29th Annual Laughlin River Run...Blown In The Desert

Just got back from the Laughlin River Run, you remember lovely Laughlin Nevada, the penultimate stop on the Reno bound White Trash Express (easy now, for those of you that might take umbrage, know that I have "WT" stickies on all my lids, these are my people, and I'm proud), where playing the nickle slots can earn you high roller status and a VIP seat at the all you can eat buffet? Seriously, I really like Laughlin, OK, I really like the River Run. And they do put on one hell of a fun event in the apparently newly crowned "windy city". More on that later.

Pints Brewery and Sports Bar in the Colorado Belle offers up some yummy grub

Got into town on Thursday afternoon, came in on "the forty" (doesn't have the same ring as saying "the five" or "the one-ten" does it?). As rides go, at least if you're coming from nor Cal, it ain't that great, too much freeway, not enough twisty stuff. Total "dronercycle" action, that is until you get whacked with a 40 mph crosswind. That'll keep you from dozing off. Having said that, we're thinking 395 might be a better, more interesting, if not quicker route, and we're gonna give it a go next year. Folks coming in from Arizona and LA have some pretty nifty options though.

At first I was a bit bummed cruising down Casino Drive, as it seemed like the "bike count" was lookin' just a bit low, same story with the vendors. And I knew the numbers couldn't have been up from last year given the fact that I was able to add Friday night to my stay only the day prior, not good. But as the afternoon wore on, a steady stream of machines poured into town. It was starting to look up. After checking in at Harrah's, full props to the staff, they kept a very long line moving lively, Walt Disney would have been proud. I have to say the "No Colors" policy adopted by Harrah's and a number of the other hotels in town has me kinda curious (trust me, I "get it", liability is a cruel master). But does that include HOG members too? Couldn't get a straight answer, and I did see a few, ducking the security cameras in the halls, OK maybe not actually sneaking around, but you get the point. And what about clubs like Bikers for Christ? Doesn't seem like you'd wanna turn those folks away, does it? And many hotels don't, but it's still smart to confirm your hotels colors policy before ya book if you're in a club.

Nothing says "welcome" like this banner over the lobby entrance

One thing that's very cool about Laughlin is just about everything is corralled in about a one mile stretch of Casino Drive, and only on one side of the damn street, talk about convenient! Parking is cake, there's plenty, so no need to stress, and it's always free for bikes (pretty much true for cars too). Once the kickstand is down it's an easy, short walk to everything; vendors, food, bars, whatever. I don't know of another major rally in the states that is more "walk about" friendly. Nifty feature if you take your bar hopping seriously.

While it's tough to devine whether or not the vendor count was down from last year (which was down from the prior one), and I did notice a couple of my fav's were AWOL, I'd say it was most likely close to even, or slightly down. No matter, there were more than enough on hand to entice the coin from your pocket. And if you looked really hard, you could even find goodies lovingly crafted by that rarest of all artisans, the American. Yup, more US made leather, machined parts, and electronics seemed to find their way into the show this year. Still a too small number, but at least it's heading in the right direction.

Props to Victory and their demo ride program, now where exactly was HD?

Tons of "official" t-shirts were available on just about every street corner, so many versions in fact, it would take a Google Earth survey team to catalog them all. And just for the record, you guys that make all those rally shirts. News Flash! We notice when you use the same damn art for every freakin' rally; Street Vibe, Bike Week, Sturgis, Laughlin, etc.! Here's a plan, only use a specific (your call, don't care) piece of art for a specific event. It's not like you don't have enough to chose from. We travel, we have friends, they travel, and we all hate you when we're standing at some bar with shirts from four different events, all with the exact same "official" artwork. Stupid, stupid, stupid. There, feeling better.

For those of you that want to get a little more hands on, say wrapped around the throttle of a "new to you" machine, there were plenty of demo rides to be had. Victory, Kawasaki, and Yamaha (opps, Star, my bad) were there in force. And you gotta give them full props for setting up camp in the belly of the beast, I mean let's face it, we're talkin' about 95% Harley if we're doin' the segmentation dance at this little soiree. But ya know what? The demo lines were full up, everyday. No surprise there really, all us Chromies know that most HD folk are just riders, they flat love bikes, all kinds of bikes. Which brings me to a name that you might have noticed missing from the demo list...Harley Davidson.

