Victory's Brand New Hi-Ball

In mid-December Victory Motorcycles invited the press to attend the launch of its newest model, the Hi-Ball, during the Long Beach International Motorcycle Show (IMS) at an off-site venue. Keeping with its theme of extremely exclusive, top-secret model launches, Victory embargoed the reporting of our findings until January 20, 2011, since the Hi-Ball was being launched simultaneously at the Amsterdam Billiard Hall during the New York City stop of the IMS circuit.

With that said, Victory chose an old hot-rod restoration shop for the Los Angeles reveal given the bike's bobber aesthetic. Once the sheet was pulled from the Hi-Ball it appeared to be an aggressive cruiser with a brawler type stance: dual 16x3.5-inch wheels wrapped in beefy Dunlop whitewall tread, a black and white two-tone paint scheme, and ape hangers; all sold as standard equipment. It's a cool, stylish motorcycle that's outfitted with a powerful 106ci Freedom V-Twin engine with 97hp and 113lb-ft of torque and six-speed trans for a starting retail price of only $13,499, which is a great value in our opinion. Another cool factor is that the handlebars are adjustable to either sit high in the upright apehanger position or can be tilted back to better fit riders' varying ergonomics needs. The controls can also be adjusted on the fly with basic tools to fit either bar position. If you're a customizer, there is a laundry list of goodies also available that you'll be able to view on the company's website.

The Hi-Ball will be available at your local Victory dealer by the end of March. Check out the Victory Motorcycles website for more details at www.victorymotorcycles.com.