| | | | Road Test : 2007 Victory Hammer S-Sport as in muscle |  Written: 23/01/2007 : 16:26. Read 9550 times (11/day). | Victory launched the original Hammer as a power cruiser with a fat rear tyre for the 2005 season. This year Victory has gone all mean and moody with a blacked out sports version. New handlebars allowed us to develop some muscle too.
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It was a hot day we rode the new Hammer S from Victory motorcycles in the Santa Rosa Mountains in Southern California-Just bearable in the cooler mountains, but meltingly hot in the desert around Borrego Springs. Some of the journalists called it hell, but I found it refreshing coming from England to ride the new metal from Victory. The route consisted of 200 miles of everything from motorway, mountain passes to endless straights in the hot desert. Perfect to test a motorcycle to its fullest and we did. I arrived a day early due to the long flight to LA and got the privilege of riding the whole route twice. On day 1 I rode with Victory’s Engineering Manager, Stacey Stewart that was scouting the terrain ahead of the press day. I picked a Hammer S whilst Stacey was on a Ness signature Vegas Jackpot.
The 1634cc air-cooled V-twin engine provides instant punch and the 250mm rear tyre needs clutch abuse to come close to loosing grip. All set for a great day in sunny California on big twins. It got very twisty almost straight away which allowed me to check out the sporting ability of the S.
Hammer S is still very much a cruiser, but with some cornering ability that is down to the USD fork and new handlebar. Compared to the standard Hammer it’s only the handlebars and paint that is different, but those new wide handlebars really make a big difference when cornering. The handlebar on the S gives better leverage through the bends and allows quicker directional change compared to the Hammer with the V-drag bars. You need the extra leverage to force the flat profiled rear tyre on to its sides. It takes some muscle, but muscle is what the Hammer S is all about. It’s the motorcycling equivalent of the all-American muscle car. Hammer S was designed to steal traditional sportsbike customers, but the handling characteristics are very different from a sports bike. Victory’s own Kingpin handles much better than the Hammer and it’s mostly down to the gigantic rear tyre. So a lot has to be achieved by looks and torque alone. Not a bad combination, but it’s when you add that Stage 1 kit to the equation things starts to brighten up seriously for the Hammer S.
In standard trim the Hammer S suffers a bit from excessive mechanical noise from the engine and transmission. $800 transforms the Hammer S from a pretty cool ride to a fantastic ride. 800 Dollars is the asking price for the Stage one drag system fitted to one of our test bikes. The kit includes a K&N air filter, vented air box cover and EFI calibration. The bike transformation is like night and day. Even though the acceleration might be quite similar, the feeling is totally different. Because of the extra noise, or rather two American Pavarotti's shouting out in a very noticeable but still beautiful manner, the transmission and mechanical noise disappeared-Only 100% pure 50 degree big V-twin noise creaming my ears. None of the mechanical noise could be heard and just a twist of the throttle brings you to big twin nirvana. The air/oil cooled 1634cc V50 thrives and just begs you to transform massive torque pulses through the 250 section rear tyre to rip up the hot desert tarmac. The 1634cc air-cooled engine produces around 103 LBS/FT of torque @ 2.500rpm and 83bhp @ 4.800rpm in standard trim. You can add another 10% or so with the Stage 1 kit fitted. Vibrations are surprisingly very limited. Some can be felt above 4.000rpm, but nothing that bothered me on the 200 mile trip.
Harley-Davidson invented the power cruiser for the mainstream audience with the V-rod. V-rod can’t really be compared to the Hammer S as it is liquid cooled and more powerful, but in terms of street credibility Hammer S sails straight up next to the new Night Rod Special. Both bikes are aimed at getting new customers into the brand particularly sport bike riders. On our route around the Santa Rosa Mountains we met a guy that fits just that description on a Honda CBR600RR. He loved the looks of the Hammer S and envied us the torque we had to play with compared to his small sportsbike. The Hammer S actually handles "normal" compared to the Night Rod Special from the Motor Company. They are both brutish, but the Hammer S is somewhat kinder and easier to get along with. The seating position is a low 669mm with forward foot controls and easy reach of the handlebars-Not half as extreme as the Harley Special which makes the Hammer S more versatile. Going fast on the motorways causes some strain to the neck, but bearable in small portions. The Freedom Twin engine features what Victory calls true overdrive. When hitting sixth gear a green lamp lights up in the instruments indicating that you are now cruising in overdrive saving fuel.
In town the new Hammer S handlebars allows for easier manoeuvring in tight places than the V-drag bars on the Hammer. The blacked out handlebars might not be as bling as the chromed V-drag bars, but that’s not the point on the S. Black is cool and you don’t have to polish all the time. Finish is still at a high level when investigating the 17L fuel tank. The metallic paint is deep and seductive. The new bullet-style headlight is from the factory custom Vegas Jackpot. If you own an older Victory it’s a piece of cake to modify it with the bullet style headlight. The colour coordinated custom wheels are from Performance Machine.
The brakes are double disc Brembo’s fitted to a 130/70-R18 Dunlop Elite 3 front tyre and the USD 43mm fork. This is one area where the Sport part really shines through compared to the better handling Kingpin that only feature a single brake disc. The Hammer S stops in a fine manner despite the 250/40-R18 rear tyre pushing if only using the front brakes. When using both front and rear brakes at the same time the Hammer S really only wants to go straight ahead so best to finish braking before entering the bends. At the back a mono shock is fitted that can be adjusted for preload. The new swingarm is a cast aluminium one that is both lighter and stronger than the forged predecessor. Hammer S is still a solid piece of metal with its 305kg dry weight, but Victory’s motorcycles are built to last.
On day 1 on the Hammer S I also got the chance to ride the Ness signature Vegas Jackpot. It is quite different to ride mainly due to the handlebars and thinner front wheel. But most of the differences lie in the styling and design. What do you say about diamond cut cylinder head cooling fins and gorgeous custom paint? Mainly a posing bike, but it still features that fat 250mm rear tyre and 1634cc V-twin as the other Victory models. In the middle of the desert roadrunners, rattlesnakes and Coyotes are the only audience. The Cory Ness signature Vegas Jackpot fits best in just Vegas or other large places with lots of people that can admire the Ness work of art. I’d settle for the Hammer S any day.
Conclusion
With only a few key grips Victory have transformed the Hammer from a custom inspired muscle cruiser into a moody, blacked out no-nonsense beast. Get the Stage 1 kit as muscle and feel is what the Hammer S is all about. I am probably faster on the Kingpin through the corners, but I certainly felt faster on the Hammer S. I rode the standard Hammer as well in the desert and the new Hammer S handlebars make a big difference to the handling. Hammer S is a lot of fun, but can never replace a sports bike if you like your cornering. I could easily get addicted to the massive torque and the attention from people you meet on the road though.
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Big twin air-cooled torque
American muscle car styling
Unique brand that will grow with Polaris backing
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Handling is special with that 250mm rear tyre
Mechanical noise on the standard Hammer S (gone with Stage 1 kit)
Words: Tor Sagen/Photography: Kevin Wing
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