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What's the real story behind Lloyd'z?

11K views 109 replies 33 participants last post by  navycraig 
#1 ·
I'm throwing this out there to get more information based on a conversation I had with the owner of Best Buy Polaris in Ft. Pierce.

I've read pretty much nothing but glowing reports about how great Lloyd is and how great his products are but without even mentioning Lloyd by name, simply talking about how to increase the HP and TQ on my Cross Country Jim blurts out, "Whatever you do DO NOT let Lloyd touch your motor"!

He then goes on to explain how Lloyd is personally responsible for 2 dealers in the NE going out of business due to blown motors and how the engineers at Victory are very anti Lloyd and wish he would stop putting customer's motors at risk with his power packages. He also relates personal horror stories about Lloyd'z modified motors that he's had come into his shop.

Pretty darn harsh words from a dealer with nothing to gain or lose and without even being asked about Lloyd directly.

So, what's the real story here?
 
#3 ·

Sounds like people bought Lloyd's stuff and installed it themselves and f**ked it up.
My friend and I dropped dropped our bikes off at Lloydz. We both got exactly the same thing done, except I had my heads ported and he didn't. Both bikes were completed, ridden 100 miles or so, then dyno tuned by Lloyd & Adam.
I have ridden the bike over 10K miles since the motor was done. I have drag raced it on NUMEROUS occasions. It is 100% reliable and runs like a swiss watch, my friend's is the same.My bike AVERAGES 45 mpg and makes almost 120 HP. I was NUMBER 1 qualifier at the American drag races in 2009 in the bagger class. Lloydz-built bikes DOMINATE those events.
I have raced with the Lloydz crew on 3 occasions and my bike is featuredon their speedfreaks page. I am taking it back to Lloydz for a re-tune after I change the pipes, install his new tubular intake, and bump the rev limiter to 6700 RPM. I'm looking for 128 HP out of my 104 inch motor.
I know a dozen people who have had Lloyd do their engines. I have NEVER heard anyone complain and a few of those people are on their 2nd and 3rd Lloydz motor build because they own2 or 3 Victory motorcycles. Lloyd gets tons of return customers who keep coming back time after time, because he truly is the guru of all things Victory.
Loydz-built bikes hold Bonneville speed records and many drag racing trophies... this is no accident, dude. Look at the dyno graphs on the Lloydz website. He gets 132 horsepower out of a 104" motor with little .495 cams in it. It runs just fine on 92 octane pump gas. That is unreal!
Believe what you want. I have been wrenching and tuning motorcycles for 30+ years andNOBODY puts a wrench on my bike except ME and LLOYD GREER.
 
#4 ·

I live near Lloyd'z shop I have a 2008 Victory Vision, stock except for chrome. I have no desire to race my Vision. I intend to ride it like I stole it for the next three years or so when my extended warrenty has expired I may be tempted to take my Vision to Lloyd'z.
I was looking at the New Triumph T-Bird it is a 1600 cc liquid cooled engine there is a Big Bore option that bumps it up to 1700 cc it is a dealer option not a factory one so I figured if I had bought the T-Bird I would drive it for many years before seeking the Big Bore kit.
I just can't see buying a brand new motor and removing parts that have not had a chance to fail.
Just my opinion
 
#5 ·
Trekwolf164 said:
I just can't see buying a brand new motor and removing parts that have not had a chance to fail. Just my opinion
Buddy... Without touching the internals of the motor or changing the stock rev limiter, Lloyd can give your Vision 111 HP and 111TQ for $1800.00 Installed,and tunedincluding all parts & labor. Why wait?
Mufflers, Airbox, Fuel Controller, and Vision cams. You ever ride a bike that makes 100 Ft/lbs of torque and building before 2200 RPM? Let me tell ya, there's nothing like it. Load the bike with gear, put a passenger on the back, head up a mountain... the bike won't bat an eye.
 
#6 ·
Half_Crazy said:
Trekwolf164 said:
I just can't see buying a brand new motor and removing parts that have not had a chance to fail. Just my opinion
Buddy... Without touching the internals of the motor or changing the stock rev limiter, Lloyd can give your Vision 111 HP and 111TQ for $1800.00 Installed,and tunedincluding all parts & labor. Why wait?
Mufflers, Airbox, Fuel Controller, and Vision cams. You ever ride a bike that makes 100 Ft/lbs of torque and building before 2200 RPM? Let me tell ya, there's nothing like it. Load the bike with gear, put a passenger on the back, head up a mountain... the bike won't bat an eye.
I have over 10000 miles on my bike my SO and I are not small people I have no issues climbing mountains or passing tractor trailers.
 
#7 ·
I know people that love Lloyd and people that haven't had service up to snuff from him either.

Like most business's some love some hate.

As for Victory not liking Lloyd, I doubt that's the case.

A few high horsepower Vic's getting out there making a good name is good for the brand recognition not bad.

Look at the new limited edition Vegas they have coming out, race and top speed inspired.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Trekwolf164 said:
I have over 10000 miles on my bike my SO and I are not small people I have no issues climbing mountains or passing tractor trailers.
So you would have no use for better performance, even if the fuel economy stayed the same? What's that, 26 more HP? Downshift? What the hell for?
I was just thinking the other day that if my bike just made 26 less horsepower I would be truly happy with it.
 
