While out running errands for the office, I took a 2008 Victory Vision for a spin.

Most of the online motorcycle reviews about the Vision speak of the styling cues first--you either love them or you hate them. I gotta say that they don't exactly thrill me, nor does putting more than 50 miles a day on an oil- and air-cooled 1,700cc V-twin beast. But the bike had a bunch of features I was accustomed to--e.g. electrically-adjustable windshield (a la BMW), tank-integrated stereo controls, a huge cockpit, and loads of storage. It had one feature I was completely unaccustomed to as well: a great big, huge, bright HID headlight surrounded by super-bright halogens (the K1200LT's lighting has always been notoriously dim and very easy to out-ride).

So I figured a test ride would help me determine if this bike was worthy of my lust. Outside of BMW, Victory is the only dealership network that is set up and insured for test-rides. Go to a Honda dealership and ask to test-ride a Goldwing and they'll laugh you off the sales floor. Literally.

Sadly, it is not. While the swoopy lines grew on me after a fashion, and the lighting was really good, that monster V-twin generates far too much noise, heat and vibration for a long trip, for me. And the other big killer is that, in my opinion, a bike that tops out at 840 pounds ought to have anti-lock brakes. It's not even an option on the Vision. Heck, even Harley-Davidson--more reticent to change than a Southern Democrat--put ABS on their Ultra Classic tourer, and ABS Goldwings out-sell their non-ABS counterparts two to one. On my bike, the K1200LT, ABS has standard. In fact, one has not been able to purchase any BMW motorcycle without ABS for quite a number of years now.

Surely the lack of ABS will impact their sales and will show up on their marketing survey radar, I hope. Until they add anti-lock brakes to the Vision, it is simply not a contender.