RU-MOTO rating
- Reliability
- Chassis
- Appearance
- Comfort
4.5
Verdict
The impeccable quality of all elements and its own style place the Victory Hammer 8 ball model in the line of premium equipment. This is evidenced by the cost of the chopper. We can only hope that this colorful exclusive will appear on our tracks more often.
Victory
Hammer
motorcycles break the stereotype of the traditional cruiser with an unusual concept. A powerful engine, stylish design and color scheme with a minimal amount of chrome surfaces provided the model with a significant difference from its competitors. This is a bright, memorable bike with an aggressive character. Potential buyers will also be pleased with the price of the motorcycle.
Motorcycle Victory Hammer
Read other motorcycle reviews Around the world on the Victory Сross Сountry cruiser
Hummer ergonomics provide a comfortable fit due to a low center of gravity and a comfortable seat. A typical American looks stylish and defiant. In Russia, the motorbike is presented in a single configuration, which does not prevent us from supplementing its already luxurious appearance with tuning elements.
Specifications
The powerful engine of the Freedom 100/6 model with an electric starting system and injection type intake provides maximum opportunities for a comfortable ride.
Options:
- Engine – 2-cylinder, 1731 cc;1
- Transmission – 6-speed;
- Torque – 139 Nm at 2500 rpm;
- Fuel tank – 17 liters;
- Weight – 532 kg.
Victory Hammer Specifications
In America and Canada, the Victory
Hammer 8 ball
enjoys enviable success, in contrast to the Russian market, where the motorbike is not yet so popular. Unconditional power with an engine capacity of 1.8 liters ensures an instant start. A modern fuel system ensures that the engine is economical; during quiet driving around the city, fuel consumption is 6-6.5 liters.
Chopper club
Periodically browsing the RuNet in search of test drives of cruisers, I began to become perplexed. Information is fragmentary and not available for all models. Warning! Achtung! The galaxy urgently needs to be saved. This test is taken from here. The material is from 2008, but I haven’t seen anything comparable with Raider’s participation. Yes - there have been no test drives of the Yamaha Raider in Russian yet 
Enlarge your…
Large-capacity cruisers are a typical phenomenon in the United States.
More precisely, a typical phenomenon for local men. They love everything exaggerated here: jeeps with powerful engines, silicone girls and Viagra. But nothing epitomizes masculinity better than chrome-plated motorcycles with long-stroke V-twins and wide rear rollers. Girls, these toys are not for you! Despite the fact that we at the editorial office don’t seem to want to compare who has the longest, we decided to test several typical representatives of this class of motorcycles. Initially, it was planned to take the Suzuki Intruder C109RT, Victory Hammer, Yamaha Raider S and Harley-Davidson Rocker C, but at the last moment the local HD dealer called with bad news - the test motorcycle had problems with the steering. Well, okay - the selection remaining for a test drive is also quite worthy. Each of them embodies its own facet of the “cruiser” concept: the Intruder is a classic with voluminous shapes and deep fenders, the Hammer looks like a real Power Cruiser, and the Yamaha Raider, despite its stretched shape, also feels serious power.
Suzuki Intruder C109RT
Updated for 2008, the Suzuki Intruder C109RT has proven to be a highly controversial beast, with many strengths and weaknesses.
The powerful engine, based on the M109R, has been trimmed in horsepower to increase torque, especially at the bottom. Officially it is said to be 114 hp, the torque is not reported, but it feels clearly better than the already rather large 160 Nm of the base M109R unit. In terms of design bells and whistles, it is clearly the leader of our trio, and it is the only one with water cooling - this is how Suzuki marketers love the “heritage” of the GSX-R. The 8-valve V-twin received modified ignition settings, minus 2 mm to the throttle diameter (i.e. 52 mm), + 20% to the flywheel weight, which gave it smoother characteristics and increased traction at the bottom. Otherwise, everything is the same - 54-degree cylinder angle, 112mm cylinders with 90.5mm stroke, balancer shafts, total volume 1783 cm3, double overhead camshaft driven by chain and gears (*), two spark plugs per cylinder and lubrication system with dry sump. On paper, it is, of course, the king of power, which is especially noticeable at high revs. However, at the lower end it clearly has problems with fuel supply; the engine runs unevenly, despite a bunch of bells and whistles on the intake and exhaust (**). At low speeds, the engine's response to the throttle is unpredictable, the motorcycle jerks and rides jerkily, which is not at all expected from a colossus with a curb weight of 357 kg.
