Introduction
For the simple and special Hammer models, Victory uses the same 106 ci / 1,731 cc, 4-stroke 50° Freedom V-Twin engine as well as the six-speed overdrive transmission. These two features already qualify the Hammer and Hammer S both as boulevard cruising machines and powerful, efficient open road companions, but there’s actually more to these bikes than just this. For instance, the wheelbase measures 65.7 inches / 1,669 mm and the seat is positioned 26.5 inches / 673 mm from the ground, allowing the average-sized rider to stay in control of his ride at all times. The inverted forks meet the frame at a 32.7-degree rake angle, while the trail is of 5.5 inches / 140 mm, both these figures being meant to establish a thin line between proper handling and custom looks.
2010 Victory Hammer S
Also, both models feature the same braking system composed from two 300mm floating rotor with 4-piston caliper up front and from a 300mm floating rotor with 2-piston caliper at the rear. Like on most Victory cruisers and customs, the 43mm fork offers 5.1 inches / 130 mm of travel, while the rear end shock’s 3.9 inches / 100 mm distance of travel is more than enough considering the category. The main difference between the two customs starts at the end of both the front and rear suspension, where on the Hammer you will find a pair of black stingray wheels and on the Hammer S a pair of slightly lighter "X-Factor" custom wheels. This last model is also painted to look more like a drag bike, but we’ll have to leave this for the Exterior section of our preview.
2010 Victory Hammer 8-Ball
Meanwhile, we’ve been peaking at the all-new 2010 Victory Hammer 8-Ball and came to a sudden conclusion that this is “la crème de la crème.” This bike is designed to impress from every angle and also to offer a comfier riding position. On this model, the Freedom V-Twin engine displaces 100 ci / 1,634 cc and produces 85 horsepower and 106 ft-lb of torque. This is an entirely blacked-out engine staying in tone with the bike’s color and muscular appearance. The tranny only offers five-speeds and we reckon that despite the engine being slightly smaller and less powerful, this keeps things lively and overall performance similar to that of the standard model. The only disadvantage will most likely stand out while riding down the open road, where the lacking sixth speed will be missed. Other than that, you’re in for one hell of a ride. Actually, the 8-Ball’s seat is positioned 0.5 inches lower than on the two previous models and the footpegs are brought 2.25 inches closer to the rider, allowing for a much more natural riding position and enabling riders to cover up more miles. You also get an 18-inch front wheel, which is a nice thing to have on a bike claimed to be special.
Competition
Harley-Davidson has prepped up three VRSC models for 2010 and they all go against one of Victory’s Hammer models. The Harley-Davidson V-Rod can easily be compared with the standard Hammer, the V-Rod Muscle goes against the Hammer S, while the Night Rod Special is 8-Ball’s competitor.
Now, all these Harley models that we mentioned are being powered by the 76.28 ci / 1250 cc, liquid-cooled, Revolution, 60-degree V-Twin engine, which is coupled to a five-speed transmission on all of them. While this might sound inappropriate to put against Victory’s large displacement,
air-cooled V-Twin, we’ll just remind you about the great potential laying in the fairly small (for the category) engine by linking to our 2010 Roehr 1250sc article. This 180 hp American superbike started with a V-Rod engine, so no underestimations please.
2010 Victory Hammer
All three Victory Hammers are clean looking bikes with a sense of style and the fact that you can easily make a difference among them from the very first glance shows how the Polaris brand isn’t short of design ideas. For instance, the Blue Ice w/ Extreme Graphics stands for the simple Hammer, which also features the 250mm rear tire, around which designers contoured a chopped rear fender. From it, the passenger cowl is removable, so it’s all a matter of style meets practicality. Despite being a custom, you get both speedometer and tachometer mounted right above the headlight and which are very easy to read without having to take your eyes from the road for too much time.
Those features are also found on the 2010 Victory Hammer S, but this model will most likely stand out thanks to the "X-Factor" custom-painted wheels (18-inch up front), the custom bucket-style headlight, blacked-out straight-cut exhaust and the many other black components. Also, the Boardwalk Blue w/ White Racing Stripes, Suede Black and White w/ Red Stripe color schemes available this year turn this into an even meaner looking muscle bike.
