1997 Valkyrie Out of Storage

[ChuckyP]

Update:  To save some scrolling here is the video of the first ride after the tear down and rebuild.  It went well and I'm very excited to have it back in action.

Short Version:  https://youtu.be/oj9Vbv9aVgk

Full Version:  https://youtu.be/n4MrJS9OjOs

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Original Post

Hello everyone, I hope the general section is ok for this post.  I just cleaned out my storage unit and brought home my 1997 Honda Valkyrie.  It has been a few years since it has seen the light of day and it feels good to have it sitting in the garage at last.  I purchased this bike in 2000 and put about 24,000 miles on it over the years.  

I need to start breaking it down and getting an inventory of what needs to be done.  Lots of mouse poop and some rust but the wiring seems to be in good shape and it was put away in good running condition.

I am glad to have stumbled across this community and look forward to any suggestions you can offer along the way.  

[9Ball]

Other than changing all the obvious fluids, including gas tank and carburetor inspection, I would clean and  use dialectic grease on the starter relay and relay fuse.

Look at the date codes on the tires and see if you’re comfortable with the age and condition...it’s your safety that is at stake.

You didn’t state whether you filled and stabilized the fuel in the tank, but you may want to pull the plugs, cover the openings with rags and turn over the starter...possible prevention of hydro lock damage.

Good luck and enjoy.  Mine was laid up for 8 years due to spinal fusion surgery and I rebuilt and replaced almost every part on the bike.  Will never have to do this extensive of a service in my remaining lifetime.

BTW,it looks like your coolant overflow tank is empty...recommended coolant service interval is every two years.  I imagine your brake fluid looks like tea...hopefully not coffee.

[scooperhsd]

Nice looking bike.

Starters - change the oil/filter, check the battery (very well may need replaced unless it was on a battery trickle charger / maintainer). Tires - even if there's not many miles , sometimes you need to replace because of time. Especially if they are looking dry rotted / cracked. The real mechanics can give you much more to think about.

[ChuckyP]

Thanks for the replies. I have new fluids ready to go but I still need to dig into it and see what is needed. Tires alone are probably 10 or more years old now so it’s not going anywhere soon. I’ll at least be rebuilding brakes and hoses. Rebuild carbs, and go from there. I’ll post some more pics when I get some time to go further in. Currently I have the switches out of the handle bar mounts with lots of built up
Gunk slowing things down. One piece at a time.

[Willow]

Tires and fluids.

Change that saddle with either a 2000+ OEM or a quality add on.

If you stored it dry the carbs may be alright but the tank will need work.  If you stored it with the tank full the tank will be alright but the carbs may need work.

[signart]

I'd be worried more about a rusty tank than anything.

[da prez]

Chuck , where are you living . Ed's rental is near me.
 I have been known to work on Valks.

                  da prez

[ChuckyP]

Chuck , where are you living . Ed's rental is near me.
 I have been known to work on Valks.

                  da prez

I’m in Island Lake, just East of Crystal Lake.

[f6john]

I love bumblebees! I’m in the same boat as you. I looked at my plates just yesterday, and the bike tags were last renewed in 2014.

[da prez]

Our office is in Island lake.

[ChuckyP]

Small world. I appreciate the advice so far.

[John Schmidt]

Ross, talk him into selling it then call me.    Love to have me a Bee but mine seems to be doing OK for what I need. 

[ChuckyP]

John, That’s a tricked out ride right there.

So I was able to get the stuck front calipers off and wheel it into the sunshine to take a few more pics this morning. I’ll post them below and you can have at it with the comments.

I will say upfront this thing was rode hard and put away wet. It sat outside for about a year in limbo before going back inside to store for a while, but did start at the time and I was able to drive it into a trailer. The plates were last registered in 2009 so it’s been a while since it has had any real use.

Things I’m currently focused on:

1: Rust in Tank?  The gas in the tank came out dark but without any rust or debris. The outside of the tank looks clean and just peeking inside it doesn’t appear rusty to me... I’m not going to get my hopes up though.

2: Bad Starter or Electrical Connection?  All of the lights work except for the headlight (pretty sure it’s the bulb) but the starter will not turn. I hear a click when the ignition is turned but no click when the start button is pressed. I did clean and lubricate all the switches (which were stuck and gummed up). A continuity test passed now. I did check the mini fuse on the right side and cleaned and lubricated the relay, but have not tested the relay itself yet. But after checking fuses and cleaning it still fails to turn.

