Victory Cross Country vs Harley Davidson Road Glide

VICTORY Motorcycles is an American motorcycle manufacturing company founded in 1997. Victory Motorcycles is owned by Polaris Industries, the same company that has ownership of Indian Motorcycles. In 2010, the Victory Cross Country was released as a hard-bagger cruiser. This motorcycle included all the features present in expensive cruisers or touring motorcycles. The Cross Country was designed with a traditional cruiser riding style and a unique, elegant design. The main selling point of Cross Country was its better affordability compared to the more expensive cruisers and touring motorcycles.

Harley Davidson is one of the most well-known and oldest American motorcycle manufacturing companies. The ROAD GLIDE is one of the oldest Harley motorcycles still in production. The Road Glide was first released in 1998 with an 82-cubic inches engine, replaced with an 88 cu-in engine in 2010, and upgraded to a 103-cubic inches engine in 2016. Currently, the standard Road Glide is equipped with a 107-cubic inches engine, while the CVO edition of the Road Glide has a 117-cubic inches engine.

The Victory Cross Country is a modern-style cruiser with a classic riding position. It has a large front FAIRING with a small windshield. It has full-sized front and rear fenders. The Cross Country’s overall design has elegant curves that enhance the motorcycle’s beauty. The fenders, fairing, fuel tank, side panels, and SADDLEBAGS are the only colored parts. The rest of the  frame, engine, crash bars, and exhaust are covered in matte black. The Cross Country also has a comfortable passenger seat but does not include pre-installed backrests or SISSY BARS. At the front, it has a 43 mm telescopic fork with a wheel travel of 129.5 mm (5.1 in), and a dual 300 mm disk brake with a tire size of 130/70 R18. At the rear, it has a single, mono-tube preload adjustable shock with a wheel travel of 120 mm (4.7 in), and a single 300 mm disc brake with a tire size of 180/60 R16.

The HARLEY DAVIDSON ROAD GLIDE has a wide front with a large FAIRING and a small matte black windshield. It has dual front headlights with a horizontal opening, comfortable dual seats, and full-sized fenders at both ends. The fairing, fuel tank, side panels, and hard saddlebags are the only colored part. The Road Glide has a matte black frame, with the HANDLEBARS, suspension, exhaust, engine, and rims being covered in chrome. At the front, it has 49 mm Dual Bending Valves with dual 300 mm disc brakes and a tire size of 130/60B19 61H. At the rear, it has premium low hand-adjustable suspensions with a single 300 mm disc brake and a tire size of BW 180/65B16 81H.

The Victory Cross Country has a 106 cu in (1,731 cc) air/oil-cooled, four-stroke SOHC 50^o V-Twin engine with four valves per cylinder, self-adjusting cam chains, and hydraulic lifters. The engine has a bore size of 101 mm (3.97 in) and a stroke size of 108 mm (4.25 in). capable of delivering a torque of 106 ft-lbs (143.7 Nm) and horsepower of 96.9 hp. The Cross Country is equipped with a six-speed transmission with a belt drive train and has a fuel tank capacity of 5.8 gal (21.9 L).

The Harley Road Glide has a 107 cu in (1,746 cc) Milwaukee-Eight, liquid-cooled, four-stroke, 60^o V-Twin engine with Pushrod-operated, overhead valves with hydraulic, self-adjusting lifters. This engine has bore and stroke sizes of 99.9 mm (3.937 in) and 111.1 mm (4.375 in), capable of delivering a torque of 110.6 ft-lbs (150 Nm) @ 3,250 rpm and horsepower of 93 hp @ 5,020 rpm. It is equipped with a six-speed transmission with a belt drive train and has a fuel tank capacity of 6 gal (22.7 L).

The Victory Cross Country is a cruiser that combines a modern touch with a traditional riding position. It has forward-mounted floorboards with a seat height of 667 mm (26.3 in) and a ground clearance of 148 mm (5.8 in). The Cross Country also has a wheelbase of 1,670 mm (65.7 in), an overall length of 2,650 mm (104.3 in), a trail size of 142 mm (5.6 in), and a rake angle of 60^o contribute to the confident riding position. The wide, upright, and curved handlebars help keep the rider relaxed while cruising. With a short seat height and good ground clearance, shorter riders can enjoy riding the Cross Country. However, it is not an entry-level cruiser due to weighing 760 lbs (345 kg).

The Harley Davidson Road Glide is a touring motorcycle offering a relaxing, upright seating position. The handlebars are wide, upright, and bent toward the rider, ensuring good back posture while handling this motorcycle. The Harley Road Glide has forward-mounted floorboards with a seat height of 658 mm (25.9 in), a ground clearance of 139.7 mm (5.5 in), a wheelbase of 1,625 mm (64 in), an overall length of 2,430.7 mm (95.7 in), a trail size of 173 mm (6.8 in), and a rake angle of 26^o. It is a heavyweight motorcycle with an overall weight of 853 lbs (387 kg) that provides a relaxed riding position, especially when traveling long distances. However, due to its heavy weight, the Harley Road Glide is not an ideal entry-level motorcycle.

Victory Motorcycles was founded in 1997 and officially started worldwide production in 1999. For the first couple of years, Victory Motorcycles was profitable. However, when Polaris Industries revived and started production of Indian motorcycles, sales for Victory models were affected. Soon, Indian Motorcycles became more profitable than Victory Motorcycles. Eventually, Polaris Industries shut down Victory Motorcycles at the start of 2017.

The Harley Davidson Road Glide has a 107 cu in engine, the second-largest engine created by Harley Davidson. It has a low-maintenance drive train system, a reliable engine, and is built with high-quality parts.

Both have similar engine sizes, riding positions, and ergonomics that make them suitable for long-distance travel. However, the Cross Country is the better option since it is cheaper than the Road Glide.

Although the Road Glide is more expensive than the Cross Country, it has a slightly bigger engine capable of producing more horsepower and torque and a bigger fuel tank with slightly better fuel economy. It is also easier to find new parts for the Road Glide than the Cross Country since the former is still in production while the latter has been long discontinued.

The Harley Road Glide is a touring motorcycle that does not have a pre-installed backrest; however, this can be easily found at after-market stores. Meanwhile, the Victory Cross Country is a cruiser with all the features of the Road Glide but at a lower price. However, the Cross Country has a slightly smaller engine size than the Road Glide, thus capable of producing less horsepower and torque. Both motorcycles have a premium-quality build with pre-installed SADDLEBAGS and floorboards, though the Cross Country also has pre-installed CRASH BARS. Both have ABS, an infotainment system, and cruise controls to make longer rides more fun and comfortable.