Steps to address hydrolock

[Jess from VA]

Taking a class is a good idea, but do you ride your own bike (Valk), or their smaller bikes?  Many decades ago, all my classes were on my own bike, but today they are often with small starter bikes, which isn't bad, but no substitute for practice on your own bike.

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) classes that put you in the box all day are the best for teaching the hardest riding there is, which is slow control tight maneuvers.  And this kind of practice can be done on your own in parking lots, using the lines or concrete dead men to maneuver between and around. Gentle throttle, gentle brakes.  This is the kind of practice that builds skill and confidence.

Also, when I took my initial classes, I was taught to only put left foot down, using the right foot to apply and hold the rear brake at all stops (so you don't roll fore or aft on slopes).  Both feet down is OK, but not absolutely necessary.  And with one left foot down, the subtle technique is to just barely lean left at all stops.  This technique is also good for those with shorter legs (like me), where two flat feet can be difficult to achieve on all road surfaces.

The one thing you want to always avoid is rolling down a slope (like leaving a driveway), turning the bars into the street, then applying front brakes in that slow lean.  That can dump you and the bike in the street in one second.  In slow leans use only the rear brake and lay off the fronts.  Once the Valk gets leaned over a certain amount, it gets real heavy real quickly, and you either have to muscle it back up using half your body, or go ahead and let it down on the guards, get off and lift it back up with your whole body.    

The Valk really is a pretty easy and gentle bike to ride, except for the size and weight, or if you grab too much throttle.  Just because it will go really fast doesn't mean you have to go fast.  And if you have to stop real fast, get the bike straight and level before hard braking and you'll get a more harmonious result.  

How is your fit to the bike?  Two things many change to get a better fit are seats (to be able to get both feet down comfortably) and handlebar risers.

The Ultimate Lowboy Seat is an inch under stock with a narrower nose (and firmer with less padding).  And can be had with driver's backrests, which I will not ride without.

You can also get a bit lower with 12.5" or 12" shocks (but no lower) (stock is 13"), but that gets spendy.  Taller boot soles can help too.

3.5-4" handlebar risers give a much more comfortable reach to handlebars and more upright seating (I believe the stock risers are 3 1/8").  And will bolt up with no changes to handlebar wiring or cables (sometimes the wire keepers on the back of the bars need to be turned around 180 degrees, but that's it).

[Gearhead24]

Thanks for those tips, luckily I’ve got some big parking lots right next to my house and country roads just 5 minutes away. I signed up for the Harley Davidson course which they have the option to use your own bike or their street 500’s. I took the class once before but never submitted the paperwork afterwards so it was pointless. My Valk currently isn’t registered nor insured so I’ll be using their bike for this.

Adjusting to the weight will be a bit tricky, but my fitment on the bike is good. I’m 6’2 and sit upright really comfortably on it. I do want to get floorboards and a heel/toe shifter so I can wear my work boots while riding but that’s it. So far everything is bone stock. The only time I found myself changing position was when I hit a 3 mile straightaway to my house and decided to open her up.

When I took it out yesterday the idle had been at 2500 while hot (950 while cold) so it was pulling with no additional throttle input coming out of stops. Will be turning that down before going back out today.

That tip about the rear brake is huge, thanks. That was actually how I biffed yesterday. Was turning into a parking lot to get fuel and someone was leaving the lot at the same time. On my 400 I was able to get away with lightly holding the front brake and continuing with a tighter turn but when I did it on the valk it threw itself out from under me. Definitely more practice to come, got to drive it out to my friends house who was jealous when I told him I got a valk, then not so much when he found out it didn’t run

[Jess from VA]

Well Gearhead, I have the Cobra floorboards and Rattlebars heel toe shifters (called a kickshifter) on both my Valks, and wouldn't be without them.

Again with short legs, I had trouble getting my toe up under the flat 6 valve cover to shift on the little shift peg that comes on the Valk (esp with any kind of boots).  And, I'd gotten used to heel toe shifting on my previous Dresser Hog (of 18 years).  

