{"id":87449,"date":"2016-08-29T17:34:42","date_gmt":"2016-08-29T07:34:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bikeme.tv\/?p=87449"},"modified":"2016-08-30T10:28:51","modified_gmt":"2016-08-30T00:28:51","slug":"2016-victory-octane-the-grey-eminence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/2016-victory-octane-the-grey-eminence\/","title":{"rendered":"2016 VICTORY OCTANE \u2013 THE GREY EMINENCE"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I first attended the unveiling of the Octane some months ago, I was, hand on my heart, underwhelmed.<\/p>\n

I had seen Victory\u2019s Project 156 hurtle up Pike\u2019s Peak and I had seen Urs Erbacher\u2019s concept bike.<\/p>\n

This low, slim-hipped, matte grey jigger didn\u2019t look anything like those two. In fact, it looked a lot like an Indian Scout.<\/p>\n

\"23\"

I’m not training for Pike’s Peak. Seriously. I’m so not.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"victory-project-156-revealed-in-full-video-photo-gallery_22_1280x0w\"

This is Project 156.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"maxresdefault\"

And this is Mr Ehrbacher’s version.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"9\"

We’re not all that far away.<\/p><\/div>\n

Until you looked closer.<\/p>\n

And then read the specs.<\/p>\n

And then took it for a ride.<\/p>\n

Which is what I finally did.<\/p>\n

And because I have done that, I can put my hand upon my heart once again and state that this is the best bike Victory has built.<\/p>\n

Because the Octane is sooooo very much not the Scout.<\/p>\n

So let me first dispel that misconception.<\/p>\n

I shall do this with numbers, because numbers dispel important misconceptions like how many animals can actually fit on an Ark that\u2019s 300 cubits long.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t like numbers, you can skip the next bit and go straight to the part where I tell you what it\u2019s like to ride and why it\u2019s the best bike Victory has yet made.<\/p>\n

The Octane shares maybe 35 per cent of the Scout\u2019s stuff.<\/p>\n

\"33\"

This looks nothing like the Scout’s donk.<\/p><\/div>\n

The 1179cc engine is new. And while it is closely related internally to the Scout\u2019s 1133cc powerplant, its bore is two millimetres bigger, it\u2019s has different cams and is tuned entirely differently. It produces 78kW versus the Scout\u2019s 75kW \u2013 think 103 horsies and 103Nm of torque.<\/p>\n

So it\u2019s shoulders are a little broader, and it benches a bit more.<\/p>\n

But there are also differences in the chassis, though the frame is similar to the Scout\u2019s. The Octane has a longer wheelbase than the Scout (1578mm versus 1562mm), runs an 18-incher up front and a 17-incher on the rear (the Scout runs 16-inchers front and rear), and the Octane is 11kgs lighter (242kg against 253kg). They share the same 29-degree rake, but the Octane\u2019s trail is 130mm and the Scout\u2019s 119mm.<\/p>\n

\"29\"

Even the left-hand side of the Octane looks the goods.<\/p><\/div>\n

So when all these numbers are applied to the Octane, Victory claim it will do the quarter-mile in 12 seconds, and go around corners with a will.<\/p>\n

I know that some of you might want to know if it will beat a Harley-Davidson VROD. The short answer is yes.<\/p>\n

This is why. The VROD produces 115 horsies and 88Nm of torque. It weighs 270kg dry.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s going to lose a drag race against an Octane.<\/p>\n

\"25\"

Good thing I left me heels at home.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"35\"

It was not a friend of my coccyx.<\/p><\/div>\n

It will also, thanks to its big-arse rear-wheel, going to lose in any kind of silliness through the twisties.<\/p>\n

But then there\u2019s the whole style thing. And this is always a personal thing. So I will keep it personal.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m a VROD fan. I love the way they look and how they behave.<\/p>\n

I look at the Octane exactly the same way as I look at a VROD.<\/p>\n

To wit \u2013 I love it, but if it was mine, what would I change?<\/p>\n

Because let\u2019s face, riding stock American twins is like drinking alcohol free beer \u2013 it\u2019s pointless and tastes wrong.<\/p>\n

If I\u2019m gonna get my big V-Twin on, then it\u2019s got to make thunder, and it\u2019s got to look nasty and sexy for when I\u2019m admiring myself in the shop windows.<\/p>\n

If I had one, it\u2019d have pipes and apehangers. That\u2019s it. I wouldn\u2019t even paint it. I\u2019d just ride it like that.<\/p>\n

