Getting to know your dragon

[Fourtyniner]

Hello everyone, I crossed paths with a 2002 Standard with about 6,000 miles on her. This afternoon I watched as 9,999.0 flipped up, That last mile to 10,000 was great, this motorcycle and I have been getting to know one another for four thousand miles. Seven hundred on the last ride in Knoxville, TN. 529 Curves, Dam, Tree House, Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary, Water Falls. Good Time! I find myself enjoying riding more and more as I and my dragon get better together. Looking forward to the Whiskey Run, I,m excited to get on the road to Kentucky. That one mile to ten thousand was in the 5 to 6 thousand RPM range and in the Guntersville State Park, a small milestone but that mile I will remember.

See Ya in Kentucky!
  Fourtyniner

[F-106]

I have had 14 hondas since 1979. My Valk was the first bike I have had that it took awhile to get to know. There is something about the Valk that is differant form all other bikes I have had.  It took about a year but now I know I made the right move when I got her. 

[alph]

I have had 14 hondas since 1979. My Valk was the first bike I have had that it took awhile to get to know. There is something about the Valk that is differant form all other bikes I have had.  It took about a year but now I know I made the right move when I got her. 

wow, it took me about 40 miles before i knew i made the right choice!!  when i got my valk home i stood back and just steared at it in ahhhh. 

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

I have had 14 hondas since 1979. My Valk was the first bike I have had that it took awhile to get to know. There is something about the Valk that is differant form all other bikes I have had.  It took about a year but now I know I made the right move when I got her. 

wow, it took me about 40 miles before i knew i made the right choice!!  when i got my valk home i stood back and just steared at it in ahhhh. 

 

[Jabba]

I got off a VTX 1800 and onto a Valk.  I didn't make it out of the parking lot before I knew.

When I bought mine... I rode her about 50 miles before it felt like I had been on her my whole life.  I am serious about that... it just ifts me.  For those of you who are shotgunners you'll understand.  Some guns just FIT.  When you find one like that... you keep it forever.

Congrats on yours!

Jabba

[Big Rig]

I knew about 5 minutes into my test ride, took it 25 miles to show my girlfriend (wife now) called and told him to get the paperwork filled out, he thought I stole it...did kind of...got back and charged 12,500 on my credit card for my 99 I/S new out of the box in 99. Everyday she surprises me...She is a life time comitment.

Welcome, enjoy the ride.

[big turkey]

Yah I noticed that, can't get my Interstate Neutral Light to come on in Neutral.

I have trouble passing gas stations.

Rear Tires for it are more expensive than my other bikes.

Splines are a pain in the Patootie.

Some parts ain't made any more.

Oh Yeah the Bearings in the rear wheel give people a fit sometimes.

Petcocks break at the most inoportune times.

But I still Like mine anyway.

Just like my wife, she ain't perfect but she's mine.

Big AL

[Serk]

I went from a beater Yamahahahahahaha XS11 Special to the Valk. Bought my Valk brand new, never rode one at all...

The first 3 months I was regretting my decision to get the Valk, she terrified me... Took a while to get used to her, but once we warmed to each other, been great ever since...

[Oldswimr]

Yep, had to adjust to the power when I first got it. I came off of an 1100 Tourer. Had it over a year now, just rolled 40K on the way back from RT2010 up in DC. Love this thing..

[Mountainman]

When I bought my 'Valk.', it was because my nephew rode one on our Maine trip ( me on a '96 Wing )
And it looked great, so when my 'Wing' went down I bought a '97 Bumblebee, and the first time I rode I wondered if I had made a mistake, at slow speed's it felt heavier than my 'Wing', but five miles down the road I knew I made the right choice. Now I love the feel and the handeling of the 'Valk'. It seems to have a sharper lean angle in the turns than my "Wing', so it's a blast in the twisties arround here. I will keep the 'Wing' for long trips, it's comfort and cruise control, radio and tape and Disc player makes it a fine choice for long trips by my self, ( it will keep me entertained on those long days in the saddle. ) ..... But when and old work-mate saw my 'Valk', and said, " Now that is one Badazz looking Bike." it helped me see my Bike through anothers eyes. ..... ( and I liked it )
I kind of like having something different than the usual run of the mill bike. For I have seen only two other 'Valk's running around this area.