My Cobra boards are ground off to sharp edges on both sides from dragging them through leaning sweepers (but it doesn't show much unless you look underneath them).  The boards will drag just a bit sooner than OE (or similar) pegs, but not by much.  

The Cobra boards should still be available (maybe), but Rattlebars is probably long gone.  Ebay used may be a source.  Also, check our own classified, and maybe post a wanted to buy add.  One of our vendors (Carb rebuilding guy) may have a set for sale.

MC Enterprises made a floorboard/kickshifter combo for Valks which was pretty clunky, and probably long discontinued.


Here's the Cobra boards and Rattlebars kickshifter setup.  As I recall the Cobras came in a traditional and swept board designs (I prefer the traditional). First pic is swept, the other 2 are traditional.




Finally, using rear brake alone is fine in slow tight turns; they won't get worn out.  But there are plenty of riders afraid of the front brakes who rely nearly exclusively on the rear brake all the time, and that is a big mistake.  Our dual front disks provide the vast majority of hard and emergency stopping power, and smooth use of both together should be the norm.  

Adjusting the idle down between those red hot intake tubes requires long needle-nose (or something).  I believe the manual says warm idle should be 900RPM, but I prefer 1000.  I'm not sure 900 is even charging (not that I sit around idling all day).  

[Gearhead24]

Turned down the idle and it became so much easier to control. Rode it around a good bit, maybe 10 miles and when I went over a set of railroad tracks the motor just cut out and died suddenly. Got it pulled over into a bus stop. Won’t fire at all. Nothings leaking and I know it’s not the side stand nor the bank angle since the motor is turning. Going to pick up a spark plug right now to test

[The emperor has no clothes]

Turned down the idle and it became so much easier to control. Rode it around a good bit, maybe 10 miles and when I went over a set of railroad tracks the motor just cut out and died suddenly. Got it pulled over into a bus stop. Won’t fire at all. Nothings leaking and I know it’s not the side stand nor the bank angle since the motor is turning. Going to pick up a spark plug right now to test

Might try cycling the kill switch back and forth.

[Gearhead24]

I tried that, walked to autozone and got a spark plug since I didn’t have my tools on me. Tested cylinders 2,4, and 6 with no luck. No spark at all. Pulled the left side cover and found the icm had slipped off its mounting bars (don’t ask me I have no idea how it happened) and the plastic on the bottom corner has broken revealing part of the circuit board. My best guess is that the icm broke and now I gotta buy yet another one. Considering JB welding the next one to the battery box so it won’t fall again. I pushed it out of the main road and into a neighborhood but it’s not my neighborhood and I can’t push it all the way back home so tomorrow I got to rent a trailer and bring her back

[The emperor has no clothes]

I tried that, walked to autozone and got a spark plug since I didn’t have my tools on me. Tested cylinders 2,4, and 6 with no luck. No spark at all. Pulled the left side cover and found the icm had slipped off its mounting bars (don’t ask me I have no idea how it happened) and the plastic on the bottom corner has broken revealing part of the circuit board. My best guess is that the icm broke and now I gotta buy yet another one. Considering JB welding the next one to the battery box so it won’t fall again. I pushed it out of the main road and into a neighborhood but it’s not my neighborhood and I can’t push it all the way back home so tomorrow I got to rent a trailer and bring her back

There must be something missing on your mount. As I recall they are attached rather firmly.

[Gearhead24]

I would not be surprised if something for the mount is missing but when I get it back home I will come up with a way to ensure it doesn't fall again. I have an icm that has spark on 4 cylinders but won't fire 5&6, I might try using that just to limp myself home. It's only two miles but I'm not sure what kind of damage that might do if it'll do any. Ebay seems to be low on icms at the moment, so what years are interchangeable for this part?

