Will Empulse Go Down with Victory?

Metier Law Firm
Wed, 08 Mar 2017 20:00:53 +0000
Motorcycle Accident, EBike, ElectricMotorcycles, VictoryMotorcycles

Where were you when you found out Victory Motorcycles was being shut down? How did it feel when you discovered that one of the few American motorcycle manufacturers had finally bitten the dust? Well, if you felt shocked and a little sad, you weren’t alone. Motorcycle fans took to social media to air their feelings on the loss of this American marque, but many weren’t merely venting their feelings. Many motorcyclists had questions, and they weren’t all about why Victory shut its doors.

Will the Empulse Survive the Fall of Victory?

On January 9th, Polaris broke the news that it was closing the Victory Motorcycles brand, and motorcyclists responded the way they always do. A passionate flood of both regret and questions washed over Polaris Industries, but not all of those questions were about Victory’s demise. Some people started wondering what was going to happen to the Empulse.

For those not in the know, the Empulse is an electric motorcycle acquired by Victory when the company bought out Brammo Motorcycles in January 2015. At the time, this eBike was hailed as one of the most advanced electric-driven two-wheelers on the road, and many were wondering what Victory would do with the acquisition. Some were disappointed when the Victory Empulse was released, and it was almost the exact same bike Brammo was making the year before. However, promises of advancement were given.

Now that Victory has gone under, will those promises go unrealized? Not according to Steve Menneto—VP of Motorcycles at Polaris—and Grant Bester—the General Manager of On-Road Products. Bester told Motofire that since Polaris owns the intellectual property controlled by Victory, it might not be too farfetched to find that technology seep into Polaris’ other motorcycle brand—Indian. Menneto also let it slip to Motorcycle.com that Polaris was going continue developing the electric side of its holdings with Victory.

Does this mean we can expect an Indian Empulse motorcycle? Could Polaris do the same with other Victory projects like its Project 156 racer? Only time will tell, but you can bet your Colorado Law Tigers will stay on top of it. You can also find out what other details our motorcycling attorneys have dug up by visiting our Facebook and Twitter pages.