Happy Birthday Valkyrie

[Beer van Huet]

May 25th, 1996 is the official birthday of the Valkyrie. All were 1997 models.
A little earlier, on 11 april 1996 the first 70 (all black) of a total of 48,420 Valkyries rolled off the Marysville production line. The STD power cruiser was born.
Rumour has it that Honda gave this batch extra performance to impress the media even more.
The introduction in Chicago impacted like a bomb. The first impression was overwhelming and a true 'head twister', unequaled by anything the market had seen before in looks, performance and appearance.
Proclaimed as "Cruiser of the Decade" shortly after and and recently still ranked among the best Cruisers of all time by Motorcycle News and Motorcycle Cruiser.




Take a look to where the Valkyries went.

https://www.zeemaps.com/map?group=2507461

Attached a glossy folder from 2003.

https://www.vrcc.nl/vrcc2023/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/valkyrie-folder.pdf

[Oss]

Thanks for that post and all you have done to catalog and show about our motorcycles

I hope one of these days we get to meet.

[Farside]

  Great post on our special Bikes. The Valkyrie is Legendary  Happy Birthday to our Valkyries Can’t touch this

[98valk]

the running prototype was brought out to the public in April '94. it had fat boy style wheels and different rotors front and back.  some say there were two prototypes. where are they now? only God knows.

[LadyDraco]

Happy Birthday Valks!
 You have always kept a smile on my face when I throw my leg over your saddle.
And still do ! 
 

[98valk]

amazing zeemap. thank you

[henry 008]

May 25th, 1996 is the official birthday of the Valkyrie. All were 1997 models.
A little earlier, on 11 April 1996 the first 70 (all black) of a total of 48,420 Valkyries rolled off the Marysville production line. The STD power cruiser was born.
Rumor has it that Honda gave this batch extra performance to impress the media even more.
The introduction in Chicago impacted like a bomb. The first impression was overwhelming and a true 'head twister', unequaled by anything the market had seen before in looks, performance and appearance.
Proclaimed as "Cruiser of the Decade" shortly after and and recently still ranked among the best Cruisers of all time by Motorcycle News and Motorcycle Cruiser.





Take a look to where the Valkyries went.

https://www.zeemaps.com/map?group=2507461

Attached a glossy folder from 2003.

https://www.vrcc.nl/vrcc2023/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/valkyrie-folder.pdf

Thanks for the post! My Bumblebee was built in May of '96, I never knew that they started making them that month! last 4 of my Ser. 0657

[Beer van Huet]