Newbie

[marcopol]

I have just bought a 1998 Valkyrie with 29K miles on it.
A few questions, I am only getting 100 miles before the tank goes onto reserve, how many more miles can I expect to be able to go on reserve, how can I improve the MPG.
Secondly, the red overheating warning light comes on occasionally after a while. The cooling fan seldom comes on and I have grounded the thermostat wire to the frame to check that the fan works OK and it does so I am assumming I have an intermittent problem with the thermostat switch in the left lower part of the radiator and hence should repalce it.
What service items should I address, as I have no service history for the bike and must assume that a good service is in order.

[PhredValk]

Oh, boy, is there a list. First, what model Valk do you have? I hope not Interstate, or that 100 miles to reserve is a real problem. I think most Standard/Tourers get around 130 miles to reserve, but it depends on how you ride her. I get much better fuel mileage now that I've had my IS for more than a year, mostly because I just ride it now, rather than drive the heck out of it all the time. How you twist the throttle has a lot to do with fuel mileage. Fill the tank and take it out on the hi way at 60-70 MPH and see what milage you get. No fun, no passing, just ride it for a while.

Your best friend right now is the Shoptalk page. Spend some time there to see all of the regular maintenance procedures available.

If there's no history, I would take a weekend and tear the rear end apart, checking and lubing the splines and drive shaft. Proper lubrication in this area will help the bike serve you for hundreds of thousands of miles. If it hasn't been done properly, its the single most common way to reduce her to junk in short order.

Flush and replace the coolant. This may solve your heat issues. At least check the coolant reserve tank behind the left side panel. If it's empty, fill it to the line, ride her for a few hours and check it again. I'm sure there's more coming from the others here, but this should get you started.
Fred.

[Bone]

Bought my 98 Tourer in 2005 with 22k miles has 90k now. PhredValk gave you a good start. Shoptalk can be found going to the top of the page and clicking on the word.
My 98 averages mid-30's mpg. 130 miles to reserve. Riding in the western US running 80 mph in high winds I ran out of gas they can get real thirsty. Service the final drive every 10k miles. Air filter is under the gas tank needs to be serviced at 12K many of us go farther depending on your riding environment.  

[Shotgun]

I agree with all the above.  I have a 98 Standard and get around 115 before going to reserve.  A lot of it depends on whether or not you really top it off.  If I stand at the gas pump and let it trickle in until it is right at the brim, I can get 130-135 before going on reserve, but I'm not that patient.  I like to ride it pretty hard plus I'm two up about 60 per cent of the time.  As for the overheating, you may want to check the water pump, it could be starting to go, especially if the previous owner used the wrong antifreeze (with silicates).

[marcopol]

Its a standard model.

[sugerbear]

mileage is also VERY dependent on the right hand. keep it under 3000 rpm(yea right) and the mileage will improve.

[Mr.BubblesVRCCDS0008]

 Welcome aboard  your life has just taken a huge upturn.I have a 2000 I/S back in Feb. My temp light came on while touring a parking garage for a parking spot in the medical center in Houston. I then noticed the fan was not coming on at all. I tested the fan by grounding the wire at the lower left side of the radiator with the ing on and the fan came on as it should. My switch in the radiator had gone bad. I wired the ground wire to a toggle switch that already had mounted in the fairing so I could turn the fan on and off manually until my new switch came from HDL.
   After installing the new switch I still left the toggle switch wired so if I see traffic jam ahead or a long light I can kick the fan on early to avoid the high heat from the engine while sitting still. Hope this might help you.

[old2soon]

Brake and clutch fluid. If it's any other color than a straw or weak urine color-change it. I've got an I/S with a bigger tank-but yeah but-you have read this already-the right hand has a LOT to do with fuel mileage. You have 6 cylinders 6 carbs 1520 ccs a smidge over 100 H P. It takes gasoline-lots of it to make max horsepower and go fast. These are not the most fuel efficent motorcyles on the planet. That being said-they are a nimble and fast LARGE motorcycle. I M H O it be a fair trade between speed-handling-utility-and that other thing-oh yeah-FUN. Get a very large smile every time i ride this thing. I love the admiring looks the difference of it and dusting the odd v twinky now and then. Had mine a year this past June 30th. Have put on over 14000 since i got it. After i'm takin my dirt nap-it MIGHT be for sale. Welcome to the insanity. There is a gigantic wealth of knowledge here about these valks that have taken over our lives. Research your question first-can't find your answer-then ask the question. Lot of folks on this board(not me)know these machines way BETTER than most dealers. And most every one here is more than willing to help you keep that fat girl doing right. Again-welcome aboard. RIDE SAFE.

[John U.]

