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Comparative test cruiser, Harley-Davidson Rocker C, Victory Vegas

Harley-Davidson Softail Rocker C and Victory Jackpot

First of all: The Victory accelerates more powerfully, brakes more effectively, has the better chassis and is also cheaper than the Harley. Read here why the Rocker C still has a chance against the jackpot.

Comparative cruiser test

E.It’s a phenomenon: Many Harley owners don’t care how far their machine throws the bill, whether it vibrates impotence, has drum brakes or even rim brakes instead of ABS or accelerates only slightly better than a Fiat 500 with a defective cylinder head gasket. The main thing is that the machine shines. The main thing is sound. The main thing is that she comes from America. At least that could explain the sales success of the Harley-Davidson bikes, which so far have never won a MOTORCYCLE group test and mostly even ended up in last place.

Comparative cruiser test

Harley-Davidson Softail Rocker C and Victory Jackpot

Rocker C took the ungrateful second place in the points table. Harley’s regular place, so to speak. But we don’t want to be sarcastic, we just want to answer the six most frequently asked questions test riders of these two bikes were confronted with: Parking: which one is easier to maneuver? The motorcycle should find a place at the front of your narrow garage?

In order to position the Rocker C with centimeter precision, you can work up a sweat. With a full tank of 326 kilograms, the Harley is only nine kilograms heavier than the Victory. The 76 millimeter longer wheelbase or the ultra-long caster of 157 millimeters don’t really make the difference either.

The more clearly arranged Harley instrument offers a clock as well as a second day trip counter and an automatic turn signal reset.

Rather, it is the flat steering head angle and the long fork: A lot of force is required to turn the front wheel of the rocker when standing. In comparison, the jackpot can be controlled almost like a toy. On the other hand, the Rocker is a little easier and easier to turn on roads and paths thanks to its larger steering angle. Which, by the way, is only believed once you have tried it yourself.

Seat: Throne or Live? Objectively, the difference in seat height is small: a low seat height of 690 millimeters for the Victory and 740 millimeters for the Harley. Subjectively, however, there are worlds in between. The Victory integrates its driver, embedded between the rear fender and the teardrop-shaped tank, he is practically IN the machine. While the Harley rider literally sits ON his machine. Gold squats.

The question is why Harley doesn’t call the motorcycle Stool C. The Harley’s footrests are far forward, the driver’s feet cannot support themselves properly. That would take miserably long legs. This is a little different with the Victory, here the footrests are a little further back. Both handlebars are completely different in shape, but they sit comfortably in the hand. The seating comfort is better in the wide, soft, slightly sloping Harley seat than on the Victory. Because the contour of the seat is slightly angular.

The Victory’s cockpit with automatic turn signal reset.

Motors: 50 or 45 degrees? Have you ever started a Harley? No? You should definitely do it. Every time the starter wheel noisily cuts into the toothing to send the pistons on their long journey, the steel giant jerks with a powerful force. As if he were frightened. There is something eventful and ceremonial about it. Two balance shafts are supposed to reduce vibrations of the Harley-V2, called Twin Cam 96B, in a human way. You can do this. Nearly. Unpleasant vibrations are only annoying in the last third of the speed. When idling, the 1585 cubic Vau hops so fun-loving and tactful as well as stylish in the rocker chassis, you could ask for an entrance fee for this performance alone. In gear, shifting is no secret here. The engine hangs gently on the gas. Load change reactions are very low.

And after just a few kilometers, you get the feeling for the optimal speed: the Langhuber likes it cozy. Everything between 2000 and 3500 tours is in the well-tempered comfort area. Over 4000 rpm he turns reluctantly and tough. But it almost never has to, because the maximum torque of 121 Newton meters is 3200 rpm. And the top performance, 73 hp at 5250 rpm, is only needed when overtaking. The rocker cruises through 50 km / h zones best in the third at 2200 rpm, while 100 km / h is most relaxing in the fifth at 2800 rpm. Then the sound is at its most beautiful, is wonderfully bassy, ​​sonorous, robust. A feast for the ears for drivers as well as those following behind.