3: Brake Caliper Rebuild: It took a couple hours to literally drag this thing into the trailer with a come along since the front wheel was seized. With persistence everything ended up ok but it was sketchy at times. Now I have the front calipers on my bench so I might as well get them ready to go. The rear caliper won’t come off with out the wheel off but I don’t have a stand currently. I’ve been finding some nice ideas on the forums that may help me out though.

Thanks again.

[JimC]

The no start could be the kill switch. I had the same issue with the low mile interstate I bought, start there it wont cost you anything but some time.

Jim

[Big Rig]

Yes on the kill switch ...clean the contacts...dont ask me how I know...

Rear fender and right side exhaust seems to be tweaked a little...

She'll clean up nice...

good luck

[ChuckyP]

Is the kill switch on the right handlebar switches?  I went over those already and made sure they were functioning with a multimeter. I’ll take another look at it tonight though.

The kickstand indicator is working and the neutral light is on... I haven’t cleaned the clutch handle switch if there is one. But I think it used to start in neutral without the clutch engaged.

[Chrisj CMA]

Do the starter button maintenance. Make sure the contacts are free to bounce up and down on the little spring

[9Ball]

Those pictures hurt my eyes...I know how much work lies ahead.  There will be some financial pain too.

Good luck.  Help is just a question away.

[GiG]

Do the starter button maintenance. Make sure the contacts are free to bounce up and down on the little spring

Starter switch maintenance will also cure the “no Headlamp” issue 
Fix the starter switch before investing in a new headlamp - they are related

[Rams]

Ross, talk him into selling it then call me.    Love to have me a Bee but mine seems to be doing OK for what I need.  

Well, I agree with talking him into selling it.   It would look good sharing space at my place between rides.  

Rams  

[ChuckyP]

Damn. A 2nd good cleaning and some dielectric grease but no joy with the starter button. I’m not 100% confident it’s working, but I’m going to move forward to the relay again.

The screws are rusted tight on the headlight housing as well, so I can’t get to the bulb just yet. I added a little penetrating oil last night so we will see how that goes.

[GiG]

Chuck:
There is a good chance the Headlamp didn’t come on because the starter switch turns off the headlamps during crank. Starter switch may be stuck in the “headlamp off” position. Fix starter switch first. Common malady on these bikes.
You can jump 12V to the headlamps to verify operation. Some guys have eliminated the stock Honda starter switch and installed separate switches for Start and Headlamp. Good luck with your new bike!

[old2soon]

     Let da prez know where you is. His office is at Il 176 and State Road. All the ills yer posting about Ross has been there done that got the T-shirt.   And he truly enjoys bringing em back to life. And while his shop appears small tap his knowledge of Valkyries. You'll be glad ya did!   RIDE SAFE.

[John Schmidt]

Re. dielectric grease, it's meant to be used to prevent current passage, i.e., an insulator. In the old days it was used as a lube in the distributor on the cam that moved the points open/closed. Reason was it prevented spark from jumping and still lubed the cam. Again....it's purpose is that of an insulator. At the moment I can't lay my hands on the procedure, but there's a method whereby you install a relay in the headlight bucket to reduce the current load on the contacts in the start switch. When you press "start" it activates the relay which in turn kills the light and engergizes the starter. In factory wiring layout, you have the full amperage load going across the internal contacts of the start switch in the form of multiple amps. With this mod, it drops to a fraction of 1 amp which essentially removes the problem of arcing experienced with factory wiring. Hopefully someone can post the procedure which for some reason is no longer available in the old format used a few years back.

Found it, but had to send it via email. Has both instructions and a picture of the base of the relay showing how to hook it up. It's worth your time to do this.

[ChuckyP]

Thanks for the tips and the email. I will be looking into adding a headlight relay for sure. I would love to get some insight from Da Prez, I live right there in town so I’ll try to swing through one of these days.

The starter relay clicks when powered up with 12 Volts. But I get no continuity between the High Voltage terminals after that.

And this brings me to another question. As I get closer (hopefully) to turning this thing over is there any advice on how to prepare for that?  Remove the spark plugs or anything like that. I don’t want to try to start it. Just make sure things are moving and free.

[9Ball]

Could possibly fog the cylinders...I recommend pulling the plugs and turning over before attempting to fire it up.  If your petcock is bad and one or more carb floats are stuck you can do a lot of damage to the starter gear and/or engine case.  This will put a big crimp in your plans...and wallet.

Cover the spark plug holes with a few rags just in case gas shoots out.

Put a big dose of Seafoam or berrymans B12 in your gas to help the carbs and fuel lines.  Don’t be surprised if there are gas leaks from the carb rails...the o-rings May need to swell a little if they aren’t totally toasted.