And I would love riding it because it\u2019s THAT kinda bike.<\/p>\n

It is such a damn good thing on the road. The factory has said it\u2019s the \u201chot-rod\u201d of the range, and it\u2019s pretty much on the money.<\/p>\n

\"27\"

The headlight cowl is a stroke of styling genius. It’s also OK at keeping maybe 20 per cent of the wind off you. I think. But it’s not like I care. It just looks good.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"31\"

See how the numbers shrink?<\/p><\/div>\n

\"22\"

You can see how much more awesome this would all be with apehangers, can’t you?<\/p><\/div>\n

Jam that fly-by-wire throttle wide open and it takes off, seriously. Victory has this thing where they write the happy numbers on the speedos (from 140 to 200) smaller than the less-happy numbers. No, I do not know why. It\u2019s what Victory does. And just like the bigger 106-cubers, the Octane will take its speedo needle and stick it very happily, very easily, and lip-pursingly quickly into those smaller-looking happy numbers. All the way to the end of them. Thank you ball-boys, thank you linesmen.<\/p>\n

It is far more manoeuvrable and precise through the corners than any other Victory. It\u2019s not exactly flickable, but its relatively low weight and good ground clearance do make it salty in the bends.<\/p>\n

The suspension, adjustable for preload in the rear, and sporting 41mm forks with dual-rate springs, is pretty good. Certainly, it is at the top of its class in this type of bike.<\/p>\n

\"34\"

I’m thinking maybe a two-into-one, some WP shocks and the Cross Of Jesus done in the Mexican style on that sidecover.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"13\"

Yes, LEDs and that tank actually has some nice shapes going on if you look closely.<\/p><\/div>\n

The brake discs, one apiece, are the same size front and rear at 298mm, and ABS is standard, so you can haul on them quite hard with confidence. They\u2019re not Brembos, but then this is not a Panigale, is it? It\u2019s more than adequately braked and there is good feel even when they get quite warm. I noticed no fade even after quite zesty applications.<\/p>\n

The gearbox is excellent. It doesn\u2019t sound like a blacksmith\u2019s forge and it shifts precisely and smoothly.<\/p>\n

Which brings me right back to that amazing engine. It\u2019s a genuine sweetheart. Sitting between 100 and 120 it\u2019s smoother than butter sliding down glass. Somehow, the engineers have managed to isolate the rider from almost all the engine vibrations at that speed. Dial it up and you will start to feel a light, almost organic thrum through the \u2019bars and pegs. Nothing that\u2019s going to bother you; it\u2019s just how the Octane lets you know you\u2019re banging. And you will be banging. You won\u2019t be able to help yourself. This thing delivers you to 160km\/h wide-eyed and right snappy. But leave it in sixth and it will pull cleanly from 1250rpm.<\/p>\n

There are 13-litres in the tank, which will get you just over 200km if you\u2019re not being a speed-lair, and a little under if you\u2019re impressing girls or escaping lawful custody. Just so you know.<\/p>\n

\"24\"

If there were metal bits on my heels there’d be sparks. But there aren’t so, there’s no sparks.<\/p><\/div>\n

So what\u2019s not to like? Well, there\u2019s the seat. I did not like the seat. Sure, it\u2019s not brown, which is a plus, and it is handsomely molded and suits the bike perfectly. It\u2019s just that it would begin to engage rather meanly with my coccyx after an hour or so.<\/p>\n

It could be that I have an overly-developed tail-bone. Or it could be the seat needs to be pushed just a few centimetres further back. It cups my arse like a tipsy dance-partner, sure, which stops you sliding backwards under hard acceleration. And it\u2019s firm without being hard and hatey.<\/p>\n

So I\u2019m thinking it\u2019s not so much what it is, but where it is.<\/p>\n

I constantly found myself pushing my legs against the highway pegs, which in turn forced the back of the seat to gnaw on my coccyx. This would only happen on longer rides, and around town I was sweet.<\/p>\n

And ultimately, meh.<\/p>\n

\"32\"

All grey all the time.<\/p><\/div>\n

I would get another seat. Or have a surgeon file down my arse-bone. Or do more squats so that my glutes would become mightier and perch me higher on the seat. It\u2019s no biggie and it may just be unique to my build. A different-shaped person might not have this problem.<\/p>\n

