Maybe that new style could look a lot like a Vision. LOL

 

From what I read this weekend HD sales down first quarter 25% one article read even with victory closing their doors harley sales still dropping below expectations. Is their loyalty base dropping off. I think a loy of it has to do with the new motor anyone whos been on them any amount of time knows never buy harleys first year

 

The RKS, especially in green is the only HD that does anything for me right now. HD did good with this bike

 

with the death of Victory I'm still considering many options.

I've seen some deals on Indians, just can't bring myself to pull the plug on another Polaris product that in many ways pales in comparison to my CCT. Not that the Indians are bad bikes, but I tour, a LOT. The Roadmaster falls short on legroom and storage and falls way high on pricing.

HD's wont be much an improvement either but better pricing and a much stronger dealer network(if needed).

Yes HD has had some issues over it's many years but they're still here. I like in the Milwaukee area and ride with lots of HD owners. A few of them have had some issues, a few of them have had flawless bikes.

There just isn't a decent replacement for the Victory bikes in price and capability.

Going to another Chevy dealer this weekend that has several Camaro convertibles and a few Mustangs. More than likely I'll be 'touring' on 4 wheels the next few years.

Damn you Polaris!!!

 

Why not just buy another Victory ?

 

because I like to tour. A handful of dealerships(from what I've seen here) have stopped carrying Victory stuff.

More are likely to drop off.

Victory's track record of carrying parts when THEY WERE IN PRODUCTION wasn't very good.

Eventually everything breaks down, but now if I need a servicing dealer I may have to go hundreds of miles and still have to way days or weeks for parts. Not worth ruining my vacation time over.

Yes that could happen with a HD, Honda, Kawasaki, whichever brand you own/ride but it's far less likely to have part supply issues. Yes I can u-haul it home but a one way u-haul is an expensive venture in its own right.

Even if the Victory's remained behind the times with its technology, yes I would've bitched, but I would still buy another CCT versus some fancy doodad infotainment offering. While those perks are nice, I can live without a touch screen on my bike.

I was a Victory faithful since 99, owning and enjoying many many miles with very few problems. But I also upgraded every 4-5 seasons as well.

I have no regrets of ever owning a Victory product, never will either.

I'm keeping my Victory gear, going to run my bikes into the ground(I also have 2 Vegas models in my garage). However my long distance days are over on a Victory bike.

 

anything new can have issues + HD being very cheap their newest designs usually have problems, not to mention the layoffs + new inexperienced new hires at a cheaper hourly rate!! new design + prolly more cheap outsourced parts are cause for concern, but the buyers are smartly buying extended warranties at a high level!!

 

So, thought I would update this thread after 4000 miles on the Road King Special (RKS) and lay out a more detailed comparison to the X1. This is for those that might be looking for a new bike and might want to try a 107, test rides are free, so go take one out. If noting else, it is fun to test drive bikes! Not trying to sell anybody, just info and a honest comparison from a guy who owns both.

I put a 1000 miles on the RKS and had the first service done. I did the Stage 1 to the RKS, S&S MK-45 cans, S&S Stealth A/C and a Fuel Moto tune flashed to the ECU via a PC PowerVision tuner. I really like the Power Vision tuner/tool BTW. Bike runs great with the Stage 1 upgrade. Seeing how my X1 is also a full Stage one with Tri Ovals, Lloyd's A/C, Timing Wheel and a PCV with a Coastal Dyno tune, about as fair of a comparison as can be IMO.

I left my house and went to Panama City Beach Fla for Spring Bike week. 967 miles each way. On day one I drove to Columbus Ga. (770 miles) and stayed at my bro in laws for the night. Got up the next morning and drove down to PCB for the week. Bike ran perfect. No hiccups and with the stage 1 I am getting a solid 42 MPG's running along at 70-85 all day long on the freeway.

Got up on Mothers Day and rode back all the way, the full 967 miles in 16.5 hours. I did add a Mustang Super Tour seat and that made a world of difference. Even though the RKS has no windscreen, you are up in the clean air and with a Full Face Helmet, buffeting was not bad at all. Actually, it was about the same as the X1 with the fork deflectors and Longride shield I have.

Ergo's. I am 5'10" so on the X1 it feels longer and more stretched out. I feel like I am sitting "in the bike". I can stretch out and lots of room to move my legs around. I have the Mini Mitered Ape's on mine with the stock seat. Longest ride I have done on that bike 500 miles and it was fine.
On the RKS, you feel more like you are riding "on the bike". With the Mustang seat, it moves you back 1.75 inches, so leg room for me is fine. I have 12 inch apes on that bike and they are perfect for me. I took off the heal shifter so I can move my left foot around no problem. I kind like the feeling of being "On the bike" a little better than "in the bike" as I feel like I have more control but all in all, the ergo's while different, are kinda a wash to me.

