VICTORY
Polaris
Industries announced that it plans to halt production of Victory
Motorcycles. The motorsports firm, which manufacturers vehicles as
diverse as ATVs, side-by-sides, snowmobiles, and the unique three-wheeled Slingshot,
will assist dealers in selling off current Victory inventories and will
continue to supply parts for ten years. Polaris says it will honor
service and warranty coverage for Victory owners and dealers, too.
It would appear that Polaris wants to redirect resources to the Indian Motorcycle brand,
which it acquired in 2011 and has experienced significant growth since.
In the announcement, Polaris also cited Slingshot as a brand that would
benefit from cutting loose Victory, which has "struggled to establish
the market share needed to succeed and be profitable.
The
Minnesota-based company started building Victory Motorcycles in 1997,
with the first sales in 1998, in an attempt to capitalize on the success
of Harley-Davidson and sell heavier, American-manufactured touring
bikes. Since purchasing Indian Motorcycles six years ago, however,
Polaris has had another outlet to build big, American baggers and
cruisers-ones that carry an iconic name that is more than a century old.
Polaris
apparently decided it doesn't make sense to have two brands producing
similar motorcycles, marketed at similar audiences.
photo credit: © 2017 Victory Motorcycles
edited text credit: © 2017 Popular Mechanics
