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Tourer
Posts: 395
Moravia, IA | A couple days ago I traded my 08 Victory Vision Tour Premium in on a 13 Cross Country LE.
I bought my Vision in 2010 (it was still setting on the floor....got a good deal).....and I put 72K miles on it in 3 years. Reason for us parting ways.....well first I found the sunset red and black about as sexy as it gets. Second, I think Victory needs to take a lesson in plastic from Goldwing. Before I bought my Vision I had a 28 year old Goldwing......all plastic in tact, no broken tabs.....came apart and went together fine. My Vision was horrid. Plastic tabs breaking like crazy.....every time I put it back together it fit worse. Just horrible.
I REALLY planned on keeping this bike forever (well....I mean my Goldwing was 28 years old....so maybe not forever, but a long damn time). I just cant see it holding up. Hell it WASNT holding up. Anywho.....the Cross bikes have FAR less plastic.....so I went that way.
I bought a standard XC.....not a tour.....for a reason. I took the trunk off my Vision about 6 month in and never put it back on.....just didnt use it. Looks better without it.
So going from a Vision Tour Premium with all that wind management (I had the flip out lower deflectors) to a XC.....things Ive noticed.
#1 - the wind.....the difference isnt very noticeable with some changes
I did add the Klock Werks Flare shield right in the parking lot. When I did the test ride we switched from the stocker to the Flare....huge difference. With the stock shield my glasses almost blew off my face at 40mph. Horrible.....but it did look good. I also added the soft lowers.....and the little flip out deflectors on the bottom of the fairing. Today I did 500 miles in 55 degree weather.....leather jacket, gloves and just jeans (no chaps or long underwear). Same as I would have worn on my Vision. Didnt notice much difference. Maybe a bit chillier when the sun went down but hey.....Im also lacking the heated seats and grips to......so I expected it to be FAR worse. Despite the wind not being much different I fully expect rain to be a complete different story.....I really think Im going to be soaked.
#2 - the radio....vast improvement
Oh my god is the radio on these XCs a HUGE improvement over the radio in my Vision.....like night and day. Kicker speakers is probably the brunt of the change. At 1/3 volume I could hear it at 75mph. On my Vision I struggled to hear it cranked all the way up at 65mph.
#3 - the gas gauge.....what a POS
My Vision had a gas guage that worked.....correctly.....like you'd expect. Smooth needle movements and accurate. This XC sets at full for like 70 miles then drops......doesnt really get smooth until closer to half. A quick Google'n shows this is considered "normal". What the shit Victory?
#4 = saddlebags....vast improvement
I took everything that was in both of my Visions saddlebags (and they were pretty full) and fit them in ONE side on the XC....yeah, really. Some of it was kinda odd sized stuff and that probably helped when I went to put it in the XC bags....but in this area the XC stomps the Vision.....alteast for the stuff I carry.
Edited by aaronrkelly 2013-11-09 7:21 PM
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Visionary
Posts: 2300
Georgia, west of Atlanta | Thanks for the info........ |
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Cruiser
Posts: 249
Phenix City AL. | did you get the soft lowers for the forged bars or the round ? |
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Tourer
Posts: 395
Moravia, IA | jb.hatch - 2013-11-09 9:44 PM
did you get the soft lowers for the forged bars or the round ?
I've got the round crash bars. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 100
| I added a CC to the family yesterday. 2nd Bike for me and a bike for the wife. My Vision is 10 times the bike! |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 13
| That's interesting Blister. I have the Vision and was considering changing to the CC.
Why do you like the Vision so much more than the CC? |
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Cruiser
Posts: 100
| Cochrane, This is just my opinion...The Vision has more power a smooth ride and no wind buffeting! Don't get me wrong the CC is a great bike but it's not a Vision! Blister |
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Tourer
Posts: 599
New Mexico | Blister - 2013-11-14 5:18 PM
Cochrane, This is just my opinion...The Vision has more power a smooth ride and no wind buffeting! Don't get me wrong the CC is a great bike but it's not a Vision! Blister
+1
I have ridden most of the Victory line (when the truck comes to town) and IMHO nothing beats the Vision for long distance riding. Comfort, agility, wind management, power, smoothness - It is unsurpassed.
