Riding my Valk around the world - bike prep advice wanted

[tommyopp]

Hi everyone. I'd like to introduce myself to the board and ask for some experienced advice as well.

About me
My name is Tommy and I am a Valkoholic I am 42 years old. I live on a small lakeside farm in south eastern Norway. 99% of the time I ride 2 up with my 9-year old daughter Mia on long distance trips. We love to explore new places and creating memories together.

I've been a VRCC member for some years, and I'm currently the country rep for VRCC Norway. This is my first post in the board. I'm not so experienced in using forums, but have been very active in the different Valkyrie Facebook groups. I see the board as a great asset and will learn to use it better in the time to come. Huge amounts of valuable info in here! Feel free to friend request me on Facebook, my full name is Tommy Oppegaard.

I'm experienced in the electrical and hydraulic field, as well as advanced machinery and industrial radio control systems. I have been a self-employed inventor of a number of machines and safety products for construction workers over the years. Also, I have been a truck driver all over Europe for about 15 years. Now, I am so tired of the unrewarding pressure in business life, I need to change direction. I want to engage in motorcycle activities full time. I want to give back, as the warmth in the motorcycle community har kept me floating through difficult times.  I have a plan to travel the world on my Valk, together with Mia.

I've also grown to care very much for the VRCC community and I'm making friends all over the world. Many of you I've come in contact with through Facebook. Especially the last few months, I've bought parts and stuff from many people world wide and I only have positive experiences so far. Thank you all for that!

My ride
I am totally in love with my red/black -99 Interstate. I call her my second wife, as the human one doesn't ride a bike.
I bought her three years ago, and it was love at first sight. She came in a shipping container with a bunch of other bikes, and no specific history. She had 24000 miles on her, and very old tires. Mainly stock, just some few extra chrome parts.
She got the royal treatment: new tires, new drive belts, rear drive service, brakes and fluids before i started using her. I also installed a trailer hitch, new Ultimate seats and a new windscreen.

I don’t have a proper garage, only a little workshop in my barn. Also, I'm not that experienced in servicing big bikes, so until now my dealer has done all my servicing. They know these bikes well. I've learned a lot the last year doing research and talking to fellow Valk owners, so from now on I want to do more of it my self.

I bought a 2000 Bushtec Quantum Sport. We travel to desolate areas and like to be self sufficient for a long time if we find some nice camping spots in the wild. The trailer lests us put the most of our load there, and I love the way it handles all together.

Our upcoming adventure
I want to document our travels in current media through a blog, Facebook posts and a YouTube channel. This is a perfect opportunity to show the world what a fantastic machine the Valkyrie is. The community is growing older and we need recruiting to prevent people parting out bikes in stead of preserving and riding them. Keeping as many bikes as possible in traffic, also helps keeping up the demand for parts. If this demand dies out, even more companies will stop making parts. Also, I want to use my travel to help people in need by participating in and helping promote motorcycle charity events world wide.

I'm not totally sure how I'll end up financing my world trip over time, but I’m very determined to make this happen. I'm working on several options. Obviously the pandemic has delayed my plans, but as long as we still can ride in Norway, we have plenty of playground to practice
My daughter attends a creative private school, and I can easily take her along for 3-4 months at a time in cooperation with them. They appreciate the value of the school of life she benefits from while being on the road with me.
My idea is that we can take on one continent every year. This way we get some time to digest all the impressions along the way, and make improvements on the equipment along the way.

Bike preparations
My goal is to do as much preventive maintenance as possible to avoid problems on the road. I've considered mounting a supercharger to remove the six carbs (reliability) and get some little more power, but I'm really unsure on that point. Still doing research on pros and cons. Looks like i won't do it at this stage.

Here's what I've done so far to prepare the bike and trailer, and will do the next months..

Bike
- Fork seals
- Going double darkside (for 1,5 years now and loving it). A lot more rubber in the tread will hopefully give better puncture resistance. I've just mounted Dunlop Trailsmart Max on the front for better grip on the gravel roads. I'll be riding a LOT of gravel
- Wider engine crash bar (Fehling.de) and saddlebag rails to protect the bike more if it tips over
- Chrome radiator covers (need to lose the pods to make place for the new crash bar)
- Center stand and grab rails
- LED conversion
- LED lamps replacement lamps for radiator cover and saddle bags
- Saddle bag liners
- Aux front lighting to be seen better and if I have to ride night time (will always try to avoid it but by experience things don't always go as planned)
- Quick connector for some small jumper cables
- Redeye desmog kit (on the way in the mail)
- Replace remaining vacuum lines after desmog
- Exhaust gaskets
- Replace fuel lines
- Replace radiator hoses
- Braded brake/cluth lines
- Custom hand made rear shocks from Valkyrie Workshop in France
- Polyurethane shock bushings from Redeye
- Carb rebuild set from Redeye (don’t need it yet but consider doing that job preventively at a later stage)
- Shifter buddy
- Shifter axle seal
- TPMS system
- Quad lock phone holder with vibration dampener and wireless charging
- Cup holder in front
- Passenger arm rests with cup holder

Trailer
- LED conversion
- Suspension check-up
- Replace cooler with waterproof storage box (I have an electric cooler inside)
- Mount a fixed electric compressor with wiring from the handlebars so I can adjust suspension pressure on the run if needed

ADVICE NEEDED
Front suspension:
I'm not sure yet what upgrade to do here. I want a soft ride on those bad gravel roads, but I don't want it bottoming out that easy. Some say progressive springs and some say change oil type. I'm confused. Are there options to those? What do you recommend? If oil is the way to go, please specify type and how much to use.

Stereo:
I only have front speakers. We use Bluetooth intercom, and like having some music in the background. The stock speakers aren’t that good. I see a lot of folks mention Polk as a good upgrade. Are there options?
I'm considering finding a small amp with Bluetooth connectivity that can be hidden somewhere (not in the trunk box, need the space) Recommendations please?

General upgrade advice:
After reading the above, what else would you recommend I do with my ride to prepare for this trip??

If you bothered reading all of this, thanks a lot for your patience. Hope to get some constructive feedback.

[..]

For the USA this may be helpful.


