All Tests – Test Victory Cross Country Tour: Electra shock! – Madame is served!

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Victory Cross Country Tour test: the Electra shock !

All Tests - Test Victory Cross Country Tour: Electra shock! - Madame is served!

So like that, the Victory Cross Country Tour would be able to cast a shadow over the chrome of a Harley-Davidson Electra Glide? MNC sheds light on this challenge with a 1,300 km duo test on the other American custom-tourer. Verdict !

Madame is served !

"Honey you take me to see the sea this weekend on your new motorbike ?". The question has barely been asked when your shiny Victory Cross Country Tour has already left the garage. Since then, the desire to make Madame taste the comfort and refinement of this" other "motorcycle from America has been growing. makes you feel, no way to miss the boat !

Neither one, nor two: a few items are collected and then double-looped in the huge top-case (two full-face helmets fit easily) and in the suitcases where a medium-sized backpack finds its place above. a U-shaped lock. With 155 liters of carrying capacity (including the two lockless pockets placed in front of the knees), this ultra-road version of the Cross Country twists the neck at the association of "travel ideas" by motorbike = to travel light " !

Delighted to be able to carry the superfluous in addition to the essentials, your passenger will appreciate with their fingertips the softness of their raised seat and the thick padding covering the front of the top case to form a backrest. The opportunity to discover two switches under his seat: moderately accessible, especially with heavy gloves, these three-position buttons ("hot", "very hot" and "off") control the heating of each saddle. Madame wanted comfort? Madame is served !

As a connoisseur, she notes that it is possible to vary the longitudinal position of the footboards (pilot and passenger) in order to adapt to all body types. The presence of a braking assistance system – revealed by the "ABS" sticker above the right passenger footrest – reassures it, as does that of three 12V sockets (one in the left glove box, the second in the dashboard and the last in the top case).

Your last trip having ended with a memorable argument caused by an equally unforgettable loss, she is reassured: this time, a GPS will be connected throughout the trip! And just in case, two smartphones equipped with a "Maps and routes" application can be charged in these totally sealed spaces. With all that and the 22-liter tank, there’s no question of running out of fuel in the open countryside. !

Under the spell of this five-star welcome and the cozy protection suggested by the "minivan" dimensions of the fixed windshield, your other half is quite ready to listen to a short description of this motorcycle marketed since last year (read our and our Detailed technical point on the penultimate page)…

"Look at this enormous 1731 cc "Freedom" V-twin, its magnificent polished fins, lovingly chrome-plated crankcases and long flute-shaped mufflers: it’s a true work of art! And let me tell you that with its 92 hp and especially its 140 Nm of torque, no need to juggle with its six-speed gearbox: it resumes without muffling from 1500 rpm, or even a little below on the first reports if we stroke it in the direction of the hair. Then it pushes hard from 2000 to 4500 rpm".

Moderately interested in all these technical considerations, Madame nods absently as you praise her for the aluminum chassis and the superb and surprising – for a custom – inverted fork. Not to mention the generously cut braking system: with its 300mm discs, 4-piston calipers at the front and reinforced hoses, the Cross Country Tour does not shy away from the size and quality of the peripherals. !

Special? No: unique !

Like all those who discover the Cross Country Tour, his attention is now entirely drawn by the breathtaking lines of this extraordinary American motorcycle. Because this Victory is above all a very marked look, a "face" as they say. A tasty mix of sharp edges and deliciously rounded curves, the association of which forms a successful bridge between the stylistic codes of yesterday and today.

For its owner, this original pencil stroke is all the more appreciable as it clearly stands out from that of its compatriot and rival, the essential. Rather than ape the benchmark of the custom genre, as certain Japanese manufacturers do in particular, Victory intelligently traces its own path towards the "biker" in search of alternatives with a strong identity..

Cut in half by a narrow, stretched light, the stern of the Cross Country Tour is reminiscent of the slippery rear of some American cars of the 1960s. You’d hardly expect to find sidewall tires. white around its rims, as on the recent one! The edges of the rims and the contours of the recessed area of ​​the sticks are also artistically polished.

The whole thing produces a "beef" effect, both on bikers and onlookers: everyone wrings their necks to watch this long motorcycle go by like a day without Budweiser … or rather watch it "scroll", because with 2747 mm long the Cross Country Tour is no less than 232 mm longer than the Electra Glide! The wheelbase is not to be outdone, since 1670 mm separate the axles of the 18 and 16 inch wheels of the native of Spirit Lake (Iowa) against "only" 1625 mm for the flagship of Milwaukee (Wisconsin).

And then there is this "American Touch" … Thanks to its natural class and the attention paid to the assembly of its quality materials, the Victory gives off that impression of robustness and authenticity that seems to be the prerogative of customs production across the Atlantic.

However, certain finishing details are annoying on a motorcycle billed at 21,890 euros: the connection and the passage of the ducts to the commodos should be more neat, Victory being able to draw inspiration on this point from Harley-Davidson which camouflages wires, cables and hoses to inside the handlebars. Same observation with regard to the electric jumble around the lambda probe located behind the engine, as well as for the ducts laid a little "va-comme-je-te-push" along the oil radiator…

Finally, certain equipment shortcomings annoy when you take the road: an angled valve at the rear, for example, would make it easier to check the tire pressure. And if everyone will appreciate the presence of a wired connection with the sound system (in the left glove box), "Androids" will regret that it is only compatible with a player or an Apple phone. !

Likewise, the absence of an alarm or even a coded key is not the most reassuring in view of the greed inevitably exerted by this type of very high-end motorcycle. Choosing to park in a "busy" area is therefore advisable, just as it is imperative to park on a flat surface from which you can exit with the sole force of the engine: despite a mass exceeding 400 kg with the full, the Cross Country Tour is not fitted with a reverse gear as standard !

Suddenly, Madame is called upon to help you move the bike back from your siding on a slight slope, an effort which she would have done well! It’s decided: the next time you visit the Victory dealership, you will have the optional reverse gear installed, even though the addition is 1,800 euros, installation included !

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