Video: Victory to Race Pikes Peak with Roland Sands-Built Prototype

Hand-built machine features new Victory engine in custom tubular steel chassis

Victory Motorcycles has announced its intention to compete in this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, with Cycle World’s Don Canet riding a prototype machine built by Roland Sands Design and utilizing a new Victory engine. The company released Part 1 of a video series for what is called Project 156, named after the 156 corners on the Pikes Peak course.

While the engine is blurred out in some shots in the video, other shots show what look to be prototype plastic parts in a narrow-angle V-twin configuration with double overhead cams. The chassis features Ohlins suspension with the rear shock and linkage in a Ducati Panigale-like configuration. Victory has already ventured outside of its cruiser segment of the marketplace and into the performance world, competing this year in NHRA Pro Stock drag racing with a motorcycle very loosely based on its Gunner model and using an S&S V-twin powertrain. It's possible that Project 156 could be just the first use of an all-new Victory engine designed for a range of standard or even sport models.

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