In this regard, the Victory cannot keep up with the series. It pops out of the airbox, it sniffs out of the side pipes. But it doesn’t rock. Too bad. No matter. But the Victory-50-Degrees-Vau really has punch. It is noticeably more agile, easy to turn and more powerful at all speeds than the legendary 45-degree V2 of the Harley. At this point, Harley disciples will howl and condemn the displacement difference as unfair. Right.

In contrast to the Harley counterpart, the Victory drive not only has four valves, an overhead camshaft and is designed with a significantly shorter stroke, with 1731 cubic meters it is also fuller. But let’s do the math: based on the meager 73 hp, a 1731 cc Harley-Vau would have 85 hp. Five HP are still missing from the top performance of the Victory, whose clearly more modern engine concept is clearly in the foreground in terms of performance.

Switching is no secret here either. Sometimes it cracks when the gang couples get married. The Victory-Vau runs very smoothly up to medium speeds. Vibrations are hardly annoying, you can feel a pulsation that inspires confidence. Only above 4500 rpm does the jackpot start to vibrate badly, but at these speeds the cruiser, with its long gear ratio, just like the Harley, is rarely moved.

The landing gears

Harley-Davidson Rocker C and Victory Jackpot on exit.

Chassis: dance on the volcano The suspension travel of both models is tight, if not to say not suitable for comfort due to the design. Whereby the two horizontally installed rear suspension struts of the Harley in pillion mode pass hard hits on to the driver even more directly than the central suspension strut of the jackpot. But the Harley digests the two-person operation better. Provided, of course, that you find someone who is enthusiastic about the fold-out seat cushion.

The jackpot proves that it can be even more spartan: The knee angle that is forced here in connection with the sloping, triangular emergency seat shows that pillion test persons during the vehicle development a) could not have been taller than 1.40 meters and b) their gluteal nerves were likely previously anesthetized…

Don’t let the chrome fool you: the 45-degree Harley-Vau shines beautifully in the sun, is iconic and generates indescribable heartbeats when idling.

Ahoy, captain! Will the ships at least stay on course? The following applies to both: wide radii are mandatory. Because we are not talking about lean angle, but rather bias. Both rocker and jackpot put on early, but very gently and do not lift the hum off course. Once in motion, both are easier and easier to steer than expected based on weight and wheelbase.

The jackpot is a nuance more manageable despite the huge 250 mm slump and, thanks to the more balanced chassis tuning, also behaves more stable in the curves. And it can be delayed more specifically and better. The Victory’s brakes are superior to those of the Harley, both in terms of effectiveness and metering. Especially the jackpot’s rear stopper is exceptionally effective.

Real diva? Details and processing The eye eats too. You can’t shake that. And it loves delicious detailed solutions, beautiful colors, great paintwork and sparkling chrome. Both machines offer more than sufficient of all this and in principle do not take anything. However, the optical paths diverge: While the Rocker C clearly flirts with the deliberate lack of decoration of the Chopper despite all its shine, the Jackpot will clearly be referred to the custom corner. The technically correct term would be unequivocally: Custom-Muscle-Cruiser.

Don’t be fooled by the chrome: The Victory’s 50-degree Vau shines with better performance in all situations.

Despite countless tons of chrome and paint, there are suggestions for improvement: The use of plastic at the Jackpot is incomprehensible: both the indicators and the decorative panels for the injection system as well as the housing for the LED warning lights in the upper fork bridge are made of plastic. In addition, the license plate hides the pompous wide tires in the cruiser area, a serious design flaw. Harley-Davidson did (almost) everything right. However, the triangular swing arm of the rocker is made of plain steel tubing (Victory: aluminum). And many screws could be used one-to-one in agricultural machinery.

