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Why not a Monster fighter? You've got the perfect motor for it, and it would be the perfect action to make good on your promise to lead Victory towards a more performance-oriented brand.
I'm not one of the Octane haters; I think it's cool for what it is, but in the end I don't want a clamshell-positioned cruiser. Personally, I want a standard motorcycle with good power, and maybe a little hooligan. An American-made Monster-beater sounds fantastic to me!
Sure, you could go straight super-sport bike, but that's an uber-competitive market, and one you may not succeed in. A naked (or not) sport-standard could even be a great stepping stone there, if a competitive crotch-rocket is what you want in the end.
The Monster is a naked sport bike with 145hp. Nothing in the Victory or Indian lineup even provides a foundation. Not a dig, but they are cruiser manufacturers, not sportbikes. I would like to see Polaris come out with a "std" or ADV bike.
It is absolutely NOT a naked sport bike, it's a sport-standard complete with a relatively upright seating position and yes, a pretty powerful motor. I think Victory is well-positioned to build something with their new Octane's motor and be able to price it in line with the Monster 821, which has 112 hp.
I have to admit, that would be an interesting package. And yes...I guess naked "sport standard" is a fair description. However, the Octane and it's motor isn't in the came league.
Quote:
The 2015 Ducati Monster 821 is powered by the same second-generation 821 cc Testastretta 11-degree engine found in the Ducati Hypermotard. It makes a reported 112 horsepower at 9,250 rpm and 65.9 foot-pounds of torque at 7,750 rpm. Like the Panigale, the motor acts as a stressed member of the chassis and is attached directly to the trellis frame.
In comparison the Octane motor is more like a John Deere with 104hp and 76 ft-lbs out of 1179cc. Out of similar displacement the big Monster pulls this off:
Quote:
The engine has been tuned for a peak power output of 160bhp at 9250rpm and peak torque of 97 lb ft at 7750rpm thanks to a lot of work on the internals which includes new pistons, new elliptical throttle bodies, a larger diameter exhaust, new silencers, inlet manifold, increased compression ratio.
50% more HP, as well as MORE TORQUE. ( I was wrong about the 145hp I mentioned, that was an older bike). I like Victory for what they are, but they have a lot of work to do in the engine development game to compete with the likes of Ducati. Or any other maker that makes a contemporary, performance oriented motor. The Octane motor makes decent numbers...for a cruiser. Which is their target.
Having said that, not every "standard" NEEDS huge HP numbers. The cruiser motor would still make a nice ride in a "standard", but that market is so performance oriented I don't know that it would make much of an impression with the buyers.
I hope you're right, that Victory (or perhaps some future Polaris brand) will come out with a more "mixed" line of bikes, with modern, contemporary, performance oriented motors, and not emphasize the cruiser focus. Standards, ADVs, tourings and yes, even sport bikes. I hate that no US manufacturers play in this market. Tough, tough thing to do, given the quality of the competition.
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