Even the saddlbags are fine. The wife and I can pack for an indefinate time on the road without leaving anything 'essential' behind.
I will echo Blister "the CC is a great bike, but it's not a Vision!"
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Tourer
Posts: 395
Moravia, IA | .....I may be way of base here but......follow along.
"the Vision has more power"
The Vision and the Cross County (as well as all the current Victory lineup) share the same drivetrain.....motor, transmission etc. How on earth can the Vision with the same motor/transmission have MORE power then the Cross Country.......it weighs 100lbs MORE (if were talking a regular XC). I just cant even think thats possible.
My opinion is the opposite. I think the XC is quicker. My Vision had LLoydz cams, fuel controll, intake plate, exhaust and was dyno'd at a legit 107hp/109ft lbs.
I think the Cross Country stock is close to on par with the same performance of my worked over Vision just by being shed of that extra 100lbs.
"smoother ride"
That I will give you. The Cross Country seems to ride harsher then the Vision. Its not bad......its just "not as good". The Cross Country still has air ride....and the exact same type of setup as the Vision does.....in fact the Cross bikes have MORE suspension travel then the Vision. A full 1" more. Not real sure why it dosnt ride as plush....but it doesnt.
"wind buffeting"
Again, in stock form I agree. Why on earth Vic puts that tiny blade shield on the Cross Country is BEYOND me. At 45 mph my coat was flapping in the wind so hard my cell phone bout came out of my pocket......and my glasses about flew off my face. Thankfully my dealer has a bunch of shields and quick changes them out for demos. He about had to beg me to ride it again, I wanted no part of it. Just changing to the Klockworks flip shield killed all the buffeting for me (Im 6ft4in). I added the soft lowers and the fairing deflectors and honestly, there is very little difference between the XC and my Vision now. If your wifes XC doesnt have the lowers and deflectors I highly recommend them (along with the windshield). Huge difference.
"Even the saddlebags are fine"
Yeah, the Vision saddlebags are "fine".....but they aint nothing to write home about. They are easily bested by the competition. Its a great bike but come on, lets not blow wind up someones skirt.....those bags are passable at best.
I dont think anyone intends for the Cross Country to be a Vision.
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Tourer
Posts: 324
New Orleans, La, | This is neither an endorsement nor a compliant dierct to either mount, but it is already well documented that a fixed faring bike handles better than a handlebar mounted faring bike in the real world where wind is ever present in varing degrees of strength. Just saying. In a vacuum they would be equal. If I bought a bike and needed to install add ons to get it to be almost as go as what I was giving up I probably buy a newer of what I already had. |
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Tourer
Posts: 395
Moravia, IA | V92SC - 2013-11-15 6:58 AM
If I bought a bike and needed to install add ons to get it to be almost as go as what I was giving up I probably buy a newer of what I already had.
I might have done just that if I thought a new Vision would hold up any better then my old Vision......I didnt see any difference in the plastics when I inspected it. Maybe there is.....they dont let you take new bikes apart on the showroom floor. The dealer didnt seem to think they changed them significantly or any. This was my number 1 and only real serious gripe about the Vision.
At the end of the day I spent less than $500 to give the Cross Country very similar wind protection (atleast for my needs). Maybe there are people out there that dont customize or change there bikes any and ride them stock.....if there is I dont know them. Spending $500 didnt bother me any.....
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | My Vision is bone stock, actually less than stock, I don't have the upper louvers on anymore. I'm not sure of your real complaint as I've not had the issues. If you have pictures that would be great for my educatons. I know mine squeaks and rattles, but nothing is falling off. the abs plastic is pretty tough, I had a car push my bike with the brake on and moved it 3 feet. I've got a scratch but nothing, and I mean nothing broke. We were two up, at a stop sign when the driver behind me "thought" I had moved on. I won't knock anyone, any longer for thier choice of rides, it's your ride, and you enjoy it the way you want to. I'm just thankful for the Vision, otherwise, riding would be harder on me with any other bike. |
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Tourer
Posts: 395
Moravia, IA | The plastic tabs on the panels below the saddlebags are broken on both sides....plastic tabs on the front turn signals. The plastic tabs on the seat mounts (front). The plastic tabs holding the metal clips in the rear m panel....two busted. |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | Got it. I do have one on my rear V panel and back rest panel broke, so yes, not the best system. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1632
Jasper, MO | aaronrkelly - 2013-11-15 4:06 AM
.....I may be way of base here but......follow along.
