Valk Build/Mod Thread: Closer And Closer

Area for discussion of the Honda Valkyrie

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Whiskerfish
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Re: I Did a Thing (New Bike)

#16

Post by Whiskerfish »

Awesome!! Even with the 1800 wing in the garage one of these is still on my wish list. 2500 is a steal!
"Agreement is not a requirement for Respect" CDR Michael Smith USN (Ret) 2017
"The book is wrong, this whole Conclusion is Fallacious" River Tam
2008 GL1800 IIIA "TH3DOG"
1975/6/7/8/9 Arthur Fulmer Dressed Road bike
1975 Naked Noisy and Nasty in town bike
and a whole garage full of possibilities!!

Psst. oh and by the way CHANGE YOUR BELTS!!!!
ob1quixote
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Re: I Did a Thing (New Bike)

#17

Post by ob1quixote »

Been thinking about a Valkyrie for my next bike, but need to sit on one, see if the ergos work.
But there is that sweet red '75 that I cant get outta my head!
1979 GL1000
2001 DRZ400
1983 CR480
And a few late '60's - early '70's British thumpers
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Whiskerfish
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Re: I Did a Thing (New Bike)

#18

Post by Whiskerfish »

Being a short guy currently with a bum knee I think the heft would be a problem for me but I still want one! Realistically I doubt it will ever happen.
"Agreement is not a requirement for Respect" CDR Michael Smith USN (Ret) 2017
"The book is wrong, this whole Conclusion is Fallacious" River Tam
2008 GL1800 IIIA "TH3DOG"
1975/6/7/8/9 Arthur Fulmer Dressed Road bike
1975 Naked Noisy and Nasty in town bike
and a whole garage full of possibilities!!

Psst. oh and by the way CHANGE YOUR BELTS!!!!
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78Wingman
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Re: I Did a Thing (New Bike)

#19

Post by 78Wingman »

Congrats on the Valk!

I recently bought an '99 IS and really love it. It is definitely heavier than my '78 GL was! However, I ride this bike in weather conditions I would have never ridden the GL in and love being out longer into the winter because of this bike.

Had the "buzz bolt" issue on mine and it made me think something was wrong with the carbs because of the strange noise from 2500-3000rpm. I still plan to change the belts, service the rear differential, and rebuild the carbs this winter just because the bike is 21 years young (young compared to my 43 year old GL), but currently she is running strong. Great bikes!
‘78/‘83 GL1000/1100 - moved on to a new life
1999 Valkyrie IS
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sgwilly
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Re: I Did a Thing (New Bike)

#20

Post by sgwilly »

Whiskerfish wrote: Sun Dec 06, 2020 8:00 pm Being a short guy currently with a bum knee I think the heft would be a problem for me but I still want one! Realistically I doubt it will ever happen.
With the right seat (Ultimate), these saddles can get lower than the 4 cylinder wings. But they are quite a bit heavier.
Steve
'09 Yamaha FJR1300AE
'99 Valkyrie Tourer
'89 Isuzu Trooper 3.4L
'83 GL1100 MonkeyWing (on IR)
'75 GL1000 (in the queue)
'70 Suzuki T500 Titan (in the queue)
'64 MGB
IBA #58082
All my stuff is old. It makes me feel young.
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Jonesz
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Re: I Did a Thing (New Bike)

#21

Post by Jonesz »

My 99 tourer is a bit tall for me &just (I am 5'10") the foot pegs have a habit of contacting my shins when walking the bike around but when I ignite the engine and hear the ferrari growl it takes away that pain. And I have learned to avoid that most times just like I learned to get in my dodge truck with floorboards without driving the top of my head into the roof edge. You are going to like riding your new bike it handles amazingly well considering its' weight and likely due to that smooth flat 6 being located where it is. Won't be parting with this one anytime soon. Congrats on the purchase & price.
One site with a lot of good info is: http://www.valkyrieriders.com/
Jonesz

1983 GL1100 Aspencade named "Freki" currently undergoing change to a standard. Sold
1999 Valkyrie CT 1500 goes by the moniker "Valerie"
1978 Gl1000 "Loki" new project going to be a Cafe Convertible
1979 Suzuki GS850. Sold
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Re: I Did a Thing (New Bike)

#22

Post by heraldhamster »

ooh, babeeee, that shore is a purty one!

