TOPIC:

Suddenly feel the desire to clean the keyboard off with soap having typed that.
 
Anyway, the Valk was given to us, free, & with clear KY title.  It has been parked in an attached garage, un-ridden. since 2010.  slmjim worked with PO's wife for years before retirement.  They both just said  "Come get it.  We'll pay the taxes.  It's yours for the taking.  Wife doesn't Ride, and we just want the garage space back."  They live within 12 mi. from here.

So, here it is:




The OEM keys were a victim of a contentious divorce.  Researching replacement keys are where the locksmith key blanks data handbook we posted elsewhere here came about.  We obtained the key code from the ignition switch that indicated which of two possible mirror-image blanks were correct, gave the locksmith the 3-character code, and $13.00 later had a working key.

1500cc flat-six  'Wing motor & drivetrain.  Naked Standard (not the dressed Interstate model),  Made in USA at the Marysville, OH factory. 47K mi. & change.  Overall in good condition.  Only the lightest of surface rust in a couple of places.  AGM battery is toast, but common & relatively inexpensive.  Tank internals in decent shape with only a few surface rust specks.  Drained a gallon or so of liquid fuel that smelled strongly of varnish.  Petcock works; removed it to drain the tank completely.

Carb internals undetermined.  Opened float bowl drain screws produced no fuel.  Hmmm; might be good, might be bad.  PO doesn't remember if he drained them.  Introduced fresh fuel from our auxiliary tank to check for any leaks in the 'O' rings of the fuel rails of the two, 3-carb banks on either side of the motor. Noticed a leak from a 'T' that's under the airbox immediately downstream from the petcock that splits feed to the two fuel rails on each of the 3-carb banks.  We might have dislodged that hose when we removed the tank.  It's a rats nest of hoses & cables & wiring harnesses in a tight space under there.  Might have to remove the airbox to get to it.  We may still discover leaks at the 'O' rings in the fuel rails between the carbs when we get the feed 'T' reconnected.

Seat latch cable was frozen, a not-uncommon problem with Valks apparently.  Long flat blade screwdriver & some floor-level gymnastcs to get to the latch under the seat got the seat released & a couple days effort has the seat release mechanism working again.

Farkles include aftermarket hard bags, windshield, highway pegs mounted on the caseguards, some auxiliary running & brake lights, passenger backrest & small luggage rack (not installed).  Aftermarket 6 into 6 pipes; we've heard these before in the past on other bikes.  Not particularly loud, but a remarkable exhaust note reminiscent of exotic import cages. OEM tool kit & both owners manuals are present.  Good tread on old tires.

PO used like Ridin'.  He rode it to work often & joyrides evenings & weekends.  Current wife who doesn't Ride & life in general has killed his desire. He sez he wants to hear it run just one more time.

We're not keeping this bike.  Don't want it, don't 'need' it, no room for it.  We're just gonna make it go 'vroom' & off it goes to Mid-Ohio.

Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE

(In the distance we hear slmjim shout)  "Hey, Babe...  Where's the disinfecting spray?  I gotta wipe off the keyboard..."


 

Don't like them either but at least you can see the motor and it's not disguised as a sofa.   

No need to clean your keyboard. The Honda Valkyrie was the best looking motorcycle ever made. Massive, chrome covered engine, boldly on display.  Alas, my 70 year old legs, just can't handle the weight of bikes like that anymore. I bought one in 2022, expecting it to be a keeper, but it was just too big and heavy for me. I ended up selling it last spring. I find myself moving to smaller, lighter bikes now.

Killer machine!  So under-stressed!  I wonder how many miles that thing would run with proper upkeep?  500k miles?  

I wouldn't disparage Hondas at all.  When my keyboard is dirty it's usually because I ate a muffin while typing and one of our dogs came by to lick the crumbs up.

This is my answer to aging while biking.  It's a 2006 Goldwing with a Daytona 2+2 sidecar for canine riders.  The cool part is when I arrive at a stop sign and don't have to put my feet down.  I never use the radio or CB but damn that cruise control is nice on the wrist!  Beats a Z1 by 1.6 kilometers!  But I will admit to frustration over simple replacements like an air filter.  Last winter it took several days to dismantle the plastic in order to reach the air cleaer element and another couple of days to put everything back together.  With 264,000 kilometers on the engine it's just over its half life, so I think it will last me well into my 90's.



 

ckahleer wrote:

No need to clean your keyboard. The Honda Valkyrie was the best looking motorcycle ever made. Massive, chrome covered engine, boldly on display.  Alas, my 70 year old legs, just can't handle the weight of bikes like that anymore. I bought one in 2022, expecting it to be a keeper, but it was just too big and heavy for me. I ended up selling it last spring. I find myself moving to smaller, lighter bikes now.

 

The older slmjim gets, the taller & heavier our ST1300A gets.  This is the second ST1300 we've had over the past 18 yrs.  It & the Valk are within about 30 lbs. of each other.   We've made noises at each other about a CanAm tourer.  That's all so far, just noises.  Fact is, we're in the autumn of our Ridin' years.

Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE

The dislodged host on the main fuel 'T' slipped on fairly easily using long, right angle needle nose pliers, then we proceeded to feed gas into it today from our aux. tank.  At least one float stuck, with fuel running out of the float vent rail of the right bank, and fast weeps out of both L & R fuel rail 'T's'.  Bummer.  There's a couple of very good YouTube vids re: R&R and cleaning of these carbs.

Have to rearrange the carb bench a little to accommodate six CV carbs in a wide & deep assembly.

Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE

I have owned my 03 valk many years and even though I love my kz's,I will never sell my valk

I bet it sounds awesome with the 6 into 6 exhaust system.