is this normal?

[bambam625]

hey fellas,

just recently bought a honda valkyrie. She seems to have a bit of trouble starting the first time of the day, sometimes to the point to where itll kill the battery. Tried running some techron through her, and some seafoam but it didnt make a difference, battery is in good condition, and i keep it on the tender.
Once the bike has been started and ran for awhile, any other attempts to start the bike same day seem alright.

Anyway, I was looking to see if i could see any cracked vacuum lines, or if i could see anything loose and i noticed this. I am a mechanic noob, and am slowly trying to learn. But are these lines being cut normal? Looks way off to me. there are 3 of them cut
https://ibb.co/7CXFN0S
https://ibb.co/2tY7XsJ

[Valker]

hey fellas,

just recently bought a honda valkyrie. She seems to have a bit of trouble starting the first time of the day, sometimes to the point to where itll kill the battery. Tried running some techron through her, and some seafoam but it didnt make a difference, battery is in good condition, and i keep it on the tender.
Once the bike has been started and ran for awhile, any other attempts to start the bike same day seem alright.

Anyway, I was looking to see if i could see any cracked vacuum lines, or if i could see anything loose and i noticed this. I am a mechanic noob, and am slowly trying to learn. But are these lines being cut normal? Looks way off to me.
https://ibb.co/7CXFN0S
https://ibb.co/2tY7XsJ


Sounds like you aren't using the enrichener lever correctly.

Sounds like you aren't using the enrichener lever correctly.

[bambam625]

hey fellas,

just recently bought a honda valkyrie. She seems to have a bit of trouble starting the first time of the day, sometimes to the point to where itll kill the battery. Tried running some techron through her, and some seafoam but it didnt make a difference, battery is in good condition, and i keep it on the tender.
Once the bike has been started and ran for awhile, any other attempts to start the bike same day seem alright.

Anyway, I was looking to see if i could see any cracked vacuum lines, or if i could see anything loose and i noticed this. I am a mechanic noob, and am slowly trying to learn. But are these lines being cut normal? Looks way off to me.
https://ibb.co/7CXFN0S
https://ibb.co/2tY7XsJ


Sounds like you aren't using the enrichener lever correctly.

Sounds like you aren't using the enrichener lever correctly.

ive used the choke, and also seen other people had luck doing a slight pull of the throttle , without choke on to get fuel into the carbs, then holding it for a bit, then letting off and turning choke on til it warms up.

my post is mostly about the cut lines i took pictures of

[The emperor has no clothes]

What Valker is telling you is the “choke” lever on most of these bikes is unusually stiff. You may think you are using it, but it likely has more to go. (Your pics looked normal to me) those are capped vacuum nipples for synching the carbs.

[bambam625]

yea i know to push it all the way down, im aware of how stiff it is. so cut lines there are normal?

[The emperor has no clothes]

yea i know to push it all the way down, im aware of how stiff it is. so cut lines there are normal?

If by “cut lines” you mean the short capped off hose on the back of the intake manifolds. Yeah that’s normal. They may very well be cracked and needing replaced though.

[bambam625]

yea i know to push it all the way down, im aware of how stiff it is. so cut lines there are normal?

If by “cut lines” you mean the short capped off hose on the back of the intake manifolds. Yeah that’s normal. They may very well be cracked and needing replaced though.

ok thats what i needed to know. thanks. 

[sandy]

Below the vacuum plug, I see stains on the engine block. This usually Indicates the intake O rings being bad. Easy to change.

[bambam625]

Below the vacuum plug, I see stains on the engine block. This usually Indicates the intake O rings being bad. Easy to change.

yea i believe the previous owner had a lot of work done to it. On the receipts  i do remember seeing something about replacing those.

[rug_burn]

    You might want to use an American, inch size -122 o-ring, Nitrile material, on that intake tubes-to-head joint, which fills up the space more than the stock unit, and never will leak up until the time it gets rock hard with age.  
     Is that a stray screw from somewhere else I see sitting there on the engine, BTW?  

[The emperor has no clothes]

For the record, I still think Valker is probably right. I had my Standard for 6 months before I realized I wasn't using the "choke" to its full extent. If you remove the chrome covers over the carb linkage you should be able to see if there is more left.