Everything else was spot on. I loved the low seat height and the bike feels slim and tidy, rather than small, like the Scout. It lane-splits like a fiend, and sounds pretty good through the stock pipes. You could live with the note it if you had to.<\/p>\n

I also love the fact that it comes in one colour \u2013 matte super steel grey. None of your fancy candy bollocks here. It is forbidding and dark, like those wonderful things you\u2019d do when you\u2019ve got too much money and you\u2019re in a strange city.<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, a man should not buy a bike because it\u2019s economical. The Octane isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Nor should he buy a bike because it\u2019s good value for money. The Octane is.<\/p>\n

And he should never buy a bike because his wife likes it and she has a nice comfy place to sit. The Octane cares not for pillions.<\/p>\n

A man buys a bike because of the way it makes him feel when he rides it.<\/p>\n

The Octane made me feel like a splendid sinner. And all I could think about was fitting apehangers to it so that I could feel like an even bigger and even more splendid sinner. Oh, and some pipes, so that people could hear of my sin approaching.<\/p>\n

Yep, this is very much the best bike Victory has built thus far.<\/p>\n

\"26\"<\/p>\n

HOW MUCH?<\/h3>\n

$18995 ride away.<\/p>\n

YOU MAY SEE MORE HERE<\/a><\/span>.<\/a><\/h3>\n

I am wearing Held everything (apart from the boots) – helmet, jacket, gloves. You can see the range HERE<\/a>.<\/span><\/h3>\n

SPECS<\/h3>\n

Dry Weight:<\/strong> 242kg
\nDisplacement:<\/strong> 1179cc<\/p>\n

ENGINE & DRIVETRAIN<\/h3>\n

Valve Train:<\/strong> DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder
\nHorsepower:<\/strong> 103 HP
\nCompression Ratio:<\/strong> 10.8:1
\nFuel System:<\/strong> Sequential Fuel Injection with single 60mm throttle body
\nExhaust:<\/strong> Dual slash-cut mufflers with common volume
\nTransmission\/Final Drive:<\/strong> 6-speed\/belt
\nFinal Drive Ration:<\/strong> 2.536 : 1
\nTorque:<\/strong> 76 FT-LBS @ 6000 RPM
\nBore x Stroke (mm):<\/strong> 101.0 x 73.6mm
\nEngine Type:<\/strong> Liquid-cooled 60\u00b0 V-twin
\nClutch Type:<\/strong> Wet, multi-plate<\/p>\n

SUSPENSION<\/h3>\n

Front Suspension<\/strong>
\n41mm damper-tube forks with dual-rate springs; 4.7-in. travel<\/p>\n

Rear Suspension<\/strong>
\nTwin shocks with dual-rate springs, adjustable preload; 3.0-in. travel<\/p>\n

BRAKES<\/h3>\n

ABS as standard
\nFront Brakes:<\/strong> Dual piston caliper, 298mm disc
\nRear Brakes:<\/strong> Dual piston caliper, 298mm disc<\/p>\n

TIRES \/ WHEELS<\/h3>\n

Front Wheel:<\/strong> 18 X 3.5-in. cast, 10-spoke
\nRear Wheel:<\/strong> 17 X 4.5-in. cast 10-spoke
\nFront Tyre:<\/strong> 130\/70-18 63H Rear tyre: 160\/70-17 76H<\/p>\n

DIMENSIONS<\/h3>\n

Overall Vehicle Length:<\/strong> 90.9 in. \/ 2286mm
\nFuel Capacity (Litres):<\/strong> 3.4 gal. \/ 12.9 LTR
\nRake\/Trail:<\/strong> 29.0\u00b0\/ 5.1 in. \/ 130mm
\nWheelbase:<\/strong> 62.1 in. \/ 1578mm
\nSeat Height:<\/strong> 25.9 in. \/ 658 mm
\nCurb Weight:<\/strong> 528 lb. (240 kg) \/ 534 lb. (242 kg)
\nLean Angle:<\/strong> 32 degrees<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When I first attended the unveiling of the Octane some months ago, I was, hand on my heart, underwhelmed. I had seen Victory\u2019s Project 156 hurtle up Pike\u2019s Peak and I had seen Urs Erbacher\u2019s concept bike. This low, slim-hipped, matte grey jigger didn\u2019t look anything like those two. In fact, it looked a lot [&hellip<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":87494,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[4,200,24,58,149],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87449"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87449"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87449\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":89430,"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87449\/revisions\/89430"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/87494"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87449"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87449"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87449"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}