Congrats!! color me envious. Always wanted one. Can't yet.
sorta bulldogged custom 1978 GL1000 - "geekster"
full Vetter dress 1979 GL1000 - "Barge" (currently down)
1986 1200 Aspencade - "Heart of Gold" - daily rider
1990 1500 Aspencade - It's ALIVE! but very, very naked. not in a good way.
1978 for $100 - project in worx
1978 from a previous member here - taking up space
my original '79 bought in '91 - replacing engine (eventually, maybe someday)

H2G2=42

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Lucien Harpress
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Re: I Did a Thing (New Bike)

#23

Post by Lucien Harpress »

So I finally got the old girl unwrapped and into the sun for a few glamor shots, and even had enough time (and layers) to take a maiden voyage.

Image

Image

Image

So, a couple of initial impressions between the chattering of teeth at 32 degrees at 55 mph:

-This thing is PLANTED. It's definitely got the beans, and I'll be excited to open it up when I've got no gloves and can feel it better. But it's remarkably stable on the road.

-6 carbs take a while to warm up in the winter.

-These blinkers confuse me. Unless it's tied to an auto-cancel, to manually turn them off to have to push the button the other way, past center. But with no lights to tell you which blinker is on, you have to guess. Might've gotten them stuck on once or twice.

-That faring is pretty much garbage. The wind pressure off the chest was nice, but the buffeting around the helmet was... well, it was like putting my head into a 55 gallon oil drum and beating the outside with a stick. First thing I did when I got back was to take it off. But then the top box looked goofy, so I axed that too.

-The exhaust has been modified a bit. The "piggies" have been cut off, but thankfully the baffles haven't been punched out. It doesn't sound bad at idle at ALL, and at speed it sounds.... well, I don't actually know, due to the aforementioned oil drum experience.

Image

Now that I put maybe a mile on her, I noticed a minor thing or two. First, the "hook" for the front of the sidecovers is broken on the right side. Not an uncommon occurrence, but not great for keeping the sidecovers on. Second, I think this bike got rear-ended at one point, because there's a decent-ish crease on the left side of the rear fender. I may try to straighten it out and hit it with touchup paint, depending on how visible it is with different saddlebags. Then there's the fact the coolant overflow tank is BONE dry. The horn was also replaced with an air horn setup, but while the compressor works, the horns do not. So something to look for.

So really, I'm looking at just general maintenance. No owner's manual, but I DO have a rather hefty set of tools. I'm really intrigued to see how this bike feels in warmer weather. No weird sounds or smells, though, so some really good signs.

I've got plans for a full cosmetic makeover, with bags, handlebars, seat, emblems, headlight, etc., etc., etc. But honestly I'm good with running it like it is right now for a bit, just to get used to it. But for now, I'll leave you with this:

Image

Mah two 6 cylinder babies.
Last edited by Lucien Harpress on Mon Dec 07, 2020 6:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
1997 Valkyrie- Light Cutomization, but Too Busy Riding
1980 KZ1300- Bike's Haunted
1976 GL1000 (Yellow)- It Runs (Poorly) and Doesn't Leak (Mostly)
1974 Velosolex 3800- Better Than Walking
1972 CB750- Broke the Chain And Ate the Motor
1969 CT90- The Most Fun You Can Have on 90ccs.
1965 CA77 Dream- Needs a Full Teardown, but Complete

All advice I give is only valid until an expert corrects me.
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desertrefugee
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Re: I Did a Thing (New Bike)

#24

Post by desertrefugee »

Just push the turn signal switch straight down to cancel.