The new Victory Hammer 8-Ball is an even meaner approach towards the same custom bike idea. On it, there are even more blacked-out pieces and the color of the bike itself is solid black. Still, you do get a fair share of chrome (see the exhaust, classic headlight and instruments).
Price
While the MSRPs for the 2010 Victory Hammer and Hammer S are yet to be announced, Victory does mention that the 8-Ball model comes with a $14,499 starting price and we believe the other two will be in the same pricing range.
Conclusion
Being dedicated to building cruisers, customs and tourers, Victory manages to easily diversify their lineup with similar and yet different models, machines that meet the taste and performance demands of different riders without the need to inspire from other manufacturers. This does make them leaders when it comes to the new American muscle bike style.
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2010 Victory Hammer
Engine and Transmission
Engine Type: 4-stroke 50° V-Twin
Cooling Type: Air / Oil
Displacement: 106 ci / 1,731 cc; 100 ci / 1,634 cc on the 8-Ball
Bore x Stroke: 101 x 108 mm; 101 x 102 mm on the 8-Ball
Compression Ratio: 9.4:1; 8.7:1 on the 8-Ball
Valve Train: Single overhead camshafts with 4 valves per cylinder, self-adjusting cam chains, hydraulic lifters
Fuel System: Electronic Fuel Injection with dual 45mm throttle body
Fuel Capacity: 4.5 gal / 17.0 ltr
Exhaust: Staggered slash-cut dual exhaust with crossover
Oil Capacity: 5.0 qts / 4.75 ltr
Charging System: 38 amps max output
Battery: 12 volts / 18 amp hours
Primary Drive: Gear drive with torque compensator
Clutch: Wet, multi-plate
Transmission: 6-speed overdrive constant mesh; 5-speed constant mesh on the 8-Ball
Final Drive: Carbon Fiber Reinforced Belt
Chassis and Dimensions
Front Suspension: Inverted cartridge telescopic fork, 43 mm diameter, 5.1 in 130 mm travel
Rear Suspension: Single, mono-tube gas, cast aluminum with rising rate linkage, 3.9 in/100 mm travel, preload adjustable spring
Front Brake: Dual 300mm floating rotor with 4-piston caliper
Rear Brake: 300mm floating rotor with 2-piston caliper
Front Wheel: 18 x 3.5 in
Rear Wheel: 18 x 8.5 in
Front Tire: 130/70R18 Dunlop Elite 3
Rear Tire: 250/40R18 Dunlop Elite 3
Length: 93.1 in / 2,366 mm
Wheelbase: 65.7 in / 1,669 mm
Seat Height: 26.5 in / 673 mm; 26 in / 660 mm on the 8-Ball
Ground Clearance: 5.8 in / 148 mm; 5.3 in / 135 mm on the 8-Ball
Rake/Trail: 32.7° / 5.5 in / 140 mm
Dry Weight: 672 lbs / 305 kg
GVWR: 1,173 lbs / 533 kg
2010 Victory Hammer
106-Cubic-Inch Freedom V-Twin
This 106ci/1731cc Freedom engine V-Twin has Stage 2 cams and delivers 97 HP and 113 ft-lbs of torque. Electronic Fuel Injection keeps it smooth and efficient so you enjoy pure power
6 Speed Overdrive Transmission
There’s smooth shifting through the greats, and in 6th - which is a true overdrive - the RPMs drop for smooth, efficient highway cruising. Plus, there’s still power for passing without downshifting.
Removable Passenger Cowl
Where’s the passenger seat? Right under the stylish, removable cowl that complements the bike’s styling and keeps the passenger pad under wraps until it’s time for 2-up riding.
Chopped Rear Fender
The stylish Hammer S rear fender holds a flush-mounted taillight and the fender is chopped in a sport-inspired manner to show off the impressive 250mm rear tire.
Super-Bright LED Taillight
The leader of the pack the Hammer S needs a taillight that is easy to follow - this in the one! It is exceptionally bright and super-stylish with its smart design and flush mounting.
