2009 Victory Vegas 8-Ball Cruiser reviews

I have been riding street bikes for about six years now and this bike is just like the title says. I didn't just buy a Victory, I bought a piece of heavenly comfort and performance. My 8-Ball is very subtle yet impressive. Even after putting the first thousand miles on my bike, I still get that "first time" feeling every time I hop on it. Show less

I love my 8-Ball! This is my first bike and I could not be happier. I looked at Harleys and could not justify paying $17,000+ for a new bike. I could not be happier with Victory, the bike rides and handles great. Show less

This is my first "cruiser" style bike. I owned a sports bike eight years ago and was ready for a new one. I considered both styles of bikes for over a month. After sitting on a cruiser I decided this would be my choice. Then it came time to determine which make to go with. I knew I wanted American made but Harley's were beyond my budget (for a new one). My wife was OK with me getting a bike as long as it "worked" and lasted. My friend, a Harley rider, recommended Victory and had nothing but great things to say. I began reading and learning more about Victory and was convinced. The Vegas 8 Ball was a bit above my budget but it had exactly what I was looking for: style and power. I love my 8 Ball! Show less

I just bought it a few days ago and I love this bike. I had been looking at them for a couple of years and just had this deal fall into my lap. I got the bike with no cash down in Melbourne Florida at the place was great to deal with. I traded in a Kawasaki Voyager 12 and in a round about way my Sportster 883. I have to say that this bike is so far ahead of both the Kawasaki and the Harley that there is no true comparison. On the highway it takes the grooves and bumps far better than the Voyager 12 or the Harley. The bike is smooth to run. In town it is simple to maneuver and I have no complaints. I was very surprised on its tracking and handling. With the Harley the rear end was light and always wanting to get out from under me. The brakes on this are the best as well. As for performance... WOWWWWWWWWWWW!!! This thing can move and I mean right now! Yet control is always right there. Positive tracking again is the best I have ever seen. You will not be disappointed in this bike. It is top notch all the way. I also find that is is getting around 55-58 mpg. which is another plus over the Kawasaki or the Harley which were both in the 30's at best. What more can you ask for? Show less

Plenty of power, head turning good looks. I test drove a few Harleys in the same price range and they didn't do it for me. Coming off a crotch rocket I needed POWER! I took a test ride on a Hammer, ended up buying the Vegas for that big 21" up front. It's a great looking bike, handles better than my Ninja. Being a part of an MC means I have to have a bike that will stand up to scrutiny and will take the miles. I got what I need. Show less

This is my third season and I absolutely still love this bike. It's a head turner everywhere I go. The bike stands out at all events in a sea of chrome. My mechanic did some remapping to get some popping and stuttering out of the engine at low rpms. (1800-1500 range). He stated this was due to the fact that the 2009's were the first to receive an O2 sensor and the factory mapping was not totally correct after adding the Ness pipes. I'm not a gear head but it runs smooth now. This bike is perfect for my needs. Show less

I've had my "8 ball" for six weeks now and have more heads turned in these six weeks than eight years of riding my Honda VTX! don't get me wrong. I loved riding VTX's but this "8 ball" is a real "head turner!" I love it, so far! Show less

Between work and funky weather, I have managed to put on 1900 miles in 2 months on my 8-Ball. Bike rides great, handles great and I love its power. I've added the passenger seat/pegs, backrest, windshield, and a rear brake pedal cover. The rear brake pedal size was really my only complaint. It's a little small and inset for my tastes. The cover cured that problem. I had originally thought I wanted a Harley, but pricing steered me away, plus the desire to be a little different. 5 year/50000 miles warranty on the Victory helped make the decision too. I just recently did a 300+ miles day with no problems from bike or discomfort on my body. To clarify this, I'm 56 y/o, with arthritis in my neck, shoulders and knees. Figured I'd be aching like crazy after the ride, but I wasn't. This bike just rides smooth, controls are comfortably positioned and it just doesn't feel like a 600+ pound bike. All in all, I don't think I could have made a better choice. Show less