Invest in the redeyetech carb rebuild, tubing, carb screws, and caliper pistons...I was reallly pleased with the caliper piston quality from redeyetech when I rebuilt my calipers last year.  I replaced not only seals but also new pad pins, pin covers, and rubber boots.  Well worth the cost and did the job right the first time.

Good luck...spend the time to do a complete carb disassembly and all new o-rings, tubing, float valves, etc.  thorough cleaning is mandatory, don’t skimp on the effort.

[ChuckyP]

I just picked up the carb gasket set, oil filter, air filter, and fluids from my local Honda dealer today.  Ordered a new starter relay after testing the old one this afternoon. I’ll look into the brake parts you mentioned since they are sitting all seized up on my bench currently.

[Oldfishguy]

It would be best if you clean the tank out properly.  There are a lot of home remedies for this but I have found by doing a fair amount of old tanks to buy the product off the shelf.  Dump this in and then fill the tank to the top with water; let it sit for 24 hours.  (I actually save the product, diluted and all, for the next old dirty tank.)

Best of luck.

https://www.amazon.com/Workshop-Hero-WH003226-Concentrate-Fluid_Ounces/dp/B06XBS66R8/ref=asc_df_B06XBS66R8/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312123707036&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13075834235571237023&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9020066&hvtargid=aud-801381245258:pla-569071268620&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=58868508141&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=312123707036&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13075834235571237023&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9020066&hvtargid=aud-801381245258:pla-569071268620

[baldo]

Re. dielectric grease, it's meant to be used to prevent current passage, i.e., an insulator. In the old days it was used as a lube in the distributor on the cam that moved the points open/closed. Reason was it prevented spark from jumping and still lubed the cam. Again....it's purpose is that of an insulator. At the moment I can't lay my hands on the procedure, but there's a method whereby you install a relay in the headlight bucket to reduce the current load on the contacts in the start switch. When you press "start" it activates the relay which in turn kills the light and engergizes the starter. In factory wiring layout, you have the full amperage load going across the internal contacts of the start switch in the form of multiple amps. With this mod, it drops to a fraction of 1 amp which essentially removes the problem of arcing experienced with factory wiring. Hopefully someone can post the procedure which for some reason is no longer available in the old format used a few years back.

Found it, but had to send it via email. Has both instructions and a picture of the base of the relay showing how to hook it up. It's worth your time to do this.

If I remember correctly, MarkT has a good pictorial of the wiring. It's pretty straight forward.

[ChuckyP]

Success. Shorting the relays high voltage wires powered the starter and turned over the engine.

The new relay should be in today so we will see if that is the cause. My only concern is the starter button. In my test I was able to close the contact on the relay but there was no power getting through on the high voltage line. So if my switch was working it should have at least activated the relay, but it did not.

[Cracker Jack]

Success. Shorting the relays high voltage wires powered the starter and turned over the engine.

The new relay should be in today so we will see if that is the cause. My only concern is the starter button. In my test I was able to close the contact on the relay but there was no power getting through on the high voltage line. So if my switch was working it should have at least activated the relay, but it did not.

No big deal but the terminals for the larger wires on the starter relay are for higher amperage, not higher voltage. All wires (larger and smaller) connecting to the starter relay operate on 12 volts nominal.

[ChuckyP]

Thanks for the clarification, that does make sense. Either way I’m happy the engine hasn’t seized.

[ChuckyP]

A brief update:  Da Prez hunted me down Sunday and showed up at my house, he must be able to smell a Valk in distress.  We looked it over and he seems to have a lot of parts I need on hand.  Also turns out that we crossed paths many years ago, so it was good to see him again.  We talked a while and he left with my front brake calipers so he can remove the pistons for me.  Real nice guy for sure.

Current status on bike:  So far I am excited about the overall condition.  I started cleaning components, cables & switches.  I have finally gotten the starter button to function properly, and now the bike turns over on demand (headlight works now too).

I removed and drained the gas tank, Removed and cleaned the airbox, changed the oil / coolant. and removed the carbs.  The carbs are all gummed up so I will be carefully cleaning them up soon.  I will also be doing the de-smog, since Da Prez has the items for that on hand as well.

Ill take a few more pics this week on the current state of affairs.  But a question for today is the goop on the airbox (some sort of sealant).  I saw a few posts mentioning it and the replies said that it will seal fine without it.  Mine was hard as a rock and just hanging off in most spots, so I removed it carefully.  I'm just wondering if that is the case and i can just leave it as it is...

