We all know how obsessed the Americans are with torquey cruisers with mammoth vee twin engines. But if you thought Harley Davidson were the only bike manufacturer on that side of the pond here's an alternative. This is the 1507cc Victory V92. And US muscle doesn't come any more impressive than this. In fact any number of American companies have tried their hand at motorcycle manufacture including famous names like Henderson, Indian and Ace and my own personal favourite, The Flying Merkel. Almost all of these bikes have fallen by the wayside over the years, and it has taken till now for Victory Motorcycles of Minneapolis to emerge as serious rivals for the US performance crown. Now available in limited numbers in the UK, Victory offer four different variants of their massive vee twin.

And what a vee twin it is. If you like Harleys you'll certainly like this. For what you get with a Victory is simply more of everything that made Milwaukee famous. The V92 pumps out over 80 brake horsepower in standard trim and Victory claim 93 ft/lbs of torque at 3200 RPM. Now that is stump pulling stuff, whichever way you look at it. The five speed transmission links to the fat 16 inch rear wheel by belt, and Brembo floating discs provide effective stopping power with plenty of feel. Technology wise it also has a big lead on Harley Davidsons air cooled twins. Those massive cylinders are topped by four valve heads breathing through overhead cams, and the primary drive is by gears running through a jackshaft, which makes Harleys antiquated primary chain set up look, well, antiquated. The early V92 series engine was simply too smooth, and the balance factor at the jackshaft has been modified at the factory to give a pleasing amount of rider feedback from the engine. Yes, folks, vibration is not a problem on these bikes and they need neither rubber mountings to the frame or complex contra-roating balancer shafts to make them rideable.

At a dry weight of 624 lbs the Victory is never going to win in the lightweight stakes. But this heavyweight bike has heavyweight perfomance to match. The bikes traditional American virtues are combined with exclusivity, and unlike some Japanese customs no-one could accuse you of choosing a Victory because you couldn't afford or otherwise handle a Harley. New for 2003 is Victory's 92 cubic inch Freedom engine which promises to push performance figures even higher. The bikes come with a range of colour scheme options including hand painted custom paint jobs, and are matched by an accessory catalogue which lets you personalise your bike with a huge range of saddlebgs, screens and trim options. These bikes are hand built in a world of mass production, and Victory have gone to great lengths to keep retail prices affordable.

I'm very impressed with this bike, but I've always had a big soft spot for Yankee vee twins. If I have any criticism at all it's that the styling is just a little too chunky for my taste, particularly the fuel tank. Some have even accused the V92 series of resembling nothing less than an old MZ, and despite the fact they are better in many respects than the Milwaukee product they simply don't have the street style of a Harley Davidson. But Victory are aware of these shortcomings and have gone to some lengths to address them with thelatest Vicory Vegas street cruiser, combining the Freedom engine with styling by Arlen Ness. The Vegas is a very tasty looking bike indeed and goes as well as it looks.

Performance wise you have to ride a Victory to really understand the meaning of torque. Dump the clutch too quickly and instead of a wheelie you'll get asphalt shredding wheelspin as the back tyre grapples with the planet to find grip. And when it does bite you'd better hold on tight as the monster vee twin tries to dislocate your arms from your shoulders as it pulls you off the line. You can keep your 'Blades and Gixers with their three figure speedo readings - this is real power. The V92 is a pretty comfortable bike too, not surprising considering its design brief. The pullback bars and footboards are great for the rider, but you'll need to add a sissy bar from the accessory catalogue if you want to keep your passenger on the pillion. The basic model has no protection from the elements either, and holding serious motorway speeds while spread out like a kite flapping in the wind isn't easy.

Feel the gound shake and buildings shudder as you rumble past. Tweak the throttle and hold on as the world surges backwards. Then park up somewhere and smile smugly through your mirror shades while people flock around and ask, what the hell is that you're riding? This, folks, is street cred.

The Victory Vegas. Yes I've ridden one. And yes, it goes as well as it looks. Put one on the shopping list Doris.