2003 Victory Vegas - Smuggler's Brew

It's true that they didn't change the frame geometry. Victory's Vegas is set up so you think your way through turns, meaning it handles so smoothly that you just lean and go, and some of that's due to the frame dimensions. Not wanting to fix what wasn't broken, the Old 97 team left well enough alone but swapped out the swingarm for one they'd created to hold 250mm of rubber (enough to beef up the booty, but not too much). But the arm isn't just a piece of metal holding a wheel-they tricked it out by mounting the taillight to it. They also switched over to PM wheels and brakes to change the style and grind matters to a screeching halt when things get ugly on the road.

What that new back tire meant to the Victory rear fender was this: a trip to the unemployment line. It wasn't exactly a good fit to the Avon, so the boys made a new shorter one to take its place. But the biggest changes came in the controls department. Off came the old bars, and on went the shop's own curved set, with Teddy's V-Twin controls displacing the old Victory set. Down low, the stock footers lost out to pegs and levers from Accutronix.

You don't see a customized Vegas too often; maybe it's because the model is only a few years old, or maybe it's because Vegas owners buy them because they want something stock that's still uncommon enough to stand out without a lot of hopping up. Either way, it was cool to find a couple of Victory dealers willing to put their own stamp on what they sell. The only thing we couldn't figure out is where the boys hide the 'shine on this thing.