‘Ice Bike’ brought back to life after four years in an ice block

In 2011 ‘Victory Motorcycles Sweden’ froze a V92 TC for the Ice Hotel Sweden to exhibit
The bike was defrosted in 2014 and delivered to Stonetown Custom
Only one hour of workshop time was needed to get her running again

A Victory V92 TC that was frozen in a block of ice in 2011 has re-started after just an hour’s worth of workshop tinkering.

Despite spending four years at sub-zero temperatures, the bike only needed an oil change, fresh fuel and a new battery.

It even started using the same spark plugs and electrical system.

The bike (Model Year 2002) was originally frozen in ice to exhibit at the Ice Hotel Sweden, celebrating the hotel’s purchase of a 15-strong rental fleet of Victory motorcycles for guests to hire out. It was also went on display at the Motorcyclist Show in Sweden in 2011.

After four years on display, the Ice Hotel Sweden decided it was finally time to defrost the bike and moved it outside to melt.

Earlier this month the team at Stonetown Custom in Sweden took delivery of the bike, fired her up for the first time and made a video of it.

Watch the video here > http://youtu.be/9lz3BQ6kKQ8

Niklas Frisk, Marketing Development Specialist Motorcycles EMEA Distributors, has overseen the re-birth of the ‘Ice Bike’ and said: “The bike started without any big hassle after four years in ice. Talk about performance!”

He added: “The ‘Ice Bike’ already had a hard life before we froze it. It was originally a ‘shaker’ bike at the R&D facility at Polaris in the USA. It was on a shaker rig and did the equivalent of 300,000km.

“After that the bike came to Sweden for technical training so that mechanics in Europe could learn how to service and repair the engine. It means the engine has probably been disassembled a couple of hundred times as well!

“This bike just does not want to die!” Niklas exclaims.

The owner and CEO of Stonehouse Custom, Andreas Sedin, said: “I have never doubted the quality of Victory Motorcycles. We have sold many in the past and haven’t had any trouble with them. But to torture a bike like this and it still works after being in ice and water for so long, well it’s really amazing. This sure proves the quality of Victory bikes and that we are a winning team as a dealership.”

The other technicians who worked on the bike are Mikael Ståhlman, Fredrik Rosell, and ‘Vincent’. All three could not believe the bike started without needing new spark plugs or any replacement electrical parts, except for a new battery.

Although the bike now runs, and has been ridden on Stonetown Custom’s premises, it cannot be registered for the road, leaving the bike’s future uncertain.

“I do not know what the next torture will be for this bike,” Niklas jokes. “Now we just have it as a crazy memory.”

What the ‘Ice Bike’ does show is Victory Motorycles’ reliability and performance.

Earlier this month the US-based organisation ‘Consumer Reports’ released a survey to find out which motorcycle brand has the highest owner satisfaction – and Victory came out top.

In analysing data from over 12,300 motorcycles across 10 brands, Victory leads the pack with best overall owner satisfaction plus it got top marks for comfort.

And out of all the current Victory owners, 80% said they “would definitely buy again”.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Consumer Report link > http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/04/which-motorcycle-brand-has-the-highest-owner-satisfaction/index.htm

Victory Motorcycles is becoming increasingly involved in racing this year. It is competing in the USA’s national drag racing championship and is sponsoring Ers Erbacher’s drag racing team. It has also announced Project 156 – a collaboration between Roland Sands Design and Victory to race at Pikes Peak in June.