Also, despite the tricky connecting rod journals (***), balance shaft and mounting to the frame on rubber cushions, the engine transmits noticeable vibrations to the motorcycle at idle - more than typical representatives of this class. If you maintain constant gas, you don’t feel any vibrations, but if you just try to accelerate from low speeds, the engine starts to shake and doesn’t produce the acceleration you expect from it. The situation is worsened by the highly elevated 5th gear, which drives the engine into the vibration zone when overtaking below 140 km/h. In 4th gear, the vibrations go away, the motorcycle rides smoothly, and overtaking becomes noticeably easier. This transmission makes the C109RT engine the smoothest, but also the most twitchy of the three chosen. To get rid of vibrations at cruising speed, one of our testers moved on the highway exclusively in 4th gear (100-120 km/h), increasing the already considerable fuel consumption from 7 (more voracious than Victory and Yamaha) to 8 liters per hundred .
The claw and “spur” of the gearbox allow you to change gears equally clearly, with a characteristic sound. Although the C109RT gearbox lacks the refinement of a sportbike, it performs well for a large engine with locomotive traction. Of the test bikes, only the Suzuki has a shaft drive, which causes the bike to jerk at low speeds. This makes it difficult to play carefully with the throttle at near-zero speed.
The cardan also adds unsprung mass, which, together with the short suspension travel and incomplete damping of bumps, makes driving on bad roads difficult. Despite the wide and soft saddle that partially absorbs impacts from bumps, the Suzuki C109RT is not the best candidate for the Iron Butt title. A slightly tilted back seat in the saddle, oddly enough, is noticeably tiring, because... At medium and high speeds you have to grab the steering wheel hard. Of course, you can install wind protection, even from the standard catalog, but we are real guys and don’t chase comfort! We also note the transition from saddle to tank without narrowing (unlike competitors), which is why the legs have to be spread wide, like on a horse. The mirrors do not shake at any speed, the instrumentation on the tank is better readable than that of the Yamaha Raider. However, the quality of the exterior finish is lower (especially compared to the Raider), and there are bundles of wires here and there.
The motorcycle feels bad when cornering, thanks to the wide tires and the floppy steering wheel. When maneuvering, the 240 rear tire wants to keep the C109RT on a straight line with all its might; to turn it in the right direction requires constant effort on the steering wheel. In principle, on winding roads with good surfaces it will behave well and delight the owner, but on bad asphalt or sharp turns the charm will end, and hard impacts will come to the suspension and the footpegs will grind on the ground. The Suzuki C109RT is the only one of the three test motorcycles equipped with a combined braking system. The front brake lever operates 2 of the 3 pistons on the front brake calipers, the rear brake pedal operates both rear pistons and the remaining front caliper piston. Despite such tricks, the C109RT stops worse than the Victory and Yamaha - less braking force, worse information content.
Victory Hammer
Released in 2005, the Victory Hammer was Polaris' response to the rapidly occupying the niche power cruisers Yamaha Warrior and Suzuki M109R.
It's available from the factory in the widest range of colors of any of our two competitors, but it's the matte black Hammer S that's most impressive - a true bad boy's machine and arguably the best-designed one in its class. The 100-inch Freedom air vent (1634 cm3, the “smallest” of the motorcycles presented in this test drive) was updated in 2008, the main changes affected the reduction of harmful emissions, smooth operation and an increase in power. The ignition system has been improved (the map is now individual for each cylinder), new injectors, chokes and air sensors. The new intake tract improves mixture filling and, together with a lower compression ratio (8.7 instead of 9.8), better fights detonation, and also allows you to gain speed faster and provides greater traction at the bottom. The modified camshaft profile gives the promised increase in power and traction, resulting in 85 hp. and 143 N*m is a good point for such a “baby”.
The rear wheel drive belt, clutch, crankcase and engine covers have also been redesigned to reduce vibration, noise and improve ride quality. The oil cooling circuit was rerouted and the oil cooler was moved, which made it possible to better cool the engine and more easily turn it to high speeds. Changed gearbox ratios (lower first and higher sixth) provide better acceleration at the bottom and more comfortable movement on the highway at cruising speed. The efforts made were fully justified: Freedom operates very smoothly throughout the entire operating range, and the rider, instead of annoying vibrations, receives the well-fed rumbling of a large V-twin due to his status. At any speed, the behavior and acceleration of the motorcycle are predictable - this is a big stone in Suzuki's garden.
