Victory Hard-Ball

Victory Hard-Ball

RIDING IMPRESSION

High bars, hard bags and heaps of black

APE-HANGER BIKES are everywhere these days, and so are baggers. It was only a matter of time, then, before one of the manufacturers took the next step, melding machines from these bookends of the spectrum as Victory has with its new Hard-Ball.

This is the company’s second venture into the tail-bar world, the first being the bagless High-Ball. But despite their outward similarities and the fact that both machines share the Freedom 106/6 engine and six-speed transmission combination, likenesses are few.

Take their chassis: The High-Ball is built around the steel-frame Vegas platform, while the Hard-Ball shares the cast aluminum structure of the Cross Roads tourer. As a result, the Hard-Ball stretches out almost an inch longer (65.7 in.) and steers with significantly different frontend geometry: 29 degrees of rake and 5.6 in. of trail vs. the High-Ball’s 31.7-deg./4.7-in. figures. Wheel size also differs, with an 18-in. front hoop and 16-in. rear on the Hard-B and whitewall-shod 16s on the High-B.

After seeing the bike in the light (barely—it was dusk) for the first time, it’s safe to say that Victory made its point. Looking beyond its f-stop-challenged skin (it’s available only in matte black with red pinstripes), the Hard-Ball is sort of a rolling contradiction. How else do you describe a motorcycle that combines the practicality of locking, top-load saddlebags (with 21 gallons of combined storage), ABS brakes, cruise control, plush deep-dish seats (for rider and passenger) and broad floorboards with the aesthetics of an armpits-in-your-face handlebar?

Although our seat time on the Hard-Ball was limited to a brief evening ride, we were reminded once again that the Freedom engine is one sweet, smooth-running powerplant. Roll-on performance in particular is excellent, thanks to the motor’s broad torque spread. Claimed output is 97 horsepower and 109 foot-pounds of peak torque; the High-Ball we ran on the Cycle World dyno last year produced 84 hp and 102 ft.-lb. of torque at the rear wheel.

But back to that handlebar: It’s adjustable, and Victory set the angle on our testbike in its forward, high position. That makes it tough for most riders to reach the outside grip at full steering lock; U-turns are not this bike’s forte. Given time to make the adjusment, we'd try the bar in its less-extreme position. Beyond that slow-speed wonkiness, the apes don’t negatively alter the HardBall’s light and responsive steering. Ride quality from the air-adjustable shock and inverted cartridge fork is very good. The plush seat sweetens the deal.

If looking cool with your fists flying high is what you’re after, the $18,999 Hard-Ball could end your search. It flips the bird at convention and forges ahead doing its own thing.

Custom appeal without garage-build unreliability Dare we say practical? Arms tired? Set the cruise control! Apes make tight turns wonky Transmission is loud and clunky Park it in a dark alley and you might not find it until morning