This look was everywhere, and it looked good

OK, I just don't get it. How could the Motor Company not be "officially" in Laughlin? Tens of thousands of the faithful, and they take a powder. If Victory has the sand to spend the dough and show up, it's just shameful that Milwaukee figures it makes more sense to park the rig than to rub shoulders with its customers, aren't we worth just a little love? Do the math. Which is easier, converting a rider of another brand (who's most likely happy with his choice) to yours, that's Victory's tough task, or entice an existing customer with a newer offering from a brand they already love? I'm thinking the "Pepsi Challenge" of conversion rates is won by the Motor Company nearly every time in Laughlin. And maybe that's the problem, the bean counters just don't see the "ROI". Unit sales aside, what happened to flying the flag, touching the customer, getting valuable "one on one" feedback? Oh wait, The Southern California Harley Davidson Dealers Association was sponsoring the "Mother Road Harley Party", but you might have missed it, it was only 45 minutes out of town. If there was some other official HD event in town let me know. I really want to believe my beloved Harley wouldn't take all of us for granted, I really do. Kawasaki was there for God's sake! Arghh.

Speaking of motorcycles, had a long look at the new Victory High Ball, disappointing, and I'm bummed to be honest. I really wanted to like it, the photos were very promising. But up close the bike had an almost "too perfect" plastic like appearance, kinda like a full scale kids toy. And hanging around listening to others, your humble scribe isn't the only one with the same take on that bike. On the other hand, I don't think there's another "power cruiser" on the street with the style, muscle, and American hot rod vibe of the Hammer. That machine is flat bitchin', I'll take mine in black please. And credit where it's due, Kawi and Yamaha are really improving every year, bikes like the Stryker show what they can do when they keep it all simple. Nice job guys.

One very stealthy Street Glide...nice

Walking the various hotel parking lots (and really, how else are you gonna see what's cool and happening, if you're not looking?) there were truly a countless array of amazing machines. If you were looking for "trends" I'd say that blacked out, while not really new is still gaining followers. It ain't just rat bikes any more; dressers and full customs are going stealth, right down to their spokes. And it looks pretty damned good. More please. And here's something that just kind of jumped out at me, the combination of monster high apes and mile long fishtail pipes (on the same bike), it seemed like they were everywhere this year. Seriously, everywhere. What wasn't everywhere, thankfully, were those dopey, trailer queen, mile ten foot choppers that were on every dentists Christmas list five years ago. See, the recession hasn't been all bad. I wonder where those bikes go to die, hopefully China.

If people (Ok and bikes too) watching is your game, and you know it is, be honest now. There's no better spot on Casino Drive than in front of the Tropicana, just grab a drink at the outdoor bar, pull up a chair and watch the show. It's the best damn seat in town, trust me on this. But get there early on Friday and Saturday nights, space, as they say, is limited. One thing I really like about the Laughlin River Run is the vibe. All the folks (at least most of them) workin' at the hotels and casinos seem genuinely happy to be serving you, and it shows. Lots of smiles and thank you's, makes parting with the hard earned cash just a little easier. Clearly the staffers get it, I mean who would you rather be busting butt for, a bunch of big tipping, thirsty bikers, or a bus load of "high rollers" just in from Riverside?

When it comes to mellow vibes, live and let live, the "local" cops do a fairly good job. I say "local" because for the duration of the River Run, the vast majority of law enforcement is shipped in from Vegas Metro. And word to the not so wise, they are everywhere. This is not the weekend, or the place to do stupid. Not unless you're on a first name basis with your bail bondsman that is. Most of the cops are OK, not hard-asses like the Reno 911 cretins that seem intent on crushing Street Vibe, but definitely not as laid back as the Virgina City crew. They are what they are. I do know from talking to a few John Laws at last year's River Run that they do try to make life difficult on club members. That just doesn't sound right. If you haven't actually done anything, isn't that kind of harassment??? Seems like. Maybe that's why one doesn't see a ton of club folk around, although this year there were quite a few Mongol's setting up camp at the Aquarius Casino, along with a club I'd never seen before, Kraxenberg MC, Austria. Looked like a pretty fun group, but my high school German was more than rusty, and I wasn't hearing any English, so I let them enjoy their bier in peace. Last year there were quite a few Vago's in town, this year, zip. Go figure.