You've gotten good replies to your question.
I'd add to check the tire pressure. 40/42 front and 44/up rear depending on load. This will improve gas and tire mileage.
+1 on the suggestion to check the air filter, it may never have been changed.
If you let the bike sit for long, better use some Marine Stabil to avoid clogged slow jets. They don't like ethanol.
Check out Shoptalk for the write-up on the ECT mod. It's easy, cheap and will improve fuel economy if you don't get too exuberant with the throttle.
Congrats on buying a hell of a bike.

[Chiefy]

I have a Standard, and I was getting between 80 to 100 miles before switching to reserve.  I was getting 33 mpg, so the math didn't work.  33 at 4 gallons is of course 132 miles.  Folks here told me about a problem where the diaphragm in the petcock can get weak, and restrict the gas flow.  Instead of rebuilding it, I just replaced it.  Now I go about 125 mile to reserve, and the gas mileage has never changed.  I believe it's 4.1 gallons to reserve.  Figure your MPG and see if 4 gallons seems right or if you have a fair amount of gas left.

[marcopol]

Meant to also ask, whats with the rear brake. Is it only there for cosmetic purposes?
Everything looks fine including the pads but the rear brake would not stop a sneeze.
Is this a characteristic of these bikes ?

[Bone]

I forgot the percentage but the front brakes supply most of the stopping power. Use them both (front and rear) to bring the speed down quickly considering how much the fat lady weighs.

[Ricky-D]

Meant to also ask, whats with the rear brake. Is it only there for cosmetic purposes?
Everything looks fine including the pads but the rear brake would not stop a sneeze.
Is this a characteristic of these bikes ?

No, this is not characteristic.

The rear brake system may need to be flushed to clean out a clogged master cylinder.

***

[Chiefy]

Meant to also ask, whats with the rear brake. Is it only there for cosmetic purposes?
Everything looks fine including the pads but the rear brake would not stop a sneeze.
Is this a characteristic of these bikes ?

No, this is not characteristic.

The rear brake system may need to be flushed to clean out a clogged master cylinder.

***

[PhredValk]

Stomp down on the pedal and you should be able to lock the rear up completely. If it isn't doing much there is something wrong. Like RD said, start with a complete flush of the brake line and cylinder, check for blockages or kinks in the line etc.
Fred.

[Willow]

As to your first question, assuming you really are filling it to the top, about 23 miles, and you're getting really poor fuel mileage.

The fan won't come on of your coolant level is down enough, but the light will.

[marcopol]

Coolant level is correct. I just installed a new cooling fan switch and it makes no difference. The Red warning light still comes on before the fan ever kicks in. Th fan still seems to only come on intermittingly.

[Chiefy]

Coolant level is correct. I just installed a new cooling fan switch and it makes no difference. The Red warning light still comes on before the fan ever kicks in. Th fan still seems to only come on intermittingly.

Hmm, well in the past, on cars I've had faulty temperature sensors.   Are there any outward indications that your bike is really overheating?  If not you may want to try changing that sensor out.  I understand swapping parts trial and error can get expensive.  I wonder if you could take it off the bike, and test it with an ohmmeter using hot water?

I don't know how the temperature sensor is wired on the Valk.  But on some cars, it switches the one wire connected to it to ground.  If the insulation anywhere along that wire is worn away, and the wire touches ground, the indicator light would come on.

Of course, if the bike is really overheating, it sounds like you need to keep looking at the fan and/or thermostat.

Make sure you let us know how this plays out, and good luck.

[SW]

Hey Newbie, welcome to tech board. I have a 98 std with 67k on the od. I average about 38mpg and usally refuel about 140 mi without using reserve. The only mods I've done is exhaust and K&N air filter and I run Ams Oil synthetic which has improved milage a little and quieted doen 5th gear when running around 50mph. I think you have a great ride and the HD guys got to spend big bucks to keep you in sight. All suggestions sound right on to me and yours probably needs a little TLC to get it running right.

[Earl in Pensacola]

Just today, this happened.  The outside temp was about 95, so I expected to see a rise in coolant temp. and I did. (steady 75 mph=190 degrees) I also noticed it was higher than I'd ever seen before (after 240K) and the fan wasn't comming on until about 230 degrees or not at all.  I had just yesterday flushed and checked the radiator etc. refilled with Dex-Cool 50/50 and changed oil and filter.  Anyway, after I got home and the bike cooled I checked the connection to the little sensor at the water pump.  It had corroded into, but was still touching the connector.  I trimmed off about 1/4" and used a new connector and the temp gauge seems to read a few degrees lower  (!) and the fan comes on at exactly 212 degrees as it should.

[marcopol]

Sounds good, I will check that out.

[Ricky-D]

Coolant level is correct. I just installed a new cooling fan switch and it makes no difference. The Red warning light still comes on before the fan ever kicks in. Th fan still seems to only come on intermittingly.

I think that is the way it is supposed to operate.

