Victory Hammer S test

Menus

• Is she going to turn this motorcycle? First question in view of the huge 250mm rear tire. A real hot-road.
• Recent machine but old group
• What plastic
• Well tuned part-cycle
• She supports the attack
• Reassuring finish and manufacturing
• Seat cowl becomes windshield
• Conclusion

Is she going to turn this motorcycle? First question in view of the huge 250mm rear tire. A real hot-road.

Is she going to turn this motorcycle? First question in view of the huge 250mm rear tire. In addition, the gommard is not the roundest with its sides of 40 mm. The crushing effect is all the more accentuated by the width of the rim: a hoop of 8.5 inches for a diameter of 18, at the rear as at the front. We are immediately seduced by the line to fall from the rear part of the machine. A stern of the most successful, with a light melted in the curve of the rear fender. A real hot-road. Couldn’t resist any longer.

With your feet flat on the ground thanks to the 673 mm high low rider saddle, you start the machine. The model in our test was fitted with Victory performance exhausts, a line that is not discreet. With such an accessory, we realize outside the constraints of homologation, the raw personality of the American who wins a few horses (around 93) against the 89 announced in Europe..

A stage 1 which can go on the land of Uncle Sam up to stage 3 in engine preparation and develop 115 hp..

Recent machine but old group

Unique line and blue / white paint in Shelby style, the Hammer S hits the hammer straight into the retina.

At the risk of hurting, it attracts the curious who force the focus on the side of the tank. The bottle, which recalls the shapes of some Guzzi, is flanked by the Victory logo, opportunely underlined by that of Polaris and the reassuring date of 1954. A seniority which will comfort the most hesitant. Because, obviously, the goal of Victory is to go beyond the phenomenon side to contractualize the sale of these motorcycles born at the end of the 90s and marketed in France since 2010. To succeed in making a place for itself in the sun, the firm relies on the finish and dynamic qualities of its models.

What plastic

First, it is in town that the machine propels us the time to tame it. We immediately note that the front axle does not tend to fall on the occasion of low-speed maneuvers like many customs. We hesitate to find the right distance between the handle and the clutch side. The mechanical element is less evident in sensations than the hydraulic equipment of the Vision, the flagship of the brand.

But we get used to it little by little. Above all, we quickly find our place in the ergonomics of the machine. Not too typical, paradoxically on the line. The controls, basic, fall to hand and allow you to concentrate on the handling of the beautiful. That turns many heads. Sometimes this spectacle misses the pilot’s conscience, who struggles to find a neutral point. An annoyance that Victory promises to have resolved on the 2011 models after improving the smoothness of the gearbox.

Well tuned part-cycle

On the handlebars, we quickly gain confidence in the Hammer. The machine is balanced and frankly very united despite its large wheelbase. The compressions in curve are damped in a homogeneous and firm way like the go-around under the same conditions. No perverse effect. With the performance line, we tend to play with the selector. And to look in the towers (max at 5,500 rpm) what the twin has beautiful to say. The thrust is frank from 1,500 rpm and seems linear up to the red zone. That it is not necessary to go looking to have fun. In unfamiliar terrain or in built-up areas, because of the decibels, we will even seek lower speeds so as not to be pointed out, around 1,200 rpm. And the Hammer comes out with the honors, without knocking excessively.

She supports the attack

At a more sustained pace, like Harley-Davidson V-Rod Muscle, its obvious competitor, we quickly let ourselves go to take the angle on the handlebars of this machine. Well suspended, it invites the pilot to do so, but its footrests are reminiscent of its custom inclination. So, we tell ourselves that the footrests are removable and that we will have to use the entire surface of the 250 mm tread to avoid the mess. The hammer rumbles at 3,000 rpm for 140 km / h, propelled as it is by a toothed belt.

And sees its stroke contained by two calipers which each control four pistons for the front brakes with 300 mm wafers. Sports brakes for a cruiser muscle that does not balk at the attack and is even effective despite its 300 kg in running order. The effort, itself contained by an inverted fork 43 mm in diameter, does not fear trapper braking. The rear element is responsible for stopping the huge wheel. What he does with zeal. You also need a little feeling not to block the wheel in the dry, which is all the more true in the rain. A pedestrian crossing will quickly accentuate this propensity to surf on its white paint..

Reassuring finish and manufacturing

Not really protected by the V-shaped handlebars of Victory, the pilot cashed in slowing down. It’s more in line with the spirit which is above all to ride a beautiful machine. The finish precisely, apart from the cables that could pass through the handlebars to enhance the aesthetics, the whole enjoys a good quality of manufacture. An indisputable test lies in washing the motorcycle by hand without injuring yourself. And his propensity to stay clean as long as possible. No grease on the centerpiece of the bike: the rear rim. The effect of the belt drive, which is very popular with Harley fans, is indisputable. In addition to limiting maintenance to a test every 45,000 km, the element is less messy. The rest of the bike can be ragged without hurting the maniac’s hands.

Seat cowl becomes windshield

On board, life is rather easy and ergonomic. There is a certain simplicity of the controls on the handlebars which contrasts with the Christmas tree of the Vision. It’s even a little stripped down at the risk of missing valuable information like a clock that could have found its place in the small liquid crystal display. Ditto for a second trip.

However, the bike has nothing of a utility and does not seem good either for a too prolonged duo. First, because we would have to remove the saddle cover that makes the Hammer S a single-seater. Then, because the fleeting curves of the fleece appendage do not invite long strides. A repair, at most. On the other hand, and this is where we realize that Victory does not content itself with designing and producing Big Twins like Harley, one detail indicates that the engineers have a lot of ideas. As proof, the famous passenger seat cover, once removed, can find an unprecedented place on a plate which is fixed above the front light. At this moment, the saddle cover turns into a nose screen. Ingenious. Even if the detail of the helmet remains to be adjusted for the possible passenger, this detail makes the unforeseen more fluid..

Conclusion

Much more than a copy, Victory seems to assert its vision of the power cruiser with this new machine. Equipped like the entire range of the 106 cubic inches (1.731 cm3) block, it is between the lands of roadsters and customs that the Hammer S comes to chase.

An alternative to a V-Rod Muscle at 16,990 € which seems to break the price (18,790 € for the Muscle). If the engine does not have the extension of the H-D block, it is however a presence that does not have to be ashamed of the comparison. And the less fortunate may still hesitate with the Hammer 8-ball Int’l at € 14,490. A matt black machine with one less disc at the front for a differential of 2,500 €. It still gives you food for thought to afford a unique look. A big tire on a huge rim.

Strong points

• Successful rear part
• Toothed belt
• Suspension agreement

Weak points

• Noisy machine with stage 1
• Rear brake a bit powerful
• Perfectible clutch control

The Victory Hammer S technical sheet

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