Changing Of The Guard

[Canuck]

Great thread.  I thought it was only me who thinks 'God, I love this bike' everytime I ride it.  I usually say to my riding buddies ' did I tell you how much I love this bike' everytime we stop for gas or a drink.  They usually respond with yes - many times.
I ran into a guy that bought a second one and put it away so that when his current one wears out, he's got the back up. Hmmmm, wonder if I could sell the wife on that one.

[HayHauler]

The Three Amigos from TEXAS (HayHauler, Disco, and 5_19) all have a saying after riding a cool road....

"MAN!!  THIS IS ONE BAD A$$ MOTORCYCLE!!!"

Goose pimples included... 

Hay 
Jimmyt

[solo1]

There is no bike like the Valkyrie and no board like this one.

I do get on the Vstrom board occasionally and it's like the tech board here, no personal stuff, no getting to know other riders.

I bought my Valk new in '96, a standard. I had it for 13 years.  I needed something lighter as I aged.  I'm also not a peg scraper anymore so  being a flatlander, and an old one at that, my pace would be far behind Smokin' Joe and others,  Caution became my co-rider some time ago and the 'Strom is capable, and then some, of working for me.  I feel blessed that I can still ride even though it's not a Valk.

I'm sure that my sons would let me ride their Valks if i want, and that's all that's neccessary for me.

[FloridaValkRyder]

As with many of you, I've traveled many roads on two wheels, the sound of the engine rumbling on through the night still moves me inside. Below is an excerpt from something I wrote years ago, the entire piece is about traveling alone either by plane or by bike. This is but a few lines of it:
=================================
As the sun completes yet another day’s work,
            the boundaries come closer.
            The road unfurls only within the grasp of your headlight.
            The patchwork below is replaced by the
            dying embers of a thousand campfires.
            Yet as the blackness surrounds, the second act begins.
             Bathing the earth in gold, softening the boundaries.
             You press on, the force that moves you coming from without.
             This I have done many times, often by myself.
             Never alone.

 Come, fly with me…..
==================================
 Sorry for the long-winded epistle. Traveling on the Valk always brings those days back for some reason, maybe its the roar of the pipes passing through the night.

Thanks for sharing that story John.. You know something I have noticed with the Valk's , I have ridden with John a few times..too few..but a few. The sound two or more Valkyries make riding close together is unlike anything I have ever heard on a MC. Those 12 or 18 or 24 or more cylinders rising and falling in unison is purely magical. On a personal note, miss you John, let's do some riding soon..

[Skinhead]

As with many of you, I've traveled many roads on two wheels, the sound of the engine rumbling on through the night still moves me inside. Below is an excerpt from something I wrote years ago, the entire piece is about traveling alone either by plane or by bike. This is but a few lines of it:
=================================
As the sun completes yet another day’s work,
            the boundaries come closer.
            The road unfurls only within the grasp of your headlight.
            The patchwork below is replaced by the
            dying embers of a thousand campfires.
            Yet as the blackness surrounds, the second act begins.
             Bathing the earth in gold, softening the boundaries.
             You press on, the force that moves you coming from without.
             This I have done many times, often by myself.
             Never alone.

 Come, fly with me…..
==================================
 Sorry for the long-winded epistle. Traveling on the Valk always brings those days back for some reason, maybe its the roar of the pipes passing through the night.

Thanks for sharing that story John.. You know something I have noticed with the Valk's , I have ridden with John a few times..too few..but a few. The sound two or more Valkyries make riding close together is unlike anything I have ever heard on a MC. Those 12 or 18 or 24 or more cylinders rising and falling in unison is purely magical. On a personal note, miss you John, let's do some riding soon..

The first time I heard that sound you described, I thought it sounded like a formation of B17 bombers, or at least what they sounded like on the old 12 O'clock High TV show.  I used to watch it as a kid with my dad.  I wish he was still around, as we never got to ride much together.  He had a little scooter (250cc) that he rode 'till he died, even with an O2 bottle strapped to him.  Unfortunately I had moved away by then and hadn't gotten my valk until after he passed away.

Sorry for the ramble, That sound just brings back a lot of memories.

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

As with many of you, I've traveled many roads on two wheels, the sound of the engine rumbling on through the night still moves me inside. Below is an excerpt from something I wrote years ago, the entire piece is about traveling alone either by plane or by bike. This is but a few lines of it:
=================================
As the sun completes yet another day’s work,
            the boundaries come closer.
            The road unfurls only within the grasp of your headlight.
            The patchwork below is replaced by the
            dying embers of a thousand campfires.
            Yet as the blackness surrounds, the second act begins.
             Bathing the earth in gold, softening the boundaries.
             You press on, the force that moves you coming from without.
             This I have done many times, often by myself.
             Never alone.

 Come, fly with me…..
==================================
 Sorry for the long-winded epistle. Traveling on the Valk always brings those days back for some reason, maybe its the roar of the pipes passing through the night.

Thanks for sharing that story John.. You know something I have noticed with the Valk's , I have ridden with John a few times..too few..but a few. The sound two or more Valkyries make riding close together is unlike anything I have ever heard on a MC. Those 12 or 18 or 24 or more cylinders rising and falling in unison is purely magical. On a personal note, miss you John, let's do some riding soon..

The first time I heard that sound you described, I thought it sounded like a formation of B17 bombers, or at least what they sounded like on the old 12 O'clock High TV show.  I used to watch it as a kid with my dad.  I wish he was still around, as we never got to ride much together.  He had a little scooter (250cc) that he rode 'till he died, even with an O2 bottle strapped to him.  Unfortunately I had moved away by then and hadn't gotten my valk until after he passed away.

Sorry for the ramble, That sound just brings back a lot of memories.

You should come down sometime Joe and ride The Blue Ridge Parkway with us ...Nothing sounds as good as 8 to 10 skilled Valk riders screamin' through The Pine Mountain Tunnel at 60 to 70 mph....Cool read about your Dad 

[Red Diamond]

Sounds like a bunch of Crazy Fellows to me, listening to Valkyries idle, bring back memories, thought I was the only "Nitwit" who did that.
Been busy on a remodeling project, haven't riden in a week or so. Guess I'll go to the garage and do what relaxes me when I don't have time to ride. Crank both of um up, listen to 12 cylinders hum and purr, smell the gas fumes. Yall probably think I'm crazy too.

[Rosie]

Had mini bikes, dirt bikes, road bikes, then kids. Sold em all, got back into it 4years ago. Did my research, road tests, ended up with 99 tourer with 25000 miles from a guy at work. Valk is an excellent bike, when you factor in bang for the buck dont believe anything better. Plus when I ride with my Harley buddies and we make a stop people walk right past their 30000.00 bikes to come and see mine.

[Skinhead]

You should come down sometime Joe and ride The Blue Ridge Parkway with us ...Nothing sounds as good as 8 to 10 skilled Valk riders screamin' through The Pine Mountain Tunnel at 60 to 70 mph....Cool read about your Dad 

Thanks Joe, You know I'll take you up on that.  I can't wait for the weather to break and get down to ride with you guys again.  Keep your eyes open for a small house with a big garage for sale.  I doubt very much I'll retire in MI.