If you’re going to do a PR stunt to promote your product, this is how you do it: prove that your product is capable and durable. Victory Motorcycles is currently promoting their new Octane, a 1200cc V-twin that Victory is touting as the motorcycle equivalent to a muscle car. The truth is, this bike is very important for Victory…Polaris, the parent company of Victory, had issued an ultimatum a little while ago about actually turning a profit or being cut from the roster, and Victory responded. The Octane is based on the Indian Scout, though only about 30% of the parts are interchangeable, and the 104hp/75tq V-twin has been revised to have more midrange grunt than the Scout’s peaky power delivery.
So how do you go about proving that your bike is the one buyers want? How do you back up the claim that your new motorcycle is like a muscle car? You sacrifice the rear rubber to the gods of horsepower, that’s how. With a representative from the Guiness Book of World Records present to record the event, Victory rider Joe Dryden went for broke, burning the rear off for 2.23 miles in second gear at highway speeds. What significance does this have? Nothing but bragging rights, baby…and that plaque that says “World Record Holder”.
Out of the eleven motorcycles I own, I am proud to say not one of them is a Victory. Then again, I don’t know any Victory owners who say they’re proud to own one either.