#10 ·
Half_Crazy said:
Trekwolf164 said:
Half_Crazy said:
Trekwolf164 said:
I have over 10000 miles on my bike my SO and I are not small people I have no issues climbing mountains or passing tractor trailers.
So you would have no use for better performance, even if the fuel economy stayed the same? What's that, 26 more HP? Downshift? What the hell for?
I was just thinking the other day that if my bike just made 26 less horsepower I would be truly happy with it.
If my bike was not preforming well my dealer would have a headache until it was fixed.
I think if someone is racing their machine it justify's the cost but in normal street use my Vision preforms very well and when she has 100,000 miles she might need a rebuild and a new exhaust system.
 
#12 ·

For a dealer to make a comment like thisI thinkthere may be a little bit ofjealousy involved here.
It would appear that Lloyd is the only one doing anything for preformance with Victory motrocycles these days, the company (Victory) will not even reply to legitimate question about there product, reply from them is contact your dealer, if my dealer new the answer to my question I would not need to contact Victory in the first place.
I can say for sure that anytime I asked Lloyd a question on or about my Kingpin he answered with no hesitation.
As far as motors blowing up, nobody is prefect when it comes to this. We don't know what caused this to happen, builder or driver, most likely driver.
As far as all work been perfect this will not happen all the time either, its what done to resolve the issue and how fast it is looked after,
I personally can vouch for Lloydz Motorworkz with there service !!!
Regards
Mike Sutherland
Toronto, Ontario
Canada
 
#13 ·

redpin04 said:
I know people that love Lloyd and people that haven't had service up to snuff from him either.
Having been the service manager at a couple of large bike dealerships and having run my own business for a few years, I can assure you that there are always people who are impossible to please. Some people complain if their ice cream melts into their cake, when it's their fault for letting the plate sit so long.
 
#14 ·
Mark, most of the problems I have heard with Lloyd happen when the people by his parts online and have their local Vic shop put them on or do it themselves. Without the proper tuning afterwards it is a recipe for disaster. I had Lloyde tune in my bike and can say it never ran better. As far as Vic's feelings, I know they went to him when they were building the world's fastest Victory, it was in one of last years Victory Rider mags.
 
#15 ·

I bought cams and controller from him, installed both myself, installed S &S intake and new exhaust,then went on 6000 KM trip, got back went to Lloydz shop had it tuned by Lloyd.
My point is I am not a mechanic and it only took a few e-mails to Lloyd to ask a couple of questions, which he replied to ASAP to complete this work.
Vic shops should have no problem doing work with his add ons. That is if they are mechanics.
Regards
 
#17 ·
Half_Crazy said:
Trekwolf164 said:
Half_Crazy said:
Trekwolf164 said:
I have over 10000 miles on my bike my SO and I are not small people I have no issues climbing mountains or passing tractor trailers.
So you would have no use for better performance, even if the fuel economy stayed the same? What's that, 26 more HP? Downshift? What the hell for?
I was just thinking the other day that if my bike just made 26 less horsepower I would be truly happy with it.
Yep, I'm with Trek on this one... All, that money to get where an under $10,000.00 bike is already. Cruisers and tourersare made for comfort and the Vic's are just about the fastest cruiser out there... Never felt the need for extra power on my Vision or Vegas...
 
#18 ·
As you know, I'm not a big guy and even with a passenger and fully loaded cargo, I had absolutely no complaints with the Vision's power. The roll-on in 6th gear at highway speeds was more than ample and I never took it to a drag strip as in my mind, it was a comfort cruiser/tour bike and delivered on what was promoted.

Although we have the Magnuson-Moss act, when it comes to engine modifications, I'm one to stay on the conservative side.

But, to each his/her own. It is nice to know that there are third-parties who provide services that the factory, possibly for legal reasons, may not be able to offer.

I do have first hand experience with Jim at Best Buy as after a few headaches with the "former" Victory of South Florida, Best Buy provided some positive experiences and great service. He knows the internal Victory system and makes things very easy for his customers. Jim gave me the impression that he's a real hands-on owner. And, if my information is correct, he's also a Victory certified mechanic. He's also, at this time, the only Victory Dealership in South Florida...and he's located a bit North of South Florida.
 
#19 ·
I started racing bikes real young then got into cars, When in competition i can see spending the bucks to make the motors faster. Thats what competition is all about.
If someone wants to spend the money on a cruiser thats their decision but i dont understand why someone would want to take a smooth riding comfortable bike and hop it up. Performance is nice but performance also makes things wear out sooner. Speed costs in more ways than one. No matter who does the work, a pro or a shade tree mechanic, when you do stuff, stuff happens. I find it pretty harsh words to say that one builder destroyed two dealerships. If something happens with a builder it is the responsibility of the dealership or the "Client of that builder and either have them fix the problem or fire them and move on.
 
#20 ·
While it's true that regardless what I do with the 106 motor a CC is never going to be as quick as a sub $10K Japanese sport bike but that doesn't mean I don't want it to have significant punch when I twist the throttle.