[bambam625]

For the record, I still think Valker is probably right. I had my Standard for 6 months before I realized I wasn't using the "choke" to its full extent. If you remove the chrome covers over the carb linkage you should be able to see if there is more left.

i can take a look at it, thanks for the tip.

[bambam625]

   You might want to use an American, inch size -122 o-ring, Nitrile material, on that intake tubes-to-head joint, which fills up the space more than the stock unit, and never will leak up until the time it gets rock hard with age.  
     Is that a stray screw from somewhere else I see sitting there on the engine, BTW?  

yes i saw that, i went through and couldnt figure out where it came from, things seem to be in order.

[The emperor has no clothes]

   You might want to use an American, inch size -122 o-ring, Nitrile material, on that intake tubes-to-head joint, which fills up the space more than the stock unit, and never will leak up until the time it gets rock hard with age.  
     Is that a stray screw from somewhere else I see sitting there on the engine, BTW?  

yes i saw that, i went through and couldnt figure out where it came from, things seem to be in order.

it looks like one of the bolts on an Interstate pod. Is your bike a Standard or Interstate ?

[bambam625]

   You might want to use an American, inch size -122 o-ring, Nitrile material, on that intake tubes-to-head joint, which fills up the space more than the stock unit, and never will leak up until the time it gets rock hard with age.  
     Is that a stray screw from somewhere else I see sitting there on the engine, BTW?  

yes i saw that, i went through and couldnt figure out where it came from, things seem to be in order.

it looks like one of the bolts on an Interstate pod. Is your bike a Standard or Interstate ?

mine is an interstate. and I have no idea what an interstate pod is. (im slowly learning, bear with me)

[Savage]

Post some pictures showing your whole bike for us!
That will help us because we can get some visual information regarding what mods may have been done to your Interstate!

[dpcarson]

   You might want to use an American, inch size -122 o-ring, Nitrile material, on that intake tubes-to-head joint, which fills up the space more than the stock unit, and never will leak up until the time it gets rock hard with age.  
     Is that a stray screw from somewhere else I see sitting there on the engine, BTW?  

yes i saw that, i went through and couldnt figure out where it came from, things seem to be in order.

it looks like one of the bolts on an Interstate pod. Is your bike a Standard or Interstate ?

mine is an interstate. and I have no idea what an interstate pod is. (im slowly learning, bear with me)

That Allen screw in the picture is from one of the radiator pods on either side of the radiator on that interstate.  I am guess if it fell in there it probably came out of the top of one of the pods.  There is one on the top of each of the pods that are one of the three that hold each pod on.  I would look at each of those to see if either is missing.

[bambam625]

   You might want to use an American, inch size -122 o-ring, Nitrile material, on that intake tubes-to-head joint, which fills up the space more than the stock unit, and never will leak up until the time it gets rock hard with age.  
     Is that a stray screw from somewhere else I see sitting there on the engine, BTW?  

yes i saw that, i went through and couldnt figure out where it came from, things seem to be in order.

it looks like one of the bolts on an Interstate pod. Is your bike a Standard or Interstate ?

mine is an interstate. and I have no idea what an interstate pod is. (im slowly learning, bear with me)

That Allen screw in the picture is from one of the radiator pods on either side of the radiator on that interstate.  I am guess if it fell in there it probably came out of the top of one of the pods.  There is one on the top of each of the pods that are one of the three that hold each pod on.  I would look at each of those to see if either is missing.

ah yes. i just took the pods off trying to find out where the wiring is for the horn (didnt work when i bought it, trying to replace with denali sound bomb)

[bambam625]

Post some pictures showing your whole bike for us!
That will help us because we can get some visual information regarding what mods may have been done to your Interstate!

this was after i detailed her for the first time.