I printed these pages and laminated them.

https://www.jkozloski.com/generic_parts.htm

[Ice]

Tommy,

Welcome to the madness.
Thanks for writing this up and letting us know your plans.
This sounds like a great adventure for you and your daughter. I would love to do something like that if I had the time and the money.
As for me not sure what other upgrades would help, as we all have preferences to how the bike needs to be.

When you start your journey please let us know and if you are posting it to Youtube please share the link. Would love to follow your adventures.
It would be great to see the Valk get the attention it deserves.

[Oss]

There was a Japanese fellow who spend years travelling around the world on his Valkyrie.
Apparently he fell over a lot (including in the Himalayas)  on roads that were dry stream beds (and not so dry)
A Valkyrie is heavy !  I would be on a lighter bike but that is just me and if you have never pulled a trailer your stopping distances go way up as well as other factors    BUSHTEC makes a great trailer but perhaps look lighter like a uni-go to keep weight down and the track true

Would recommend a belly tank and if not that a nice gas/petrol container as the range of an Interstate is no more than 200 miles under the best of conditions (riding below 3ooorpm), also either a satellite phone or an app that lets someone know exactly where you are, just in case...

Actually I am really jealous,   Say hello to our friend Dag,  he should have some good advise and also he has an entire manual in digital format

If you will be passing this way, give a heads up and the door will be open for you

[Serk]

I look forward to following along on your travels!

As OSS mentioned, look this guy's site over. You might even see if you can find any contact info for him, not sure if he's still around or his status, but might be worth a shot:

https://www.baikunomatsuo.sakura.ne.jp/indexe.html

[Valker]

It sounds like you have a great start. I would recommend the double row bearing conversion for the rear wheel replacing the known weak side single bearing. There is info on this site about that. If you are doing a LOT of gravel and need more front traction in the gravel, TKC80 has a rear tire that will exactly fit the front of a Valk. You mentioned servicing the final drive-if you know this procedure FULLY, you shouldn't have issues. I would NOT recommend the supercharger as that does put a load on the bottom end as well as requiring a higher octane fuel. My six carbs have only needed one minor synchronizing with 300,000km (190,000 miles) on it. Stock, it will run on almost any grade of gasoline. Since you are pulling a trailer, a two gallon well sealed gas container would be easily stored and give more range. I hope you write up your trip so some of us can go vicariously.

[msb]

Every motorcyclists' dream, to do a life changing trip (or trips, as  you're planning) like that.  And to do it with your daughter is the icing on top Looks to me like you have a pretty extensive list already, there's not much I could add, other than some spare parts to take along...just in case. Alternator, u-joint, wheel bearings, etc....stuff that may fail without warning and perhaps not be readily available in certain places when you may need  them. I usually pack a bag of little extras like shifter shaft seal, radiator cap, header bolts, shock bushings, fuses, etc on my longer rides.

By posting this here and on FB, when the time comes you'll have lots of members aware of your trip I'm sure ...which should give you options for maintenance assistance, emergency help, or just general meetup contacts during your travels. When you get to Western Canada, you'll have a small but very receptive group here in BC that would love to meet up or help out in any way possible

Good luck with the planning

Mike

[The emperor has no clothes]

Definitely an alternator, u-joint, and wheel bearings.

[RainMaker]

Definitely an alternator, u-joint, and wheel bearings.

Meat, if this is what you are thinking should be carried as spares, then I agree.  Along with kickstand spring, throttle cables, patch kit, air compressor, tools for wheel removal, box of fuses, electrical tape, multimeter - the list goes on and on.  (I am just quoting what is in my right saddlebag, by the way).

[The emperor has no clothes]

Definitely an alternator, u-joint, and wheel bearings.

Meat, if this is what you are thinking should be carried as spares, then I agree.  Along with kickstand spring, throttle cables, patch kit, air compressor, tools for wheel removal, box of fuses, electrical tape, multimeter - the list goes on and on.  (I am just quoting what is in my right saddlebag, by the way).

I think I have all that too. Except the throttle cables. I’ll get some ordered.

[tommyopp]

Thanks, a lot of good info there!

For the USA this may be helpful.


I printed these pages and laminated them.

https://www.jkozloski.com/generic_parts.htm

[tommyopp]

Thanks, I'll keep you posted.

Tommy,

Welcome to the madness.
Thanks for writing this up and letting us know your plans.
This sounds like a great adventure for you and your daughter. I would love to do something like that if I had the time and the money.
As for me not sure what other upgrades would help, as we all have preferences to how the bike needs to be.

When you start your journey please let us know and if you are posting it to Youtube please share the link. Would love to follow your adventures.
It would be great to see the Valk get the attention it deserves.

[tommyopp]

Thanks a lot, appreciate it. Serk proved a link in this thread to the Japanese. Great story! I'll tell Dag you said hi. Belly tank is under consideration . I'm looking out for a second hand one.

There was a Japanese fellow who spend years travelling around the world on his Valkyrie.
Apparently he fell over a lot (in the Himalayas)  on roads that were dry stream beds (and not so dry)
A Valkyrie is heavy !  I would be on a lighter bike but that is just me

Would recommend a belly tank and if not that a nice gas/petrol container as the range of an Interstate is no more than 200 miles under the best of conditions (riding below 3ooorpm), also either a satellite phone or an app that lets someone know exactly where you are, just in case...

Actually I am really jealous,   Say hello to our friend Dag,  he should have some good advise and also he has an entire manual in digital format

If you will be passing this way, give a heads up and the door will be open for you

[tommyopp]

Thanks, I found it and sent him an email. Fascinating and very inspiring. 

I look forward to following along on your travels!

As OSS mentioned, look this guy's site over. You might even see if you can find any contact info for him, not sure if he's still around or his status, but might be worth a shot:

https://www.baikunomatsuo.sakura.ne.jp/indexe.html

[MarkT]

Wow.  No one has addresed the elephant in the room.

Good on ya for your energy & enthusiasm.

Having said that.  Your idea is misdirected.  I hate to rain on your parade but man you are setting yourself up for disaster.

Wrong bike for world travel.  WAY TOO BIG and heavy.

Secondly, do you really think it's a good idea, or even safe, to expose a minor child to the difficulties you will encounter?

