98 Valkyrie - Bad Vibration

[tedj]

New to the forum. Thanks for this site and any suggestions.  Got a 98 Valkyrie F6 Std a few months ago, 23k miles, best bike I've ever owned or ridden. The past month or so I kept noticing a "vibration" when I'd throttle in 5th gear. Didn't pay much attention to it. Wrote it off to common torque vibration.

Got a surprise today. I am now getting a "growl", for lack of a better term, always at constant speeds or after the growl starts, it continues through throttling. I can feel it when it starts, through the pegs and handle bars, then suddenly it gets very noisy like a very rapid rumbling like sticking something in a fan. It stops when I let off the throttle but comes right back after a few more minutes of riding.

I've been reading a lot about the possible causes, u-joint, rear wheel bearings, drive shaft, pinion cup, etc. etc. Lack of maintenance issue from the previous owner, I suspect, but: Is there a way to really pin point the problem without tearing into it? Or is this the type of problem that will require just tearing into it to find the culprit?  Any opinions about what it might be, how to investigate and how to fix will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Ted - 60 y/o ex Harley rider

[Mr.BubblesVRCCDS0008]

Glad to meet you Ted. All I can say is get you a jack & adapter and start looking for it. After you remove the rear wheel it isn't much more to check the pinion cup,and driveshaft, a little more work and you'll be looking at the u-joint. Low milage of your bike makes me think maybe the previous owner didn't keep the splines lubed. Lots of help here so get a manual and dig in.

[tedj]

Hey good to meet you too MrBubblesVR. Thanks for the advice.  I guess my greatest fear when attempting to fix something like this myself is tearing into it, assuming it's a drive shaft/u-joint problem and finding it isn't that at all. Could it be a transmission problem?  That's what I don't know. I guess I'm just trying to avoid the dealers and shops since they make more in an hour than I make all week......well not quite that much, but close !

[Mr.BubblesVRCCDS0008]

Should be some support people arround your area who will chime in and help you get your feet wet in tearing her down and locating your vib. I've owned two valks and mine have never been to the dealer except to pickup parts. With the depth of knowledge that is on this board you can fix anything.

[9Ball]

definitely pick up the Honda Service manual, it will serve you well.

This is a good time to pull the rear apart (pretty easy stuff), inspect, clean, lube and re-assemble.

If nothing else, it will ensure the longevity of your bike, give you peace of mind, and help you learn how to take care of your bike.

Good luck, lots of help here when you get into it.  Just remember, if you order the repair parts on line you'll save money but add about 2 weeks of waiting for them to arrive.  Better to get going now so you don't lose too much riding weather.

[Don07tncav]

Sure sounds like the U-joint. Just changed mine out this past week and it was a easy job following the directions provided by other VRCC members. Didn't have to drop the swing arm which I was dreading and the guys had pictures in their directions which helped a lot. There are several basic how to do maintenance tips here: http://www.valkyrieriders.com/shoptalk/

JoevalkIS provided this excellent link to the U-Joint replacement: http://www.rattlebars.com/mtz/ujoint.html

[tedj]

Thanks to everyone. Great information.  I've never had a cruiser on a stand before and I'm aware of the adapter that is required for the Valks. Got the jack and adapter on the way. I'm going with the permanent mount adapter. It just appears safer and less stress on the engine and tranny.

Any tips for this old man on how to secure the bike on the stand will be greatly appreciated. I'm not too keen on having an 850 pound cruiser on top of me in my garage. I'd be screaming for days and no one would hear me in the middle of this cornfield in Illinois!

Since I don't know much about the history of this bike, I plan on replacing the u-joint, drive shaft and all shaft components and seals, the rear wheel bearings and seals and some other 0-rings, if needed. According to this article I found, on here or course ( http://www.valkyrieriders.com/shoptalk/Elusive%203rd%20O-Ring.htm) Replacing all of these o-rings just makes sense.

Am I going to need special tools for all this? I see, from reading, the pinion cup may need a special tool to remove, but don't know about the other stuff.  I have a Valkyrie Service Manual.  Downloaded it from this site (http://www.valkyrienorway.com/) Thanks Norway and thanks to all on here.

[fudgie]

When do you shift into 5th? I know if I'm in 5th and slow to 40ish and roll on power I get a little growl. Its from the tranny. I dont shift into 5th untill above 55 mph. You could be shifting to early.

[tedj]

I took the Valk to a friend who owns a MC shop. He employs a mechanic that worked for Honda for 12 years. They tore it down and found it to be the drive shaft u-joint. It's trashed. Nothing else is damaged, just the u-joint. While it's there I'm having them replace the rear wheel bearings and some other seals and o-rings, lube everything and I'll be good to go. I decided not to tear into it myself. It probably cost me a little more but not much because I would have had to buy the jack and adapter and most likely some tools I don't have.

Thanks for all the suggestions and comments.  I'm sure this happened due to lack of maintenance by the previous owner.  Grease those shaft and u-joint splines when you replace your rear tire. I hear this all over this forum and this is another example of what happens when you don't Thanks again !