Heat Management. Hands down, the 107 is just better. My right leg does not get cooked like it does on the X1. In traffic around town, it is very noticeable the difference. I rode the RKS to work yesterday and the X1 today and man what a difference. I can honestly say, the 107 is a cooler running motor.

Power. While I do not have a dyno run for the 107, I do for the 106, I am sure the numbers are gonna be close between the 2, but the on demand torque of the 107 is better IMO. It comes on right off idle, it pulls hard and never lacks for grunt. In traffic or blasting the freeway, twist and go. The 106 comes on a little later like more around 3G's rpm and starts to pull good from 3500-5000 where as the 107 pulls from 2000 up to about 4500 and then I shift. Speed shifting both, the 107 hits harder than the 106. Needless to say, I have to give the nod to the 107 for all around riding, the torque is just better suited to the powerband the way I ride. Honestly, I think the 107 would beat the 106 except maybe on the top when the 106 would pull a little further. SInce I cannot race myself side by side, I am basing this off of runs on the same road, getting up to speed using the same markers with my timer. Not scientific I know, but it was fun running these tests.

Handling. The X1 at speed handles great. Turns well and stops well. The RKS is pretty nimble feeling for a 800 lb bike. It "feels" lighter than the X1 and is more "flickable" on back roads. The linked ABS brakes on the 107 work great and stop really well. I did not do any measured 0-60 to stop tests, but the 107 seems to stop a little bit quicker. Again, based on my feel, not any real data to back that up. Slow speed maneuvering is much easier on the RKS. I am sure the wheelbase has alot to do with that. I can turn that thing around much easier than the X1 in the parking lot. You don't feel the weight like you do on the X1 in slow speed moving.

Fit and finish. The RKS seems a bit more refined than the X1. Paint on the RKS is perfect and deep. Not really fair to compare a Matte bike to a normal painted bike. I like the bag latches better on the RKS. The are camed style and are easy to use. Bags come off easy. Bags on the 107 are a bit larger. Gas Gauge on the RKS is superb. It truly works and gives you an honest reading. It does not do the 75 mile drop to half like the X1 does. It works it's way down and decrements as a gas gauge should. I like the 1 button cruise control better than the multi button pod on the X1. RKS has no stereo so no comparison there.

Maintenance. 107 has 3 resv, primary, tranny and engine. Easy to service albeit 3 holes to drain and fill. Aircleaner is a snap to get to. Oil filter is a spin on and the X1 location is easier to get to and not make a slight mess. So I call it a wash cause the time it takes to service the airfilter makes up for the 3 drains and fills IMO for the fluids. 2 plug heads on the 107 so that is a bit more cumbersome, but the added performance from the full burn you get makes it worthwhile in my mind.

Tranny. 107 smoother and less clunky. Shifts good and is positive feeling. Both have decent ratio's and you don't need 6th on both till you are up to freeway speeds.

Out on the open road, the 107 works really well as does the 106. It boils down to the torque curve for me and I like the 107 powerband better. Add in the less felt heat and it s a more comfortable ride for the long haul. I like the X1, it turns heads when I ride it and people always come up and comment on it, but I get alot of comments on the RKS too, mostly the color as that Green looks way better in person than in pictures. Once I added the 12 inch apes and the blacked out looks of the bike, that appeals to alot of folks just like the blacked out look and Matte paint of the X1 does as well.

I like both, but I have to give the edge to the RKS, especially for long hauls. HD did a good job with the M8 motor. It pulls hard, runs strong and is pretty nice. I have not had 1 issue with either bike. I have put 4000 miles on the RKS in 2 months and if I am gonna do a 500+ mile ride, well it will be on the RKS. The less heat alone and more nimble handling just make it more fun to ride.

Okay, flame away~! But I would say go ride one and just have some fun checking it out. The RKS is more like a HotRod compared to the other larger tourers, so maybe thats why it is so much more fun to ride than maybe a Street Glide or Road Glide. Lastly I like the minimalistic look of it sans windscreen with the apes.

 

Good report.
Honestly I've never been much of an HD fan, I got so tired of having to fix broke bikes on the side of the road in the 70's that I could never own one.
After reading your post I may just go try one, I'll never own one but it would be fun to compare.