[big turkey]

You missed it MountainMan, there were 157 at Gettysburg Pa. last year..about this time of the year.

Farily Large Group.

Big Al

[Mountainman]

Big Al;
   I did not have the 'Valk', then, I bought it in November after I totaled my 'Wing' in October on my way to Tennessee because one of those 'wood rats' was in the road.  While the 'Wing was getting put back together it bothered me having no scoot, and my road is the gate way for all the best twisties in East Pennsylvania. So you know what I had to do. ....... SOOOoooo, the 'Valk' came to live in my garage and keep the 'Wing' company. ( Right now the 'Valk', is getting the petcock replaced, the forks re-built, a light bar w/ spots, ....... cause I'm not good a turning a wrench, it's gona cost.)

I have done Gettysburg, and Harpers Ferry before with a groupe of Pa. bikes on our way down to do the Tail of the Dragon, ( did the BRP on the way.) ..... Gettysburg is about three hours away. I have Kin in your neck of the woods. ..... You met one.

[big turkey]

Now you have me at a disadvantage, who might your kin folk be down here.

much more than that, I am supposed to have met this person.

Give it up, who is this mystery person, Mountainman?

Big Al

[Normandog]

I had never ridden anything bigger than the 1100 Shadow I had when i bought my first Valk in June, '03. I had never ridden one. Sat on one at the dealer and tho I couldn't flatfoot I felt like I could ride it. Salesman said I was crazy buyin' such a big bike without riding it. In the first 1/2 mile I was hooked. 

[Six Guns]

just rolled 40K on the way back from RT2010 up in DC.

Oldswimr, I rode my valk to R.T. 2010 from Texas and back. Just about to go over 60K miles. She ran like a champ. If I ever sell her it will be to get another valk.

[bigdog99]

i thought i bought a monster bike when i bought a 1983 goldwing. pulled through a toll booth the day i bought it and cracked the throotle, it smoked the back tire. thought that was awsome,
did the same thing with the Valk coming home from Kalamazoo Mi, when i cracked the throtle from a slow roll i found myself in the back seat.
from that day on she has fit me like a glove. man i am glad i have big hands!!

[usmc1142]

first time I saw an interstate, (back in "99)  I wanted one.  The first 3 minutes on my bike and the salesman and I knew it was mine.  I've never seen a prettier bike since. 

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

Now you have me at a disadvantage, who might your kin folk be down here.

much more than that, I am supposed to have met this person.

Give it up, who is this mystery person, Mountainman?

Big Al

No mystery Al 

[big turkey]

Oh my God , it's Dave.

What a small world it is,


but I don't want to paint it today.

Thanks

Big AL

[bigguy]

I knew before I got him. (Mines male.) I bought a Victory 92TC Deluxe as my first Big bike. My other bike is a Magna. I found the Victory collecting dust unless I just HAD to have more storage than Maggie could handle.
I hang out with Oldman (Charles Otwell) He bought his Valk soon after I bought the Victory. The first time I sat his, I knew. I've been looking and lusting ever since. Now I gots me one.

ps I know where somebody can get a good deal on a Victory.

[czuch]

Mine sorta found me. She was at the used bike dealer for an astonishing 4 weeks.
 I  was asked if I wanted to hear it run. Nope.
3 weeks previously I'd become single and was trying to keep up good cheer.
Second week, still there. Wanna go for a test ride? Nope.
I wanted a wing and as a couple we could have afforded it handily.
Now single, not so much.
3rd week. Wanna Go for a test ride? What would the payments be? $180 per month. I'll take it.
Thrud. Thor's daughter came to me.
I've ridden for 38 (+/-) years. I've ridden in all kinds of weather and on all kinds of bikes.
I've had an Ariel and a Crocker as daily drivers. The whole spectrum has passed under me.
As I rolled outta the parking lot, I knew I had the pinnacle of motorcycledom. I was home.
Thrud has taken me 55k miles and I was comfortable at the first.
She's big and takes constant monitoring. Especially on take off and landing.
Still, it took a year to find out where the throttle stop was. And I honk on her.
1997 Tourer btw.