You don’t expect easy gear shifting on such locomotives, but of the experimental samples, the Victory Hammer had the tightest gearbox; on the other hand, all the programs are quite “long”. Like the Suzuki, the top (6th) gear is noticeably lifted up, allowing you to ride comfortably in a straight line at low revs. When overtaking, you have to drop gears, but passing someone on the highway in a Victory Hammer is more difficult than in its larger competitors - the lack of volume and traction affects it. However, thanks to the smaller engine, it has the most moderate appetite, 5.9l/100km.
The saddle position on it is much more comfortable than on the Suzuki Intruder C109R; thanks to the more upright position, the driver is less blown away by the wind. But his saddle let us down. It is too rigid, it constrains the driver too much, which makes the hips and tailbone uncomfortable. The analog instrument panel is equipped with a tachometer (unlike Suzuki and Yamaha) and is easy to read. The mirrors provide a wide but blurry picture at all speeds.
The Victory Hammer handles better than we expected, thanks to the stiff upside-down fork, firm shock absorbers and aggressive front tire. Unsurprisingly, the wide, 250mm rear roller resists cornering. It can be overcome by constant (but not as much as on the Suzuki Intruder) pressure on the steering wheel. For 2008, the brake system was also redesigned, namely the pistons, rear brake cylinder, discs and pads. Thanks to them, the motorcycle stops easily and noticeably.
Yamaha Raider
With the Raider model, Yamaha, the first Japanese company, entered the “factory custom” market (****).
Its long-stroke (the longest stroke in this test is 118mm), 48-degree air-cooled V-twin has a volume of no less than 1854 cm3 (5*) (6*). Despite its archaic design with an overhead camshaft and pushrods, it produces an impressive 167 Nm (7*) at just 2500 rpm. Torque is transmitted by a belt to the 210 mm rear wheel (the widest on the Yamaha, but the narrowest among the trio) through a 5-speed gearbox. The Yamaha Raider engine performed the best on the road. It allows you to instantly accelerate at any speed from any gear and rush forward dashingly. Low-speed throttle response isn't as smooth as the Victory's, but it's still quite predictable. In terms of tactile sensations, the engine behaves exactly as a very large V-twin should behave, and lacks parasitic vibrations. In addition, the stock Raider sounds better than its counterparts; its bass roar is unrivaled. Despite the long gears, when overtaking on the highway there is no need to click the paw down, even if the revs have dropped very low - but who knows how low, who knows, because the motorcycle is not equipped with a tachometer. Gear shifting is the same as on other large motorcycles, with effort, but quite adequate. In terms of fuel consumption, it is in second place after the Hammer with an indicator of 6.3 l/100 km.
The sophisticated chassis looks very unexpected against the backdrop of the archaic engine. The Raider has the only aluminum frame of the entire trio (although, as expected, duplex), the engine is rigidly attached to it. The rear suspension is a monoshock absorber (located horizontally at the bottom) connected to a cast aluminum swingarm. This design mimics an old-school hardtail. The front suspension is very different from anything Yamaha has done before, but you'll go to great lengths to get a production custom. To prevent a large fork offset from harming handling, engineers worked on a yoke (8*), which gave an additional 6 degrees of inclination. Thus, the motorcycle has a fork angle of 39.2 degrees, its offset is quite adequate 152mm. The demands of style also left their mark on the thin, tall 21-inch front wheel (the largest radius on a Yamaha). The rear 210mm wheel is mounted on a 7.5-inch thick disc, so you can put an even larger roller back if desired.
No matter how cynical it may sound, despite its clearly chopper appearance, the Yamaha Raider handles very well. What's more, its handling is better than both competitors in this test drive. Its low center of gravity, relatively thin front tire and well-built fork provide refined (for a cruiser) agility. The motorcycle reacts clearly and quickly to every movement of the steering wheel - it is by no means as flimsy as Victory and especially Suzuki. Its behavior in corners on smooth asphalt is completely predictable, although on bumps at speed it begins to wander a little (quite a common occurrence for a soft suspension).
