When Victory ran what was a concept bike in the Pike's Peak Hill Climb earlier this year, a lot of rumors started floating around that its Project 156 bike was more than a one-off race entry. The company has put those rumors to rest with the introduction of the Ignition Concept bike at the EICMA show this week in Milan, running what it confirmed is a pre-production 1200 cc engine.
- By enlisting the help of famed European drag racer and custom bike builder Urs Erbacher on the Ignition Concept, Victory handed the design reigns over to someone noted for aggressive styling and performance. The company would have had some idea of what to expect having watched Erbacher and his team take a Victory Hammer S at the Swiss Moto Show in 2014 and turn it into a drag bike called the Erbacher Hammer Sport (pictured below) in just four days.
Take a quick look at the engine Erbacher had to work with for the Ignition Concept and you'll realize it has a lot more in common with the liquid-cooled one that powers the Indian Scout than the stock 106 cu. in. version that sits in every Victory sold today. At 1200 cc, the engine in the Ignition Concept is a tad more than the 1130 cc one powering the Scout, but that could be a function of any number of modifications Victory has done to beef up output.
The four-valve engine in the Ignition Concept, with a 60-degree vee angle and double overhead cams, was the first pre-production engine to come off the company's line in Osceola, Wisconsin. Victory says it will reveal more details on the engine in the coming months and, although specifications for its upcoming new 1200cc-class model that will be powered by this engine won't be released until sometime in the new year, the Ignition Concept might give some idea of what to expect.
Erbacher incorporated a 2-1 exhaust with handmade headers attached to an Akrapovicˇ muffler. Front and rear suspension are both adjustable with 50 mm Marzocchi forks in the front and an adjustable Ohlins shock in the rear. Front suspension travel is listed at 120 mm and 76 mm in the back.
Red aluminum 17-in wheels at both ends help reduce overall weight while also paying homage to the original Project 156 bike. Dual disc Brembo M4 Monobloc brakes in the front and a rear single disc OEM provide stopping power.
This latest concept bike by Victory is one of several concept and production motorcycles the company has teased it will announce in the coming weeks.
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