Posted October 11, 2007   Email   Print

Ness Jackpot: Style and shine plus plenty of upgrades on the Victory engine

By Bill Andrews
Photos by Brain J. Nelson

“Wow, the bling on this thing is over the top!”

That’s my recurring thought as I roll around the hills outside Santa Barbara, California, during Victory’s 2008 model year launch aboard a fully decked-out Arlen Ness Signature Series Jackpot.

The sum of all the shiny parts and graphic paint on this limited edition Jackpot delights the eye as I let my gaze dance across its canvas. But underneath the visual feast is a host of changes Victory has made across its lineup for 2008.

Victory says a few of those changes were in direct response to “customers’ complaints” while others were simply hand-me-downs from the enormous R&D that went into the Vision introduced earlier this year.

One of the most notable changes is a redesigned (smaller) oil cooler that now fits snugly between the front downtubes. The shrinkage was possible because of a redesign of the oiling system and reversing the oil flow, which now goes from sump, to oil cooler, and then into the engine.

On the six-speed models, the gear ratios in first and sixth have been modified to provide better acceleration starting off and smoother cruising (3 percent lower rpm) on the highway.

The engine management system has been redesigned along with the throttle bodies and airbox, which Victory says will provide lower emissions, lower intake service requirements, provide better fuel economy, and lastly, eliminate the cold-start manual fast idle lever.

Engine compression in the 100-cubic-inch (1634cc) engine has also been reduced from 9.8:1 to 8.7:1.

Sound was another concern. To address top-end valve tick, the closing ramps on the cams were lengthened, which reduces closing velocities. In the lower end, a redesigned primary cover now sports ribs to help muffle internal noises and provide added stiffness. Other internal changes to the alternator, compensator and clutch also reduce noise, especially at idle.

On the visual side, the controls up at the handlebars, along with the front brake reservoir, have been redesigned to give the Victorys a more proprietary look.

To see how all these changes work in concert, I choose the shiniest jewel of the bunch—the Arlen Ness Jackpot.

The Ness models come in two packages—the Sunset Red Arlen version and the Metallic Purple Cory Ness version. Both feature unique, model-specific paint jobs and rims. The Arlen version gets gold leaf-looking lettering spelling out "Victory Motorcycles" on the sides of the tank while the Cory version has the same treatment in silver flakes.

The base Jackpot, coming in at just a buck under $18K, is no visual slouch to start with, but the Ness treatment for $23,699 really peaks the bling-o-meter. From the 21-inch custom hoop up front to the wide, matching 18-incher in the rear, it seems not a square inch hasn’t been chromed or customized.

Victory Engineering Director Stacey Stewart says of the Ness Signature Series, “They build it (one), then we figure out how to do it for production.”

Not counting all the model-specific goodies the Ness men have added that can’t be easily bolted on to the stock Jackpot or duplicated (like diamond-cut cooling fins and the custom paint job, just to name two), you’re still looking at around $6,000 in extras, not including labor. That means, as far as a custom goes, the Ness treatment could actually be called a bargain.

As I settle into the Arlen Ness Jackpot’s hand-stitched leather seat, I notice “#022” on a metallic badge sitting on the transmission. New to the Ness line in 2008, these signature badges make every bike truly unique.

With a whirr of the starter, the 100/6 Freedom V-twin comes to life. A tap down with my left foot and first drops in with an authoritative thunk.

The power is giggly fun and addictive. The torque peaks early at a claimed 106 foot-ponds at around 2,600 rpm. With the new gearing, second gear pulls hard and is good all the way to most Interstate speeds. Each successive shift up has the same unmistakable sound of metal on metal as the shift into first, and acceleration essentially feels like the same amount of yank up until fourth gear.

Once in sixth gear, the engine feels like it’s loping along at 70 mph. No telling what the actual rpm are since a tach is an aftermarket item. You get a good feel, though, for where the rev limiter is, because engine vibrations tend to increase in linear fashion through the rpm range and peak as you get near the limiter.

Slowing down the 670-pound (claimed dry weight) custom, I found my right foot occasionally miss the rear brake as the pedal doesn’t quite extend out as far as the peg. Once I was accustomed to its location, though, it became a non-issue and hauling things down in a hurry produced no surprises.