[deadvelvet]

I CAME ACROSS MY 99 I\S LAST MARCH IN EVANSVILLE AT WESTSIDE HONDA. WASNT EVEN LOOKING FOR ANOTHER BIKE BUT THERE SHE WAS. WITH IN A FEW DAYS SHE WAS MINE THE WIFE WASNT TO HAPPY AT FIRST. SHE SAID WE DONT NEED 2 BIKES SO I SAID JUST GET ON AND LETS GO FOR A RIDE. WELL SHE WAS TRYING HARD TO STAY MAD AT ME SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH HER JUST LIKE I DID. SHE JUST HAD 30K MILES ON HER NOW SHE HAS ALMOST 47K. THEN WE TOOK HER ON THE DRAGON I LOVED IT THE WIFE ON THE OTHER HAND KEPT HER EYES CLOSED MOST OF IT. SHE SAID TO MANY CURVES FOR HER BUT SHE SAID ANYWHERE I WANNA GO SHE'LL BE THERE WITH ME. THEN LATER AFTER THAT (MONTHS LATER) WE GOT MARRIED ON HER IN THE DRIVE THRU IN PEGION FORGE. 

[big turkey]

I found mine by mistake, one deal fell through and I ended up with one SmokinJoe found for me

in Soddy Daisy.

It has a few things that are not found all the other Vakyries.

CB and Pod Lights, wiht Honda Pod Wings.

And the Spline looks like it did when it cam off the Show Room Floor.

I have not found a single thing that has not been maintained to speck since I found this bike.

The guy who I got it from had not had it long, the one before him is the one who took care of it.

But this guy did flush the Radiater and Cooling System and replaced all the Hydraulic Fluids.

Even put in Honda Line Synthetic Oil and Honda Filter.

Just get lucky sometimes I guess.

Big Al , Blessed in Tennessee

[Colin]

12 months or so ago I went new bike hunting with a friend. In one of the dealers there was an all black fully loaded Canadian registered Valk. I thought that looks nice and sat on it and it just felt right. The price was 10000 Euros (12500$) which is the going price here for one  . If the stealer had been sensible and given me a realistic price for my VT750DC I would have walked out with it there and then.

That was when my search for a Valk began. I ultimately found a cheap untidy one in the UK last September. After a 25 mile test ride I was convinced and offered the stealer stupid money in comparison to what he was asking and to my surprise he took it  (I suspect that because I am in Spain he thought I am never going to see it again and will never have any come-backs so he let it go).

In October I started my re-build with bits from eBay, Pinwall, some nice guys from here and finally finished it last month. Due to the re-registration process I only started using 'Stinger' last week. I had a couple of short rides during the week and put on another 100 miles on Sunday  (a lot by our standards here not by yours though) and am in love  . It is the most comfortable bike I have ridden, handles well and is so smooth all things you guys know already. It will be the last bike I own and hopefully the parts will still be available for another 20 years, by that time I will be too old to ride and she can become somebody else's love.

[skromfols]

I bought my Valk about two years ago in Minden Nevada.  I found it on Craigslist and convinced my wife to take a drive with me to check it out.  We had my helmet and jacket in the car, just in case.  Since then I've put about 17,000 miles on the bike and have loved every minute of it.  We were talking with friends the other night and my wife surprised me with two comments that she made.  First she told our friends that when we drove up and saw the Valk sitting in the guys drive way she fell in love with it, and there was no way that we were going to leave without it.  The second comment she made was that when she saw the look on my face she already knew that we weren't going to leave without it.  It was about a 100 mile trip home through the Sierra Nevada mountains and by the time I got home I knew it was the right decision.  This is a great bike, and gets lots of attention every time I ride it.

[Jabba]

When you got a Valk... life is generally pretty good.

That is unless you're stuck driving daddy daycare.  Or forbidden to ride for medical reasons.  Or can't ride for som other reason.

I have had my valk for over 7 years now.  I bought my '02 in June '03.  I still get the Goofy Valk grin when I straddle her. 

Jabba

[Gryphon Rider]

I got off a VTX 1800 and onto a Valk.  I didn't make it out of the parking lot before I knew.

In the last couple of weeks I've put an hour and a half on a friend's 2002 VTX1800R.  He had crashed it with cosmetic damage to the bike, but he required surgery on his leg.  I perfomed a little corrective tweaking on the bike's forks and took it on a good long test ride.  The end result:  I love my Valk!