Loud clunk between gears, more so on downshifts

[HappyTrails]

This could very well be just me, but I have a 1997 valk standard, Sometimes it is most significantly pronounced when I am still at around 30mph shifting fron 4th to 1st on a moderate deceleration.

Is this normal?
Tips for riding easier on the bike?
Fluids to check?

Thank you in advance, you guys are great

https://imgur.com/gallery/HRBEVoa

[WintrSol]

Was it this way when you got it, or just start recently?
When was the last time you replaced and bled the air from the clutch fluid?

[hubcapsc]

There were some threads about blipping the throttle as you downshift...
I found this one...

http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php?topic=75767.0

Are you a blipper or a gear-clunker?

-Mike

[Jess from VA]

Even though the Valk has syncromesh (I think), my bikes don't like going to 1st until I'm at a very slow roll or a stop.

So I may downshift slowing to stop, but pretty much never hit 1st until actually stopped. 

The bike will leave a stop in 2d OK (if a little boggy), so slow rolling I never go below 2d. 

The square cut gears are pretty famous for clunks on shifting, esp downshifts.

Lay off shifting to 1st at 30 (or 20).  Clutch in, it will do it, but it doesn't like it.

[Bagger John - #3785]

Was it this way when you got it, or just start recently?
When was the last time you replaced and bled the air from the clutch fluid?

This is the first thing I'd be looking at.

[HappyTrails]

I will check, I got the bike like that, the guy I got it from put less then 4k miles in 9 years. So will do my own round of maintenance

[HappyTrails]

Was it this way when you got it, or just start recently?
When was the last time you replaced and bled the air from the clutch fluid?

Since I got it 3 weeks or so back , will check that next!

[HappyTrails]

Was it this way when you got it, or just start recently?
When was the last time you replaced and bled the air from the clutch fluid?

This is the first thing I'd be looking at.

Thank you

[sandy]

Many owners find an oil change to synthetic helps your problem. Make sure you don’t use oil with friction modifiers as this isn’t good for a wet clutch.

[..]

I will check, I got the bike like that, the guy I got it from put less then 4k miles in 9 years. So will do my own round of maintenance

So you'll be changing/flushing all the fluids?

What's the date stamp on the tires?

Date on battery?

[HappyTrails]

Many owners find an oil change to synthetic helps your problem. Make sure you don’t use oil with friction modifiers as this isn’t good for a wet clutch.

The gentleman I got the bike from 3 weeks ago had put in synthetic when he got it back in 2013, he put less then 4k miles on it, super clean.

[HappyTrails]

I will check, I got the bike like that, the guy I got it from put less then 4k miles in 9 years. So will do my own round of maintenance

So you'll be changing/flushing all the fluids?

What's the date stamp on the tires?

Date on battery?

The tires are really good, Dunlops, as suggested

The battery is OEM, but I don't see a date initially from the top or side, however, it is holding a charge great, and the bike is at 14.3v when running.

Need to check clutch fluid once I finish school and have a little more time tonight, have to figure out where this gas is spewing from on the right carb bank lol.

https://imgur.com/513ouHG

[Willow]

I have two questions.  They are rhetorical.

What are you doing in fourth gear at 30 mph?

What are you doing shifting into first at 30 mph?

[Jess from VA]

Many owners find an oil change to synthetic helps your problem. Make sure you don’t use oil with friction modifiers as this isn’t good for a wet clutch.

The gentleman I got the bike from 3 weeks ago had put in synthetic when he got it back in 2013, he put less then 4k miles on it, super clean.

I would change 9yo oil regardless of miles on it.  9 years can be a fair amount of condensation and contaminant.  I would want my crankcase hot, then fully drained (with the filter off, dip and fill holes open, and leaned right for a minute over the pan after you think it's empty, then refreshed.  And drain the drool tube (the one of three hoses underneath with the plug and clamp on it)(drool can be drained anytime, but I think it's best when the bike is hot).  The manual calls for a new crush washer (soft aluminum) on the drain plug at every change, but I use them over and over (looking for leaks right after changes, but never finding any).  Snugged, not cranked on.  After a short run, check oil level with bike level, OE dip dropped in hole, but not screwed in.

The manual says crankcase holds 3.9 quarts, but if you get it all out, it takes a gallon to perfect level on the dip.  

[WintrSol]

I'll repeat when he said - find the date code on the tires. They can look good, but the rubber gets hard with age; I'll replace 6 year old tires with 1000 miles on them, just because I won't trust them.

[Bagger John - #3785]

I have two questions.  They are rhetorical.

What are you doing in fourth gear at 30 mph?

What are you doing shifting into first at 30 mph?

FWIW:

My shift points are from 2200-2600RPM indicated on the tach, regardless of speed. If the Owner's Manual is consulted, it counsels a point of up-shifting via speedometer observation which (upon study) closely coincides with that RPM range.

The type of transmission used in our bikes has an input-output speed relationship that will allow effortless shifting without the clutch. It's also a two-edged sword: If there's sufficient mismatch at a given speed/RPM point then shifting will be clunky.