"the Vision has more power"
The Vision and the Cross County (as well as all the current Victory lineup) share the same drivetrain.....motor, transmission etc. How on earth can the Vision with the same motor/transmission have MORE power then the Cross Country.......it weighs 100lbs MORE (if were talking a regular XC). I just cant even think thats possible.
My opinion is the opposite. I think the XC is quicker. My Vision had LLoydz cams, fuel controll, intake plate, exhaust and was dyno'd at a legit 107hp/109ft lbs.
I think the Cross Country stock is close to on par with the same performance of my worked over Vision just by being shed of that extra 100lbs.
My buddy and I took a new XC for a test ride, with my 2008 Vision alongside for a comparison. My Vision has similar mods and power as you described. We rode them on a 35 mile loop, and switched bikes halfway through the ride.
The 2013 XC does "feel a little quicker" off the line than the Vision (probably due to the lighter weight). However, in side by side testing, it really isn't. The bikes are also pretty even in 5th gear roll-on tests up to about 100 MPH (4500 RPM) and then the Vision handily pulls way from the XC after that.
We found that if you never rev either bike over 4000 RPM, the XC does indeed perform as well as the Vision. But, if you run hard through the gears and rev both the bikes up, the Vision pulls a strong lead. This result was seen regardless of which rider was on either bike. The XC runs similar to a stock Vision, that is, it pulls good up to about 4500 RPM then falls flat. The cammed Vision pulls hard to 6000 RPM and beyond.
If you're a rider who never revs past 4000 RPM, the stock XC will perform as well as the Vision, even a cammed Vsion. But-- if you wind both the bikes out through the gears, the cammed Vision is faster.
The lighter weight of the XC favors it at low speeds. The greater HP and RPM range of the cammed Vision gives it a substantial advantage if you're dragracing, AND also in 5th gear roll-on contests, once 100 MPH is reached.
In "everyday--normal" riding situations, the bikes are going to be pretty close in performance. The differences manifest themselves when the RPMs exceed 4500 and the speeds exceed 100 MPH. In those "non-normal" events, the cammed Vision will leave the stock XC behind.
Ronnie
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Cruiser
Posts: 249
Phenix City AL. | I agree with all that has been said about the XC, I traded my vision in on a XC also, on the ride home 260 miles ( not the closest dealer but the best) I was thinking I screwed to pooch on this one, wind management sucked, bike too quiet, ECT, however the XC feels lighter and more precise than the vision, I started to like it. I traded the vision because it is very refined , yes comfortable, fast ( cams and the works), amp for the radio, heated grip, power windshield, great tour bike or riding two up. I wanted a different ride, but still wanted a tour bike, so the XC was it. I have added intake, cam gear,VFCIII, D and D exhaust, amp for the radio ( blew the shit out of the deluxe speakers LOL) replaced them with even better ones, added some other dood dads, Its starting to feel like mine, I am going to add a taller windshield for winter, and get the soft lowers ( liked them on my old TC) and add some HMD gorilla bars, Cams will be later right now the XC runs Like a raped ape.
I would not have traded my Vision if I rode two up at least 25% of the time, My wife just does not like to ride that much, she will ride on the XC just as she would on my vision, but I can take the back rest off quick ( I need to find one LOL) I will not get a trunk , just not worth it , for as much as I would use it. If I was looking for a 2 up long tour bike It would be the vision hands down, but at this point I want a more solo bike, the vision was fun with no trunk, but for me it just was not what I want now, I want more of the "hooligan" style , fast, loud,ape hangers, cut down, go to hell bike lol
This s just my opinion on the XC and vision, what will the next bike be ???????? I also have a 5 year warranty on the XC and I got a great deal thanks to being retired military 1k off and 2k rebate for getting a 2013, all that added together, my thought was why not try a different a different style, I looked at the Indians just could not go that route ,at this time the retro look is neat but not for me.
