Newbie

[freeindeed]

Hello Everyone. Just thought I'd take a little of your time to introduce myself. I brought home a 97 Bumblebee Standard with my wifes blessing early this summer. Joined this board and had been lurking and reading since then. Trying to take in as much as possible ..at 63 years and retired, kinda, from a school district here in Western NY. Was head of Transportation and lead mechanic for 32 years. Built a shop here 2 years before I retired at home, so now I walk 80 feet to work. When I want to. I can work as much as I want but, I really don't want to work like I used to. I do diagnostics and try to keep it to lighter duty jobs if I can help it. My back reminds me.
It's a full functioning repair shop and I'll work on anything that comes through these 10x10 doors. Again, I try to keep it to light stuff. I love to ride and I save myself for that. I spoiled myself when I built it...the heated floors in there are like working in my living room in the winter.

I really like this bike, with a passion. It's mostly stock and beautiful, doesn't look like it had seen any weather. I bought it from a friend who apparenty bought it from someone who was selling it for the original owner. Two days later he decided he didn't like it. I think it might have been to heavy, plus he's short. I really don't know. I had previously totalled my VTX. A deer hit at 65 mph...second time..each one at that speed..walked away from both accidents (mostly). I know: I'm am blessed. I liked that bike more than any other I've had. I was actually looking for another X. Didn't want anything else. He kept dropping the price, he couldn't sell it for reasons unknown, apparently he tried to sell it back to the guy he got it from, taking a loss, but the guy didn't want it. He tried selling it to me for 2 months. Yep, What was I thinking? When I would go to his shop to help him fix something he broke, it seemed as though it started looking back at me. He made me take it for a ride. The whole feel was different. I had my VTX for 12 years and had it right where I wanted it. It was so comfy. I miss the heal-toe shifter.  My wife of only about 8 years thought I was done riding motorcycles after recking another one, especially when I had neck surgery 5 weeks prior. So she might have been overly confident that I would call it quits. She rarely rides with me and gets nervous when I'n gone on it. I've owned a bike about every year I've been alive. I guess she discovered a look in my eyes that she knew wouldn't keep me off them. So thats where her blessing came in. It is such a super cool bike. It runs great. I got it with 48K miles. I've only put a coulpe thousand on it. A linkage thingy that assists with a crisper shift and 3 different seats to feel better in the riding position. I am getting used to it. The battery would go dead sitting for a couple or 3 days afterI got it and came with a new one, so maybe thats why they were trying to send it down the road. My friend said it never happened to him...well,...either way, a simple alternator replacement was all it needed. I could tell the bike had been well maintained. It has such great character. I'm guessing the forks had been apart. Maybe seals, maybe more done to it, not sure what was done but there are marks on the caps. Somebody was in there. New tires, it was turn-key. I pulled the front cover and the timing belts were fresh. I adjusted the valves that I don't think were ever touched. They were out of adjustment. Seems like that woke it up some. The engine runs well. I picked up an old school mercury guage from my brother in law. He used to be a Honda Tech in the 80's. I'll be syncing the carbs and doing some other things to it by spring. I havent had the tank off it yet, but looking forward to it and adding an electric fuel shut-off (for starters, to address the fuel leak potential) and replace the air filter and perhapes some hoses.

This brings me to a subject that I would glady take opinions and guidance on from the many who know better. I have 2 sets of exhausts. Both stock. She came with a decent set with the piggies cut back. I don't believe they have been drilled out. I bought an unmolested set pretty cheap down in Florida a couple weeks ago while visiting my son. I will keep that set untouched, and would like to do a glasspack mod to the other. I've looked the different types on Shop Talk and think I would go with welding the glasspacks in and using the modified baffles (Mark T) to put near the ends of the stainless truck stack pipes so they are somewhat adjustable as far as loudness goes. One question that keeps coming to me is, the s.s. pipe is 4 inch, so is the glasspack. Seems to me these sizes will vary and knowing my luck it would be too tight of a fit to slide the pipe on. I do understand I.D and O.D. Still..I can see getting them half-way on and then they stop. Can someone clarify that? Can I use the stock heat shields and tips with the glasspack mods?

One more thing. Insert "Thanks for your patience". I read many times to look around, ask around for anyone who has a set of already modified pipes that they want to sell or trade for a quiet set. I would consider that too but don't really want to ship. It can be a hassle. This is why I posted here in the off chance I might meet someone who's been looking themselves for pipes or even to pick the brains to some Valk guru right around the corner from me. I love to learn. Maybe someone close who has parts as well. I tried to add some pics too alleviate your boredom but apparently mine aren't JPG. Sorry, I'm somewhat technologically challenged.

Thanks for listening..preciate it. Rob

[f-Stop]

Howdy freeindeed!

Congrats on your new ride!  The yellow and black Bumblebees are special.  You don't see too many of 'em.

I don't have an answer to your question, but someone on here most likely will.  You may want to post your glasspack mod question on the 1500 Tech Board.

 

[98valk]

welcome to the board.
PM'd u about pipes.

[DragonRdr]

Welcome to the Valkyrie family.  I'm in the same boat as you, just retired in January this year and looking forward to spending more time riding. 

[RonBou]

Welcome to
the board.

[Tony C.]

Welcome and enjoy your new ride! 