I'd really like to get to the 110/120 number at the rear wheel with this motor and I think that's entirely doable without getting into the motor beyond the top end. Porting, cam, exhaust and intake are tried and true methods of extracting the most from a motor without shortening it's lifespan significantly.

It seems Lloyd has done some nice work with cams and intakes on the Visions and from what I've heard the intake on the CC doesn't need as much help as the Vision and since I already have the stage 1 I'm thinking cams and a tune are the ticket. However, what Lloyd offers right now is only about half of what I think is the optimal setup and I don't see anyone on the horizon working on the last two pieces to my puzzle, the head porting and a proper reprogram of the ECM. I'll forgo the ported heads but I'm really not into the piggyback fuelers, they are recipes for disaster, I've seen the results first hand. Besides, they don't allow you to extend the rev limiter so you are leaving a lot on the table.

A package of consisting of cams designed to flow up to 6500 RPM, performance air filter, stage 1 pipes and a correct ECM calibration file with a 6500 rpm redline is what I want. That should be easily under $2k installed and well under $2500 with flowed and ported heads. At this time no one makes it.
 
#22 ·


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From Lloyds site, know it says 100, but he does the 106
Tool Cut and Ported Large Valve Heads for 100cu.in. Victory. These heads produce BIG power increases from custom stainless steel valves, reshaped ports and combustion chambers. Normal 0-5 day turnaround.
100ci.HOH-PLV
Must Call!​
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MJW, Lloyd does do head work. You don't think a ton a people have tried to get a the limiter?? No ones cracked it yet. Lloyd can fool it, but not get to the code.
 
#23 ·

mjw930 said:
However, what Lloyd offers right now is only about half of what I think is the optimal setup and I don't see anyone on the horizon working on the last two pieces to my puzzle, the head porting and a proper reprogram of the ECM. I'll forgo the ported heads but I'm really not into the piggyback fuelers, they are recipes for disaster, I've seen the results first hand. Besides, they don't allow you to extend the rev limiter so you are leaving a lot on the table.
Lloydz offers head porting in several stages with any combination of valve sizes you want. He did my heads. The new PC-5 Power Commander is out now. It does the fuel table and has ignition timing control and incremental rev limit settings as well. Adam (of Lloydz)had one on his new race bike at the last event we were at together. Piggy-back controllers are great if you get a good one and you know how to tune it. I have the PC-III on my bike. It was installed and tuned by Lloyd and I have no complaints.
Extending the rev limiter is only an advantage if your motor is still building power beyond the stock rev limit. A set-up thatmakes power in those highRPM ranges in most cases will kill off low end torque, which is totally counterproductive on a cruiser/tourer. This is why I am such a fan of Lloyd, he knows how to make torque AND horsepower without sacrificing one for the other. He understabds that "mild is wild".
My heads received a bowl blendingandgeneral port clean-up, along with a multi angle valve job, and swirl polishing of the valves. MAJOR increases in HP without sacrificing any torque... in fact torque is better all the way across the tach.
This is before and after:


As you can see, all gains/no losses. Now, Keep in mind that my pipes SUCK and I was told up front that my numbers would reflect that. I can bring up the low end torque to a flatter curve and increase HP as well with a good 2-1 exhaust.
Also notice that the stock 5800 RPM rev limiter is retained. My best 1/4 mile times are when shifting at 5600 RPM... The way the motor is tuned now, increasing the rev limit would get me absulutely nothing.
 
#25 ·
Clubford00 said:
If someone wants to spend the money on a cruiser thats their decision but i dont understand why someone would want to take a smooth riding comfortable bike and hop it up. Performance is nice but performance also makes things wear out sooner. Speed costs in more ways than one.
You can see above the kind of performance I am enjoying. Now let me say this...
If you rode my bike normally, in traffic, on the highway, around town... You would never know anything was done to it. It rides and runs just like a stock Kingpin would. It is not the least bit high-strung and as long as you don't open up the throttle you would have no idea anything was done to it. The comfort of the bike is in no way affected. It still averages 45 MPG no matter how I ride it.
I really don't see a downside...
 
#26 ·
Half_Crazy said:
Clubford00 said:
If someone wants to spend the money on a cruiser thats their decision but i dont understand why someone would want to take a smooth riding comfortable bike and hop it up. Performance is nice but performance also makes things wear out sooner. Speed costs in more ways than one.
You can see above the kind of performance I am enjoying. Now let me say this...
If you rode my bike normally, in traffic, on the highway, around town... You would never know anything was done to it. It rides and runs just like a stock Kingpin would. It is not the least bit high-strung and as long as you don't open up the throttle you would have no idea anything was done to it. The comfort of the bike is in no way affected. It still averages 45 MPG no matter how I ride it.
I really don't see a downside...
The downside "could" be shortened engine life. I've never modified these Vic motors but have spent years modding waverunner engines in my past obsession. generally the bigger the power output, the shorter the engine lifespan as things just wear out quicker. This may or may not be a consideration for some people here but anytime you add power you usually give up some durability.
 
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