Victory Vegas Jackpot
4 reviews
Best-looking cruiser – This is the best looking cruiser bike in my opinion. I saw a red limited edition v-rod that could compare, but those are also very rare plus the harley usual brand markup of 10k+ Bought a 2016 Jacky before they are gone, as i was impressed since 2010 when i first saw one, did not want to miss this one in my life. Happy i did. This is a relic of a gasoline era, a sight to behold, just give it few years for electrics to take over... Tried moto guzzi califronia bur was not impressed, compared to this one. Tried Suzuki Boulevard but 5 speeds does not cut it on the highway. The only mods i wanted to do was Lloyd’s timing wheel that added rpm stability at low revs, reverse the handlebar for to lift the bars, the k&n air filter and a bit shorter baffles so it is not stock quiet. Taking baffles out was not an option, prone to do my ears in. Ride was a bit rough bur suspension loosened up after 10k so i am not complaining anymore. Stock dunlops were garbage, replaced with Cobras to great relief. No complains really, this is a Bike for a tall guy like myself That looks the part. Just don’t expect it to beat a super sport bikes, It’s a confident cruiser not a buzzing bullet. Very comfy seating, can ride all day long. This will be viewed like the Ford Fairlane few years from now on, there simply is no style like this anymore. Beautiful but takes time to clean.
Purchased in .
- Mileage: 18,500 km
Went from Ducati Sport to this and loving it! – After riding sport bikes all my life i was a bit hesitant buying a cruiser. But, im getting older and tired of the aggressive sport bike stance and feeling washed out after a 2 hour ride. I was initially interested in a Harley cruiser, but the price tag and image is just ridiculous for 'old world tech' and my Duke has more bells and whistles at half the cost of an antiquated Harley, so looked elsewhere and stumbled across the Victory range.
Now you probably all know the story behind Victory (Polaris) and how they have stopped production in favour of Indian, but that didnt worry me as how often do you replace something OEM on your bike, and even if you have to im sure there will be plenty of S/H items available when the time is due.
After taking a Jackpot for a test ride at the local dealership i was sold! Sure its not a sports bike and bloody heavy!!, but i was looking for a change in direction anyway and in love with this bike. You need to muscle it into corners, but once you know how and have a 'feel' for it, its a joy to ride. I will admit i changed the rear shocker with a progressive 465 which has realy smoothed out the road imperfections, but thats about it for now. This thing rips up the miles, sounds great, looks great and has plenty of future potential in regards modifications (PCV, Autotune, Pipes etc etc etc) Plus after a two hour ride i feel like i can still be productive around the house rather than needing a nani nap.
Its a shame Victory have closed shop, but im so glad i stumbled across their range of bikes and this bike is a definite keeper.
Gladly recommend this bike to anyone looking for a cruiser. The science behind its manufacture is modern day with some great engineering and longevity and ease of service. Nice one Victory!!
- Date Purchased:
Plenty of Bling, Great Cruiser! – Just test rode a Victory Vegas Jackpot Cruiser at a recent motorcycle event at the Brisbane RNA Showgrounds. After a bit of familiarisation with the controls, indicators etc, we set off on a group ride which turned out to be quite substantial ; over the Storey Bridge, along the Brisbane River and back via the ICB and to the showgrounds. I immediately felt comfortable as soon as I sat on this machine and all switches and controls came readily to hand ; I especially liked the indicators in one block with the switch being the push to cancel type.
Taking off, the clutch action was light and smooth, the gears engaging with a solid clunk as is the cruiser style but not too heavy and quite satisfying! It takes off with a nice rumble and some good vibes which smooth out as revs increase. This is a very tall geared bike so even though I saw speeds of up to 70km/h I don't think I got out of second or third gear! There is plenty of torque ( 153NM @ 4000 RPM ) in spite of this high gearing of course as this is a 1731 cc motor ; you wind on the throttle slightly and it surges forward with authority.
