Victory Dealer Slashes Prices

[jonnycando]

If I wanted one, I would go ahead and get one even now. They are if nothing else, quite reliable. Even after 10 years the aftermarket will keep supplying basic parts if there is a market, so tune up parts, drive belts and brake pads should be available for 20 or 30 years!

[RoadKing]

Life is so damned short. Why would any one be a junk collector?

[old time rider]

Had so many fun hunts walking through old junk yards with lots of pre war cars. As a teen my dad built his own small yard in the woods behind a barn.This was so common for wrench's that also had farms back then

[YoDude]

Life is so damned short. Why would any one be a junk collector?

I can think of an instance of when I owned a strange yet nice bike that in its day, about 1974, probably sold for somewhere around $2700 new, maybe a little less. I was once wishing I still had that bike because it was the first bike I ever owned and when I bought it, it was literally a basket case. I put my love into it and fixed it up and drove it for a year, then traded it in for a brand new 1976 KZ650..That bike was fun.

One day I was kind of longing for that old first bike and so I went on ebay looking to see if there were any around still in existence. I figured they'd all be dead and gone for sure, but much to my surprise they were still among the living. Most were in pretty rough shape, but few were really not so bad off and I did find one that was in near new condition and was listed for $18000 dollars. That's right eighteen thousand dollars.

Of course I can't say the seller was ever going to get that much for it, but if he did, it was what the market would bare. That bike was a Moto Guzzi Ambassador 750cc police edition. That exact same model had I owned!

One man's junk is another man's treasure.

Yo-

[RoadKing]

Man, you'll never hear me refer to a Guzzi as junk. Great machine.
All I'm saying is that some bikes are born junk, but I don't want to step on any toes here.
I have an animus with Ness products that goes back to Clear Lake in 1970. Don't mind me.

[jonnycando]

Not all Victory's got the Ness treatment....most of them are painted with paint from Polaris' shelf. And anyway, Ness don't make anything...he's a brand just like everything else.

[old time rider]

I met Ness in a bar in SpearFish,SD in 1990 .I did have a few drinks in me. He seemed like a good guy.Only about five minutes and then he and the Hamsters rode off.Arlen was on the light blue panhead with the drizzle paint job and bear claw rear fender.My friend unlike me was a big fan of his work.I all ways thought it was good but to much on the circus side for me.

[RoadKing]

Ness influence was all over the Victory from go. I know what I say. And yes, Ness bikes have always reminded me as well of something from a circus side show… he showed off a couple of his early creations to me at Clear Lake in 1970 and my first thought was that they were the ugliest custom Harleys I'd ever seen, a travesty. All form and no substance.
Over the years since, I stopped at his old store in San Leandro many times when I was in the area. Ness and his family are very pleasant people, I really like them. I just have never liked his product.

[jonnycando]

Well, I grant you Ness's styling doesn't impress me, and if he had any influence on basic Victory styling, maybe that's why they don't move me emotionally, they just are way out there. But the reliability is there and on that basis and that basis alone, I could have one. But I just don't want it bad enough to drop the coin.

[Frankintruder]

All I'm saying is that some bikes are born junk, but I don't want to step on any toes here

You already did.

[RoadKing]

All I'm saying is that some bikes are born junk, but I don't want to step on any toes here

You already did.

No shit, Sherlock. [emoji2]

[Night_Wolf]

I had heard over the years (no idea if it's true or not) that Arlen Ness had a hand in the design of the Original Intruders that debuted in 1985

[jonnycando]

I would doubt it....the Intruder looks to me a like Japanese interpretation of a Super Glide or a Wide Glide, yet it also has a bit of ramen in it, which makes it unique....if Arlen Ness is Japanese, I don' t see it in him.

[old time rider]

My 1400 felt much the same as my 1984 long softail but with the twin regular rear shocks looked more like a wide glide Dina.One of the old Harley adds I liked showed a big wooden box with the words Harley Davidson on it and under"ok japan here is your next copy" [emoji2] The big Kaw 2000cc v-twin is only big one I can think of with the harley type twin push rod covers. I like the 1600,1700,and 1900 big Yamaha v-twins with the one push rod cover for both on each cly better in looks.
The best copy Japan did was not Harley IMO but the long running Yamaha XS 650 motor.Its valve inspection covers make it look so much like a Triumph 650.

[Herb]

I had heard over the years (no idea if it's true or not) that Arlen Ness had a hand in the design of the Original Intruders that debuted in 1985

I doubt it, Ness has this thing for swoopy designs, not minimalists, like Intruders.

[YoDude]

Yeah, that sorta thing.

Yo-

[old time rider]

That's a Bear Claw rear fender on the second pic.The blue panhead chopper with drizzle paint he was on when I met him in 1990 had one.He may have started the trend back then?
His work was really good just never what I really liked in looks.Old school for me most every time.

[Suzuki Johnny]

We attended a bike show way back when in the Houston Astrohall ( yea that dates me all right ) and Ness had a few of his "creations" among the many hundreds of customized bikes on display......and with all them other bikes to show comparisons his bikes really stood out amongst the crowded floor of
effrontery........But I liked them,,,,,,,,then [emoji2] ......Some of the customized Harley's showed much promise but thinking back on that experience Mr. Ness stole the show...