[Hook#3287]

Hey Rob, welcome to the board.

I miss the heal-toe shifter.

Check out this post from Ken Tarver.  It's an oldie but goodie on a less expense way to add a H-T Shifter than the unobtainable ones of the past.

I've done it on 2 of my Valks and can't feel any difference from the Rattlebars Valk purpose built one I have.

There's a lot of missing pictures, including mine, in the original thread, but if your interested, send me a PM and I'll help you out with it.

https://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php?topic=83587.0

It seems the part may still be available, but due to Bidenomics, the price has gone up considerably.

Go figure.

https://addonaccessories.net/footrests/gl1800-heel-toe-shifter.html

Bill

[freeindeed]

Thanks Gents for the welcome...some of you have been on this board for a long time, like I have been on the VTXOA and other forums related to the X. I still have a bunch of parts for it. I told my wife I was gonna start selling on her FB page so I can spend money on her replacement. To be clear, I'm refering to the bikes.
The Saddlemen Profiler seat seems good so far. It came with a 2 piece studded seat. Pretty sure it was OEM. But the riders seat has a couple small holes in it, and I didn't like how it kept me so close to the tank. So I bought a new take-off from a 2001 Tourer, it came with the passenger backrest that bolts to the trunk. I knew there was a gap at the tank,  but I didn't realize it's such a wide seat. It's way too large for my hindquarters. I think it looked funny on there too, almost like it was installed for medical reasons...so I found the Saddleman, seems more proportional to the bike. Next, I am going to remove the sissy bar and carrier and make a low bar to bridge the brackets so I can just throw my leg over the bike. I think that will look good too. I don't know why but getting a leg over this bike is different for some reason. It could be that its higher or that the lean on the stand is less than my previous bike.
I haven't really looked at a whole lot of pictures of these beautiful bikes as this summer, as I was riding whenever I could. But I will be. There are some real masterpiece works of art, daily riders out there. So many great ideas from some crazy talented guys out there.
When I was in Florida earlier this month I rented a bike, it was a 2017 Touring Road Glide Ultra. It had a stage 3 kit in it. Put about 500 miles on it, a LOT of power. It was work to ride it though. I do envy the long riding season they have, and you too F-stop, I might get to ride tomorrow though, it's supposed to hit 50*. If it was just me, I would sell this whole shootin' match up here and move somewhere a little more south. But my wife wouldn't leave the grandkids.
Riding is my therapy. Much like many of you.

Thanks again

[Oss]

welcome from Ossining NY

Big D and Little D (Darrell and Deb)  live in Albion NY and were pretty active members before covid

Have not heard from them in quite a while

I am the NY rep (still) as nobody else volunteered

The tech board is a terrific place for information and there is a section called shop talk on the main page

INZANE this year is out in Iowa   Perhaps we will meet there

[Jess from VA]

I don't know why but getting a leg over this bike is different for some reason.

On my Interstates with driver's backrests, I have to step through to get on.

The only way I could swing my leg around to get on would be with using a stool to stand on.   

Until I got my Ultimate Bigboy seat, I used an Airhawk seat cushion on my old seat. 

 

[freeindeed]

I appreciate all the responses. A lot to think about. I've got some time before weather cooperates up here to ride, hopefully early Spring. So far my plan is to put the bike on the lift and give it a more of a going over since I just rode when I got it, well except for I adjusted the valves and peeked at the timing belts that are new.  Air filter, desmog, electric fuel shut-off and sync carbs for now. Some of the necessary stuff. When I would hit rises in the cracks of asphalt I hear a thump, so I'll be checking out the front end more thoroughly. Doesn't seem to be the windsheild or radiator components, but hopefully I can find it.

I took the sissy bar and carrier off so I can throw my leg over it easier. I had a small single bag attached to the sissy bar , resting on the carrier for easy access to the small things. It was a single pouch windshield bag for my VTX. It was just a temporary fix. But I found a true windshield bag (NOS. small pouch in center between 2 bigger ones. 5 hole) on ebay. I paid too much for it but it's supposed to be for this bike. It'll keep me from having to mess with the 3 leather straps on each saddlebag at every stop. The only problem I see is if I ever ditch the windshield, I'll have to figure something else out. I saw a thread here that pointed out the Cruiser bar on Big Bike Things website. It replaces the sissy bar but leaves their brackets and gives them a finished look. Someone there gave the idea of making one for the cost of about 18" of 1" x .250 of 304 or 316 stainless bar, and I can always change it out in just a few minutes.

On the exhaust, I've decided to cut the silencers off and put some chrome extensions on..for now. If I don't care for the sound and am able to actually listen to the difference between that and of the glasspack mod, I'm already halfway there I think. Like most of you I have an annual budget for money and time spent on making a bike my own, but it just seems odd that compared to the numbers my wife assumes I'm working with is...well....you know....different.

I am extremely thankful for everyone who makes up this board. Meaning really, all dialogue. The way I see it is everyones input is valuable. Some of the most subtle lines are the key to the answer someone may be looking for. Pictures help a lot too. And to those of you who convey your expertise, where there are many different levels. Your experience and willingness to teach...sometimes by using your own mistakes as an example....that's how I learn and realize I don't much at all about this ole girl. One day I'll take the time and learn to post pictures Thanks again