One thing that I missed, but will make a point to attend next year, is the Thunder on the River Amateur Motorcycle Drags out at the Avi Resort Casino (only about ten minutes out of town), it sounds like a great event, what's not to love about a bunch of Harley's tearing up a quarter mile!? Oh, and just a tip, there are skunks, yes skunks; you know, white stripes, distinctive uh, "odor", that wander about from casino to casino along the river walk. Don't say I didn't warn ya. And try out Pints Brewery and Sports Bar at the Colorado Belle, damn good grub, at wallet friendly prices. For that matter, it seems that food is fairly reasonable most everywhere in Laughlin, unfortunately booze, as always, is a completely different matter. How much for a Jack and Coke!?!?

Best behave, John Law is on the prowl, big time

Last up, guess if you had to pick a theme for this year's River Run, it would have to be getting blown. Easy now, don't go all Charlie Sheen on me, I'm talking about the relentless wind that literally blew into town on Saturday. We're talkin' flying rocks, it was less than fun if you had a long ride in your plans. Nothing that couldn't be handled, just a pain in the butt. Seems like the vendors were already prepped for the gusts, didn't see any easy-ups doing a Mary Poppins across Casino Drive, although walking and talking could prove to be a challenge.

All in all, the Laughlin River Run is good time, and worth the effort and expense. Sure it's much more tame than say ten years ago, but what rally isn't? It's still got enough flavor and spice for old school bikers, and I'm pretty sure the first timers will find more than enough going on to keep their heads on a swivel. So make your plans now, someday this economy is actually gonna improve, and rooms won't be had a day before the start of the event...how long exactly is it until 2012???





 

Victory Buys Indian, What Does It Really Mean?

As you have no doubt heard by now, Polaris Industries, the parent company of Victory Motorcycles has purchased Indian Motorcycle Limited from Stellican Limited (investment banking firm) and Novator Partners LLP, UK (yet another investment banking firm). The details of the deal are undisclosed, as is Victory's norm in such matters. Well, well, well, seems Indian has a new owner, there's a shocker, but is it news? And more importantly is it a good deal for fans of the Indian and Victory brands? The view here at the Asylum is a rock solid, iron clad, "could be".

Indian Motorcycles, still iconic

At first, we kinda scratched our chins too, sort of a mild "WTF". OK, more like a "huh!?". Sure, Indian's had more partners than Lindsey Lohan, and they haven't made a quality machine since, well since, Indian was really "Indian", and I'm not sure when the hell that was, certainly before my time, and I predate color TV, faxes, and microwave ovens. But the more we mulled it over, the more it made sense, at least from a couple of perspectives.

So beyond making a bunch of bankers and lawyers a poo-load of cash, what's in it for Indian and Victory, and more importantly the rest of the great unwashed, we lowly riders? We'll attempt to break it down. First and foremost, Victory has bought itself an iconic American motorcycle brand. Make no mistake, despite all its mismanaged mis-steps in the past, the Indian name and logo still have an amazing (unwarranted maybe?) reserve of positive brand equity, and that folks, is a very valuable asset. Especially when that brand equity tends to dwell in a segment of the market where you (read Victory) have been traditionally weak. Stay with us.

Chrome Asylum has been a fan of Victory Motorcycles from day one, mostly because of the fact that they have never gone the "me too" route; building nearly carbon copies of Harley Davidson's and calling it good; as has sadly been the case with all of the Japanese manufacturers (check out "Victory Motorcycles - building a "There" there. 11/10/10 and "Victory's High Ball" 1/23/11 in the archives). But while Victory has done a commendable job staking a claim in the heavyweight cruiser market by designing and building distinctive "performance based" motorcycles, they've never really scaled the lofty walls of what Victory calls the "die hard segment" which consists of iconic brands possessing unique style and design. Ya know, kinda like, oh I don't know, Harley Davidson?

There's no mistaking a Victory for another brand

It's not that over time Victory couldn't chip away, year by year, at the "die hards", and there's no doubt that the Victory High Ball was a pretty big swing in that direction, but Wall Street hates "long term" (think toddler with ADHD that wants to go to the zoo, and your average investment banker isn't that patient), so a prolonged, drawn out strategy to "expand Victory's target customer base" wasn't gonna fly. Enter Indian Motorcycles. Just add water, stir, and viola! instant brand icon perfectly suited to compliment your strategy, and best of all, no waiting.

With the purchase of Indian, Victory essentially did an "end-around" in terms of acquiring the tools it needed to go after Harley's market share head on. And my guess (although Victory never discloses acquisition costs) is they got Indian on the cheap. Think about it, last years revenues for the "oldest" motorcycle brand in America was a whopping $11m. With an average retail price of one of their bikes pegged at, oh say $25,000 (which is pretty conservative), that means they sold about 440 units in 2010. Need some perspective? Harley sells more in a single day. Clearly Victory is buying a brand that they figure represents a huge upside in terms of future sales and market share growth, especially given the fact that Indian's actual earnings would represent little more than a rounding error on Polaris' balance sheet. Lets just say they ain't buying it for the money Indian is making at the moment.

