Black and white, two colors – though both have arguments against that trait – we often associate with the world of the past. Though only anecdotal evidence, many a child has asked if everything really lacked color before color television – a real life Pleasantville (if you don’t know, Google it).
The same era in which those multi-hued boob tubes hit the market was the heyday of the bobber – the classic motorcycle stripped of everything unnecessary and often adorned with high-rise or long and low handlebars. This style is coming back strong as a much more functional, not to mention more comfortable, alternative to the hardtail, raked-out chopper. Victory is jumping into that niche with a bike which may actually be to the bobber what the Honda Fury is to the chopper – the 2012 Victory High-Ball.
The Victory High-Ball could almost pass for something riding out of a custom shop after many painstaking and expensive hours of labor, blood and sweat. Well, except for the plastic head and side covers, and the long fender, and the…put it this way, Victory is a manufacturer so they must obey certain regulations and comply with the wishes of both lawyers and accountants. There are some concessions here, but they do not get in the way of the essence of what the High-Ball is, and that is high style.
Starting with the up-rated 1731cc Freedom 106/6 Stage 2, fuel-injected, counter-balanced V-twin engine which powers the Hammer and Jackpot models, the High-Ball already has a head start on most bikes in its class. That gives you 97 hp and 113 lb-ft of torque connected to the throttle, more than enough to keep yourself entertained and your ego satisfied.
From there Victory took on the attitude they wanted by building up 16” lace-spoked wheels, spooning on a 130mm section white-walled tire up front and 150mm white-wall riding out back, and then attaching them to a chassis providing a super-low 25” seat height. High-rise handlebars, which can be adjusted for high or laid-back style, were then coupled with a shorty front fender, a rear fender sporting a ‘frenched’ in tail light, solo saddle and footpegs, and simplistic but verbose instrument cluster so that the High-Ball emulates the pure spirit of a bobber if not the actual practice.
In true bobber tradition - or is that again from a skewed perception of the past – the tank and tires are about the only parts of the Victory High-Ball which are not either flat or gloss black. The color of night is in abundance here and you will easily blend into said darkness if it is what you intend. Victory says it best in their press kit when they call it a bad-ass machine; it looks the part superbly. Where it will do away with the past is in pure reliability and durability as Victory
has equipped the machine with a solid performing engine, a six-speed overdrive transmission, and uses a long-life carbon-fiber reinforced belt final drive. Suspension is all modern as are the brakes, so you get a comfortable and safe ride to go along with a sweet sounding slash-cut dual exhaust, again owing to the intention of the High-Ball.
Put everything this new machine has side by side with a bobber from that earlier era and you will find yourself a much more comfortable and far better handling mount with the 2012 Victory High-Ball. The $13,499 MSRP tells you that this is a bargain, too. It is also a phenomenal place from which to create your own bad ass message as the High-Ball will have a host of accessories from Victory, and the aftermarket will use it as a blank canvas for which it will eagerly churn out products. For your own up close look, head over to www.victorymotorcycles.com.