The noise from the (I believe) stock pipes is awesome! Not too noisy but just right. Louder than the very quiet stock Harleys I heard on the day. Great going through the ICB tunnels and listening to that rumble bouncing off the walls... It's great to blip the throttle at pedestrians to get the heads swivelling-as though the appearance of the bike itself isn't enough. A word about throttle blipping-don't try to rev it up and down too rapidly as it pings and nearly stalls but this is to be expected with a big V engine-it's not a sports bike motor.
I was originally to ride the "Orange Madness" Jackpot but ended up with the "Sunset Red" one. Both excellent colours but the orange one has a few more graphics and is listed at around $24,995-or $1000 more than the red one without the graphics. Anyway the paint, elongated chrome headlight, billet wheels, colour matched frame etc screams custom and looks the business. Fit and finish seemed nice but watch the exhaust-burnt a hole in my hiking trousers.
Those magnificent looking cylinders look tall but the seat height is low at 653mm and the bike does not feel too top heavy. I am 6ft but this bike would probably suit riders with shorter legs quite well. It handles nicely at least as far as the test ride went and does not tend to fall into corners too much unless you go a bit too slowly. That large 250mm wide rear tyre can tend to "steer" the bike a bit so be judicious with the loud handgrip! I did not find the "windsock effect" at all bad at 70km/h at least.
. The front brake can be a bit grabby but works well. Hardly used the rear brake as I took advantage of the substantial engine braking but given that it is also a 300mm disc ( with a 2 piston caliper not 4 piston like the front ) it should be fine Bear in mind that this bike weighs a substantial 294 KG dry though, so ride and brake accordingly. No ABS fitted. Pegs are not too far forward and brake and gearshift are easy to use.
The conventional chrome instrument binnacle is nice to look at and clear with all the usual lights but one particular anomaly it has is a small blue "Km/h" indicator that is on all the time and looks the same colour as a high beam indicator which is a bit disconcerting.
Suspension wise it's a bit harsh as you might expect but not too bad. However the back has only 75mm travel-after all its a "custom" cruiser and it gets a bit crashy over bigger bumps. Bike is fine for smoother roads and touristy day trips but on some of our more appalling potholed roads between more remote country towns it could be quite a problem. Not a bike for long distance touring especially two up-but of course it wasn't designed for that.
To sum up..I had a blast! I'd probably also want something more suited to long distance touring but there's plenty to love here...
P.S. A Thank You to the good and friendly people at the Victory display at the bike test area, Moto Expo, RNA Showgrounds for the test. Looks, Riding Position, Sound, Engine Torque, Reasonably easy to ride for a big custom cruiser. Easy to contact exhaust with leg, km/h indicator, not much rear suspension travel. Very little really.
Best bike ill ever buy – The bike has alot of power for an American bike and will eat all harleys including the screaming eagle 110 cu. Will stay with a V ROD. Handles well for a fat bottomed bike, reliability is second to none. Comfort is great. Its exotic, not that many of them out there. Looks great and fit and finish is 100%. The only reason id sell it is to upgrade to a newer model. Reliable, powerfull, comfortable Cant fault the bike
I too have a Victory Jackpot that has been dyno tuned and it will keep with my 110 screaming eagle between 100 and 200kph if you roll on at full throttle in top gear. The Harley gets the Victory down low in each gear up to just over 100kph. The finish of the Victory is exceptionally good, but the handling leaves a bit to be desired in comparison with a standard Harley. The Victorys are much softer in the front end and tend to weave when taking tight corners at around 75% or more of the bikes capacity to take the corner. Harleys aren't great in the shock department as standard and can be upgraded with Fournales or Progressives to handle much better. The Victory really needs air suspension to perform adequately with the 250 on the rear. The Harley however, is much more solid in the suspension all around and gives a feeling of stability at speed that the Victory just doesn't give. I also had a Victory Hammer and the suspension left me with a lack of confidence in its handling ability to say the least. Love my Harley and also love my Victory, but am well aware of the Victory's limitations and would never push it as hard as the Harley because it's clearly not as capable in the handling department.