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First Rides

First Rides: 2017 Victory Octane

Article By: J. Ken Conte

Photos By: Chris Callen

Originally Published In The June 2016 Issue Of Cycle Source Magazine

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I have a long-standing affection for Mustang cars. I know more about them than most other makes and models, because they have been my auto obsession ever since I almost bought one when I was 15 years old. We went for a test drive in a ’66 4-speed in Augusta, Maine. It unfortunately got stuck in second gear, and that sealed my fate: I ended up with a tan Subaru as my first car—not nearly as cool and definitely not conducive to the tinkering I had dreamed of as an Outsiders influenced wannabe greaser child. The Mustang was launched in the middle of a model year, so technically the first one is a 1964 ½. Some even quipped that it was an afterthought. But it changed the face of motoring for a faltering Ford Motor Company, and some say it launched the American Muscle car.

The Victory Octane, although launched at Daytona Bike Week 2016 and billed as a 2017, has the same feel as the Mustang: not as an afterthought, but as the beginning of a new era of American V-Twin Muscle, championed by Victory. I had heard rumblings that Project 156 was going to be the basis for a production model. At the time, to outsiders, it seemed as if they were justifying racing with the outside chance that they’d do a production bike. But to actually turn around a production bike of the Octane’s caliber in that short amount of time is impressive, to say the least. If you’re not familiar with Project 156, check it out—there are some great videos and plenty of documentation. In a nutshell, Victory, with the generous assistance of Roland Sands Designs, developed a prototype ground-up watercooled 1,200cc drivetrain and sport-bike chassis. They did this in anticipation of racing the Pikes Peak international hill climb, which has a total of 156 turns from top to bottom. Cycle World Road Test Editor Don Canet piloted the Victory bike. They enjoyed a respectable second-place finish and, more importantly, proved the drivetrain could take abuse and run with the best, the Indian Scout. But upon further inspection and riding, it’s obvious that this bike was built to grunt, jam through the gears, hit the rev limiter and flex that American Muscle. It does share 35 parts with its Indian counterpart, The Scout, but, in the grand scheme of things, that isn’t much considering its robust build sheet.

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When I first sat astride the mattegray Octane, it felt agile, strippeddown and utilitarian. Granted, I had just come from riding the new Victory Cross-Country Magnum X-1 (review to come soon), so anything would seem smaller. I saw that the Octane had the basic instrument cluster, neatly tucked behind the SOA-style minimal fairing, allowing for easy navigation with all the essential information. Customization options, such as a tach with shift light, are available from the factory. As I started up the bike I noted the obvious watercooled V-twin exhaust note. It had a little bit of a wind up, and the exhaust was deep and throaty, but could easily be improved with factory Stage 1 slip-on mufflers. I took off down the road and immediately realized how fast it was—not just Oh, this is a fast bike, but Oh, I could definitely get in trouble with this. At the first stoplight—and every succeeding one—I had to force myself not to chirp the tires and leave rubber. I do not doubt the 104-horsepower rating given by the factory or the 76 foot-pounds of torque at 6,000 rpm. It can run a quarter mile in 12 seconds and goes 0-to-60 in under 4. Starting at $10,499, it will be quite the competitor for the Sportster. I got to ride this bike in numerous different conditions—cool evenings, hot days, sitting in Daytona traffic and cruising down the highway. It excelled in all conditions, but it was most comfortable stoplight-tostoplight or ripping through the turns I could find. The suspension was dampened properly, and braking was excellent. I was comfortable on the bike, for the most part, but struggled at high speeds on the interstate— common with most non-fairing bikes. The nominal 17×160 rear tire held its ground around corners, although I think the front tire, being an 18×130, seemed slow to respond. Not because of the geometry, but because of the front tire’s sheer girth. I know part of this is due to my preference for 19- and 21-inch tires, as well as my non–sport bike background, but I also know what I feel. I would have loved to take this on a closed course and spent more time accelerating in and out of turns, but daily duties at Daytona Bike Week were my priority. The biggest impression I got from the Octane, though, is that it clearly shows that Victory is going after new riders who want to dabble in the V-Twin world but don’t want the sometimes-sluggish performance typically associated with other entry-level American V-Twin motorcycles. The Victory Octane was a risk, a statement that Victory is not following anyone—they’re after their own market share of new riders who want to experience American V-Twin Muscle at its finest. Journalists and riders alike will remember when the Victory Octane was launched— just like people remember the 1964 ½ Ford Mustang—and we will see competitors trying to keep up.

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