I don't think you have any real understanding of what you will encounter, and being prepared for it.  You could not pick a worse bike than a big heavy road cruiser.  Except maybe a Harley - that would be worse than a Valk.  Not just my opinion but as FACT and I think known by experienced world travellers.  Nevermind planning to pull a heavy trailer with it and with a co-rider.  Maybe you don't realize that much of the world has unimproved roads as the main route.  Meaning not just unpaved, but barely visible single track.  Look at some of the "roads" in Asia.  Check out Mongolia.  Some of those "roads" aren't.  You drive across the open plain, on the grassland.  Or make that mudland.  You only know if you're heading in the general direction by compass or GPS.  WHAT road?  Hopefully you have paper maps because the GPS is blank.  Good luck crossing rivers where there are no bridges.  Or they are collapsed.

Look, I'm not trying to discourage your enthusiasm.  I don't want you to die in the hinterlands.  Or your daughter.  Your idea is at best misinformed.

I have ridden Valkyries since they were available, starting in 97.  I suppose I could have started in 96.  I have over a quarter million miles on Valks.  I try to stay on pavement but I have many times ridden the Valks on dirt, loose gravel, in mud, and sometimes with a trailer.  I have also owned much smaller bikes that are competent in the slop.  I pull trailers with my 97, one is a heavy TimeOut camper.  I have a lot of mods for safety and convenience, including a belly tank, install modified to make it reliable - the fuel pump is known to fail.  Mods list on my 97 at http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,107621.msg1078206.html#msg1078206  I have three other Valkyries, one is supercharged.  Comments above on not supercharging your bike for world travel, I concur.

You need to spend some time reading Adventure Rider ride reports to see what others have experienced on world motorcycle trips.  Best bikes used by experienced world travelers are 600 class dual-sport (or adventure) bikes.  Like the KLR or BMW's.  Bikes known for reliability, simple to fix, long in production, lightweight, competent in the dirt and with world wide support.

Also read my friend Sgt Marty's ride report on riding All The Way North to the Arctic Circle.  Then another ride, All The Way South.  See http://errant-ronin.com/  Or click on this: http://errant-ronin.com/PrudhoeBayUshuaia.htm  See what he survived on a KLR with parts shipment support from Colorado - and as a KLR expert and plenty of money resources.

Watch the adventure ride video series by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, in particular Long Way Round and Long Way Down.  (Long Way Up is also interesting but it's based on using Harley's Live Wire electric bikes - less relevent to your plan.) They picked bikes that were too big as well - 1200 class - and the result is obvious - very hard to handle in loose gravel and mud.  At least they were Beemer adventure class bikes.  And they had corporate sponsors (unlimited money) and tons of support via a chase crew in trucks.  Did I mention MONEY?  I have these videos in my film library but I only find trailers on Youtube.  If you have access to torrents you can download them.  Or perhaps you have another source - they may be available streaming.  Very well done and interesting.  Check out the description at IMDB.com, and trailers at youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-0uBcnmE2M&list=PLupFlCwuaKRfQLb-yQ12rlD69QvvqVXfI

Did I mention bad roads?  One of McGregor's 4X4 support trucks flipped over.  And they had to hire high-clearance flatbed trucks to ford fast-moving deep rivers, hauling their bikes and support trucks.  It was iffy, were they going to cross the river successfully or be washed downstream by the white water.

Watch the preparations Ewan and crew did before his trips.  He had a whole staff doing that.  Read what Marty did before his.  Check out the same for the serious world traveler ride reports on Adventure Rider.  You need MUCH MORE than asking folks here what to do.

I implore you, if you follow through with this plan, pick a smaller, 600 class dual sport or adventure class bike and rethink bringing a child.  A second rider on another bike would also be a good idea for backup when you have breakdowns.  And a satellite phone, a support crew somewhere, and lots of money.

Save the Valk for rides that don't go into the outback or frontier country.

I'm serious man, I (we) don't want disaster to take you.

[tommyopp]

Hi Mark.

I appreciate your concern for our well being. I won’t elaborate too much as you did enough of that. Thank you for links and explanations. I’m sure you mean well. You obviously don’t know me, my daughter or the rest of my family. You don’t know anything about my skills, my background or my years of research prior to making these plans. Also, you know nothing about my daughters determination when it comes to this or the reasons why. Based on that I feel I could possibly have the right to be very insulted by the underlying tones in your post. I choose not to, and forgive you for that. Life is too short.

Yes there are many dangers. Life it self is dangerous. No one has survived yet. I choose to live my life in stead of hiding in fear. I choose to fulfill my dreams in stead of looking back and regretting the things I didn’t dare to do. I choose to take all the risks you mention and sleep well at night.This is all possible to accomplish with proper planning and respect for the surroundings one will encounter.

I respect your difference in opinion, and now I ask you to respect mine. What is right for you may necessarily not be right for me.

Now, I hope the remaining replies will address my questions about technical advice. That was all I asked for...

Thank you.

Wow.  No one has addresed the elephant in the room.

Good on ya for your energy & enthusiasm.

Having said that.  Your idea is misdirected.  I hate to rain on your parade but man you are setting yourself up for disaster.

Wrong bike for world travel.  WAY TOO BIG and heavy.

Secondly, do you really think it's a good idea, or even safe, to expose a minor child to the difficulties you will encounter?

I don't think you have any real understanding of what you will encounter, and being prepared for it.  You could not pick a worse bike than a big heavy road cruiser.  Except maybe a Harley - that would be worse than a Valk.  Not just my opinion but as FACT and I think known by experienced world travellers.  Nevermind planning to pull a heavy trailer with it and with a co-rider.  Maybe you don't realize that much of the world has unimproved roads as the main route.  Meaning not just unpaved, but barely visible single track.  Look at some of the "roads" in Asia.  Check out Mongolia.  Some of those "roads" aren't.  You drive across the open plain, on the grassland.  Or make that mudland.  You only know if you're heading in the general direction by compass or GPS.  WHAT road?  Hopefully you have paper maps because the GPS is blank.  Good luck crossing rivers where there are no bridges.  Or they are collapsed.

