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Victory Project 156 Prototype Race Bike for Pikes Peak Previewed

Even though a naked evil roadster is one of the things one usually expects the least from a manufacturer such as Victory, this thing is actually happening. Victory and renowned builder/customizer Roland Sands are working on Project 156, a machine that will also race to the clouds in this year's Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
Victory Project 156 1 photo
Photo: Youtube capture
The machine is completely new from head to toes, and this makes everything even more interesting. A custom tubular frame was built for it and since it is designed to race in the PPIHC, we can expect it to be lightweight and very sporty... and this is great! The Project 156 is an all-American endeavor, with many people and manufacturers supporting it. Dunlop tires for testing and racing and premium Ohlins suspensions are only the most obvious gear.

Don Canet of Cycle World will be behind its bars in the 2015 PPIHC and he hopes he can finally settle some "unfinished business" he has with the mountain. After making his debut in the PPIHC he is thrilled to be part of this bold and historic move.

A prototype engine will power the Project 156

While the first part of the video documentary is not shy of showing the frame of the Project 156, including the racey tail section of the bike, the engine in blurred in the footage.

That is because Victory will use a prototype power plant for the Project 156. All info on the new engine is kept as a closely-guarded secret, so we can only speculate as to how it might be.

If what we managed to see in the video has anything to do with reality we might get a liquid-cooled powerplant. Moreover, this could be one of the new engines that will be used in the future to power new Victory bikes. Of course, Project 156 might very well be a milestone in Victory's product history.

Is Victory starting to build roadsters?

It's hard to believe that Polaris/Victory are developing a new engine only for a race, no matter how important this race might be. We'd rather put our money on new additions to the existing line-up.

Once more, even though fast and menacing naked roadsters are a rather uncommon sight when wearing a Victory badge, seeing them added to the roster and covering yet another new niche is awesome.

This might even be a neat move in the all-out war with Harley-Davidson. It's been quite a long time since the MoCo had an evil bike to offer, and the Buell days are long gone. With the Night/V-Rod being the most aggressive bike Milwaukee can deliver, a naked v-twin, powerful machine from Victory could represent a very alluring choice for those customers looking for an American v-twin bike with a sportier vibe.

Can't wait to see more of the Project 156! The video after the jump is quite a teaser!

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