Victory CORE makes show debut

Added on Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 by Carole Nash Editor | One Comment

The wraps came off the Victory CORE concept bike, at the Carole Nash sponsored UK Motorcycle Show last week, reports Alastair Walker. Victory are a relative newcomer to the cruiser bike scene, but have rapidly established themselves as makers of sporty cruiser models like the Hammer, Jackpot and Vegas. The CORE is the brainchild of Chief Designer Michael Song and features a unique chassis, made from a minimal number of aluminium alloy sections.

The concept is simple; the chassis is reversed out, rather like a negative photo. Normally molten metal is poured into sand castings to make the key chassis sections on motorcycles, but the CORE is made exactly in the image of the sand castings themselves. So the boxy swing arm pivot holds substantial frame rails and the 1731cc V-twin motor hangs from an alloy spine which holds the fuel tank, airbox and the electrics inside its long teardrop shape.

Details like the African mahogany seat, the lack of mirrors, front mudguard and rigid rear end suggest this is very much a design study. The bike is stripped down, rather like the `board tracker’ customs that have been winning awards at shows over the last few years.

But lessons learned creating the big Vision touring model have been applied by Victory on the CORE concept. It has a practical appeal too, weighing in 469lbs dry, featuring belt final drive, powerful disc brakes and `X-factor’ wheels. Hope nobody’s told Simon Cowell about the wheels.

The CORE isn’t a traditional, curvaceous, shiny, chrome-plated cruiser. But models like the Ness Jackpot special editions, show that Victory can also do bling. The CORE definitely points the way ahead for Victory’s next generation of performance cruisers. This is very much a rolling template.

Victory also unveiled two new touring models at the NEC motorcycle show, which looked rather more conventional and should prove good competition for Harley’s Ultra Glide series models.

More at; www.victorymotorcycles.com

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