*Victory Number Two

*Haulin' Hogs

*Removing Angels

*One Fat Lady

Victory Number Two
Not ones to rest on the laurels of their success with the V92C, Victory Motorcycles unveiled their newest model at the Sturgis rally this past month. It isn't the usual dresser or touring model, instead their latest machine is a sporty muscle bike.

Dubbed the V92SC, the SC meaning "Sport Cruiser", it's meaner looking than the original Victory. Now don't get the wrong idea, this is no light little hooligan bike, but instead a cruiser with much more sporting intentions. The most obvious changes are in the style department. Both the front and rear fenders have been cut down and the handlebars are wide and flat, almost like a dirt track racer. The floor boards were dropped in favor of foot pegs which were moved to a more neutral position. The SC has twin disc brakes up front and a single in the rear. The fork size was upped to a beefy 50mm and the rear shock is now firmer.

Victory doesn't claim any motor changes other than the new two-into-one upswept canister style exhaust, but says that the exhaust alone boosts power by seven horses. That brings the SC into the mid sixties range for horsepower. Other than wider, stickier tires everything else on the V92SC including the basic dimensions and weight is the same as the V92C. All of this should work well to give a Victory that handles better, especially for those of you who enjoy a more elevated and aggressive riding style. Price has yet to be announced but I would expect it to be around the 11K mark. Look for a full review in M.M.M. this spring.

Haulin' Hogs
We all knew this was coming. After the announcement this past spring of the partnership between Harley-Davidson and Ford Motors it was inevitable that a Harley signature vehicle would come from Ford. So I was not shocked to see the announcement last month from Ford of their new Harley signature F-150 SuperCab pickup. Ford plans to build 10,000 of the pickups which will feature black paint with orange pin striping, 20" chrome wheels and black leather interior. There will be a leather tool pouch in the center console and the gauges will mimic those found on Harley motorcycles. The motor will be a Triton V-8 and the muffler has been tuned to produce a Harleyesque exhaust note. Price is expected to top 25k and the trucks should hit show rooms this spring. Plenty early if you need one to haul your hog out Sturgis way.

Removing Angels
As if they weren't enough of a fringe element, Belgium has declared the Hell's Angles an illegal organization. A court in Gent, Belgium ruled that the Angels are a private militia and that membership is prohibited under Belgian law. All full members of the Belgian chapter of the Angels have had their motorcycles and all club paraphernalia confiscated, that includes their leather jackets and club colors. Several club leaders are now in prison.

This clamp down on outlaw motorcycle clubs comes as a reaction after several violent clashes between the Angels and rival gangs occurred throughout Europe. The actions of the Belgian government worries many cycle club members throughout Europe as having very ominous implications for all European riders.

One Fat Lady
August has brought the news of the death of a very unique member of the motorcycling culture. Miss Jennifer Paterson, best known for her role on the cooking show "Two Fat Ladies", died at age 71 after a battle with lung cancer. For those not familiar with the show, Miss Paterson and her co-star, Clarissa Dickson Wright, toured about England on a Triumph motorcycle and sidecar rig. Miss Paterson piloted the bike with little problem despite her age, while Miss Dickson Wright enjoyed the scenery from the sidecar. The show was once described by them as, "a cookery show with anarchy and a motorbike". The chain smoking Miss Paterson was often filmed with a cigarette clenched firmly in her mouth and spoke with a very upper crust accent. She enjoyed riding very much and continued to ride about until she fell ill this past summer. Her cooking was as good as her quips on life and love. Never one concerned about fat or calories, all her food was loaded with cream and butter, she called it, "domestic cooking, not flibbertigibbet restaurant cooking". She was buried with her favorite helmet which read "Born To Be Wild" on the front and featured a large Triumph logo on the rear. The four final episodes of her program will air this fall.

M.M.M.