***

[sugerbear]

i would think the fan comes on before the light?

[RP#62]

The fan should come on at 208°-216° and go off when the temp drops to 99°-207°
The overheat light should come on at 234°-244° and go off when the temp drops to 226°

With a little varience depending on the year model.
-RP

[da prez]

today,157.8 before I had to go to reserve.  4.1 on the fillup I ride a standard

                                        da prez

[Earl in Pensacola]

38.4 mpg is pretty much "right-on-the-money".  Your right hand and/or a strong head-wind can and will reduced that dramatically.  Of course, if you can stand it , try a steady 65 MPH (staying  below 3000 RPM's) and watch!!  40 mpg plus is very possible with a stock bike.  A couple of years back I actually hit 44 mpg.

[marcopol]

Update, I have established with a probe that both the fan and the red light are coming on at the correct temperatures.
I have now replaced the coolant and the thermostat (OEM) and the Red warning light still comes on occasionally, albeit a lot less frequently than before. The only thing left to replace is the actual water pump ?
Is there anythign else I am missing or should check for ?

[BonS]

Well, to be complete, even though I've never read about it here, you could have a partially clogged radiator core. Reduced area for coolant flow can make things marginal. A radiator shop can help you.

I once had a radiator hose that delaminated internally. Very strange, but it allowed coolant to get between its ply's and would bubble up on the inside of the hose and pinch off the coolant flow. It sure was a head scratcher.

An ignition that is too advanced or retarded can also cause overheating. If everything is stock and running right then that isn't a likely culprit here.

Just keep looking, good luck, and welcome aboard!

[RP#62]

On the '97-'99 models, there is an Engine Coolant Temp Indicator Unit between the Thermosensor and the light.  It lives under the left side cover.  It interprets signals from the Thermosensor and tells the light when to come on.  They have been known to go bad and cause the symtoms you describe.  If you've verified the that the temps are correct, that's what I'd suspect.

The later models eliminated the Indicator Unit and replaced the Thermosensor with a Thermostatic Switch that turns the light on directly.

-RP

[marcopol]

[  It lives under the left side cover.  It interprets signals from the Thermosensor and tells the light when to come on. -RP
[/quote]

What does it look like and how do you test it.

[RP#62]

It lives under the left side cover behind the radiator overflow tank.  Troubleshooting is essentially checking the wiring and thermosensor, and if everything checks good, replace the indicator unit.
 
From the service manual:
Remove the radiator, disconnect the thermosensor connector. Turn the ignition switch ON and check the indicator.
If the Indicator does not come on, check the thermosensor.  If the thermosensor is OK, replace the coolant temperature indicator unit
If the indicator comes on, check as follows:
Remove the radiator reserve tank without disconnecting the siphon tube. Disconnect the 2P connector
from the coolant temperature indicator unit. Turn the ignition switch ON and check the indicator.  If the indicator does not come on, repair the short circuit in green/blue wires between the indicator unit 2P connector and thermosensor.
- If the indicator comes on, check as follows:
Disconnect the 4P connector from the indicator unit. Turn the ignition switch ON and check the indicator.
If the indicator does not come on, replace the indicator Unit. If the indicator comes on, check for short circuit in the light
green/black wire between the tachometer 9P connector and indicator unit 4P connector. If the light green/black
wire is OK, replace the tachometer assembly.

[marcopol]

Ok,sounds good. Thanks for the advice. I wil try it although when using a thermal sensor the Red light does appear to come on at the correct temperature. When I turn on the ignition and do not start the bike the Red light flashes just once and goes off. Is this meant to happen this way?  Incidentally I checked the water pump today and it is working fine. I hope the head gasket is not gone, although there is absolutely no contamination in the coolant.

[Earl in Pensacola]

One last effective and inexpensive little trick::  Install a manual "ON" switch, like a lot of others have done. Then just turn it to "ON" anytime you're in heavy or stalled traffic.

[marcopol]

By chance I may have found the problem. When the overheating Red light comes on if I switch the light switch from low beam to high beam and back to low beam again the Red light immediately goes out everytime. Appears the bike may not have been overheating at all and that the Red light is coming on due to some obvious electrical fault. Anyone experience this before ?

[salty1]

Welcome to the insanity!  Hope your light situation is resolved soon.

[Daniel Meyer]

That seems like a ground problem.

[Thunderbolt]

What Daniel said, grounding could be your problem.  Also the oil needs to be drained before you pull the water pump or it will get messy if you decide to check it internally or change it.

[marcopol]

Where do I go looking for the ground problem ?

[pancho]

First place is to make sure the radiator has a solid ground so the fan sensor can actually turn the fan on when it trips... Someone had this problem just a week or two ago. 


Welcome

[marcopol]

This problem has nothing to do with the fan sensor. The fan turns on OK.

Where is the ground the previous posters mentioned ?