Unless you’ve been living in outer Mongolia, you’re doubtless up to speed on the various motorcycle “Chopper” programs currently glutting the airwaves on cable TV. American Chopper, Biker Build-Off, Motorcycle Mania, and all the rest are enjoying unprecedented popularity among bikers and wannabes these days, as the main characters cut, weld, and fabricate their way through various customizing projects.
One of the main features of virtually every single chopper created on these shows is a massive rear tire. Apparently, a chopper just ain’t the real deal unless it has some serious rubber on the rear end. Forget handling or practical considerations, just give the bike some booty. True, many of the 100-plus horsepower engines being dropped into these monsters demand rear-end stability, but half the time, it’s all just for show.
You could argue that that is the case with the new-for’05 Victory Hammer, which comes out of the crate with a 250-series Dunlop in back. That’s a lot of rubber, and the Hammer currently has the largest rear tire on a production motorcycle. Mounted on an eighteen inch wheel, it gives it a massive, beefy profile.
But that isn’t all there is to it. The Hammer also comes with a 1643 cc – or 100 cubic inch – engine, six-speed gearbox, and the kinds of styling cues you’d expect to find in Jesse James’ garage. For its just under $22,000 starting price, the Hammer is a limited edition custom bike that definitely stands out in a crowd.
With twin overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, hydraulic lifters, and electronic fuel injection, the Hammer develops around 80 horsepower at the rear wheel. Dry weight is just under 300 kilos, so this translates into decent takeoff grunt, but the fun really starts when the revs start to climb. Below – say – 2500 rpm, the Hammer is definitely lively, but once the engine hits its power band, it just seems to go on and on. Intoxicating. And if you really want to burn some rubber, you can step up to Victory’s Stage III performance kit, which includes re-profiled camshafts, a high-capacity airbox, free-flowing exhaust, and an engine recalibration. This will run you about another thousand dollars.
In keeping with its custom flavour, the Hammer isn’t the most comfortable motorcycle on the market. Riding position is feet forward, chopper-style, and the V-shaped handlebars are a bit of a stretch. One nice feature is adjustable foot controls for shorter riders. Two sets of bolt-holes allow you to move the controls forward or back with minimal fuss, which some of us definitely appreciate. I also liked the removable seat pillion cover, which can be unfastened and used as a small windscreen. Clever.
In terms of handling, well….this is a fat-tired cruiser and cornering prowess isn’t really a major concern. Nonetheless, the front end is actually quite sophisticated, with 43 mm inverted forks and about 130 mm of travel. It wants to progress through a corner apex in the usual way, but the back end is reluctant to follow. Because it has such a vast footprint, the rear tire simply wants to go straight ahead. Motorcycles aren’t supposed to have understeer, but this one does, and until you adjust, it makes for an interesting riding experience. But that’s OK; the Hammer is at its best rocketing down a straightaway or profiling down Main Street on Saturday night and, all things considered, it manages corners well enough.
And in case you get in over your head, it has outstanding brakes. Up front, you’ve got a brace of 300 mm Brembos with four-piston callipers and floating rotors, while a single 300 mm two-piston disc brings up the rear. Victory continues to equip its bikes with among the best braking systems in this category. During my time with the Hammer, I almost never used the rear brake….it just didn’t seem necessary.
A quick word about the Hammers’s drivetrain. Final drive is belt, but unlike Harley, for example, the primary is gear-driven, which means power transfer is very direct. In comparison, the first Victory models out of the gate, six and seven years ago, had unbelievably loud shift mechanisms and an erratic power delivery. They have obviously done some work here, because the Hammer has as smooth and predictable a gearbox as you’ll find in the cruiser category. The sixth gear functions as an overdrive, and there is a little green light on the instrument nacelle to let you know about it. Another small but nonetheless welcome feature.
Victory has definitely gone to school with the Hammer. This is a no-nonsense, eye-catching street cruiser that its maker is describing as a “chrome knuckle sandwich”, with in-line acceleration that will appeal to all but the most rabid performance buffs. As for the corners…..
Price tag is $21,949 before extras and taxes.
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