OK, so you bought your ticket, now what ya gonna do? First off, expect Victory to "leverage their core competencies as they design cost out of the system, thereby accelerating the growth and profitability of both brands, all the while, enhancing shareholder value" (feel free to whip out your Business Buzzword Bingo cards, we might just have us a winner). Meaning? Well, other than as a brand, Indian doesn't have much else of value, so expect to see their production/design facilities in North Carolina close (yup, we're seeing some job loses, sucks). To the degree that Indian has any distribution assets, those will go bye-bye as well, as we're sure they are way too limited in capability and not scalable.

Next up Indian assembly will move to Spirit Lake, with powerplant production most likely heading to Osceola, no doubt Victory and Indian bikes will share all phases of design and manufacture. This is not to say that they will necessarily share components, although some level of "commonality" would certainly make sense, especially in those areas "invisible" to the customer (think engine management systems, wiring harnesses, suspension, etc). Remember, we have to design costs out of the system. Our guess is that signature elements, such as engines, tanks, fenders and the like would remain distinct. To do otherwise would dilute brand perception and defeat the original strategy. That's not to say it couldn't happen, the temptation to increase margin is relentless, even at the expense of the brand itself. It takes real leadership at the corporate level, and a clear understanding of the customer to avoid what is an all too common pitfall.

You see there actually is a limit to how far you can "leverage", as Victory found our quite recently. When it was announced that engine production would be moving to Monterrey Mexico ("leveraging" their newly built plant) the Victory faithful told the company to "Fuel It". The notion that the very heart of an "American" made motorcycle was gonna be assembled in Mexico was apparently too much to bear. Not long after the guano hit the blender a "correction" was offered up (interestingly enough the correction didn't contain any of the "biz-speak" jargon of the original, hmmm), order was restored to the universe, and Victory motors would continue to be made in the US, "...like we'd ever make the things in Mexico, really!?" They will trust us on that, just not right now, there is a limit.

Another pretty nifty aspect to the Victory/Indian deal is that Victory dealers will get a much needed boost in terms of the number of models on the showroom floor, which in turn ought to increase floor traffic. That can't be anything but good. Given that by its own admission Victory is "underrepresented in the top 100 MSA's (metropolitan statistical area.....you didn't put away those bingo cards did ya?), the addition of Indian to the line-up should help entice new dealers to the fold. Let's face it, it hasn't been exactly easy to make it as a Victory only dealer, if it wasn't for Polaris' amazing ATV line, who knows what the Victory dealer network would look like? Might be a lot smaller than it is now.

So in the end what is this deal gonna mean? For one, it means that perhaps more than at any other time in recent memory, Indian has a decent shot at making it as a legitimate motorcycle brand. No doubt with Victory's resources and management skill Indian's build quality, design, spare parts availability, and market exposure will improve dramatically. Future Indian customers will feel more comfortable about the long term health and future of the company, no small issue when one is about to drop twenty five large on a motorcycle. Finally, the "kit bike" stigma should be erased once and for all.

As a result of the transaction, Indian will find itself in showrooms in cities where it may have taken them years to penetrate, and that exposure will result in increased sales. Again, nothing but good. Are there "downside" issues? Of course, not the least of which is addressing the fact that Indian motorcycles are simply too expensive, expect Victory to demand lower priced offerings. If they don't, there could be real issues. Indian, despite being an iconic brand, has had too much negative history in the market in recent years to command excessive retails. The price/value relationship needs some repair, and that takes time and a realistic pricing strategy.

Finally the leadership at Victory must be cautious in its application of "leveraging its core competencies". The two brands must always appear to the consumer to be unique and distinct, "commonality" must stay well behind the curtain. A shared engine platform between Indian and Victory for instance, would be a disaster. Such a move would only confirm the worst fears and suspicions of the market. Our guess is the crew at Victory is way too smart to step in that one. For the most part this looks like a good deal all around; it ensures Indian's survival, while it provides Victory the tools it needs to move into a lucrative segment of the market. Smart move. Kinda makes you wonder what Victory will do next, is KTM for sale...... 

Victory's New High Ball, Blue Collar Bobber.

