Victory shows off the new Judge
by CMG Staff • January 23, 2012 • Bike News, General News, Uncategorized • 3 Comments
It seems Victory designed the Judge for improved handling, relatively speaking.
Victory unveiled a new cruiser at the New York show last week – the Judge.
The manufacturer made some interesting moves on this machine’s design. While many cruisers move towards fatter rear tires, ape hangers, and other styling cues that cry for attention while ruining a bike’s handling, Victory went the other direction.
The Judge’s rear tire is skinnier for better handling, instead of the faux drag slicks often seen on cruisers. Victory put a wide, low drag bar on the machine instead of ill-handling apes, and even moved the footpegs back a bit, to give riders more of a standard bike feel. It’s no CB750, but it’s a step in a direction most other cruisers are shying away from.
It should be interesting to see how aftermarket seat manufacturers try to work around those sideplates.
The jury’s out on the Judge’s styling; it looks like pretty much every other cruiser out there, but the way the seat curves around the number-plate styled sideplates will definately turn some people off.
The Victory rolls on 16-inch rims, front and rear, and gets braking power from a single 300mm disc in front (four-piston caliper) and a 300mm disc in rear (two-piston caliper). Seat height is only 25.9 inches, making the bike accessible to even the shortest of riders.
The air/oil-cooled 1731cc hooks up to a six-speed transmission, with a belt final drive. Fuel tank capacity is 4.5 gallons, or 17 liters. Dry weight is 660 lbs. The bike is available in Gloss Black, Suede Nuclear Sunset, Sunset Red, and will cost $13,999 (for the black version) or $14,399 (for the other colours) in the U.S. – we don’t have Canadian pricing yet.