Cult Priceless, right? Willi G. Davidson once put it aptly:? With us, the customer buys an attitude towards life. He gets the motorcycle for free." Despite the sometimes anachronistic technology, Harley has been the epitome of stability in a constantly fluctuating market for almost two decades. A value that many people miss in troubled times. And search. With a clever marketing strategy, the manufacturer has managed to give its vehicles cult status, to bind customers through events and, at best, to weave them into a family network such as the H.O.G (Harley Owners Group). In addition, a Harley is extremely stable in value, a form of currency, a piece of jewelry that one likes to display openly.

107 years of motorcycle production are behind this cult. And experience. Victory launched the first motorcycle in 1998. But the bikes of the young US brand all have cult potential. You don’t have to wait 107 years for that.

Technical data: Harley-Davidson Softail Rocker C

Harley-Davidson Softail Rocker C..

engine
Air-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke 45-degree V-engine, transverse crankshaft, two balance shafts, two lower, gear / chain-driven camshafts, two valves per cylinder, hydraulic valve lifters, bumpers, rocker arms, dry sump lubrication , injection, Ø 46 mm, regulated catalytic converter, Alternator 439 W, battery 12 V / 19 Ah, mechanically operated multi-disc oil bath clutch, six-speed gearbox, toothed belt, secondary ratio 2.06.

Bore x stroke 95.3 x 111.1 mm
Cubic capacity 1585 cm3
Compression ratio 9.2: 1
rated capacity 54.0 kW (73 hp) at 5250 rpm
Max. Torque 121 Nm at 3250 rpm

landing gear
Double loop frame made of steel, telescopic fork, Ø 49 mm, triangular swing arm made of steel, two spring struts, adjustable spring base, front disc brake, Ø 292 mm, four-piston fixed caliper, rear disc brake, Ø 292 mm , double-piston floating caliper.

Cast aluminum wheels 2.15 x 19; 8.00 x 18
Tires 90/90 H 19; 240/40 R 18
Dunlop D407 tires tested

Dimensions + weights
Wheelbase 1760 mm, steering head angle 54 degrees, caster 157 mm, spring travel v / h 127/79 mm, seat height * 740 mm, weight with a full tank * 326 kg, load * 207 kg, tank capacity / reserve 18.6 / 3.8 liters.

guarantee two years
Service intervals 8000 km
Colors Blue, red, black
price from 20,935 euros
Price test motorcycle 1) 21,175 euros
Additional costs approx 350 Euro

* MOTORCYCLE measurements; 1) Two-tone paint

Technical data: Victory Jackpot

Victory jackpot.

engine
Air-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke 50-degree V-engine, crankshaft lying transversely, one balancer shaft, one overhead, chain-driven camshaft, four valves per cylinder, rocker arm, wet sump lubrication, injection, Ø 45 mm, regulated catalytic converter, 450 W alternator, battery 12 V / 18 Ah, mechanically operated multi-disc oil bath clutch, six-speed gearbox, toothed belt, secondary ratio 2.12.

Bore x stroke 101.0 x 108.0 mm
Cubic capacity 1731 cm³
Compression ratio 9.4: 1
rated capacity 66.0 kW (90 PS) at 4900 rpm
Max. Torque 140 Nm at 3250 rpm

landing gear
Double loop frame made of steel, telescopic fork, Ø 43 mm, two-arm swing arm made of aluminum, central spring strut with lever system, adjustable spring base, front disc brake, Ø 300 mm, four-piston fixed calipers, rear disc brake, Ø 300 mm, double-piston floating caliper.

Cast aluminum wheels 2.15 x 21; 8.50 x 18
Tires 90/90 R 21; 250/40 R 18
Dunlop Elite 3 tires tested

Dimensions + weights
Wheelbase 1684 mm, steering head angle 57.1 degrees, caster 125 mm, suspension travel f / h 130/76 mm, seat height * 690 mm, weight with a full tank * 317 kg, load * 215 kg, tank capacity 17.0 liters.