The ride is somewhat harsh over bumps and can be quite noticeable over repeated thumps like expansion joints. Part of the issue is how low the bike is. At 25.7 inches off the ground, the Ness Jackpot's seat is lower than any other Victory's except the new Vegas Low (see sidebar, above), which is another half an inch closer to the pavement.

The mirrors are described as “tear-drop” and look great. The only real complaint could be that as you get near the tip of that tear drop you tend to have less visual information on what’s happening behind you.

The grips are ribbed and I found myself attempting to put my fingers in the slots, even though my hand didn’t quite fit the width. But once again, they look great.

Handling can be described as the full-commitment type. You can get away with a simple countersteer and push your way through a turn, or better yet, throw a bit of body weight into it to get the bike to lean over further on that 250-spec rear tire. Pegs fold up first and provide a good indication as to when harder stuff is going to grind, but realistically this bike’s a boulevard cruiser, and when it comes to these street pounders, exclusivity seems to be the name of the game, not cornering clearance.

The bold Ness paint job with tribal graphics appears to be three-dimensional. Looking closely, I did notice some of the graphics have a screen-dot pattern in some of the color transitional areas. But as I rub my hand across the finish, I find no bump which would indicate a cleared-over decal. Victory tells me it’s part of a unique die transfer system that produces a flawless finish to the touch but is repeatable, much like a decal.

At this price point, north of $20,000, the Ness bikes are competing with some exclusive competitors, including the CVO models offered by that other American V-twin manufacturer based one state east of Victory's base in Minnesota. Considering the outstanding quality of the hand-painted body parts on the Harley-Davidson CVOs (an entry-level CVO will run you about $1,300 more than a Ness Jackpot), you have to ask yourself how important are such details as tiny screen-dot patterns in the paint job.

If that seems minor to you and you’re looking for an overhead cam engine with grunt to spare, and with graphics, chrome and billet pieces that absolutely scream, and the exclusivity of being only one of 200 for either the Arlen or Cory version, then you merely need to step over to the Ness Series and yell, “Jackpot!”

2008 Arlen Ness Signature Series Vegas Jackpot
Engine	Air/oil-cooled, four-stroke 50-degree V-Twin
Displacement	100 cubic inches (1,634cc)
Bore x stroke	101 x 102mm
Compression Ratio	8.7:1
Valve Train	Single overhead camshafts with 4 valves per cylinder, self-adjusting cam chains, hydraulic lifters
Fuel System	Electronic fuel Injection with 45mm throttle bodies
Fuel Capacity	4.5 gallons/17.0 liters
Oil Capacity	5.0 quarts/4.75liters
Exhaust	Staggered slash-cut dual exhaust with crossover
Charging System	38 amps max output
Battery	12 volts/18 amp hours
Primary Drive	Gear drive with torque compensator
Clutch	Wet, multi-plate
Transmission	6-speed overdrive constant mesh
Final drive	Carbon Fiber Reinforced Belt
Length	95.9 inches/2435mm
Wheelbase	66.3 inches/1684mm
Seat Height	25.7 inches/653mm
Ground Clearance	5.3 inches/135mm
Rake/Trail	32.9°/4.9 inches/125mm
Dry Weight	679 pounds/308kg
GVWR	1171 pounds/531kg
Front Suspension	Conventional telescopic fork, 43mm diameter, 5.1 inches/130mm travel
Rear Suspension	Single, mono-tube gas, cast aluminum with rising-rate linkage, 3.0 inches/75mm travel, preload adjustable
Front Brake	300mm floating rotor with 4-piston caliper
Rear Brake	300mm floating rotor with 2-piston caliper
Front Wheel	21x2.15in
Rear Wheel	18x8.5in
Front Tire	90/90 21 Dunlop Elite 3
Rear Tire	250/40R18 Dunlop Elite 3
MSRP	Base Jackpot $17,999 Ness Signature Series $23,699 (California models add $250)
2008 Victory Jackpot	2008 Cory Ness Signature Series Vegas Jackpot

© 2007, American Motorcyclist Association