I purchased my 8-Ball in May 2009. I had owned two other bikes before this one: a 2004 Yamaha V-Star 1100, which I traded for a heavily modified 2001 Harley-Davidson 883 Hugger (it was a little monster after all the mods). When I was trying to decide my next bike, I was looking at the HD Night Train, HD Street Bob, Yamaha Raider S, Honda's VTX 1300, Triumph's new Thunderbird, and of course my Victory 8-Ball. All of these are fine bikes but in the end, the 8-Ball was the one which felt best for me. Here's my little rundown of key points I noted about it... Fit and finish: Top-notch. You throw a leg over, and you just "know" you are siting on a quality-made American piece of machinery. It just feels solidly built. Transmission: It is "clunkier" than the competition from HD (I considered and tested the Street Bob), It's more like the V-Star's transmission, but it works as effectively all the same. Controls / Gages: Although the gauges are a little small, they are clear and easy to read. The chrome plated indicator panel does tend to reflect the sun a little too effectively. It is something one would have to get used to. At least the forks and handlebars are blacked out so one does get blinded by all that chrome. The controls are easy to reach and you aren't struggling to reach for the handlebars. I can't say that about the HD Night Train. It's a pity too, the now discontinued Night Train was my favorite Harley. The self-canceling turn signals are a nice feature to have. I also like the hazard light feature. Engine: The engine may not growl like a HD, but it has more power and supplies more useable torque. When you twist the throttle, you feel like you could tow something if you needed. It has that heavy equipment solidity and power that just keeps a grin on your face. Again, a quality-made American piece of machinery. You feel it could run forever, if you had the fuel to do it. Exhaust: Although it lacks the "potato-potato" sound so many people associate with Harley-Davidson bikes, the Victory's exhaust does sound quite good, if a little quiet. Because I believe louder pipes do save lives, I will be changing the exhaust out for Victory straight pipes in the coming months. Ride: The Victory rides smoothly. I had no problem riding in all typical weather conditions for Central Texas. Granted, who likes riding in the rain? I still felt pretty safe and sure on wet pavement. Seating: The solo seat is comfortable enough for a 6 hour cruise (Sadly, I don't have time for much longer than 6 hours). I really don't feel the need to upgrade with after market seats, as I did with the V-Star. Warranty: HD has the others beat with it's standard 2-year warranty but when I was in the market, the Victory offered a 1-year full coverage warranty, plus 4 more years under an extended warranty. This pretty much became a deciding factor, as my choices were narrowed down to the Street Bob or the 8-Ball. Both were priced the same, so it came down to choosing which one did I want to see myself on. Harley Davidson had three dealers within 20 miles of my home, while Victory only had only one dealer within that same distance. The next closest dealer was nearly 40 miles away. At the time, I had heard Victory Bikes not having as many problems, so I went with reliability over network. You may choose differently. The last factor was the amount of people who would come up to me and ask about the bike I was on. Even now, I still get people asking me, "What kind of bike is that?" or telling me that I have a cool-looking bike and that I must have paid a lot to customize it. It is nice to have something out of the ordinary (sorry HD, "ordinary" in the sense of "mainstream" or "typical"). Truth be told, I have done very little in customization. I do plan to get a new exhaust, and am considering the cruise control, option, since my bike is already wired for such an option. The jury is still out on what kind of turn signals I may get, or when I'll get the rake kit put on, but the first and only mod I have made is to get the overdrive pulley installed. It really does make a difference. I still only have a 5-speed transmission (unlike the regular Vegas), but the pulley compensates to make that final gear ration equal to that of a 6-speed Vegas model. So there you have it, my two bucks worth on the Victory 8-Ball. I hope it answered some questions. Feel free to email if you have any. Bottom line, I love my 8-Ball and look forward to riding it much more frequently than I have in this past year. Remember, it's not the name you ride, but the ride itself so happy riding. RIDE SAFE. Show less

I test drove a Harley Night Train, the Yamaha Raider, and the Vegas 8-Ball. By far the 8-Ball felt the best and the most comfortable. It also had the most pep when I hit the throttle. I get so many compliments on it and I have Harley friends that say they are in the process trading in thier Harley's for Victory's. Very happy I bought it. Show less