I run semi-synthetic (Golden Spectro) in my Valkyries for normal usage. It quiets the transmission down quite a bit. For long distances (say a cross-country trip which might see 6K or more miles between changes) I'd switch to a full synthetic. Spectro and Royal Purple are my top contenders here.

[HappyTrails]

I have two questions.  They are rhetorical.

What are you doing in fourth gear at 30 mph?

What are you doing shifting into first at 30 mph?

FWIW:

My shift points are from 2200-2600RPM indicated on the tach, regardless of speed. If the Owner's Manual is consulted, it counsels a point of up-shifting via speedometer observation which (upon study) closely coincides with that RPM range.

The type of transmission used in our bikes has an input-output speed relationship that will allow effortless shifting without the clutch. It's also a two-edged sword: If there's sufficient mismatch at a given speed/RPM point then shifting will be clunky.

I run semi-synthetic (Golden Spectro) in my Valkyries for normal usage. It quiets the transmission down quite a bit. For long distances (say a cross-country trip which might see 6K or more miles between changes) I'd switch to a full synthetic. Spectro and Royal Purple are my top contenders here.

Thank you for the good information!

[HappyTrails]

Many owners find an oil change to synthetic helps your problem. Make sure you don’t use oil with friction modifiers as this isn’t good for a wet clutch.

The gentleman I got the bike from 3 weeks ago had put in synthetic when he got it back in 2013, he put less then 4k miles on it, super clean.

I would change 9yo oil regardless of miles on it.  9 years can be a fair amount of condensation and contaminant.  I would want my crankcase hot, then fully drained (with the filter off, dip and fill holes open, and leaned right for a minute over the pan after you think it's empty, then refreshed.  And drain the drool tube (the one of three hoses underneath with the plug and clamp on it)(drool can be drained anytime, but I think it's best when the bike is hot).  The manual calls for a new crush washer (soft aluminum) on the drain plug at every change, but I use them over and over (looking for leaks right after changes, but never finding any).  Snugged, not cranked on.  After a short run, check oil level with bike level, OE dip dropped in hole, but not screwed in.

The manual says crankcase holds 3.9 quarts, but if you get it all out, it takes a gallon to perfect level on the dip.  

This is a fair observation and methodology

[Jess from VA]

I always try to be fair.    

[HappyTrails]

I always try to be fair.    

 

[Willow]

I have two questions.  They are rhetorical.

What are you doing in fourth gear at 30 mph?

What are you doing shifting into first at 30 mph?

FWIW:

My shift points are from 2200-2600RPM indicated on the tach, regardless of speed. If the Owner's Manual is consulted, it counsels a point of up-shifting via speedometer observation which (upon study) closely coincides with that RPM range.

The type of transmission used in our bikes has an input-output speed relationship that will allow effortless shifting without the clutch. It's also a two-edged sword: If there's sufficient mismatch at a given speed/RPM point then shifting will be clunky.
...

As I said they were rhetorical questions.  The implication is that a knowledgeable Valkyrie rider should be doing neither although the 30 mph in fourth is not a long ways off what the range of fourth should be.

I'm pretty sure I never shift at 2200 and very seldom low shift at 2600.

[RonW]

Personally, I don't use the clutch to upshift. I just blip the throttle than shift in gear, by ear, not rpm though. I do use the clutch to downshift. That said always use the clutch to upshift from 1st to 2nd starting to go up a hill if you've ever been there.

[h13man]

I don't shift until almost stopped into 1st. Check date code on tires as suggested and I wouldn't use Dunlops but that's a personal choice. What brand of synthetic did the previous owner use?

[Bagger John - #3785]

I'm pretty sure I never shift at 2200 and very seldom low shift at 2600.

I will around town. That puts me at 35MPH in 4th (which is where I leave things) and go into 5th at 45MPH.

Merge-ramp shifting is a different matter altogether. That's usually done at 3500-4000RPM - depending on which Valkyrie I'm riding. My I/S wants to be shifted at a different place on the tach than my Tourer does, for a truly "smooth" shift.

[old2soon]

    After All that GOOD advice the only thing I can add is Make Sure you shift like you mean it! And clutch and throttle coordinated. And from my personal observation and over 100000 miles I've personally put on Phatt Ghurl these Valkyries Like to be RIDDEN! I've found the rev limiter couple times myself!  The rev limiter keeps Really EXPENSIVE chit from happening!    Oh and Welcome to the ADDICTION!  RIDE SAFE.

[valkmc]

Even though the Valk has syncromesh (I think), my bikes don't like going to 1st until I'm at a very slow roll or a stop.

So I may downshift slowing to stop, but pretty much never hit 1st until actually stopped.  

The bike will leave a stop in 2d OK (if a little boggy), so slow rolling I never go below 2d.  

The square cut gears are pretty famous for clunks on shifting, esp downshifts.

Lay off shifting to 1st at 30 (or 20).  Clutch in, it will do it, but it doesn't like it.

Same here, both my Valk and my F6 are that way. I just wait to go into first until I have slowed way down.