(I’m partial to six cylinder motorcycles myself!)

And yes, the Valkyrie is a serious piece of equipment.
- Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass. It's about learning to ride in the rain.
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dontwantapickle
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Re: I Did a Thing (New Bike)

#25

Post by dontwantapickle »

Someone definitely spent a good bit of money on all of those aftermarket bits.
I can't tell, does it have the kickstand on it?
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Lucien Harpress
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Re: I Did a Thing (New Bike)

#26

Post by Lucien Harpress »

It does have the normal sidestand, but a BIG reason I went with this one (other than the price) is for the center stand. I started looking for one once owning a Valkyrie became a real possibility, and they.... don't exist. I've got 4 bikes in a one-car garage, so the centerstand definitely helps in tightening up the amount of space each bike takes up. And getting the Valkyrie up on to it isn't really that bad.
1997 Valkyrie- Light Cutomization, but Too Busy Riding
1980 KZ1300- Bike's Haunted
1976 GL1000 (Yellow)- It Runs (Poorly) and Doesn't Leak (Mostly)
1974 Velosolex 3800- Better Than Walking
1972 CB750- Broke the Chain And Ate the Motor
1969 CT90- The Most Fun You Can Have on 90ccs.
1965 CA77 Dream- Needs a Full Teardown, but Complete

All advice I give is only valid until an expert corrects me.
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sgwilly
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Re: I Did a Thing (New Bike)

#27

Post by sgwilly »

My turn signal switch got like that too. Best to open it up, clean it out and lube the moving pieces with dielectric grease. Or just spray electrical cleaner/lube into the cracks while working the switch furiously. I’ve had success with both methods.
Steve
'09 Yamaha FJR1300AE
'99 Valkyrie Tourer
'89 Isuzu Trooper 3.4L
'83 GL1100 MonkeyWing (on IR)
'75 GL1000 (in the queue)
'70 Suzuki T500 Titan (in the queue)
'64 MGB
IBA #58082
All my stuff is old. It makes me feel young.
SGWilly Gallery
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ritalz
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Re: I Did a Thing (New Bike)

#28

Post by ritalz »

Good lookin bike. The top box didn't look right to me, much better without it. Getting these bigger bikes on the center stands is easier than the older bikes. At 5' 6" and 165, can put the 1800 up with reasonable effort.
Al

2003 Goldwing Daily Rider
1975 Goldwing 'Max'
1984 Goldwing New Bagger Project
1976 Goldwing 'Grocery Getter' Sold
1985 Goldwing Interstate 'NCC-1985' sold
1981 Silverwing Sold
1982 Goldeing Project Sold
1981 Goldwing Parted Out
1983 Goldwing Project Sold
1973 CB500F Long Gone
1966 CL77 First Street Bike
http://www.ngwclub.com/gallery3/index.p ... ans/ritalz
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Re: I Did a Thing (New Bike)

#29

Post by wingrider »

Yea, now that you have it off the trailer, guessing she started life naked as a standard. Nothing Honda about those bags or trunk. Being it is a 97, you got the fastest one, and being black makes it even quicker! :-D
2002 1800 Wing
2001 Valkyrie Interstate
1978 1200 EFI Wing with Motorvation Coupe Royale sidecar
1977 1200 Wing cafe/bobber project
1974 Suzuki GT550
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Jonesz
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Re: I Did a Thing (New Bike)

#30

Post by Jonesz »

Nice bike Lucien, like it even better with the tour pack and batwing removed but the bags look OK. Here is a place for a digital manual: http://www.valkyrienorway.com/download.html
and lots of interesting stuff on his site: http://www.valkyrienorway.com/index.html
Jonesz

1983 GL1100 Aspencade named "Freki" currently undergoing change to a standard. Sold
1999 Valkyrie CT 1500 goes by the moniker "Valerie"
1978 Gl1000 "Loki" new project going to be a Cafe Convertible
1979 Suzuki GS850. Sold
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