Disabled Valk riders unite!

[Momz]

As VRCC members we have several factions and chapters (Fox Valley Riders, Valhalla Six Guns, Vermin, Darksiders, Blower Boys, etc.).

I prepose that as we age (sheesh) there are more and more disabled riders, and that we have a sort of forum to help not only ourselves but those that are facing future surgeries and the possibilities of disabilities.

Sure, Trikes are an option for some,...but it is not an option for all. Rather a support forum to talk about possible solutions and proven methods to keep us together as a club of Valk enthusiasts.

I can be contacted at: dukenjoey@yahoo.com
Willow, Scott, F6 Gal, is this a possibility? 

[Ghillie]

Valhalla Six Guns is long gone, they even ditched the website with the goodbye page this year.

[Momz]

I guess I missed the post about the Vallhala Six Guns,....sorry!

But I'm quite sure thetre are Valk riders with severe physical disabilities and those are the riders I'd like to hear from.

As an example; Several years ago I met a one armed I/S rider. Yes,...one armed, no prosthetic, not even a stump. He moved both master cylinders on the right handelbar and there were extra switches to control the High beam and horn. But to his credit, he also had very long thin fingers.

Not only was he a talented rider but he was also a drummer in a rock band that jammed at the campsite.
 I would appreciate posts that show or explain howe these riders have compensated for their disabilities.

Thank you for reading and understanding why I'm asking for your input.

[Momz]

This is a 1800 GW, but it is one example of some staying "in the wind:

Disabled motorcycle rider	powered by Aeva

[Capt. Morgan]

I guess I missed the post about the Vallhala Six Guns,....sorry!

But I'm quite sure thetre are Valk riders with severe physical disabilities and those are the riders I'd like to hear from.

As an example; Several years ago I met a one armed I/S rider. Yes,...one armed, no prosthetic, not even a stump. He moved both master cylinders on the right handelbar and there were extra switches to control the High beam and horn. But to his credit, he also had very long thin fingers.

Not only was he a talented rider but he was also a drummer in a rock band that jammed at the campsite.
 I would appreciate posts that show or explain howe these riders have compensated for their disabilities.

Thank you for reading and understanding why I'm asking for your input.

I don't know if this is "bandit" but I've seen him ride and he puts a lot of 2 armed people to shame.

[Stude]

 The man is lucky to have a good woman to take care of him

[Momz]

I'm sure it wasn't Bandit. That guy rode a metalic blue I/S and said that he did not belong to the VRCC. However he was an accomplshed rider and a damn fine drummer.

Glad that you posted Captain.

[Serk]

I've never managed to find any details on it, but here's some pictures of a cool Valkyrie sidecar that a wheelchair can be ridden into, then the rig controlled from the sidecar:

[solo1]

I'm not sure what I want to say here.

As we age, Our bodies conspire to come up with all kinds of roadblocks.  It seems like everything that we have done to our bodies, good and bad, comes back to bother us.

In my case, my knees and my right wrist is the problem (for now). The knees wouldn't handle the weight of the Valk and the right wrist couldn't take the jar of the handlebars when the rig hit an uneven bump (which was most of the time).  Both problems are temporarily solved by going to a lighter bike and eliminating the rig. 

Yes, I would be interested in possibly a "I'm getting old or I've had this disability and here's how I solved it"  forum.  If nothing else, it would be good for a mutual " Old fart but we still try to ride "society.

[Master Blaster]

The sidecar rig was Dougies, a great guy that just wouldnt give up.  Unfortunately he had an accident and isnt with us anymore.  I always admired his determination to not let his handicap make him handicapped.  RIP Dougie.   Now I am getting a little long in the tooth, 71 in a couple of days, and I have been enjoying riding a Kaw ZX14, and a Concours 14.  Lighter and nimbler than the Valk, and even with the hyper performance  much easier for me than the Interstate.  I still kick one of the Valks around occasionally, but they are not first choice anymore.

[R J]

I guess I missed the post about the Vallhala Six Guns,....sorry!

But I'm quite sure thetre are Valk riders with severe physical disabilities and those are the riders I'd like to hear from.

As an example; Several years ago I met a one armed I/S rider. Yes,...one armed, no prosthetic, not even a stump. He moved both master cylinders on the right handelbar and there were extra switches to control the High beam and horn. But to his credit, he also had very long thin fingers.

Not only was he a talented rider but he was also a drummer in a rock band that jammed at the campsite.
 I would appreciate posts that show or explain howe these riders have compensated for their disabilities.

Thank you for reading and understanding why I'm asking for your input.

I don't know if this is "bandit" but I've seen him ride and he puts a lot of 2 armed people to shame.

It not be our Bandit.   Ours lost his RIGHT arm.   Everything he needs is on the left handlebar...

You are right, he can and will put a lot of riders to shame......

[Big Rig]

I ran into (not literally) a fellow Valk rider a fews years ago while getting gas, he had a Valk emblam tattoo'd on his arm...he said he had a palsy in his right lower leg and foot...he had to give up riding, and I have since forgotten his name.

Very nice gentleman...if I remember correctly, he was the one that told me about this Valk site.

He said he missed riding, and would still have been if he did not have his problem with the legs.

[Momz]

As a semi-gimped Valk rider, I've had my share of shifting difficulties.

For my 2K I/S I bought a used Kury heel-toe shifter from Big BF and it did not seem to ease my shifting problems. I then bought a used Rattlebars Kickshifter that I modified per Big BF's instructions. I hated that set-up even more because my boot heel would get caught between the peg and the heel shift peg (floor boards may have made it work, but I don't care for them). I replaced the Valk shift lever with on from a CBR1100XX and it seems a better option.