Look, I'm not trying to discourage your enthusiasm.  I don't want you to die in the hinterlands.  Or your daughter.  Your idea is at best misinformed.

I have ridden Valkyries since they were available, starting in 97.  I suppose I could have started in 96.  I have over a quarter million miles on Valks.  I try to stay on pavement but I have many times ridden the Valks on dirt, loose gravel, in mud, and sometimes with a trailer.  I have also owned much smaller bikes that are competent in the slop.  I pull trailers with my 97, one is a heavy TimeOut camper.  I have a lot of mods for safety and convenience, including a belly tank, install modified to make it reliable - the fuel pump is known to fail.  Mods list on my 97 at http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,107621.msg1078206.html#msg1078206  I have three other Valkyries, one is supercharged.  Comments above on not supercharging your bike for world travel, I concur.

You need to spend some time reading Adventure Rider ride reports to see what others have experienced on world motorcycle trips.  Best bikes used by experienced world travelers are 600 class dual-sport (or adventure) bikes.  Like the KLR or BMW's.  Bikes known for reliability, simple to fix, long in production, lightweight, competent in the dirt and with world wide support.

Also read my friend Sgt Marty's ride report on riding All The Way North to the Arctic Circle.  Then another ride, All The Way South.  See http://errant-ronin.com/  Or click on this: http://errant-ronin.com/PrudhoeBayUshuaia.htm  See what he survived on a KLR with parts shipment support from Colorado - and as a KLR expert and plenty of money resources.

Watch the adventure ride video series by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, in particular Long Way Round and Long Way Down.  (Long Way Up is also interesting but it's based on using Harley's Live Wire electric bikes - less relevent to your plan.) They picked bikes that were too big as well - 1200 class - and the result is obvious - very hard to handle in loose gravel and mud.  At least they were Beemer adventure class bikes.  And they had corporate sponsors (unlimited money) and tons of support via a chase crew in trucks.  Did I mention MONEY?  I have these videos in my film library but I only find trailers on Youtube.  If you have access to torrents you can download them.  Or perhaps you have another source - they may be available streaming.  Very well done and interesting.  Check out the description at IMDB.com, and trailers at youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-0uBcnmE2M&list=PLupFlCwuaKRfQLb-yQ12rlD69QvvqVXfI

Did I mention bad roads?  One of McGregor's 4X4 support trucks flipped over.  And they had to hire high-clearance flatbed trucks to ford fast-moving deep rivers, hauling their bikes and support trucks.  It was iffy, were they going to cross the river successfully or be washed downstream by the white water.

Watch the preparations Ewan and crew did before his trips.  He had a whole staff doing that.  Read what Marty did before his.  Check out the same for the serious world traveler ride reports on Adventure Rider.  You need MUCH MORE than asking folks here what to do.

I implore you, if you follow through with this plan, pick a smaller, 600 class dual sport or adventure class bike and rethink bringing a child.  A second rider on another bike would also be a good idea for backup when you have breakdowns.  And a satellite phone, a support crew somewhere, and lots of money.

Save the Valk for rides that don't go into the outback or frontier country.

I'm serious man, I (we) don't want disaster to take you.

[Rams]

Well Tommy, I can't offer much advice that hasn't already been provided but, if you happen to pass through Southern Mississippi, give me a shout out and we'll do something, even if it ain't right.   

Rams   

[tommyopp]

Mark, I respect your experience. Yes, I wanted advice and a lot of what you say is good advice.  I take all advice into consideration, also the advice I don’t agree with at this stage. Yes, I think you still keep talking down to me. No, I’m not seeking buy-in but awareness of this project can help me finance this long term for example buy documenting our travel.  Like I said I am working on several paths here.  Yes I know the heavy cruiser isn’t the optimal bike for the more extreme parts one can encounter. I’ll of course try to avoid the worst tracks by doing lots of leg research along the way and connecting with locals on the way before entering areas of larger uncertainty. Being very new to this forum and only three years into the community in general, I am of course inexperienced both with the bikes and in knowing all the history you guys have. However based on your writing it could seem that there is little room for making other conclusions than yours, no matter what my further research will reveal. And that is where you lost me.

No need to keep this going. You’ve already made up your mind about my project. Let’s leave it at that.

Tommy,

Sorry you feel offended.  I don't need or want your forgiveness.  I stand behind what I said and I said it kindly enough IMHO.  I wasn't talking down to you, but expressing my reflections and advice on your posts saying you want to do world trips with a Valk, daughter and apparently a camper and asking for advice; based on my extensive Valkyrie experience and my reading and viewing of ride reports especially of Asia, Africa, and South America. Nobody suggested to "hide in fear".  It's prudent to research, discover the issues and plan accordingly to avoid / prevent known real and potential dangers.  If you had done the "years of research" you purport, you wouldn't reasonably plan to world travel on a Valkyrie, pulling a trailer with a child.  Unless you plan to limit the travel to not be "around the world" but constrained to civilization and paved roads.

It is clear to me you are excited about your pending adventure and you are looking for buy-in / kudos from the Valkyrie community.  Of which I am one of the eldest statesmen as co-founder of the VOA, invited to co-edit this board by Gale "Oz" Scalzi about 22 years ago but instead became a "contributing editor", and a co-founder of the High Country Cruisers - all in the late 90's.  Your opening post and subsequent comments prove to me you have not really researched what a world trip on a Valkyrie would be.  And then to compound the difficulty with apparently adding a camping trailer and a young child - lovely father-daughter bonding idea but dangerous for her.  I am sure you need considerably more than enthusiasm and your daughter's determination.  It doesn't matter what your "skill level" is that you refer to, when you set yourself up to fail.  In fact that implies your level.  You could be the penultimate skilled rider but that won't buy you the ability to cross a bog with your Valk.

