Victory Motorcycles gets the ax from Daddy Deep-Pockets as Polaris Industries cuts back on the number of projects under its umbrella (ella ella eh eh...) in an effort to focus its energies and resources on the popular Indian Motorcycle brand and the Delta-trike Polaris Slingshot line.
Continue reading for more information on Polaris’ decision.
My Take
To be perfectly honest, I really never felt the love for the bulk of Victory’s products, with the notable exception of its bad-ass Octane bike and the battery-powered Empulse that made history at the Isle of Mann TT last year. The “Nessy” swoop was bound to appeal to a limited number of buyers, and while it’s true that the Ness clan has enjoyed quite a bit of success over the years building custom bikes for a niche market, turning that look into a viable product for mass production was a risky move. Seems like Polaris finally agrees with me. Having said that, I expect someone to buy up the name and push ahead, and while I don’t know right off who might make the attempt, I will be watching this closely to see what happens next. At the very least, I hope someone snaps up the Empulse since it’s one of the more successful EV rides and that sector needs all the credibility it can get as we push into the brave, new world of clean transportation.