The saddle position is unexpectedly comfortable. With a large, well-supported saddle and soft suspension, riding it is a total pleasure. Of course, the fifth point feels the work of the suspension on bumps, but for everyday travel on the highway the Yamaha Raider is much more suitable than other motorcycles in this test ride.
The brakes also deserve warm words. They are quite effective and the most informative of the motorcycles reviewed here; the forces on the lever and pedals are small and predictable. As expected, the Raider nosedives under hard braking, again due to the soft suspension.
When you look at the Raider, you notice the good workmanship; the wires and cables are tucked inside and don’t spoil the look. However, there is room for work on the appearance. The speedometer on the tank cannot be read without taking your eyes off the road, the image in the mirrors shakes and blurs at any speed.
Test drive results
In third place is the Suzuki Intruder C109RT.
It undoubtedly has its advantages, but there are many more disadvantages. Even seasoned riders like us couldn't ride it for long without breaks due to its too-stiff suspension. And he looks the most unmemorable of the three test subjects. The price of the new device is $17,800. Victory Hammer looks really cool, but its extremely poor saddle, unclear gearbox and heavy steering prevent it from climbing to first place. In addition, this is the most expensive motorcycle of those tested (+$2000 to the cost of both Yamaha and Suzuki - $19,800).
The Yamaha Raider leaves our test drive as a winner; our testers voted it the most desirable machine. Although there are a couple of questions about the appearance - firstly, the chopper design is too pronounced, and secondly, the quality of the finish could be slightly improved for complete happiness. The price of owning this miracle of Japanese technology is $18,000.
Testers' opinions about subjects
Neil Graham: I always have a hard time testing and choosing big cruisers.
In my opinion, when you choose such a vehicle, its technical characteristics, comfort, handling and brakes fade into the background. If a cruiser beckons you, ignore all that, put on a half-helmet and go. I'm leaning towards the Victory Hammer because of its cool looks and smooth, torquey engine. But its maneuverability, while not as bad as expected from a motorcycle with a 250-mm roller, still leaves much to be desired, and the uncomfortable seat generally makes you hastily eject after an hour of riding. What I didn’t expect was that the Yamaha Raider steers almost like a regular motorcycle, despite the long fork offset. And its saddle is much more comfortable than Victory's. But the looks are certainly something - it's not a quality classic like the Roadliner and reminds me a lot of the old Virago (9*). Try driving a motorcycle in the same position as a car and you will understand what it is like to drive a Suzuki Intruder. Even among larger cruisers, it's too big, and despite the engine's best efforts, it feels too much like a car. My general opinion is that the Yamaha rides nicer than the Victory, the Victory is better looking than the Yamaha, and the Suzuki can be recommended to those who like larger shapes and volumes. Uwe Wachtendorf: Watching the three of them drive into the cafe's parking lot, I began to be drawn to this ton of chromed iron. Then I caught myself thinking that this traveling exhibition of metallurgy achievements takes up so much space that it would be enough to park a Lincoln Navigator. Nothing can eclipse the shine of chrome cruisers, be it near-zero temperatures or pouring rain. After two days of driving, it became clear that Suzuki had somehow gone overboard with the engine. At cruising speed, he had problems with fuel delivery, the bike jerked until it was given the required speed. This kind of engine behavior can be explained on a sportbike, but on a cruiser it’s nonsense. Victory Hammer, despite its brutal name, turned out to be the “softest” motorcycle on the test. The engine did not starve and pulled well, so well that in a strongly lifted 6th gear at a speed of 120 km/h, we were all surprised how it did not stall at all - it drove stably. Unfortunately, it has the least comfortable saddle. Our testers were forced to look for new ways to stretch their backs and legs every time they finally got out of his saddle. Of the three bikes, I found the Yamaha Raider to be the most fun to ride. Its power and especially traction from the very bottom are guaranteed to be enough for any driving scenario, be it the city or the highway. And one more thing - I was finished off when an old woman I met, walking with a crutch, looked at this device and said, “This is a decent motorcycle.” I completely agree with her.