I'm saying do some research.  Use the sources I mentioned.  And find more than that.  If you do that you will conclude what I said above.  And adjust your plans accordingly.  For example, you could safely tour pretty much all of North America excluding much of Mexico - crime is a big issue there - and the extreme North of Canada and North Alaska (depending on the roads) with a Valkyrie pulling a camper, and with a young co-rider.  If you come through Colorado I'll be happy to lead you on some superb twisty rides and visit great vistas; eat some excellent grub.  Put you up for an overnight stay on my ranch.  Most of Europe could be included as well - I'm sure you know better than me on that given your trucking work; it's been decades since I toured Europe - no doubt it's even better now than it was in the 60's.  The Asian, African and South American continents as well as Central America would be seriously difficult and impossible in places to travel with such equipment.  Much of Australia is dirt, not optimum on a Valk.  You did say "Riding my Valk around the world."  And I note you admit  "I'm not that experienced in servicing big bikes, so until now my dealer has done all my servicing".  You will need to be expert in your motorcycle's repair before undertaking a world odyssey.  I have done all the work on my Valks, and all the upgrades including technical and electrical, for decades now.  And I am not an expert at the level I would want to be, to be fully qualified for a major repair in the hinterlands, without shop support.
And you don't know how you'll finance it.  Wow.  

Wrong bike.  That's the "technical advice" you need.  Check the preparation docs at Adventure Rider, Sgt Marty, and Ewen McGregor to see what you should do for preparing KLM or BMW bikes before extreme and difficult odysseys.  BTW my 97 Valk is probably the most modified Valkyrie of all, with over 50 mods, most listed on the link I posted above.  I included links on how to do many/most of them.  Those mods are not for world trips but are for range, convenience, reliability, safety and comfort.  Not so much for bling.
And you need LOTS of money.  And some support network / backing.  Or stay out of the hinterlands.  Or hear it when I say "I told you so."

Forgot to mention.  Sgt Marty is a Valkyrie rider.  He used to ride with me in the High Country Cruisers before the club folded.  He chose a Kawasaki KLR 650 thumper for his odysseys.  And he had plenty of trouble he had to repair.  He is a top level KLR gearhead, a big resource online for the KLR community.  And the KLR has been in production since 1987.  Well regarded and reliable; pretty much bulletproof.

But don't listen to the voice of experience.  What the hell do I know, with 24 years and 250,000+ miles on 4 Valkyries, multiple technical mod documents, a Valkyrie shop, and 28 years on you.

Good luck to you.  I'm sure you will be in the papers if you try this.  One way or the other.  I'd say don't risk the child in the hinterlands, she doesn't have the ability to protect herself, she has to trust you.  Pretty sure that's what Dr Phil would say, if asked on your plans.

[Hook#3287]

Can't wait to read of your adventure.

I would leave the radiator hoses alone.

Those very rarely fail.

[MarkT]

Some info you might actually like -

On your suspension question:

I installed Progressive front shocks on two of my Valks.  Made a minor improvement, though on the 97 it got stiffer.  I used 10wt oil and carefully measured it - I think a lighter wt like 7.5 and possibly a couple ounces less would deliver a better ride.  Though it is softening a little with time if it's not just me.  The seals aren't leaking - I rebuilt the forks last year and polished them while I was at it.  And changed the triple trees to 4°. The 98 forks (Deerslayer) were done by my local shop around 20 years ago before I had more experience.  We didn't discuss the oil or weight.  It has a better front end ride.

I used Progressive 444-4057 rear shocks on the 97.  They have 140/200 springs.  The springs are important in relation to your load.  I am at 245, can have a co-rider at 135lbs and heavy Timeout camper at the same time - with full preload set it will bottom sometimes.  But since she usually rides her own bike instead, the springs are good for me.  Don't bottom ever with just her or just the camper.  The ride quality is reportedly directly proportional to the money spent on the shocks.  444's aren't cheap.  They are much better than OEM shocks.  And better than Progressive air shocks - I have 416's on Deerslayer, now they number them 418.  I have onboard air on that bike, can change the preload on the fly.  But they need to be resealed too often - wouldn't buy them again.  The red blown bobber below has 444-4230 shocks with 11.5 length (OEM is 13) and 270/315 springs.  Too stiff - but I didn't set it up.  If you go to the advanced search page, search for Progressive with user MarkT I wrote up my experiments with weight and shocks with different spring preloads.  Progressive is really no help with that, either in their tech support or their web site.

I have owned many different seats on the Valks.  Ultimate, Mustang, Corbin,  OEM, Russell Daylong and the Rood Saddle mod which I developed in conjunction with Dr Marty Rood.  I would rate them from good to bad - Russell, Rood, Mustang, Ultimate, Corbin, OEM.  The OEM was HORRID - I couldn't take more than about 20 minutes before my butt was numb.  Seats are very personal and what is good for one might not be good for the next.  Except for the Russell.  It's made to fit you, with your weight and inseam and photos of you sitting on the bike.  It has a suspension in the "wings" that is setup for your body.  Feedback from customers is consistent - if the Russell is made for the rider (not bought used) everyone loves it.  I must say, I do "iron butt" rides - over 1000 miles in 24 hrs - and could continue for more if I hadn't arrived.  Actually mine have all been about 1150 miles in 22 hours.  I had mine made with my color choices, stitching pattern and my graphic artwork.  It's expensive, and made from a seat pan you provide - that could be done by buying an OEM seat on ebay and sending it to them. This is it:  



Rubber - I'm riding double darkside.  Back is Austone Taxi Tire, now out of production at least stateside.  It's approx 175/90-16 though they don't designate them as such. I hear they may be available over there - they are made for Brit taxis.  The Firestone Transforce 195c/75-16 has nearly identical specs (though you would think it's wider - it's like 1/2" taller). These are tall tires that lower the rpms and improve mileage.  I get 85mph indicated at 3500rpm - which is actually 80mph on the Garmin GPS. Significantly better than the OEM tire.  That yields 34mpg in mixed riding.  The ATT behaves almost exactly like a bike tire, but lasts twice as long and has significantly more traction especially in the wet.  Also has much more load capacity than bike tires. I have another new one ready when I wear this one out so I'm fixed for awhile.  Running a Bridgestone Batlax BT45 in 130/90-17 in the front.  Run the same tire on my Wing.  Happy with that one but I bought a Michelin for my next front to try it out.  I'm a Michelin fan on my cars.

I mentioned I have a belly tank - and an Interstate tank.  Total is about 9.4 gal.  321 miles to the fumes if I'm not pulling a trailer.  It's a custom install as I mentioned before.  Writeup here - http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,84264.msg829542.html#msg829542
It's involved but I like tinkering and the end result is really worth it to me.

