Been a long time.

[Rattler]

  Well, well it's been ages since I've been on VRCC. Lot's has gone on since I've been here. Have been working like mad the last few yrs. since the wife and I almost lost everything when the economy tanked. Had to sell the burgandy and black I/S that matched my wife's trike and the green and silver I/S. But still have two std's the Rattler and another one I keep and tell the wife it's there when parts become unobtainable. lol. And of course the wife's burgandy and red I/S moto triked. My post count is low, but most all of my posts were on the old forum.
 Well the reason I poked my head in here is I am need of a set of Avon's and hoping someone could point me to a good place/price. In about 3 weeks we are headed for a job I have in Knoxville till Christmas and will be grinding some pegs on the Tail of the Dragon and the other rides in the area.   Also hoping someone might know somebody in the Texas Panhandle that could either point me to a good Valk mechanic or someone that could possibly help me with a rear tire change out and final drive maintenance. I have lift and lift adaptor just haven't done a tire change on the rear and even tho I could probably do it, just not comfortable doing it the first time. Well anyways hope to be back on, on a more regular basis, due to  lot's of hard work things have settled down.
 All ya'l that are going to Inzane hope ya'll all have a great time. Always wanted to go and was bummed to see it was in Wisconsin as we just got back from being in Wisconsin for 10 months.
 Later Texas crew I will probably be bugging ya'll with some questions.
 Glad to be back.  
  Don

[Rattler]

Post edited. I had the wrong Daniel. 

[franco6]

Rattler, Rocky Mountain ATV has always done me right, good price, fast free shipping. just got to find a place to mount it. Cycle gear $35.00 off the bike

[Six Guns]

http://www.jakewilson.com/     

[Disco]

Welcome back, Rattler!

Check out Jake Wilson.  They've done right by me.  While you're buying new tires, don't forget the metal valve stems.   

http://www.jakewilson.com/cl/52/Motorcycle-Tires

http://www.jakewilson.com/p/52/-/343/753/-/19082/Myers-90%C2%B0-Tubeless-Chrome-Valve-Stem?term=valve%20stems

[Rattler]

  On the valve stems. I had been searching the archives for the correct valve stem. Thanks!

[Rattler]

 I called the local stealer here in town and grilled em pretty hard on whether they had a mechanic that is proficient on the Valk. Supposedly their lead mechanic used to ride a Valk and is good at working on em. I've met him before, when taking the bike in for state inspections there. He's been there for yrs. and is a cranky old fart. But what I found odd was when I was talking price, they said it was 80 bucks each tire to mount and balance. So I asked if that was on or off the bike, knowing the answer and he surprised me and said it was the same whether they removed tire and put it back on or I just brought the tire in??????????? I just hate using the stealer, I'm usually always on the road working and wife and I stay in our travel trailer. So I can't work on the bike on the road. I had a rear tire swapped out that I had on hand, by a stealer and I'm having a wierd noise if I'm in a corner and hit a dip. When I first picked it up the rear tire wouldn't even hardly spin. Took it back and he said he had accidentally put the wrong spacer in.  So I'm kinda thinking the final drive might have some problems. But I do have a spare one, from the trike conversion with less than a thousand miles on it. There isn't any difference in a 2001 I/S rear end versus the 2000 std? I know the disc is different on some on the front, are they the same on the rear? I really enjoy working on the bikes, but am rarely home where I can. Hence the reason I haven't swapped out a rear tire yet.

[RainMaker]

I called the local stealer here in town and grilled em pretty hard on whether they had a mechanic that is proficient on the Valk. Supposedly their lead mechanic used to ride a Valk and is good at working on em. I've met him before, when taking the bike in for state inspections there. He's been there for yrs. and is a cranky old fart. But what I found odd was when I was talking price, they said it was 80 bucks each tire to mount and balance. So I asked if that was on or off the bike, knowing the answer and he surprised me and said it was the same whether they removed tire and put it back on or I just brought the tire in??????????? I just hate using the stealer, I'm usually always on the road working and wife and I stay in our travel trailer. So I can't work on the bike on the road. I had a rear tire swapped out that I had on hand, by a stealer and I'm having a wierd noise if I'm in a corner and hit a dip. When I first picked it up the rear tire wouldn't even hardly spin. Took it back and he said he had accidentally put the wrong spacer in.  So I'm kinda thinking the final drive might have some problems. But I do have a spare one, from the trike conversion with less than a thousand miles on it. There isn't any difference in a 2001 I/S rear end versus the 2000 std? I know the disc is different on some on the front, are they the same on the rear? I really enjoy working on the bikes, but am rarely home where I can. Hence the reason I haven't swapped out a rear tire yet.

There's probably some other motorcycle shops locally who can mount the tires far less expensively. $80 off the bike sounds high. And since they didn't put the thing together correctly after a previous tire change, I'd worry about them doing it right.

The previous work on your rear end sounds like it might have damaged the bearings (still trying to figure out how they put the wrong spacer in - I'd think that impossible unless they put in a spacer from a different model).  I would also worry about the splines - did they loosen the 4 nuts that mount the pumpkin to the swing arm, torque the axle and then torque the 4 nuts?  My bet is that they never touched those 4 nuts.

The bearings are in the wheel so changing out the rear drive won't make any difference for the bearings.  The pumpkin itself is the same between the I/S and the standard.

That's my 2 cents but others are far more knowledgeable than me.

[Rattler]

It was a different stealer on the west coast. I was thinking bearings also and have already purchased some with the intent on replacing. What the guy said was he has a bunch of spacers in the bin on the lift and when he took the tire off, the spacer fell in the bin and he musta grabbed the wrong one. Needless to say I wasn't impressed and just not comfortable taking the Valks to a stealer. I know if I can just do this once I won't be as intimidated with it. But I don't want to mess this up as those twisties in Tn. are pretty hairy and it's the wifes and I's life on the line.