Michel Garneau: It is unlikely that in the foreseeable future I will be jumping into the salon for a cruiser - I don’t like motorcycles that are narrowly tailored for a single purpose. This is especially true for the Suzuki Intruder C109RT, which, despite its hellishly powerful engine, is not suitable for long-range driving. It is not comfortable enough, difficult to control, and brakes poorly. The Victory Hammer, seemingly prepared for large maneuvers, was greatly let down by its seat and heavy handling. I sincerely don’t understand, does anyone really need a rear 250 mm roller?.. Although I’m ready to admit that its smooth traction almost won me over, after all, this is a power cruiser. The Yamaha Raider is the most likely candidate if I decide to get a cruiser. I didn’t expect such cool sensations from it, and even more so, that a device with such proportions and so much like a chopper would steer so well.
Note translation
* — combined chain and gear-driven double overhead cams ** — dual-butterfly fuel injection system and exhaust-mounted butterfly valve *** — staggered crankpins **** — Honda Fury recently caught up, but in terms of cubic capacity (1300 cm3) it it is not a competitor 5* - a leader in the discipline of “applied phallometry” among mass-produced air vents 6* - the text contained the phrase “closed-loop fuel injection”, I don’t know how to translate 7* - unofficial data, Yamaha did not disclose either power or torque 8* - trimpleclamps - is this a crosshead? 9* - by the way, for its time it also steered well
PS All photos, except the first one, are taken from other sources. In the original, IMHO they are somehow not the same. PPS victorr1, SUR777 - we are waiting for your comments. I don’t really believe that such well-known models have SUCH shortcomings.
Hummer price
The new model can be purchased on the Russian market for RUB 1,517,820.
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Used Victory Hammer Price Review
It is almost impossible to find this model on the secondary equipment market.
The Victory chopper is still a rarity on our roads. The model can only be purchased on order from America, and accordingly, all additional tuning elements will have to be ordered there. Although the future owner of the exclusive can be completely confident in the individuality of his device. The developers pay great attention to accessories that provide their own style and originality.
Seven years ago
I REMEMBER, I then asked ten times my old friend from snowmobile safaris and off-road ATV rides - Kader Urradi, the general director of the company - the official distributor of Polaris products in Russia:
- Who? Who makes these motorcycles? And every time I heard the answer:
- “Polaris”! The same “Polaris”!
- Wow! I didn’t expect it... So how are they?
- Take it and try it...
I took. And I was not at all disappointed. The uniqueness of that first “Victory” test also lay in the fact that the motorcycles came to Russia not for sale, but for an exhibition, after which the “Victory” brand disappeared for a long time from the sight of our motorcycle community.
The 2000 models were, without a doubt, associated with 100% Yankees. In our test there were two such “Native Americans”: the classic cruiser “V-92C” and its sports version – “V-92SC”. Both are huge, with deep, American-style comfortable seats and large V-twin engines, as if borrowed from a museum of locomotive equipment.
But in the modern motorcycle world, not everything is as simple as it seems. The “Victory” engine is archaic only at first glance. In fact, its design is nothing more than a tribute to fashion and at the same time a nod to traditions. If you like, memories of the 30s of the last century, when huge red Indianas and those same legendary Harleys that today can only be seen in pictures and yellowed photographs roamed the roads of America. At that time, it was customary for a self-respecting motorcycle to have a parallelogram front fork, a “dry” rear suspension without the slightest hint of softness (which by today’s standards cannot be called a suspension) and a tall, long-stroke V-shaped engine with tall cylinders resting on the gas tank. and a long rod valve drive.
Having seen something similar on “Victory” motorcycles, I, back in 2000, was somewhat puzzled and cautiously asked:
- Does it have a rod valve drive?
And with relief I heard in response:
- You offend! It’s the third millennium, everything is serious here, the engines are the most modern. With fuel injection, camshafts in the heads and hydraulic valve lifters. And what you see from the outside is nothing more than stylization...
Wow! Even today I cannot name other motorcycles of this class, which seven years ago could boast of such advanced technologies...
Advantages and disadvantages of Victory Hammer
The fact that the equipment is delivered individually already indicates the exclusivity of the model.
pros
- Quiet motor operation;
- Vibration is almost imperceptible;
- Carbon-reinforced belt (manufacturer declared mileage of 100 thousand miles);
- Powerful tires.
Minuses
- Problematic tire fitting;
- Tight clutch handle;
- High price;
For connoisseurs of style and luxury, a motorbike will definitely be a must-have.