For my Rat Rod Valk I also had the same problems. I tried wearing several boots or shoes but the wide pegs seemed to restrict my ankle movements causeing the missed up or down shifts. Someone suggested that I use boots without a typical lug sole/heel configuration. I bought a pair of "Danner Tactical Boots" that had a sole configuration similar to a pair of althletic shoes.
Well,...that has been one of the best ways to improve the shifting issues as the shoe can rock even on the wide pegs of our valks.

However I will be changing the shift lever to a CBR1100XX on this bike too.

[Momz]

As we age we tend to develop things like arthritis, and weaking of muscles and even chanes in equilibrium. And of course Valks are heavy motorcycles.

I am lucky because my wife rides her own bike, so that makes it advantagous to lighten my bike and remove everthing but the basics to make my bike easier to move at lower speeds or pushing around the garage or just parking.

Many Valk riders tend to add "saftey chrome" and other accessories. But have you ever wonder what all those accessories weigh? I thought what would make a valk easier to handle and would it effect my riding style. Well at least for short trips and around town.

My Rat Rod Valk was purchased with a OEM windshield, OEM leather bags, a National Cycle light bar, a four piece Corbin seat set, and a OEM backrest rack. It had the stock license/turn signal mount and stock rear shocks, fender, and the pair valve air injection system. I was able to remove these parts and weigh them. The gross weight of those removed parts was more than 95 lbs.

I reassembled the bike by using Progressive 11.5" shocks, a lightweight Saddleman seat, VTX C fender, Kury plate bracket, and I left off several non-esstential parts. By doing so, I was able to remove more than 80 lbs. overall. Thus making the bike a more managable motorcycle. There will be more changes as deemed needed to improve my ride.

[solo1]

Here's a pic of my mostly changed '91 Nighthawk 750.

It came with a Corbin hard-as-a-rock seat, I added a lambskin cover.  The wind was blasting my knees away from the gas tank, I added a Plexifairing III (that goes backaways!).  The OEM  grips were replaced with foam grips. I would've liked longer Kuryakyn but they're aren't made for the Hawk.  The Hawk was running very lean, we installed washers under the carb needles.  The rear shocks had too much compression damping, changed To Progressives 412's.  I added the RKA saddlebags for carrying the rainsuit, etc.
I would like to change the foot pegs to bigger and wider but they're aren't made for the Hawk.

It's much more comfortable than when I bought it and should be good for 200 miles but it sure isn't the Valk.  Oh well, compromises must be made so that I can ride a little longer.

[Master Blaster]

Ive been thinking of the Can Am a lot lately.  I like the looks, and the reverse, and think it looks lots more sporty than the GW trike.  Just wish it wasnt a V Twin, but if it gets to the trike point, thats probably the direction I will go. 

[kickstand]

I've been riding with a prosthetic right leg for 8yrs the first 2yrs I used a voyager kit The only problem I had was the rear brake first I tape a piece of 1x1 on the rear brake lever a friend saw it he works at gm he made me a oversize foot pad problem solved but last week coming off the x-way I could smell something burning I must have had my peg leg on the rear brake I really smoke them I only use the voyager kit now when I ride 2up. I ride with momz and dave we 3 have are handicaps but we find a way to stay in the wind.

[Big IV]

I am not one of the Valk riders that this thread is aimed at directly.
However, I did think that some members of this thread might be interested in a documentary that I am reviewing for a journal on disability studies. The DVD is "The Seeker" (2007) available from Amazon and other places where fine odd ball DVDs are sold.

I am currently doing research into biker movies in general and trying to publish on a variety of subjects. One of the things that "The Seeker" caused me to realize is how many various portrayls of bikers are on film, but most all of them are full bodied individuals. Some movie bikers are supposed to be tough or sly or outlawish, while others are more of an everyman, but in any case rarely do movies capture a biker stepping off the bike by swinging a prothestic leg or by first removing their mounted cane.

"The Seeker" is a documentary that captures the a biker that is not included in biker films very often, the disabled. The main character taking the trip is a quadrapalegic.

Nearly every bike rally I have ever been to has a biker pull in driving a modified side car of some type. Several companies create side car side drivers to tailor fit the individual to keep them in the wind. HOwever, I have never seen a quadrapalegic drive a bike before. 

I just thought that I would share. This movie has been around since 2005, but it doesn't come up in many conversations I have ever heard. So, I thought I would pass it along. Good luck on finding a spot of your own.

Ride on.


The offical description of "The Seeker" reads something like this:
Product Description
Struggling screenwriter and former teacher, 45-year-old Evan Somers sets out from Los Angeles on a road trip across America on his trusty motorcycle. Sound familiar? Stop right there. Somers is a quadriplegic. His motorcycle is a modified Honda automatic with attached sidecar that he slides onto in his wheelchair. And his midlife crisis is a bit different: he wants to know how close the medical establishment has come to a cure for the many like him paralyzed from spinal cord injuries. He wants to know if he will ever walk again or if he should just give up hope. His ultimate destination is to have a meeting with fellow quadriplegic and spokesman for the cause, actor Christopher Reeve. Never wallowing in self-pity, but real and funny and unpretentious to the last, we get a glimpse into the lives of fellow humans struck down by this terrible malady and we hear from various scientists and doctors about their predictions and prognosis. As a side-show, we also get a beautiful journey across America to the annual motorcycle extravaganza in Sturgis, where Evan becomes a star in his own right. American ingenuity, optimism, fortitude, and eccentricity and independence all rolled into one pretty crazy road trip.