[MarkT]

Re. dielectric grease, it's meant to be used to prevent current passage, i.e., an insulator. In the old days it was used as a lube in the distributor on the cam that moved the points open/closed. Reason was it prevented spark from jumping and still lubed the cam. Again....it's purpose is that of an insulator. At the moment I can't lay my hands on the procedure, but there's a method whereby you install a relay in the headlight bucket to reduce the current load on the contacts in the start switch. When you press "start" it activates the relay which in turn kills the light and engergizes the starter. In factory wiring layout, you have the full amperage load going across the internal contacts of the start switch in the form of multiple amps. With this mod, it drops to a fraction of 1 amp which essentially removes the problem of arcing experienced with factory wiring. Hopefully someone can post the procedure which for some reason is no longer available in the old format used a few years back.

Found it, but had to send it via email. Has both instructions and a picture of the base of the relay showing how to hook it up. It's worth your time to do this.

If I remember correctly, MarkT has a good pictorial of the wiring. It's pretty straight forward.

Here's the link on my tech tips page.  You might want to peruse some of my tech mods for future reference - some would be useful now.  Two 3, 4 or 5 pin standard relays - most are 30amp from any auto store are fine.  I always buy the 5-pin ones for my electrical kit.  Often need the 87A (Normally On) pin.  http://www.horseapple.com/Valkyrie/Tech_Tips/Headlight_Upgrade/headlight_upgrade.html

You might be interested in the safety and convenience mods I did on my 97 Tour, and listed here:

http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,107621.msg1078206.html#msg1078206

[ChuckyP]

Well It's been a while and a lot has happened.  I'll recap the last few months and then post all of the photos below.  But long story short, it runs and it scoots down the road again!  Here is a video of the first run after the carb rebuild.  At this point it still needs exhaust gaskets and a carb sync, but the first run in 11 years...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dbxonaqaneenss4/Valkyrie%20Teardown-Idle%20Running%2001.mov?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ckm19m0sp8aoa1x/Valkyrie%20Teardown-Idle%20Running%2002.mov?dl=0


I have to start by thanking this forum and especially Da Prez, for a bunch of answered questions and loaner tools to get the job done right.  Top notch info available here and very well organized so you can actually take advantage of it.

To pick up where I left off, I had no idea if it would run.  As shown in the photos above there was rodent activity and some lights weren't working.  As I removed the carbs and other items under the tank I started cleaning up the hoses and wiring looms.  They were in good condition so I kept going with the cleaning as far as I could reach as I moved around and removed more components.  I also performed the de-smog mods while things were torn apart.  

The carbs were nasty and each screw fought me the whole way.  I broke only 2 bolts total during this ordeal and I'm calling that a success.  Lots of heat and penetrating oil used, but it got the job done.  I replaced all the gaskets and seals, and needed to replace 1 main jet that cracked during removal.  It all went back together rather easily (over a 2 month period), and they were ready to install back on the bike.  I wrestled the airbox in and got everything seated in place, and it was a real pain in the ass.  With my borrowed IV Fuel tank I filled it up a bit and waited for the fuel to flow in, a few drips out of the overflow tube for a while and then it seemed like it was time to try a start up.  the video of the first idle is posted above, It's rough but its running.

With that out of the way I tear into the rear end to get the rear brake caliper off as well as change the final drive fluid and replace the Moly paste on the gears.  Everything there went great and it was a very smooth process to get it back together.

Next was the brake calipers.  After bleeding out the brake and clutch system, and new hardware everything is working great. Clutch works, brakes work, brake lights work... Just need exhaust gaskets.

So today was the day I put the last couple pieces back on... Tank (Fuel Line is a Pain in the Ass), Exhaust (A lot of the studs came off with the nuts), Rear Fender... Seat... I think it's time.  I'll have a video tomorrow of the first ride and it's not glamorous... but man did it feel good to pull out of the driveway and give it some gas.  It idles rough, higher rpms are much better and it rides just fine.  It could use a little TLC on the forks I'm sure, but 4 months ago I thought it was too far gone to even start.

I hope to get a few miles on it this summer and enjoy some much missed time on 2 wheels.  currently I'm 3.5 miles in.

[ChuckyP]

Here are a couple of videos for you guys.  The first is a short version of the second with a pullout into traffic and a quick run up to about 55-60 mph (Still don't trust this thing yet).  The long version has the puttering around my neighborhood and a trip down the highway and back into the garage.  Its alive!


Short Version:  https://youtu.be/oj9Vbv9aVgk

Full Version:  https://youtu.be/n4MrJS9OjOs