, la-da-de...

It's not great for commuting. It works, but I imagine something smaller/nimbler would work better. Then again, I'm 6'2", so something smaller also doesn't fit me as well.

I mostly commute with it and there's so much traffic here that I end up riding it hard because by the time I can, I'm already pissed off enough at traffic that I just hammer it.

It works. I like it. Will you? Who's to say.
 
#12 ·
The octane is my fist bike. I really in joy it. I'm 5,10 170 and 25 years old. For me the bike fits me perfect and I have a lot of fun on the back roads as well as long cruises with my combat veteran club. But it's all about what you want and what you feel comfortable and confident in
 
#16 ·
OP last logged in 1 day after this post was made. Thinking he didn’t get one.
 
#20 ·
Bit of a late post and also a new member here.

I just bought my Octane. It is my first bike. I am taking my time with it, figuring it out. Obviously I won't go wide open everywhere I go. Learning on it is an absolute thrill. I can cruise when I want, and open up when I need it. Would I say it's a good starter bike? Thats up to you to decide ( To anyone reading this that is). If you know you can be responsible and know/respect the what the Octane is capable of, then it can be a starter bike.
 
#26 ·
Hi all

I am in the market to buy my first bike. I am a 39 year old expat living in Saudi Arabia and I have taken the initial training classes from Harley Davidson here. I passed the training easily, something about 2 wheels that it all comes naturally to me. Didn't drop the bike or failed to complete any exercise. The instructor used a HD Sportster 48 to train me and recommended the same bike. I really liked it but the tiny fuel tank put me off.

Plus reading about Victory bikes really got me interested and I love the styling. The local Vic dealer recommended a Hammer 8 ball (which I admittedly fell head over heals for) as a good enough first bike but I think he just wants to make the sale and it isn't a good first bike. So my trust in his advice is up for debate.

There is not a significant second hand market here to buy a starter bike and then upgrade. With motorcycles being considered a hobby here (no one commutes here due to the extreme heat) they are on the expensive side compared to US and Europe. I pretty much have to buy a bike that would be good for at least 2 years.

So is the Victory Octane a good starter bike?

Appreciate your feedback!

Thanks
Jaz
 
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