Gryphon Rider
Member
Posts: 5232
2000 Tourer
Calgary, Alberta
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« on: June 27, 2011, 10:01:27 AM » |
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Inspired by the other topic, "6 Things Nobody Tells You about Owning a Motorcycle"
3 things nobody tells you about owning a Valkyrie:
3. No matter how much you try, you will never find sixth gear.
And even when you know this intellectually, you still keep trying to shift up from fifth every once in a while.
2. You will spend way more time washing your bike than your car.
Even if you wash the same number of times, with a car it's a quick automatic wash or 5-6 wipes of soapy sponge to each of the body panels. How many different tiny hard-to-reach but easy-to-see chrome surfaces on a Valkyrie? And I've never been ribbed about water spots on my car! And how often do you clean the driver's seat of your car before sitting down just because it's rained in the last hour?
1. You will get better gas mileage with a small modern car.
A smaller tank and worse gas mileage with my Valk means way more time spent at gas stations than with my car. My bike might be slightly quicker through traffic, but darn, I have to fill up! But you can quickly make up for it by not having to pay for parking. Parking you would have been glad to pay for when it means you could have returned to your car instead of your bike when it's pouring rain and your rain gear is rolled up in a tight bundle in the bottom of your saddlebag under your other junk.
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NITRO
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« Reply #1 on: June 27, 2011, 10:05:23 AM » |
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Perfect! I couldn't agree more! And #2 gets even longer after adding copious amounts of chrome...
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When in doubt, ride.
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six2go #152
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« Reply #2 on: June 27, 2011, 10:07:32 AM » |
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Not having to pay for parking? Tell me how that works. Around here if you occupy a metered space, you'd better be dropping some coins.  |
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Gryphon Rider
Member
Posts: 5232
2000 Tourer
Calgary, Alberta
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« Reply #3 on: June 27, 2011, 10:33:48 AM » |
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Not having to pay for parking? Tell me how that works. Around here if you occupy a metered space, you'd better be dropping some coins. Sometimes I have to pay, but in downtown Calgary it's half price in designated MC areas and at U of C it's free and often closer than pay parking!  |
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Oss
Member
Posts: 12683
The lower Hudson Valley
Ossining NY Chapter Rep VRCCDS0141
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« Reply #4 on: June 27, 2011, 10:54:48 AM » |
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great post
+1 on the parking and looking for 6th gear.
I park either bike in front of Bronx Housing Court for free and on my sidewalk next to my building in the north Bronx but the Valkyrie rarely makes the trip to Court anymore as its not really possible to split lanes with it on the Cross Bronx Expressway
The beemer has 6 gears but it is never washed. It wants to look like Valker or DanMayers's bikes
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If you don't know where your going any road will take you there
George Harrison
When you come to the fork in the road, take it
Yogi Berra (Don't send it to me C.O.D.)
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Hoghead
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« Reply #5 on: June 27, 2011, 12:02:24 PM » |
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Ditto to all 3. My V65 Magna has 6 gears. Regular thing to keep pulling up.
i cuss my bling bling sometime.
I have a 98 Honda V6 200hp and it gets 28 mpg on the highway at 70mph. I have a 77 Civic Station Wagon 4 banger 60 hp that gets 40,
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2000 I/S. Coronado Blue & Silver
1984 V65 Magna. Really Fast Black
E. Texas Patriot Guard Rider
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old2soon
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« Reply #6 on: June 27, 2011, 12:16:58 PM » |
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Most every time i wash the valk mama THINKS her caddy needs wahed-by me.  Like thats gonna happen anytime soon.  Keeping in mind we are still divorced-just livin together. I have other riders tell me-even after it's been rained on-how did i get a bike with so much chrome on it.  Only extra is that rear fender chrome thingy.  Good post-and way true.  RIDE SAFE. |
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Today is the tommorow you worried about yesterday. If at first you don't succeed screw it-save it for nite check. 1964 1968 U S Navy. Two cruises off Nam.
VRCCDS0240 2012 GL1800 Gold Wing Motor Trike conversion
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CISE
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« Reply #7 on: June 27, 2011, 01:32:57 PM » |
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regarding not paying for parking Gryphon - remember you live in a semi civilized place
(Ex Calgarian)
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musclehead
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« Reply #8 on: June 27, 2011, 03:46:45 PM » |
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number 3, more times then I'd like to admit to.....  number 2, never I only polish never wash  number 1, *sigh* yep, my wife got better MPG out of her 6 cylinder chrysler concorde then I did most of the time  (my twisted wrist will attest) |
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'in the tunnels uptown, the Rats own dream guns him down. the shots echo down them hallways in the night' - the Boss
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BigAl
Guest
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« Reply #9 on: June 27, 2011, 04:16:40 PM » |
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My Harley has a 6th gear but not enough arse to make it practical.
I am told later years had the gear ratios changed.
But not mine.
Valk could easily pull a 6th gear and would probably get better mileage if it had one.
Ahhh the perfect bike it's out there some where.
AL
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Lyn-Del
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« Reply #10 on: June 27, 2011, 05:40:33 PM » |
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3. No matter how much you try, you will never find sixth gear.
When people ask me how many gears a bike should have, my answer is "one more than it does already." If it had 20, I'd be looking for 21 ..... |
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 If all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed. ― Benjamin Franklin |
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Tropic traveler
Member
Posts: 3117
Livin' the Valk, er, F6B life in Central Florida.
Silver Springs, Florida
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« Reply #11 on: June 27, 2011, 05:45:44 PM » |
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3. No matter how much you try, you will never find sixth gear.