Edited by jb.hatch 2013-11-16 10:57 AM
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Visionary
Posts: 1308
Sand Rock, AL United States | Justin, "go to hell" bike . That's funny right there!  By the way, Thank you for your service to our country. Haven't tried the seat yet, waiting until I won't miss the heat |
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Visionary
Posts: 1308
Sand Rock, AL United States | Nothing wrong with the plastic on my Vision. I rode both back to back, the XC just didn't seem as balanced to me from a slow ride in the parking lot before take off, I never had to put my feet down on the Vsion, I did have to put my feet down and duck walk the Cross Country. I think they are both good bikes but the I knew right then the Vision was for me. |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 37
SE Florida | I too have just made the switch from a Vision (2008 tour premium) to a 2014 Cross Country Tour and have put 560 miles on it and am so far happy with the swap on the highway the Vision wins but in the parking lot the Cross Country wins hands down so far my only complaint is the poor job that the vents in the lower fairings do at keeping the legs cool, I live in Florida and it is winter and my legs are burning I am not looking forward to summer. I loved my Vision except when I had to negotiate it in tight quarters it was like driving a tank I am sure this will chap the vision owners but unless you are a 6 foot plus guy the Vision is a hand full at walking speed. |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | I guess I don't count at 5'8". The Vision is a dream at slow maneuvers for me. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 62
| aaronrkelly - 2013-11-15 5:06 AM
.....I may be way of base here but......follow along.
"the Vision has more power"
The Vision and the Cross County (as well as all the current Victory lineup) share the same drivetrain.....motor, transmission etc. How on earth can the Vision with the same motor/transmission have MORE power then the Cross Country.......it weighs 100lbs MORE (if were talking a regular XC). I just cant even think thats possible.
I would be willing to bet that the difference was simply the two bikes themselves. Perhaps the builder of the Vision was tighter tolerances and provided a stronger engine? The other issue could be related to the air intake/breathing options as the ones for the Vision can provide MORE airflow simply due to having more space to work with and therefore slightly more power...potentially
Most tuners get 3-5 more HP out of the same tuned engines once a cam is dropped in and that is simply due to the Vision being able to breath better than the Cross bikes who have the fuel tank in the way of the intake.
Edited by ndabunka 2013-11-27 9:46 PM
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | when i went from my 08 vision to my 11 vision i thought that was a HUGE different in radio quality !! |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 8
| Well I have had two bikes since the Vision was sold HD Limited and now my current ride a 2013 Bronze Mist Cross Country Tour, put 52,000 on the Vision one of the most comfortable long distance bikes I have ever ridden talking 800 plus mile Days, on all my Harley's installed 2" taller bars and a tall boy seat that moved me back an additional 2 inches from the bars sit quite close to the fairing which allows you to look over the windshield and still get adequate wind protection, on the CCT this isn't an option, in order to get good wind protection one must look through the windshield, even being quite careful with cleaning I noticed after 8000 miles there are scratches which are noticeable going into the sun have always used Novus cleaner http://www.novuspolish.com/
Have tried 3 different seats Mustang, Corbin, & now an Ultimate which is the better of the 3 but still not as good as the stock Vision seat which is close to 19" the Ultimate is 17" stock CCT is 15" had two friends purchase CCT'S & the first item they did was change seats, Like the looks of the CCT but since I have ridden Harley's most of my life this would explain that, NOT TRYING TO BE NEGATIVE ON THE CCT but am seriously considering going back to a Vision after 8000 miles on the CCT just waiting for the 15 models to see what changes are made or even if it's discontinued, the Vision at least for me was the better of the two other than storage in the saddlebags
wind protection and ergonomics are superior 600 miles of the CCT and that's all the comfortable miles there are did 900 miles but was sore the next day not so on the Vision, the windshield is the largest complaint don't care to look through them tried a 3" lower one wind buffeting got much worse plus the top edge was right at eye level & I'm 6'1" just my perception on what I have experienced an all 3 bikes. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 155
Victoria Tx, TX United States | I test drove a '12 Vision and a '12 Cross Country Tour.. On a very windy day. The CCT you could feel the wind buff the fairing. The Vision cut thru.. I liked both bike EQUALLY!! I choose the Vision... Guess went with the custom want a look?? |
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Vision to Cross Country - first 500 miles
