From Day 1, Victory has provided riders with the ultimate riding machines. From the original V92C classic cruiser to bikes like the 2013 Cross Country Tour, every Victory delivers outstanding power, great handling and a fantastic riding experience.

Victory enhanced the ride significantly with the introduction of the 2005 model line that included the all-new Hammer. This new bike broke new ground with its 6-speed transmission, the first in a full production cruiser.

In 2005, the Victory 6-speed was found exclusively in the Hammer, but starting with the 2006 lineup, it was used in every model except the 8-Balls. Starting with the 2011 lineup, every Victory model has been equipped with the 6-speed transmission.

The Victory product developers have always listened to Victory riders, and the request for a 6-speed transmission was among the earliest features riders asked for in focus groups and casual conversations with Victory personnel. These riders were spending so much time on the open road, they knew they would welcome an extra gear that would smooth out the already excellent Victory ride.

The Victory sixth gear is a true overdrive, so it substantially reduces the engine RPMs, resulting in minimized vibration at highway cruising speeds.

After test-riding a 2005 Hammer, Kevin Duke wrote on MotorcycleUSA.com: “Victory's market research revealed that the top request among cruiser customers was for a 6-speed transmission so it granted that wish. The torquier new motor easily carries the taller sixth gear without it lugging. We also appreciated the short and precise action from the gearbox, admirably light for a big V-Twin cruiser.”

The Motorcycle Cruiser Magazine review of the 2005 Hammer also included praise for the historic 6-speed transmission:

”The new transmission retains the same ratios for the first five gears as the previous Freedom engines. Departing from the 1:1 ratio on the fifth cog, sixth gear is a true overdrive with a 0.864:1 ratio. Those who still remember high-school math will realize this translates into a 13.6% reduction in rpm, resulting in a drop of 450 rpm at 75 mph. So you can expect the engine to spin at around 2900 rpm at 80 mph. Sounds like a nice, loping pace, doesn't it?”

It’s a fantastic pace, one that Victory rider Steve “Rollin’” Rolland knows well. While there might be riders who have logged more miles on Victory models over the years, none have logged those miles in such concentrated fashion as this Iron Butt rider.

Steve has completed numerous Iron Butt rides – the shortest covering at least 1,000 miles in under 24 hours – including historic runs to 48 states in under 10 days, and to 49 states in under 10 days. The majority of his 30,441 Iron Butt miles have come on Victory models with 6-speed transmissions, and he covered most of those miles in 6th gear – completely trouble-free. Among his most recent Iron Butt highlights:

• In 2010, Steve rode his 2006 Kingpin on a “48 Plus!” Iron Butt, meaning he rode to the Lower 48 states and Alaska – 8,818 miles – in under 10 days. His transmission performed flawlessly.

• In 2011, he completed several Iron Butt rides on a six-day, 3,870-mile trip from Wisconsin to the Rocky Mountains and back on his 2010 Victory Vision 8-Ball. One of his certified Iron Butts on that trip was a SaddleSore 2000 Gold (at least 2,000 miles in under 36 hours) of 2,047 in 34 hours, 16 minutes. The weather on that trip was unpredictable and turned nasty at times, but his 6-speed transmission was consistently 100% reliable.

• In 2012, he rode 11,197 miles in 16 days, including the 5,613 miles from Key West, Florida, to Deadhorse, Alaska, on an Ultimate Coast to Coast Iron Butt ride.

A stone broke a headlight lens on his “48 Plus!” ride, and his bike got filthy on Alaska’s Dalton Highway in 2012, but Steve has never had a bit of trouble with his bikes’ 6-speed transmissions.

For Steve and for tens of thousands of his fellow Victory riders, the Victory 6-speed transmission has enhanced the ride and helped define the distinctive Victory riding experience.


The 2005 Hammer was the first model with the Victory 6-speed transmission.


In 2012, Steve Rolland’s 2010 Victory Vision with the Victory 6-speed transmission carried him from the starting point in Key West, Florida…


… past the Arctic Circle…


… up the wicked Dalton Highway…


… all the way – 5,613 miles in just over seven days – to Deadhorse, Alaska. His bike’s transmission performed flawlessly every mile of the trip.