 

is your RK having the oil transfer issue where the tranny is draining into the primary that so many other oil cooled 107's are having. read where one rider got a new tranny as HD wanted his to see whats WRONG!!!!

 

Hope it turns out to be the motor they never built. But you've shown difference in rider taste. I hated the feeling of sitting on HD baggers it adds to top heavy ness of it. Going from changing 3 oils to 1 with filter locations like nite and day. Will give you the air cleaner lol but no way that compares to the bs of 3 hole change.time will tell on the motor it literally has no history YET! I've put several new 107,s in my rear view pretty quick so I can't buy the quickness thing at this point but I did run with ultras including 1 RG . Honestly I dont know if a cvo can run with me I know a 110 can't but the 114 I'm lookin for one lol.But I can see how the RK CAN outrun and out handle the ultras for sure. But a good honest report showing how we all differ in what we like and dislike in a motorcycle

 

they are having issues with the M-8 which is typical for a clean sheet design, most HD riders admit at least a year maybe two to sort out, good to have another ride as some owners reported their bike was at the dealers more than they had it. some were lucky + got a good one. prolly like the clackers, depends what parts go into the mix. the 24 page post i read yesterday is all about the oil transferring into the primary, some only a few ozs if you are a slow rider, but more for aggressive riding + a lot when using engine braking. several riders going on trips noted packing spare lube + a wrench + funnel for very long trips. the HD forum is pushing the issue to get HD on the ball because "they DON'T just ALL do that"

 

Famous last words from the Hd shop "THEY WILL DO THAT" no $hit that's why I'm here there not supposed to do that lol omg 4 decades of those arguments!

 

I have read the reports of the oil transfer issue. I have read about another small niggles. I have checked my oil level in the tranny and primary 3 times now and no change to either on mine. I had the first service done by the dealer as it was thrown in. I did have some puking out of the vents right after my first service and come to find out, my oil level was a little high form the dealer service. I drained out some oil till 3/4 on the dip stick and has been clean since. I think the 967 miles in 16.5 hours, doing the speeds and rpm's I was doing would have shaken out that issue on mine.

Agree, buying any design in the first year is "more risky" but there doesn't seem to be any specific lot, or specific build time frame that correlates. Who knows, when I read some guys say "I had to add 2 ounces of oil to get it back to the mark" I get real skeptical. I mean they never checked the primary from the start, so how the hell do they know if fluid was transferred? 2 ounces is not alot of oil. You could easily make the mistake of reading the dip stick and checking it at 2 different temps and get a slightly different reading. I have read about alot of folks who don't even know the proper way to check the level! Another amazing thing is how many guys will run to the internet and never have so much have read the damn owners manual and start complaining about a supposed issue. You see a ton of that on the FB pages.

When I went to the 107 engine seminar my shop had, I was blown away by some of the less than basic knowledge/questions of how engines work by some of these new owners. That is not a brand thing. I mean 2 guys didn't know what the difference was between the primary and final drive? They had bikes with belt drives and thought they had chains! Until the tech explained the primary drive is a chain, and they said , Oh. I mean come on. Not everyone has vast experience, I get that, but read the damn manual!

I don't doubt there could be an issue, I just doubt it may be a huge one. It seems to me it could be a issue on a limited number of bikes due to manufacturing tolerances or whatever, jury still out. Over the years, alot of so called issues are operator caused due to people not really knowing what the hell they are doing. They read something on the internet, go look at their bike and then claim an issue.

My favorite one I read alot on here and FB Vic pages is "I removed unplugged my O2 sensors and now it throws a code and pops on decel, whats wrong?", really? They don't even really understand what the hell the O2 sensor does, but they read about someone who unplugged theirs and it ran so much better and had more power etc. so they run out and unplug theirs. ridiculous.

IRT the oil pump issue some experienced early on, that was traced to the pump vendor, that could happen to any brand. To date, I think the overall 107 design is pretty good. Up to 4500 miles on it now. Both my X1 and the 107 have run good. If I had to summarixe to the main differences other than Handling (different trail/rake/wheelbase so should be different between the two) I would say the heat to the right leg and the torque off idle. Both good bikes, different power characteristic's and handling.

 

i wish you good luck with your bike + as noted its amazing how little many riders understand about their machines. dealers love those riders as they run to the dealer for every little thing $$$ + get their simple services there because they "think" they must for warranty purposes. reading the simple owners manual is a must as is a shop manual for DIYers, lots of info on-line as well, but be aware many posters know very little + opinions are that a personal preference. being my first Vic i learned so much here + am thankful for the many that helped me learn.