Guarantee two years
Mobility guarantee two years
Service intervals 8000 km
Colors Red, white, gold
price 17,740 euros
Additional costs around 250 euros

MOTORCYCLE measurements

TRILLION

Power on the crankshaft. Measurements on Dynojet roller test stand 250, corrected according to 95/1 / EG, maximum possible deviation ± 5%.

Top speed
Manufacturer information

Harley-Davidson 185 km / h
Victory 193 km / h

acceleration
0 – 100 km / h
Harley-Davidson 5.5 sec.
Victory 4.2 sec.

0 – 140 km / h
Harley-Davidson 11.0 sec.
Victory 8.0 sec.

Draft
60 – 100 km / h
Harley-Davidson 6.0 sec.
Victory 4.5 sec.

100 – 140 km / h
Harley-Davidson 7.2 sec.
Victory 5.2 sec.

140 – 180 km / h
Harley-Davidson 17.8 sec.
Victory 8.2 sec.

60 – 180 km / h
Harley-Davidson 31.0 sec.
Victory 17.9 sec.

Fuel consumption
Country road (liters / 100km)

Harley-Davidson 5.6
Victory 5.3

Theoretical range
Country road

Harley-Davidson 331 km
Victory 321 km

Conclusion:
Strikingly large differences on the diagram – those who only cruise, however, will hardly notice the 18 HP more power. If the overtaking maneuvers are carried out quickly, however, the horses are very important. The monumental torque plateau of the Victory plays a major role in pulling through. Convincing: Despite more power, the Victory needs less fuel.

MOTORCYCLE rating

Compare the Harley-Davidson Rocker C and Victory Jackpot. Who is ahead in the ranking??

Engine:
The more modern engine sets the bar high: When it comes to power and measured values, the anachronistic Harley-Vau (as always) looks old: It not only generates relatively modest power, but rotates slowly and vibrates at high speeds despite two balance shafts . Victorys Vau, also air-cooled, but with a displacement advantage, can do almost everything better: it always has more power, turns comparatively more euphorically, the gearbox is easier to shift.
Winner engine: Victory

Landing gear:
Heavy chunks: Both machines have relatively little suspension travel and are heavy. The driver cannot expect comfort. However, the Victory is handier despite the wide 250 mm rear tire; it is lighter and has the steeper steering head angle. In addition, their spring elements respond a little better. The Harley, on the other hand, can cope better with pillion rides. The rocker also runs more stably in a straight line.
Winner chassis: Victory

Everyday life:
A matter of opinion: You can certainly argue about the seating position: on the Rocker it is cooler, on the Victory it is more ergonomic because the driver can better support himself on the footrests. However, the Victory seat is not as fluffy and soft as the Rocker model. The Victory pillion seat roll is an absolute impertinence. It’s narrow, short, sloping backwards, and the knee angle for the passenger is a case for Amnesty International.
Daily winner: Harley-Davidson

Security:
ABS would be desirable for such motorcycles, because the blocking limit for the front wheel is particularly difficult to feel. When it comes to braking, the Victory has the edge. Their stoppers are a class better than the Harley’s, both front and rear.
Security winner: Victory

Costs:
Advantage of less performance: less tire wear and a cheaper insurance tariff (rocker). Victory only has a two year warranty.
Winner Cost: Harley-Davidson

Price-performance:
Harley-Davidson Note 4.0, Victory Note 4.0
Despite the identical ratio, the Victory wins due to its higher total number of points.
Price-performance winner: Victory

MOTORCYCLE test result

Winner of the two cruisers in the comparison test: Victory Jackpot.

1 victory The jackpot sparkles super, works flawlessly, brakes better, the chassis is impressive, is more powerful, on top of that 3535 euros cheaper and at the same time no less authentic. It only has two disadvantages: only warranty instead of guarantee. And she’s not a Harley.

2 Harley-Davidson The Dyna Rocker C is a monument, a style icon and also delivers a perfect show. To win on points, the rocker would need a more powerful engine and more effective brakes. But it really needs it?

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