You've got to hand it to the crew at Victory, I mean really, "High Ball"!? It takes a fair amount of sack in these sad PC obsessed times to christen your motorcycle after a family of mixed drinks........and fairly potent ones at that! I can just see the thirty second spot now; hot twenty-something couple shooting pool in a dimly lit bar, bikes parked out front under a street lamp, hard thumping rock-a-billy music in the background, and then the voice over, ".....Victory High Ball, one for the road!" Sweet. Really, are there any lawyers in Minnesota? Thankfully, if there are, the folks at Victory ignored them.......mad props.

The bike was officially introduced this weekend at the New York IMS show, although there had been a fair amount of speculation about the machine rumbling around the blogosphere for some time. As a lifelong fan of bobber style, I have to say, well done. In it's press release Victory waxes; "It's new. It's bad-ass. It's the bike you want to be seen on - plus it's a Victory, so you know it's got arm-stretching American performance". Ah, touting that American hot rod theme.........very nice. Longtime Chrome Asylum readers (OK, two and a half months........a lifetime I can assure you in the rough and tumble of motorcycle blogs!) will remember that we had kinda hinted that playing up a performance rich hot rod heritage would be a productive strategy for Victory.........really, look it up. However, since I'm doubting that any of the OE cheeses are even aware that the Asylum exists, and given the lead times involved in developing product, we'll just call it a happy coincidence.

High rise bars and wide white wall tires.....cool

Any color you want, as long as it's black, and flat black at that.........yes!! Staying true to bobber style, for many of us at least, means leaving in the "rough edges", keeping it raw, basic, honest. And Victory scores here........and you know there had to be folks in marketing just begging for a metal flake vente green and cocoa cream two-toned paint scheme, thankfully old school won that playground tussle. Along with the predominately black palette (including the exhaust) comes a refreshing lack of chrome. Other traditional bobber features include; highrise bars (adjustable), 16 inch lace wheels fore and aft, wide white wall tires, solo seat and single gauge instrumentation. The High Ball comes equipped with Victory's 106ci/6 speed, fuel injected, counter balanced V-Twin, which puts out a more than respectable 97hp and 113 ft-lb of torque. As with all Victory's, this one should scoot......as is fitting a hot rod.

Oh, almost forgot the best part, a $13,499 MSRP! How's that for an affordable drinking buddy.......I mean bar hopper, ah, I mean........well you know. At that price Victory might have to put in some over-time to keep up.......let's hope.

So in the end does the High Ball "work" as a Victory? Too soon to tell, but by all appearances they got it right, and that's saying a lot. Because frankly, I never saw this kind of bike as being something that would make the line-up. It's just not them, not really part of the Victory DNA. This is the company that prides itself on innovative, forward looking design, they had the vision to do the Vision for cryingoutloud. None of their machines, while all V-Twins to be sure, could be considered from a stylistic perspective at least, to be retro inspired. They went their own way, Milwaukee be damned, and I've always thought that was by far the best strategy.........be original, stake your own claim, don't be what you're not. With the High Ball, it will be interesting to see how the traditional Victory customer base responds, as well as, folks that are current or former Harley riders. Will a Victory with ape hangers and wide white wall tires, and styling cues that could have it mistaken for, gasp, a Harley Davidson resonate with the Victory faithful?? Think I'll need a couple more drinks to ponder that question.

And lastly, if anything, the High Ball ought to be a wake-up call for the Motor Company, a flat black shot across the old front fender if you will. I mean come on, a relatively cheap, rat bike inspired bobber, and it's not being built by HD......blasphemy!! This is a bike Harley should be building, but isn't, not really. I'm only gonna say this once, well OK, twice, I've actually already droned on about it in a prior article (you factory guys really ought to pay attention.....this stuff is free!), but HD needs to build a bobber inspired bike on a Dyna frame, with a 96ci motor, for an MSRP of $9,999. Impossible? Find a way..........there absolutely has to be another "gateway" to Motor Company crack that doesn't have "Sportster" in its name.......You want youth? They want style and horsepower.......give it to them.

Give Us A Shout.......It's Nice To Know You're Out There

Since it appears that mom isn't the only one in the "blogosphere" tuning into Chrome Asylum to get a double dose of my twisted views on motorbikes and more, I thought it might be handy to provide y'all with a way to get directly in touch with me.......just in case you'd like to keep that obscenity laced tirade between us girls, and leave the comment section free for more benign musings. It's all up to you. But if you do have some thoughts; no matter where they're coming from, I'd like to hear them. This is our forum, I'm just it's official scribe.

