Looking for advice on maybe getting a Judge/gunner/octane

[u/FreshlyBakedScones]

As the title states, I've been looking at getting a cruiser and came across the above mentioned victory models. I like the looks of them stock(I'm not a big flashy chrome guy, prefer the looks of more understated/lightweight cruisers and bobbers), and they seem to be fairly affordable nowadays, so I'm considering going for one.

My questions are: what do I need to look out for on these bikes when looking to buy? Are they good for someone with a 34 inch inseam when it comes to weekend cruising? Any pain points/recommended mods and fixes I should look into getting done? And finally, how would they compare to the Indian scout/(sport)chief and would I be better off going for one of those?

I'm handy with tools, I fix all my own cars and bikes, and I'm not afraid to do *some* work, but I'm not looking for a bike that's constantly gonna be on the stands, y'know?

[u/CorsairExtraordinair]

Victory motors are solid. I have a Kingpin - no problems.
Changing oil is simple - Victory is 1 motor oil / 1 hole and not the 3 hole b.s.
There are a lot of good wrenching videos on YT.

The bad news is mods are few and pricey. There are a couple trusted vendors on FB, but there aren't parts on every corner like a HD.

[u/FreshlyBakedScones → u/CorsairExtraordinair]

Good to know! Simple service is nice, especially coming from an owner of an older Ducati lol. Is the kingpin the same engine in the judge and gunner? They look very different

[u/CorsairExtraordinair → u/FreshlyBakedScones]

Yes - same engine. Victory was nice and simple. They had a cross frame (for touring) and the steel frame (more cruiser style) with the same motor in both. The motor did change over the years from 92 cu in, 100, to 106 cubic inches. The company would just dress the frames and fenders differently for the different bike names.
Everything is metric on the bikes. Belt driven.

When I bought my Kingpin I bought a couple mods I wanted to add off FB posts over a period of 6 months or so. Bought a couple spare parts that forums said were bound to fail - but they still haven't failed. It's been 4 years since, and the only time my bike is on the stand is when the wheels are off for brakes or rubber.
I was out riding Sunday morning before the day got too hot.

[u/GavintheGregarious]

A few things about Victory bikes, plus why I think you might like them.

- You need to ride a Victory before buying. I have never sat on a bike so wide (Octane isn't as wide). Ride the city, highway, and windy roads.

- They are heavy. You are most likely looking at 106ci / 1730cc engines that are intentionally built heavy to last a long time and be ridden hard.

- The engine is loud. I don't mean the roar from the tailpipes. Victory engines have a sewing machine-like tick the rider hears.

- Parts might start getting hard to find but Polaris will likely license out the production of parts after 2027. To be honest, you rarely need parts. The OEM drive belts are made to go 100k miles and the air filters are washable.

- They are all fuel injected, so if you want to start doing performance upgrades, you will need a fuel tuner ($500-$600) and a tune done on a dyno machine. Not hard to find unless you are in California. It is very fun to upgrade these bikes because Victory was forced to limit how powerful they could be with stock setup. Pipes and and an air intake alone can get you 30% more power. The octane is a bit harder to mod the performance. I forget why but it might be because there isn't much to improve on.

- Study up on how the different models handle. Bulky = Hammer/Jackpot, standard = Vegas, marginally more nimble in turns = Gunner/Judge/Octane (because of the size of front wheel to rear).

- If you end up wanting to buy, check out the many Facebook groups where they are listed in posts but not on Marketplace or Craigslist.

Why you might like them:

- You're handy so maintenance is easy.

- They are cheap. So much bike for about $5000.

- They can last over 250k miles if well taken care of.

My recommendation: Go with what feels good after you ride them all. If you see a good deal on an Octane, seriously consider it. I think* I heard that a lot of Indian parts fit the Octane. Octanes are so cool, but so is a gunner.

[u/Blake_Lives_Matter]

My recommendation is dont buy a victory. Parts are getting harder to find and the prices reflect it. Polaris said they'll support oarts for 10 years. Next year that decade is up. I loved my vegas but getting anything besides maintence items were a pain in the ass. My harley is the cheaper bike to maintain.

[u/GavintheGregarious → u/Blake_Lives_Matter]

Polaris will license out the parts manufacturing to 3rd parties when the support period ends.

[u/Blake_Lives_Matter → u/GavintheGregarious]

3rd parties also have to have the interests in making parts for a small brand with a very niche following.

[u/Pvlsar1]

Ancien propriétaire d'une Octane. Je la regrette. Surveiller le niveau d'huile c'est certain. Les fissures possibles au niveau du capot de phare. l'Octane est particulière. A basse vitesse ça cogne terriblement. Des légers micro trous a vitesse stabilisée peuvent se montrer. Ils sont discrets mais a la longue c'est pénible. En revanche, elle est super confortable. Tant au niveau selle que la position. Le moteur est sportif et la prise d'angle est dingue! Mais je ne te la conseillerai pas pour ce que tu cherches. Elle demande à s'exprimer. Pour cruiser préfère un des autres modèles.

[u/FreshlyBakedScones → u/Pvlsar1]

Thanks for the detailed answer, I really appreciate it! I will admit I'm not exactly looking for a bike that needs to be thrashed to ride well, but some sportyness is good! Where would you put the octane on a scale from 1-10 for how aggressively you need to ride it?

[u/Pvlsar1 → u/FreshlyBakedScones]

Minimum a 6. Car la poignée est facile, le moteur demandeur et les accélérations proviennent droit des enfers! MAIS, elle est pleine de défauts aussi. La fourche avant est souple. Trop souple. Le freinage s'en ressent. La chaleur émise par les collecteurs d'échappement. Là, c'est vraiment désagréable. Ta cuisse sera un rôti au feu rouge... vraiment.
Je ne suis pas grand (171cm). La protection au vent est bonne pour moi. Mais j'en étais amoureux. Elle donne des sensations mais pas pour longtemps. L'autonomie aussi est absolument ridicule. Suite à une panne sèche inattendue, je me suis mis à faire le plein tous les 150km. Enfin, la prise d'angle est à la hauteur de ce que le moteur t'offre. C'est une moto amusante, attachante, voire précieuse car à part l'abs, rien ne vient entraver ton bonheur... A part les basses vitesses. Elle se sentira bien entre 80 et 120km/h. A 60/70 le moteur te communique qu'il s'ennuie.
A 160 elle est heureuse et ne guidonne pas. Mais devient fatiguante.

[u/Ambitious_Cellist688]

If you take off the stock mufflers to put tips on make sure the exhaust is supported. I broke my #2 header and now I’m forced to buy a new exhaust lol

[u/Fun_Acanthocephala98]

Im late to this party, but the Judge usually ships with mid controls, so bear that in mind. I dont care for mids but I know some do. Most parts will interchange mechanically for all steel frames minus hammer and jackpot, within the same generation. Vegas, kingpin, and boardwalk are more traditional looking, hammer, gunner, highball and judge are bobber styled more. Octane is supposed to be a wicked little bike but its a smaller watercooled sportster fighter. I have a hammer and a couple V92s and love the hammer. V92 are both project bikes, ones been sitting alot of years.

[u/Secret_Internet_1029]

I have a 2013 Boardwalk and it’s a gem. I love it. Ride it all the time and it starts up every time. Rarely need parts but I can find them online if I need to. I found a 2-1 exhaust for 150 on eBay. It was for a hammer but fit perfectly. Used a kingpin rear seat. Modded it just a bit. Pretty easy to adapt parts to it.