Other things - all my lights are LED's.  Plenty of light, won't burn out and less load on the alternator as they are known to need service at about 50k miles.  Add'l LED's in back with run-brake-turn markers and Radiantz main light.  Forward controls with my improvements, shifter anchor mod.  Electric fuel solenoid. Desmog. Baker air wings. Wolo air horn. Heated clothing plug.  Custom windshield mounts allows adjustable height and angle.  Permanent waterless coolant. Permanent mounted lift adapter. Escort radar monitors voltage. Electronic cruise control. USB and 12v sockets charge things and run compressor. Brakeaway throttle lock.  Trailer brake control. Dbl-row rear wheel bearing mod.  Butler drinkholder & 2nd drinkholder. Sound system with multiple sources including satellite, Garmin mp3 player, and phone - mp3 player with 9553 tunes and aps like Pandora.  300w preamp/mixer crossover that supports subwoofer and bluetooth.  400w Kenwood amp.  My custom pipes that make more power - quietly.

Well hope some of that is useful for you.  I have some tech tips pages at https://www.horseapple.com/Valkyrie/Tech_Tips/tech_tips.html

Cheers.

[tommyopp]

Mark, again I truly mean no disrespect towards your experience and advice and I'd like to contribute in keeping a civil tone in the board and with you. My intent with the post was indeed to seek advice and keep expanding my network. I have openly and voluntarily described my plans and of course I should expect that someone might disagree with some of my choices. Maybe it was my mistake not to elaborate more regarding the background for my plans... I will take all feedback into consideration and will always be open to adjust my plans along the way. This is a long time project and as you say by doing this in smaller legs it will enable us to make necessary adjustments. Traveling in Europe is fairly safe, and not extremely challenging when it comes to the roads. Also, pending covid restrictions, time will go by and we both will become more experienced in traveling together, and getting to know the bike and its limitations first hand.

I originally bought a 2003 model low-mileage Africa Twin 750 for the purpose, in my opinion a very good bike for world travel. I see how many would think I'm crazy as I now finally sold the bike and decided to use the Valkyrie in stead full time. At the time I purchased the AT, my idea was to do this as a solo trip, maybe traveling with a friend. After my daughter has shown great joy in accompanying me on the road, things have changed. We have had several trips together on that bike, and neither of us were sitting very comfortable no matter what adjustments we made. Also it has a much lower limit to what you can bring along. I know they say "less is more" on long distance motorcycle trips, but we both find bringing some comfort items make the trip much more enjoyable and we get to be more self sufficient for longer periods of time as we really enjoy camping in the wild, taking in the nature. Combining this with visiting bikers and staying in hotels for refreshing breaks seems to be a good way for us to travel. We'll se how it evolves. Through different motorcycle adventure groups on Facebook I'm slowly building a network of people who are more than willing to provide local guiding, shelter or other types of help along the way. Until now I have established good contacts in many countries in all continents. About 50 this far. My plan is not to enter a new country (at least in the more remote parts of the world) unless I have an established contact there to help ensure our safety and providing route suggestions suitable for the bike. This should reduce the risk of putting us in dangerous situations considerably.

The Valkyrie has so far proved to be a great riding companion. By placing most of the luggage in the trailer, the overall handling off the beaten track is not much worse than that of a fully loaded adventure bike. In many aspects much better due to the low center of gravity. The air suspended Bushtec is light and has low rolling and wind resistance. The added challenges are the worst up-downhill on loose surfaces. Proper tires and techniques will even out those challenges to some extent. I have great respect for the limitations of my choice of ride and will plan accordingly. I am attending professional classes this summer to further improve my skills, and will continue to keep training locally.

So, to your tech advice - thanks a lot for that:

Front suspension
Very good info, I think I might start out replacing the oil with 7,5 and a little less amount as you mention, keeping the stock springs for now. I just had the seals done so they should be ok for a while.

Rear suspension
I hear a lot of good things about 444's. In my search I found a more local alternative, where they build the shocks after my weights and usage. I trust in Fifi in France, being very experienced with Valks and helping me get these shocks manufactured. They are a little cheaper than the 444's. I'll get them in 3-5 weeks so we'll see. I expect a substantial improvement over the old OEM's.

Seats
After being dissatisfied with the OEM seats I ordered Ultimate seats with rider backrest two years ago. We both find them very comfortable and have no problems so far with very long days in the saddle. I love the look of your custom seats, but I wont change mine now unless they start to feel uncomfortable.

Tires
I also run double darkside, have so for 1,5 years. Very happy with it.
At the moment I run
Front: Dunlop Trailsmart Max, 150/70-17. Just mounted them, but they are classified as 80% tarmac/20% gravel, adventure tires. I hope they give a little better grip on the gravel than my previous Bridgestone BT 023's.
Rear: Bridgestone B250, 195/65-16. Same diameter as OEM. I'm considering changing it to 195/60-16 when it’s worn out. They are cheaper ant there are many more tire options in that dimension. I rarely ride over 55 mph, traveling mostly on smaller roads. Now, I get about 35 mpg on mixed riding, fully loaded with the trailer.

Belly tank
I have an Interstate so I have the big tank. I've been tipped about belly tanks before and it seems like a good idea. I'll keep a look out for one. They seem hard to find. Alternatively there are some nice triangular spare cans that fit nicely in the rear of the saddle bags and don1t take up much space.

Other things - many great tips here as well.

LED conversion is already in progress.

Alternator - what maintenance is normally needed? Only brushes? It doesn't seem to charge much at idle. I don't expect a service will change that.
I have 38000 miles on the odometer now. I am considering just buying a new goldwing alternator as suggested in the comments here. I find them new online for a little over $100. Any recommendations on the make? I see there are some 90 amp alternatives as well but that may be overkill if I do the LED conversion. I won't be adding a large stereo...

Adjustable windshield sounds great. Would love one on mine. I have some buffeting at certain speeds with my current wide+tall Show Chrome one. I cut it so se over it, as i now sit lower after changing the seats.

Rear wheel bearing mod sounds sensible to look into.

I'll read through your tech tips as well, thanks a lot.