So, if you wanna drop me an email send it to hdesjardins3(at)yahoo(dot)com. That last bit of slight of hand is a bit of trickery to avoid getting a butt-load of spam dumped on yours truly, we'll see how that goes. Think you might want to link to Chrome Asylum? Let me know, and I'll make it happen. I also post info about upcoming articles on Twitter, just type in http://twitter.com/HankDesjardins and you're in. Become a follower, no Kool Aide sipping required.

One last thought, I know the site is pretty vanilla right now, and it's killing me. Any of you that know my work in product development, branding and advertising will know, boring is not my style. Bear with us, we'll pimp things out a bit (where's my design team when I need 'em!?).....it just may take a bit.

Thanks again for reading.........stay tuned for a profile of the "Paint Shaker", you'll be glad you did. I guarantee!!

Victory Motorcycles - Building a "There" There

If you're a current rider, and more to the point, a cruiser rider of the usual demographic, you've most likely heard of Victory Motorcycles........they're that "other" American made bike (apologies up front to Indian, but honestly, can you blame me?). From all accounts in the press, and your humble correspondent's personal experience riding the product, they build a very fine machine. As a matter of fact, "on paper" their motorcycles best the bikes from Milwaukee in almost every category; all the while delivering a styling package that is distinctive and for the most part unique, bordering on cool.

So what's the problem? Simple, there's no "there" there. What is a Victory? What does a Victory represent? Who is a Victory rider......what is unique about him or her? I'm not sure we know, and worse yet for Victory, I'm not sure they know either. It's almost as if the line of thinking in some long since forgotten marketing strategy meeting went something like this; 1) Built in the US .2) It's not a Harley. 3) It's better than a Harley. 4) Buy it. Let's break for lunch.

That's just not gonna cut it, not in the motorcycle business in general, and the cruiser segment in particular. These brands are sold mostly on emotion, not specifications (whether we want to admit it or not). Is a Harley necessarily a "better" machine, probably not. But it's certainly a better brand......and not just because it's had about a 95 year head start.

Think for just a moment of what Harley Davidson represents. It's pure Americana, iconic and cool, but why? Well, mostly because of all those positive associations with the brand over time; its history, the imagery of the product in the context of historical events like World War II, movie stars and athletes, outlaw bikers and industrial titans. It's the sheer volume of that emotional input that emphatically stamped the Harley brand into our collective subconscious. From early on the Motor Company knew that the brand was far more than the machines, and that it was the brand itself that was the prime driver when it came to selling the motorcycles, not the other way around. If a brand does not engage us on an emotional level it will not succeed in the long run.........it's a simple as that.

So what does this mean for Victory Motorcycles, are they doomed? Of course not, as a matter of fact, one could argue that there's a particularly bright potential future in store for the brand if the leadership embraces the fact that it's simply not enough to build a better mouse trap and wait for the world to beat a path to the showroom (sorry, I normally try to avoid cliche's like the plague). They have to develop and nurture the brand. Find out what Victory is and nurture it.......talk to customers, better yet talk to folks that aren't, non-riders as well, you don't have to ride to know what's cool. And make no mistake......being "cool" is an imperative, not being "better". Cool will always be better.

Is there unique ground for Victory to plant the flag and say, "this is who and what we are"? Can they convey that identity in a consistent and impactful way? To both these questions, I'd say absolutely! After all, the good people at Victory have a solid platform upon which to build. The bikes are good, they are distinctive, and yes, they're built here......that's not too bad a starting point. And you've got that "spec sheet"......put that extra displacement and handling to use. The machines are hot rods.....and Americans, especially American males "get" hot rods.......it's in our DNA. And it appears to be in Victory's as well.........and that's where they could make their stand. An American built muscle machine; fast, beautiful, iconic in its own right..........and best yet, cool.

Once the "hot rod" strategy is embraced, every ounce of communication effort; whether conventional advertising, promotions, PR, trade shows, product placement, rally's, etc. must relentlessly reinforce that message. Victory is a hot rod. "American. Performance."

Will they do it? Will Victory become the brand that their motorcycles so desperately need them to be? Maybe. The leadership might argue that they are already there. I would hope not. It's tough to say, change is never easy. I'll leave you with this observation, which I think is pretty telling. Search the "careers" section of the Motor Company's website and the number of postings in marketing generally exceeds all the rest. On Victory's site the most numerous postings are for engineers.........Guess we'll just have to see how it plays out.