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VICTORY RIDERS NEWS : ISSUE 21

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Welcome to our special November “Ignition” issue of Victory Riders News.

Today in Milan, at the EICMA motorcycle show, Victory Motorcycles unveiled the Project 156 derived engine that will power middleweight liquid cooled machines in the very near future. The new Victory engine was presented in a stunning concept bike called “Ignition” built by Top-Fuel racing legend and custom bike builder Urs Erbacher.

We have the full story in this special issue of Victory Riders News.

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THE VICTORY IGNITION CONCEPT
SWISS BIKE BUILDER AND DRAG RACER, URS ERBACHER, CREATES A CONCEPT MOTORCYCLE WITH VICTORY MOTORCYCLES’ NEWEST V-TWIN ENGINE. 

After racing at Pikes Peak with Project 156, Victory Motorcycles® knew that any production bike based on the prototype V-Twin engine would need to be something special. With this in mind, Victory® sought to find a custom bike builder who might like to take this challenge – and that builder was the multi-time drag racing champion Urs Erbacher, based in Switzerland.

Erbacher infuses all of his custom bikes with a European style that has global appeal. His style is clean, powerful and dynamic, and his customs turn heads. Most importantly, his customs tempt riders to simply climb on and get on the gas…just as they will with his latest creation – the Victory® Ignition Concept.
AN IDEA IGNITES
Featuring a lean and muscular design, the Victory Ignition Concept represents the future of Victory Motorcycles’ production machines. “We knew any production version of the Project 156 race motor would be a great centerpiece in any American bike, but we wanted to see a European take on the design for EICMA. So we sought out Urs Erbacher to see his vision,” explains Gary Gray, Director Motorcycle Product. “In the end I think we have a concept bike that both American and European consumers can get excited about.”The new engine is born out of the one-off racing powerplant used in Project 156, which entered the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. And it’s no secret that this new engine will power a new model to be released in 2016. “I’m proud not only of this build, but what it represents for the future of the Victory Motorcycles® brand,” says Urs Erbacher who has given the bike a Project 156-inspired paint scheme. “Having an open invitation to wrap the new engine in an interesting bike is a real highlight in my career – and I imagine that any production bike with this powertrain will be a fantastic ride.”
ENGINE – This has the same base architecture in the prototype engine used in Project 156 – the crankcase, v-angle, rotating bottom-end, transmission and clutch set-up is all the same. The liquid-cooled four-valve engine has double overhead cams with the aim of making class-leading power. Additional details of the engine will be revealed in the months to come.
EXHAUST – Erbacher and his team have handmade twin headers that snake out from the cylinders into a single pipe and then in to an Akrapovicˇ® muffler. The idea is to create the shortest exhaust for maximum performance.
SUSPENSION – Both front and rear suspension are adjustable. Marzocchi forks stand proud at the front and Erbacher explains why: “The forks are really nice to ride with and they absorb a lot on bad streets. The good thing is, we can also mount the Brembo® brake on this fork and it brakes like a race bike.” Erbacher and his team fitted an ÖHLINS® shock at the rear between the frame and the swingarm.
WHEELS – Erbacher chose 17” wheels made from aluminum. “These are superlight and are the right size for the Metzeler Racetec Interact tyres we are using,” says Erbacher. “They give the bike a great look. We chose the red color as a nod to the Project 156 bike.”
Steve Menneto, President of the Polaris Motorcycles Division is proud of the brand’s direction and said: “Victory Motorcycles® – from day one – has been a brand that delivers outstanding in-class-performance, reliability and handling. “Our new engine along with Urs’ Victory® Ignition Concept and future concepts to debut in New York City will plot the direction not only of a fantastic new platform, but of this brand. We will continue to design and build the best cruisers in the class.”

Read the full story with technical specifications.

2015 EVENTS

Plan your riding season with us. Every month we’ll update you with great selection of Victory, VRA and Independent events to keep your wheels turning.

RIDING DESTINATIONS
19 – 22 Nov: EICMA Motorcycle Show, Milan
28 Nov – 6 Dec: Motorcycle Live, NEC Birmingham
12 – 13 Dec: Kickback Chelsea, London

We’ll be posting from all the events on our Facebook page over the coming months.