[tommyopp]

Thanks, and also for your advice.

Can't wait to read of your adventure.

I would leave the radiator hoses alone.

Those very rarely fail.

[tommyopp]

Thanks Rams, I appreciate it.

Well Tommy, I can't offer much advice that hasn't already been provided but, if you happen to pass through Southern Mississippi, give me a shout out and we'll do something, even if it ain't right.   

Rams   

[tommyopp]

Thanks for your feedback. I'll definitely look into the bearing mod. When I say a LOT of gravel, I think maybe 20% of the trip or so. Still a lot. The TKC 80's are trusted, great off-road tires but I think I'll be too knobby and soft for my use. I'll try out my new one now, let’s see how it works. I now know the full final drive procedure. I just haven’t done it first hand yet. I'll do that next time to get familiar with it. I think I will let the supercharger idea go, yes. Thanks for your support.

It sounds like you have a great start. I would recommend the double row bearing conversion for the rear wheel replacing the known weak side single bearing. There is info on this site about that. If you are doing a LOT of gravel and need more front traction in the gravel, TKC80 has a rear tire that will exactly fit the front of a Valk. You mentioned servicing the final drive-if you know this procedure FULLY, you shouldn't have issues. I would NOT recommend the supercharger as that does put a load on the bottom end as well as requiring a higher octane fuel. My six carbs have only needed one minor synchronizing with 300,000km (190,000 miles) on it. Stock, it will run on almost any grade of gasoline. Since you are pulling a trailer, a two gallon well sealed gas container would be easily stored and give more range. I hope you write up your trip so some of us can go vicariously.

[tommyopp]

Thanks a lot for good advice and support. I'll be sure to look you up if I travel your way, thanks.

Every motorcyclists' dream, to do a life changing trip (or trips, as  you're planning) like that.  And to do it with your daughter is the icing on top Looks to me like you have a pretty extensive list already, there's not much I could add, other than some spare parts to take along...just in case. Alternator, u-joint, wheel bearings, etc....stuff that may fail without warning and perhaps not be readily available in certain places when you may need  them. I usually pack a bag of little extras like shifter shaft seal, radiator cap, header bolts, shock bushings, fuses, etc on my longer rides.

By posting this here and on FB, when the time comes you'll have lots of members aware of your trip I'm sure ...which should give you options for maintenance assistance, emergency help, or just general meetup contacts during your travels. When you get to Western Canada, you'll have a small but very receptive group here in BC that would love to meet up or help out in any way possible

Good luck with the planning

Mike

[tommyopp]

Meathead and Rainmaker - all good advice. Thanks 

[The emperor has no clothes]

A couple things. I bought one of the alternators you are talking about. I wouldn’t do it again. It had major bearing failure which resulted in being stranded. You can get an OEM Goldwing 1500 alternator and “clock” it. Also, I would do a removal and installation of the alternator at your home to get acquainted with doing it. They are a pain the first time. Replacing the brushes in yours now may be a good option instead of carrying an alternator. If needed, it shouldn’t be too hard to get a Goldwing one on the road. I’d be really interested in hearing about this shock company in France, and how you like them. I’m assuming some of the EU riders are using them ?
  Only you know your capabilities and knowledge. Don’t let other opinions get you down. I think it’s pretty cool that you will have your daughter on the trip.   I assume Europe will be your first continent. Which do you plan next ?

[MarkT]

Tommy,

If you haven't already, sign up at fb, Southern Valkyrie Riders.  Wood Butcher over there has compiled his maintenance pages into the files section.  Very nicely done.  https://www.facebook.com/groups/642576109419780/?multi_permalinks=1429279284082788

He's also created a page with the same name over at mewe.  You might know, it's like FB only without the political crap and privacy infringement.  I haven't looked to see if the maintenance files are over there yet.  That's at https://mewe.com/group/5fabe617eda4c72fccec7849  I don't know if that link will work for you - it's behind my login.  If not, go to www.mewe.com, search for group Southern Valkyrie Riders and ask to join.

Also check out https://www.valkyrieworld.com/wilder?fbclid=IwAR1ni8Ej9vXeN0T1gLETIBMasiS2vxJNe8kTqPty-nygsF5GW8INwatPj0E


I'll get back to you on your post.  I'm doing some Valk work in the shop now.

[Valker]

One note on the belly tank-they require a fuel pump. One of the things I love about the Valk is its gravity fed simplicity.

[f6gal]

Tommy, I won't attempt to give any advice.  However, if/when you find yourself in Arizona, we'll be happy to put you up.  Also try to time your U.S. portion, so that you can attend InZane... wherever that might be that year.

[tommyopp]

Meathead,

Thanks for your words. Appreciate it. Yes, the alternator is too cheap to be good quality I guess. I think I'll try pulling the one I have at home and give it an overhaul. Good advice. I have plenty of contacts also in the Goldwing community so I don't feel that it concerns me a lot if it should fail on the road.

Regarding the shocks, I am very excited. I don't even know the manufacturer name at this point. I've seen some photos and they look very well built. Not as flashy as the progressives, with only aluminum body and black springs. That's not important to me. What I do like in addition to the adjustable preload and rebound, is that they have an adjustment screw on top for compression as well. You can also choose the length you want. The price was $530 for a pair, plus shipping and tax. I'll post a review eventually.


Valker, good point. I haven't decided anything yet. Cans will work, but I like the idea of having the weight low and tucked away. We'll see...

Connie, thanks. I hope to take you up on that. Would be great to visit a US Inzane as well!!

Mark, no problem. I'm already a member of that group but haven't browsed the file section yet. Will check out Mewe, new to me.

[F6Dave]

Several years ago I read a book by Emilio Scotto about riding his 1980 Goldwing around the world.  It was a fascinating story about a 10 year, 485,000 mile ride through 232 countries.  His journey was documented as a 5 part series in Honda's Red Rider magazine, and later condensed in an issue of Rider.  Here's the link:  https://ridermagazine.com/2004/08/17/emilio-scottos-epic-motorcycle-journey-around-the-world/

[F6Dave]

Regarding bringing your daughter along, I know of a rider here in Colorado who took his young daughter on a ride through South America all the way to Tierra Del Fuego.  He said having her along made them appear less threatening.  As a result some locals became protective, offering advice on safe travel through their area, and telling him the dangerous routes to avoid.