[klb]

Here is my 99 Standard right after starting it showing how
the Enrichment lever does nothing until you go past where
it gets real hard to keep going. Almost seems like it is not
suppose to go past there but it does.

https://youtu.be/nlKCfEVNwXQ

[bambam625]

Here is my 99 Standard right after starting it showing how
the Enrichment lever does nothing until you go past where
it gets real hard to keep going. Almost seems like it is not
suppose to go past there but it does.

https://youtu.be/nlKCfEVNwXQ

yea i push it down that far. I figured that out the first time i tried to use it and it did nothing until i pushed it down further.

[klb]

   Nice bike.

[bambam625]

  Nice bike.

thanks bud. you can tell the previous owner definitely rode her, she has 100k miles on her, and theres a few spots the paint is worn on the bags and trunk, otherwise shes in good shape. she just needs a good deep solid clean. I took her apart and spent six hours cleaning her, and barely scratched the surface of what needed to be done. washed twice, polished and waxed. ill need to go through her a few more times before she is where I want her.

[The emperor has no clothes]

  Nice bike.

thanks bud. you can tell the previous owner definitely rode her, she has 100k miles on her, and theres a few spots the paint is worn on the bags and trunk, otherwise shes in good shape. she just needs a good deep solid clean. I took her apart and spent six hours cleaning her, and barely scratched the surface of what needed to be done. washed twice, polished and waxed. ill need to go through her a few more times before she is where I want her.

100k on these bikes ain’t nothing. 

[bambam625]

  Nice bike.

thanks bud. you can tell the previous owner definitely rode her, she has 100k miles on her, and theres a few spots the paint is worn on the bags and trunk, otherwise shes in good shape. she just needs a good deep solid clean. I took her apart and spent six hours cleaning her, and barely scratched the surface of what needed to be done. washed twice, polished and waxed. ill need to go through her a few more times before she is where I want her.

100k on these bikes ain’t nothing. 

yea i know, thats why i got it lol. i saw a thread from like 2013 with people claiming 600k on their bikes, wonder how those bikes are now.

[Valker]

yea i know, thats why i got it lol. i saw a thread from like 2013 with people claiming 600k on their bikes, wonder how those bikes are now.

Probably out on the road........

[bambam625]

yea i know, thats why i got it lol. i saw a thread from like 2013 with people claiming 600k on their bikes, wonder how those bikes are now.

Probably out on the road........

i told my coworkers about the mileage these can get and they all acted like i was stupid for believing it. I was like whatever.

[Willow]

yea i know, thats why i got it lol. i saw a thread from like 2013 with people claiming 600k on their bikes, wonder how those bikes are now.

Probably out on the road........

On the General Board is our high mileage Valkyrie thread.  Link to High Mileage Valkyrie Thread

[John Schmidt]

hey fellas,

just recently bought a honda valkyrie. She seems to have a bit of trouble starting the first time of the day, sometimes to the point to where itll kill the battery. Tried running some techron through her, and some seafoam but it didnt make a difference, battery is in good condition, and i keep it on the tender.
Once the bike has been started and ran for awhile, any other attempts to start the bike same day seem alright.

Anyway, I was looking to see if i could see any cracked vacuum lines, or if i could see anything loose and i noticed this. I am a mechanic noob, and am slowly trying to learn. But are these lines being cut normal? Looks way off to me.
https://ibb.co/7CXFN0S
https://ibb.co/2tY7XsJ


Sounds like you aren't using the enrichener lever correctly.

Sounds like you aren't using the enrichener lever correctly.

ive used the choke, and also seen other people had luck doing a slight pull of the throttle , without choke on to get fuel into the carbs, then holding it for a bit, then letting off and turning choke on til it warms up.

my post is mostly about the cut lines i took pictures of

Only problem with that is....it doesn't. These carbs don't have an accelerator pump so before trying to start the motor, if you give the throttle a twist all you've done is exercise your wrist....nothing more. It won't squirt fuel into the carb throat like you see on an automotive carb with a pump. And it won't put any more fuel in the carbs than the float allows so is a waste of effort. As for leaving the choke on long enough for the motor to warm up also wastes fuel and can possibly cause bluing of the headers. If I ever use the choke it's usually only for a few seconds, enough to get the bike running for a very short time, after which it will start to surge if I don't cut off the choke. On mine it's usually 15-20 seconds before I cut it back or off.