Victory Says Here Come “The Judge” – Again

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com

NEW YORK -Back in the late 1960s, muscle cars ruled the automotive landscape with their big V-8 engines and throaty exhausts. Plymouth had the Road Runner and the Barracuda. Dodge burned rubber with the Charger and the Challenger. Chevrolet countered with the Chevelle SS, while Oldsmobile had the 442. Perhaps the most iconic was Pontiac’s GTO, which had a 1969 version that carried the added name of “The Judge.” Remember it?

Victory has now revived “The Judge” moniker for its newest model, introducing the new bike at the Progressive International Motorcycle Show here on Friday morning. The company’s goal in designing The Judge was to create “something a little sportier than our current cruiser line; something to bring in the younger generation,” according to Michael Song, Victory’s lead designer.

It certainly is a stand-out bike, sufficiently different from the brand’s Hammer power cruiser to attract a new audience. Whereas the Hammer has a massive 250mm rear tire, The Judge uses mere 140mm rubber, with raised white lettering (just like a muscle car). Because of this and the fact its 12 pounds lighter than the Hammer at 660 pounds, Song said, “It handles better than our other cruisers.”

(Pictures by Steve Smith/RIDE-CT.com)

Why call it The Judge? “It kind of had a tough sound to it,” said Song, who chatted with RIDE-CT.com moments after the bike was unveiled. Song suggested that The Judge has a “Triumph Scrambler kind of flavor” in that it’s a modification of an existing classic template into something new. Features like an integrated rear taillight, mid-mounted controls, drag handlebars, mag wheels and side panels that can be customized make The Judge comes off as squat and mean.

The Judge will be available in three colors – gloss black, sunset red and suede nuclear sunset. The MSRP is $13,999 or $14,399, depending on color choice. Its belt-driven with a six-speed transmission. Seat height is 25.9 inches. The Judge is due in showrooms in April.

Song also hinted that more new models are in the pipeline and what I inferred is the possibility of a smaller, entry level bike for new riders. He said he’s working on new creations for Indian, the other brand owned by Victory’s parent company, Polaris. In fact, in introducing The Judge, specific mention was made of “Polaris Motorcycles” rather than simply Victory.