Proff that I'm the greatest Valkyrie mechanic on Earth.

[Alien]

Due to a death in the family and some job issues, I hadn't ridden my normally daily driven Valk for almost two months.  I finally got the chance to go for a spin and that's when the trouble started.

The bike was tough to start, didn't sound too good idling and sounded really weak and rough under throttle.  Ok, I consider myself a pretty experienced mechanic so I got right to work on the problem.

1. Checked battery voltage-good.
2. Checked alternator output voltage-good.
3. Checked Coil voltage-good.
4. Pulled and checked all six plugs-good
5. Checked all the plug wires for cracks-good.

Hmmm...ignition system is fine...what's next?

6. Checked all the vaccuum lines for leaks-good.
7. Checked all the manifold clamps and bolts-good.

Ok, it's a fuel issue then.  It's been sitting for two months and the fuel has turned to varnish and has plugged the jets in one of the carbs. ^%$#!  Going to have to pull the carbs, disassemble, clean, reassemble and re-sync them.  What a huge PITA!  Ok, off we go.

8. Grabbed a piece of fuel line, a 5 gallon gas can, hooked the fuel line to the petcock, applied some vaccum to the petcock to open it, moved the switch to "ON".  Nothing.  No fuel coming out.  Well, there's the problem, the petcock isn't working!  Sigh.  Ok, I'll have to pull the tank with it full, then yank the petcock from there and that's going to be heavy.  Why does this crap always happen when you have a full tank?

Full tank.  Full Tank.  FULL TANK!!!!  OH $%^&$%^&$%^%&#^%#$%^#$%#$^^&%^%#%^&$*$R!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

9. Checked trip odometer which I zero at each fill up.  154 miles.

10. Reconnect fuel line, switch to reserve, fire bike up.  Runs perfect.  Rode to gas station ane fill with 5.2 gallons.

When I got home, my wife said that the bike sounded great, what did I have to do?  "Well, the fungular torsite bushing was oblonged, but I was able to make a new one on the lathe."

Yep, greatest mechanic in the world!  Happy Holidays!

[bigvalkriefan]

  Good one! The good guys have to win every now and then.

[sugerbear]

I'd be ashamed to admit that!!

your the ONLY one that has EVER happened to!!


welcome to the club

[HayHauler]

When I first got my fat girl, I was ridin her to werk.  She started to spit and sputter about 4 miles from the house on a cold/slightly rainy morning.  I pulled over, took out the #6 spark plug looking for fire, found fire...  took off the side cover looking for a blown fuse, or anything that would cause the bike to die...  this was early in the morning, so I had a small flashlight in my mouth so I could see things and work with both hands... 
Well, you have probably guessed it by now, that I looked at the fuel selector knob and it was on "ON".  I switched it to "RES" and after a few revs, she cranked right up... 
Man, did I feel STUPID!  But I think I have fixed that "stupid", maybe not tho...

Oh, yea, you're not the only one.

Hay 
Jimmyt

[Daniel Meyer]

  "Well, the fungular torsite bushing was oblonged, but I was able to make a new one on the lathe."

Yeah, those things can be trouble...a known weakness on the Valk. Can't keep 'em in stock! 

[art]

I know the feeling .On a trip from Az.to Or thru utah I broke down in Utah pulling a cargo trailer .So I pull over to ck everything I could.All my tools are buried in the trailer.My wife an I empty it out on the frwy. shoulder an start checking for spark an looking for loose wires when I see the petcock in on reserve.damm out of gas in the middle of nowhere.lucky i had an extra can of gas .Oh well

[garyheskett All 49 x 3 st.louis]

It can get worse.....After a breakdown in Colorado that turned out to be the "petcock failure", we jerry-rigged the petcock by reversing the spring. It worked like an old time petcock and I now have to turn it off every time I shut off the ignition.  Coming back to St. Louis, I figured the petcock would still work in the "reserve" position, but wasn't absolutely sure.  So, I had the WIFE on and we were about at the mileage it always runs out, and she doesn't want to see if the petcock works on reserve when you run out, so I take her home. I notice the lawn mower gas can is sitting right there so I bungee the two gallon tank on the back and away I go. Not a mile from the house I run out and flip it to reserve and it works too. Great. Go down the side road a mile or two and a lady pulls out of the drivers license office right in front of me. Yep, I hit her in the left front corner, put a hole in my throat going over the windshield and went over her hood and landed on my back on the other side of her car in the road. Yeah, it really hurt.  But the gas can was still bungeed on the back. But, hey, I found out the petcock still works!!! Bike and me are back on the road.

[John Schmidt]

Full tank.  Full Tank.  FULL TANK!!!!  OH $%^&$%^&$%^%&#^%#$%^#$%#$^^&%^%#%^&$*$R!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
There's a word in the dictionary that applies here: SIPHON.  I have one of these in the link below, works quite well and keeps the gas out of your mouth. A lot easier than lifting nearly 50 lbs. of a full tank.

http://www.harborfreight.com/multi-use-transfer-pump-66418.html

[Jeff K]

I ran my Vmax out of gas twice. Once with my granddaughter on the back. The damn fuel light had just come on, and it went dead. My Granddaughter said "Grandpa, some motorcycle men check their gas before  they go for a ride"  

Well, the second time it happened I jumped on the Vmax board and wondered why there was such a short time from fuel light to dead bike. The response was... there is a switch on the controls to turn the reserve on, have you tried that?  
Oh, yeah! I remember that now!  
So I really didn't run out of gas! I ran out of memory!  

[Davemn]

I ran out of gas on the Valkyrie the 1st year I got it (confused about the reserve thing). I was convinced it was something else until I opened the tank and didnt hear any sloshing. So a young man drives by real slow, turns around and comes back. He said he knew it had to be outta gas cuz its a Honda Valkyrie and they dont break down. Took me to his house and let me have some gas.

[Gear Jammer]

gas problem huh,,,,      

[HayHauler]

gas problem huh,,,,      

Yep!   

Hay 
Jimmyt

[Steve K (IA)]

Full tank.  Full Tank.  FULL TANK!!!!  OH $%^&$%^&$%^%&#^%#$%^#$%#$^^&%^%#%^&$*$R!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
There's a word in the dictionary that applies here: SIPHON.  I have one of these in the link below, works quite well and keeps the gas out of your mouth. A lot easier than lifting nearly 50 lbs. of a full tank.

http://www.harborfreight.com/multi-use-transfer-pump-66418.html

Here is a trick to siphon gas with no gas in the mouth because there is no sucking involved.  Put your hose in the tank, use a grease rag and wrap it around the hose filling the tank opening creating a seal.  Holding it real tight, take a deep breath and blow into the hose, then hurry up and get it into a can.  You put enough pressure in the tank to push the gas through the hose.  I learned this as a little kid.

[Alien]

That's a damn good tip!  I have a small pump that chucks into my drill too but it never even occurred to me to do it the easy way.

[PSUbag]

"When I got home, my wife said that the bike sounded great, what did I have to do?  "Well, the fungular torsite bushing was oblonged, but I was able to make a new one on the lathe."

That's awesome!