When people ask me how many gears a bike should have, my answer is "one more than it does already." If it had 20, I'd be looking for 21 ..... How true! |
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'13 F6B black-the real new Valkyrie Tourer
'13 F6B red for Kim
'97 Valkyrie Tourer r&w, OLDFRT's ride now!
'98 Valkyrie Tourer burgundy & cream traded for Kim's F6B
'05 SS 750 traded for Kim's F6B
'99 Valkyrie black & silver Tourer, traded in on my F6B
'05 Triumph R3 gone but not forgotten!
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X Ring
Member
Posts: 3626
VRCC #27389, VRCCDS #204
The Landmass Between Mobile And New Orleans
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« Reply #12 on: June 27, 2011, 06:59:43 PM » |
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Not having to pay for parking? Tell me how that works. Around here if you occupy a metered space, you'd better be dropping some coins. Metered space? WTH is that? Marty |
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People are more passionately opposed to wearing fur than leather because it's safer to harass rich women than bikers.  |
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The Anvil
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« Reply #13 on: June 27, 2011, 07:46:23 PM » |
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another one: plan on setting aside time to explain to gawkers what it is.
And this one applies to all bikes but if you're expecting an important calll on a certain day then don't get n the bike because that call WILL come while you're occupied with staying alive.
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Boxer rebellion, the Holy Child. They all pay their rent.
But none together can testify to the rhythm of a road well bent.
Saddles and zip codes, passports and gates, the Jones' keep.
In August the water is trickling, in April it's furious deep.
1997 Valk Standard, Red and White.
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Walküre
Member
Posts: 1270
Nothing beats a 6-pack!
Oxford, Indiana
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« Reply #14 on: June 28, 2011, 12:50:30 AM » |
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another one: plan on setting aside time to explain to gawkers what it is.
Yeah, true, but there's NOthing, that compares with the guy who pulls up next to you at the light and yells out, "Wow, a Valkyrie. You don't see THEM very often!! Nice bike!!!". I smile, give a thumbs up, and ride on... |
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2000 Valkyrie Standard
1999 Valkyrie Interstate
2000 HD Dyna Wide Glide FXDWGRoger Phillips Oxford, IN VRCC #31978 Yeah, what she said...
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WingedWheel
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« Reply #15 on: June 28, 2011, 04:31:09 AM » |
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6th gear is in there somewhere!!! I'm gonna keep trying until I find it! |
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Jess Tolbirt
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« Reply #16 on: June 28, 2011, 05:52:54 AM » |
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someone made a transmission with either lower gears or added a 6th gear,, dont about them anymore,, wonder what the outcome was, i seem to remember that the gas milage dropped with the top gear...
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The Anvil
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« Reply #17 on: June 28, 2011, 06:24:48 AM » |
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another one: plan on setting aside time to explain to gawkers what it is.
Yeah, true, but there's NOthing, that compares with the guy who pulls up next to you at the light and yells out, "Wow, a Valkyrie. You don't see THEM very often!! Nice bike!!!". I smile, give a thumbs up, and ride on... I've had a number of H-D guys say something to the effect that "I don't usually care for Jap bikes, but those are cool". |
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Boxer rebellion, the Holy Child. They all pay their rent.
But none together can testify to the rhythm of a road well bent.
Saddles and zip codes, passports and gates, the Jones' keep.
In August the water is trickling, in April it's furious deep.
1997 Valk Standard, Red and White.
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DarkMeister
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« Reply #18 on: June 28, 2011, 06:50:25 AM » |
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Ah yes...the dreaded 3. Do it all the time. When the old lady's in the back, I actually DO find sixth gear. Cruising along in fifth, it just feels like I'm not done shifting, so I shift. So, in order not to seem foolish, I baby the clutch, massage the throttle just so...and make the engine sound a bit different when I'm done my BS shift. Not sure if she knows; hasn't said anything...  |
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Walküre
Member
Posts: 1270
Nothing beats a 6-pack!
Oxford, Indiana
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« Reply #19 on: June 28, 2011, 09:21:05 PM » |
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Ah yes...the dreaded 3. Do it all the time. When the old lady's in the back, I actually DO find sixth gear. Cruising along in fifth, it just feels like I'm not done shifting, so I shift. So, in order not to seem foolish, I baby the clutch, massage the throttle just so...and make the engine sound a bit different when I'm done my BS shift. Not sure if she knows; hasn't said anything...
Mine rides as much as I do, and up until recently, has always had her own (had knee replacement, sold her Skirtster. Now she's getting the OTHER knee done in August). I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to fool her. But yeah, I check all the time - I don't shift-shift any more, but I do lift the peg up a little, to make sure I'm in 5th. Very seldom that I'm not. I'm with everyone else - just seems to NEED another gear! R |
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2000 Valkyrie Standard
1999 Valkyrie Interstate
2000 HD Dyna Wide Glide FXDWGRoger Phillips Oxford, IN VRCC #31978 Yeah, what she said...
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olddog1946
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« Reply #20 on: June 29, 2011, 08:10:34 AM » |
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Yepper, I have more than once tried for that extra gear...never wash my truck, so yeah, I get more scrubbing in on the Valk..no parking meters around here...which works for me, hehe..
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VRCC # 32473
US AIR FORCE E7, Retired 1965-1988
01 Valk Std.
02 BMW k1200LTE
65 Chevelle coupe, 1986 Mazda RX-7 with 350/5spd, 1983 Mazda RX-7 with FOMOCO 302/AOD project, 95 Mustang GT Convertible 5.0, 5 spd
Moses Lake, Wa. 509-760-6382 if you need help
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ValkFlyer
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« Reply #21 on: June 29, 2011, 03:47:38 PM » |
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Every time a see her I like her more. Every time I'm on her I love her more. Every time I ride her... Ooooh yeaaaa! well you that own her get the point |
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