2004 Victory Vegas

by Piper
(North Bend, WA)

In my opinion, the Victory Vegas is a great bike for women. This is my second bike. My first bike was a 2007 Honda Shadow VLX - another great bike for a woman, especially a new rider like myself. And one who had not ridden a motorcycle before. I found after riding my Honda for 2 years that I really needed a bike with a little more power (so I could keep up with my husband on his Harley and Aprilia sportbike). While it does the job when he rides the Harley, I simply enjoy my ride when he decides to accelerate and have a little fun.

The Vegas' lower seating position (at 26.5 inches - about an inch higher than the Honda Shadow) allows me to be comfortable riding and waiting to ride. The pegs on this bike are similar to the newer model Vegas Low, being pushed back toward the rider a few inches. An advantage for shorter legged women.

My Vegas has updated pipes, therefore, is a little louder than the stock pipes. I suppose it's cool, but I do wear sound buffering ear plugs all the time. It's a little louder than what I prefer.

The only con to this bike is its weight at 620lb. I am 5'7" and about 150lbs myself. I am able to move it around, but sometimes takes a little extra effort maneuvering in/out of the garage between cars, etc. Once on-board, the weight is not an issue.

Handling is nice. Surprisingly, this bike can make tight turns and is good on twisty roads. I have scrapped the pegs a few times, but nothing too scary. The overall ride is smooth. I've ridden my husbands Sportster and like a lot about it, except for the vibration. My Vegas does not vibrate like the Harley.

Guages. I added a tachometer. The base model only came with the speedo. I find the tachometer easy to read and helps keep the engine in a happy place when riding.

Windscreen. Call me a wimp, but I like a windscreen. I don't like the wind right on me when riding. The windscreen does not detract from the look of the bike at all. I also added a leather bag to the windscreen. It holds my wallet, phone and sunglasses perfectly. I picked this up at Fox Creek Leather in a light brown, which goes nicely with my orange bike.

Overall, I believe a great cruiser for women.