250mm-Rear Tire
Roll smooth and roll in style on this 250mm rear tire. It was developed jointly by Victory engineers and Dunlop tire technicians to provide excellent performance and a great ride.
Multi LED Taillight
The leader of the pack needs a taillight that is easy to follow - this in the one! It is exceptionally bright and super-stylish with its smart design and flush mounting.
Speedometer and Techometer
A chrome bracket holds the speedo and tach side-by-side for easy to read, heads-up viewing of the bike’s operating data.
Blacked-Out Custom Detail
With its distinctive Hammer S styling, paint and custom wheels, this bike doesn’t need a lot of chrome, so many components are blacked-out, putting the painted bodywork in the spotlight.
Custom Headlight
For total integration of the bike’s custom styling, the headlight bucket features elements of the bike’s paint scheme so the color treatment extends the full length of the bike.
Inverted Front Fork
The inverted cartridge telescopic fork has 5.1" (130mm) of bump-swallowing travel and provides a Hammer S rider with smooth, easy steering, in town and on the open road.
Premium Dual Disk brakes
Enjoy consistently outstanding braking with these dual 300mm floating rotors equipped with 4-piston calipers. They provide sure stopping that inspires confident riding.
Victory Hammer S special features:
2010 Victory Hammer S
18-Inch Front Wheel
This stylish 18-inch wheel has a tire that puts some real meat on the road. It holds the road well, inspiring confidence and providing easy, natural handling.
Custom-Painted Wheels
The "X-Factor" custom wheels are lightweight and engineered for premium performance. The Suede Black/White model has black wheels, while the Boardwalk Blue model has blue wheels.
Victory Hammer 8-Ball
2010 Victory Hammer 8-Ball
Blacked-Out 100 Cubic Inch Freedom V-Twin
This stealthy-looking 100ci/1634cc engine delivers 85 horsepower and 106 ft-lb of torque, ample power for city sprints and highway cruising. Electronic Fuel Injection keeps it smooth and efficient.
5 Speed Transmission
Enjoy smooth, easy shifting with this proven, reliable 5-speed transmission.
Multi-Led Taillight
The leader of the pack needs a taillight that is easy to follow - this in the one! It is exceptionally bright and super-stylish with its smart design and flush mounting.
Blacked-Out Bars
These handlebars are blacked-out to complement the 8-Ball styling treatment, and their design gives a rider natural leverage for easy steering.
Repositioned Foot Pegs (2.25 Inches Back)
The lower controls are positioned closer to the rider and slightly higher, putting them easy in reach, regardless of inseam length. The result is confident control and comfortable riding.
Classic Headlight
The styling of this headlight is classic and straightforward and the illumination it provides is effective at lighting up the way for great cruising.
Black Stingray Wheels
Wheels need to look good standing still, and roll with reliable precision when the bike’s in motion. These wheels do it all, showing style when parked and rolling smooth and true on the open road.
New, Lowered Seat (1.3" Lower)
The lowered seat and new, rearward positioning of the hand and foot controls put a rider in a comfortable position to enjoy the ride and confidently stay in command on the open road.
Smooth, Stylish 250mm-Rear Tire
Roll smooth and roll in style on this 250mm rear tire. It was developed jointly by Victory engineers and Dunlop tire technicians to provide excellent performance and a great ride.
New, Lowered Seat (0.5" Lower)
The lowered seat helps a rider’s legs stretch to the controls and the ground, and it puts a rider in a comfortable position to enjoy the ride and confidently stay in command on the open road.
Removable Passenger Cowl
Where’s the passenger seat? Right under the stylish, removable cowl that complements the bike’s styling and keeps the passenger pad under wraps until it’s time for 2-up riding.
Inverted Front Fork
The inverted cartridge telescopic fork has 5.1" (130mm) of bump-swallowing travel and provides a Hammer 8-Ball rider with smooth, easy steering, in town and on the open road.
18-Inch Front Wheel
This stylish 18-inch wheel has a tire that puts some real meat on the road. It holds the road well, inspiring confidence and providing easy, natural handling.
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