Polaris announced that it will no longer manufacture Victory Motorcycles, effective immediately. The company will help dealerships in liquidating the current stock and will provide parts for its models for 10 years along with service and warranty coverage.
This was an incredibly difficult decision for me, my team and the Polaris Board of Directors,” said Polaris Industries Chairman and CEO Scott Wine. “Over the past 18 years, we have invested not only resources, but our hearts and souls, into forging the Victory Motorcycles brand, and we are exceptionally proud of what our team has accomplished.
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Victory began in 1998 with sales peaking in 2012. Since then, they have declined over the years and in 2015, Victory represented only 3 percent of total Polaris sales. It is reported that Victory dealerships only sold about 20 motorcycles a year. Polaris has lost money in Victory 3 out of the past five years. Add in the recent recalls over the Slingshot and its side-by-side vehicles, and their decision to give up Victory is understandable.
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Of course, Polaris is chasing Harley-Davidson and wants more of the market and they may be able to do that by consolidating and focusing on Indian Motorcycles. Only time will tell.
This decision will improve the profitability of Polaris and our global motorcycle business, and will materially improve our competitive stance in the industry,” said Scott Wine. “Our focus is on profitable growth, and in an environment of finite resources, this move allows us to optimize and align our resources behind both our premium, high performing Indian Motorcycle brand and our innovative Slingshot brand, enhancing our focus on accelerating the success of those brands.
I personally think certain models of the Victory were pretty bad ass and I know they were built well. Big Daddy Kane here at Law Abiding Biker™ Media picked up a brand new Victory Magnum back in 2016 and loves it. If you are planning on buying a Victory then now is the time to do it. I'm sure dealerships will be lowering prices to get rid of the current stock.
Focusing on Indian because they are only 7% of Polaris sales.
Roger that Tom. Thanks for weighing in.
IMHO with 2 Victory’s in the Garage an 01′ Sport Cruiser with 30K trouble free miles and an 04′ Kingpin with 114K mile without a single repair, it’s not the bikes, it’s the business approach and the marketing. I would but an Indian IMHO it is just a matter of time when they won’t like those numbers either, actually with all the resources they have put into that brand it may be sooner. So I’m going to keep my KP but instead of adding a Cross Country, I’m looking at a Road Glide. I must say I was disappointed that I cannot just walk up to the bike and pair my SENA headset to get the music in my helmet, something you can do on a Cross Country and a Chieftain too for that matter. – Gene
Gene,
The systems on the Victory’s and Indians are excellent. HD definitely rushed things with the Boom system. Lot’s of problems and doesn’t pait with wireless headsets without a work around.
!Lurch
If sales continue as they have in the last 3 years…Indian will surpass Harley Davidson in U.S. sales 2022
Interesting theory. Ride safe
Bummer, all though I ride Harley’s always liked the style of the he bigger Victory’s.RIP..
Here’s the deal breaker in the reasoning Polaris gave. There are no “extra R&D dollars that will be going to Indian. Victory has been absolutely stagnant in Victory development since the release of the Cross platform. All this move does is free up a production line at the factory. Polaris just made the equivalent of putting all their chips on Black and spinning the wheel, hoping the Indian “heritage” will carry them through their own laziness.
Bottom line, Victory is a far superior machine to either Indian, with a company that had no confidence in it’s own product. 10 years from now, after you’ve spent upwards of 10 Grand on upkeep of a new Harley, your friend with the Magnum will have spent little more than Gas, Oil and Tires on his Victory. Poor management dooms another great product to the trash heap.
*Edits: Polaris has been absolutely stagnant in Victory development, and
Victory is a far superior machine to either Indian or HD