[Willow]

I would not be surprised if something for the mount is missing but when I get it back home I will come up with a way to ensure it doesn't fall again. I have an icm that has spark on 4 cylinders but won't fire 5&6, I might try using that just to limp myself home. It's only two miles but I'm not sure what kind of damage that might do if it'll do any. Ebay seems to be low on icms at the moment, so what years are interchangeable for this part?

All.

And yes, it sits in a rubber pocket.  Shouldn't slip out.

[Gearhead24]

After closer inspection, the mounts had broken off. Got a icm from a 2000 ordered and once that shows up I’ll be back out on the road. Luckily my spare icm was able to get me up the driveway and into the garage so everything is tucked away until the new computer shows up

[Gearhead24]

I got my “new” ICM yesterday and I’m at a loss. Now I have absolutely 0 spark everywhere. Out of 4 ICM’s none are giving spark right now. Battery is fully charged and reading 13v with the bike off. I read another thread on here about the same thing. Bike shut off while riding and now has no spark. Could’ve sworn it was the ICM considering I was able to plug a faulty one in and ride up the driveway on 4 cylinders. On that thread the alternator, harness, dogbone fuse, pulse generators, and capacitors were all mentioned in testing but at the end he said all the shop did was new spark plugs and new gas. My spark plugs are brand new (less than 50 miles on them) and I got gas last week and put a little bit of seafoam in it as well. I don’t have a peak voltage adapter and I’m not keen on buying one due to its price.
Right now the only thing I can think of is the pulse generators

UPDATE: Finally figured out what it was. The connector on the harness for the icm is in terrible shape, PO broke it apart at one point so every time I mess with the icm I’m careful. Apparently the yellow/white wire on the left side of the connector had not been resting properly so I reset it, jammed some copper strands in there to tighten the fit and encourage a connection, then taped the wire still. Back to running on all 6 and my back up 4 cyl icm works as well

[shavdog]

Gearhead....Your efforts are nothing short of 5 stars.....

[Gearhead24]

Gearhead....Your efforts are nothing short of 5 stars.....

I know my posts are all over the place and that this thread was initially about hydrolock but really ended up as a thread for a project bike which is definitely what this one was, but I seriously appreciate all the help from everybody on here.
When I got this bike it was so torn down that I could’ve ran a new wire harness through easily, and now she’s registered and insured and back on the road for the first time in 3 years. I finished polishing and installing my 6 into 6 yesterday, got a set of Viking bags on the way, and now the only thing I want to do to the bike is a brake job.
I already bled the brakes but I’m still not happy with their performance. I don’t know if I’m just not grabbing it hard enough but I barely feel any actual stopping force when I’m at speed. I am stopping in time but that’s with giving myself the same kind of room I’d give my truck with a failing brake booster.
I saw sets of pads going for roughly $70 for the front and $35 for the rear but wanted to see if there was a better deal anywhere

[The emperor has no clothes]

Gearhead....Your efforts are nothing short of 5 stars.....

I know my posts are all over the place and that this thread was initially about hydrolock but really ended up as a thread for a project bike which is definitely what this one was, but I seriously appreciate all the help from everybody on here.
When I got this bike it was so torn down that I could’ve ran a new wire harness through easily, and now she’s registered and insured and back on the road for the first time in 3 years. I finished polishing and installing my 6 into 6 yesterday, got a set of Viking bags on the way, and now the only thing I want to do to the bike is a brake job.
I already bled the brakes but I’m still not happy with their performance. I don’t know if I’m just not grabbing it hard enough but I barely feel any actual stopping force when I’m at speed. I am stopping in time but that’s with giving myself the same kind of room I’d give my truck with a failing brake booster.
I saw sets of pads going for roughly $70 for the front and $35 for the rear but wanted to see if there was a better deal anywhere

Even as heavy as these bikes are, the brakes are exceptionally good. I’d remove the calipers and tear them down and clean them up. There have been pics of some pretty gunked and jellied ones with less sitting than yours.