Interestingly, he owned both a BMW GS, and a Kawasaki KLR 650.  He chose to ride the KLR because he trusted it more on such a long trip!

[_Sheffjs_]

Tommy if you and Mia start with Austria, Switzerland and the French Alps I will be green with envy. Per-Arne and Else planned just that and invited us then covid hit. Like the others mentioned you surely know we would love to have you stay with us if you hit Florida at some point. The borders opening in Norway is something we are watching close as well with summer approaching and it looks like Tromsø and some points north are getting hit hard and now Italy. Looks like the borders will be closed for quite sometime. You surely have some fantastic roads in Norway to practice on.

[98valk]

https://advrider.com/f/forums/trip-planning.51/

[Valkorado]

Sounds like a glorious goal, and you possess the attitude.  

Your plan to work around your daughter's schedule and recoup, regroup and reexamine in between legs makes it seem feasible.  If you're gonna eat an elephant, ya know!

As others have mentioned the challenges will likely be numerous and varied, but the rewards could potentially be equally magical and the memories well worth the co$ts of obtaining them!

Best of luck to you with the planning and execution of this endeavor.  It's no little feat, but DDT has demonstrated these engines are capable of rackin' up the mega-miles.  DirtyDan has shown us that some pretty hardcore and remote roads are indeed doable -- and various shiny parts removed by unseen rocks and  holes on uncharted and unpaved roads are strictly cosmetic and unnecessary for a Valkyrie to function!  With the exception of the front engine, anyway.  Watch for the hiding rocks.  

Bring a camera, cause we all wanna go, too!  

[Beardo]

I admire your sense of adventure. If I was going to do it, a Valk would be near the bottom of the list of bikes I’d try to do it on, but hey, if you pull it off, it’ll be that much more of an accomplishment. Best of luck. I look forward to reading of your adventure.

[MarkT]

Tommy,

Now that you have posted more I see you are more thorough in your preps than my first impression.  Kudos.

On the alternator - brand - good to stay with Honda.  Some of the cheapos on ebay can let you down.  Many folks have commented on buying the GW 1500 alt. and clock it.  What goes out around 50k or so is typically brushes.  The bearings last much longer per reports.  I have only had issue with the brushes.  Lower the load on it and they last longer.  BTW I have an Escort Passport radar detector.  Besides saving my wallet from speeding tickets, I have it set to display a digital voltmeter.  I wouldn't be without one.  It has saved my wallet hundreds from speeding tickets, and my trip a couple times, alerting me to poor charging on trips - use it on all my vehicles.  Returning from Roanoke Virginia Inzane - about 1500 miles - I saw the volts slowly slip from 14.3 to 11.  Wow that means I'm running on the battery.  I have set up switches for just this situation.  I shut off the halogen lights and the stereo and made it home the last hundred miles on the battery.  W/O the meter, I likely would have drained the battery and been stuck on the side of the road.  And there's no cell coverage on that last stretch, and almost no shoulder on that 65mph state highway.

The mods I mentioned on my 97 "Jade" above - I also posted a link that links to them.  Here it is again for your convenience.  This info is more current than my Tech Tips page.  http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,107621.msg1078206.html#msg1078206

Also check out my long description of my belly tank mod, linked there.  If you get one, I recommend installing so you preserve the gravity feed and use the pump to refill the main.  It can be done much simpler than I did it, without electric controls and lights.  The fuel pump runs for only 9 minutes per 300 miles, instead of constantly.  And if it fails - not likely with such light use - your bike still runs, just w/o the belly tank.

Like MSB said on trips I carry several backup items.  A spare alternator (and brushes for others).  New U-joint.  Wheel bearings if they are getting old.  Plenty of tools and often a scissors platform lift.  A milwaukee drill.  Soldering equipment, wires, relays, fuses.  heat shrink tube & lighter.  Tire repair string plugs and compressor. Bike cover and cleaning spray, microfiber towels. Light bulbs for others (mine are all LED's).  Good flashlight and LED headband.  First aid kit.  Lots of water and ice in my cooler on the trailer.  Rain gear, half helmet and convertible helmet (for rain riding).  Cold weather gear - this is Colorado; we can deal with snow on the high passes in the summer.  Plenty of clothes, T-shirts and jeans. Typically I am pulling my Tagalong cargo trailer to haul this stuff.  If we are on a camping trip, pulling the Timeout.  That's all I'm remembering w/o checking my checklist.


Interested in looking at your new front Adventure type tire.  I looked at those years ago but never got one.

On the windshield, I have always tipped it instead of cutting it.  Several advantages to that, I summarized on my Tech Tips.  My current setup on Jade, I modified upper and lower brackets to make it very configurable.  I always look a couple inches over it.

Here's Jade with the Timeout camper on the Morgantown WV Inzane trip.  On the road then at Cooper's Rock state park, WV.

[tommyopp]

Mark,

Sounds like some new brushes would be a good start. Any suggestion how to make it charge at idle? I'm thinking of bringing a portable Warn rope winch in case we get stuck. They use a lot of power. I'll also be getting a small inflatable cushion like the one tow truckers use to help tilt the bike up in case it falls over.

Thanks for the link. Lots of great mods there.

Sounds like a good idea you mention with the belly tank. I like the idea of keeping the gravity feed. I'm also looking into an option of 2x1 gallon triangular spare cans to fit in the rear of the saddle bags.

Thanks for all your other tips. I love your camper. I've considered that as well, but they get heavy when you load them compared to my Bushtec and tent solution. Also we can't get electric brakes approved here in Europe.

Here's my new front tire.

[tommyopp]

Several years ago I read a book by Emilio Scotto about riding his 1980 Goldwing around the world.  It was a fascinating story about a 10 year, 485,000 mile ride through 232 countries.  His journey was documented as a 5 part series in Honda's Red Rider magazine, and later condensed in an issue of Rider.  Here's the link:  https://ridermagazine.com/2004/08/17/emilio-scottos-epic-motorcycle-journey-around-the-world/

I've read about him. Great accomplishment back in the days.