Victory and Kawasaki (August 29, 2012)

 A few days back home in North Carolina, which is going to make for an interesting motorcycle period with some great rides and hopefully some interesting bikes. Seen at left, the new for 2013 Victory Boardwalk. It is the replacement for the Kingpin, and the first new cruiser in some time (along with the Judge, seen here a few weeks ago). The bike is powered by the Freedom 106 (1731cc) which is oil and air cooled, and has a claimed 92 hp. Nice looking bike, and think it is a nice addition to what is one of the most interesting group of motorcycles to be found. Victory is certainly raising the bar. 

 Of course, I am a big fan of Kawasaki Vulcan's (and have been an owner of one since 2005) so liked this bike outside. The Vulcan line has some interesting and popular motorcycles, and they have a good range of engine sizes. Most of them (as is this one, which I believe is the 900cc size) are water-cooled; which gives some real advantages over air cooled motorcycles. This bike was photographed, as were all the bikes on this page, at RideNow Powersports in Concord, NC. I made a quick stop there for a few minutes upon coming into town, mainly to see the Boardwalk, but also other bikes.      

Two very interesting Kawasaki's here; the first (at left in Orange) is the Z-1000. A legendary name, the current bike is said to be a fun ride indeed, with loads of power, and some unique styling. The bike has had some changes over the years, gone are the old "tuning fork" mufflers. In the background is a ZX-6R...one of the sportbikes offered by "Team Green".
Later this week, planning an interesting visit to what I am hearing is one of the most interesting motorcycle shops in Charlotte - will be my first visit to them at the new location, and that will be coming up very soon!