So do all the Valk Riders just talk about riding or do they actually ride??

[Walküre]

Just my observations, after 45 years of owning motorcycles, and no allegiance to any particular one...

I've owned quite a few GoldWings. From a '77 to an '86. I've never bought a brand-new motorcycle, of any kind. Looking forward to that day. However, it WON'T be a Valkyrie, for very obvious reasons. I have only owned the Valk for 3 months, but like it as much as, if not better, than any motorcycle I've ever owned. I really don't picture myself selling it. However, as with any vehicle that's "getting older", if I manage to be healthy enough to ride another 20 years, I doubt that the Valkyrie will last that long - I've been known to put 30,000+ miles on a bike in a year. If I DID buy another/different bike, it would probably be a GoldWing, at this time. After years of driving British sports cars, I very well know how hard it will become to get Valkyrie parts, some day. I sure miss the sports cars...

Not only is the GoldWing the only real alternate to the Valk, you also have to consider the pure numbers involved. Valk's were made for what - 7 years? And only 3 for the Interstate? The GoldWing has been around since 1976, that's 34 years! And they have continued to sell very well. So I think it's no wonder that you see MANY times the number of Wings as you do Valks. I would guess you would see about the same number of GL1000 or GL1100's, as you would Valks, as there aren't that many of them left on the road. My favorite Wing was the 1200, the 1500 had just too much tupperware, for my liking. Of course, so does the Interstate, for that matter. I prefer the Tourer, and mine will be close to a Tourer before I'm done with it. When I bought the Valk, I bought the lowest-mileage bike I could find - right at 9,000 miles. Put 2500 miles on it in the three months I've owned it, with no long trips - no vacation time. Currently I'm 75% done with making a trailer for it, and hoping to spend a few weeks next spring/summer cruising for some long distances - at least one Saddlesore 1000.

I just know that I'm going to ride the hell out of the Valk, for as long as I can. And I know I'll be sad when I have to give it up. Hopefully, it's the day I have to give up ALL motorcycles, for whatever reason.

That all being said, my bro-in-law is an OTR trucker, who has several HD's, one really old one, and one practically brand new. Lives real close to Marysville, OH, too! But he said that since he found out I had a Valk, he's been watching out for them, and was really surprised by how many he's seen, in the 3 months since I got mine. So they ARE out there. I've only seen two on the road, since I got mine, and met two other owners.

I don't know how it pertains to others, but you'll never see me at a huge bike rally - just not my style. I ride alone most of the time...I just like to ride, not ride as a group.

R

[Westernbiker]

I know I seen you once in Wickenburg that was a year or two ago. I did Yellowstone Park this July (over 2200 miles in 8 days) and would do MUCH more out of state riding but I have a job that does not allow me allot of off time. Once maybe twice a year I can get out of Arizona. Granted I wish I could do more traveling but my job does not allow for this and right now, keeping my job is waaaay more important than riding my Valk out of state. I have ridden my Valk every day this week to work and ride every chance I get. I too will go a month sometimes even longer before I see another Valk on the road but it does not warrent me to think that Valk owners do not ride.

[Cattman]

I'm up to 70K on my 2000 IS it's been to 22 States so far.  Last weekend going from Indiana to NC I saw one 1999 Red IS (Indiana plate) and that was it for the entire 980 miles there and back.

[Pete]

The GoldWing has been around since 1976, that's 34 years!!!!!!!!

First ones were actually 1975.

[Cruzen]

Why don't YOU ride to Sturgis????  Or attend any VRCC functions?

Quit your whining & RIDE!!!!!!

Dave

Dave, I've been to Sturgis five times but never when the circus is in town.  Maybe that's the problem?  A friend of mine who lives here in Arizona in the cool months lives in Cheyenne for three months during the summer and I've made the day trip to Sturgis each time I have been up there to visit him.

I don't whine, I just speculate on what is and what is not and right now I am wondering why I see very few Valks on the road out here in the Western states.  I'm not talking about a bunch of people getting together like one of the VRCC functions.  Just folks out for a trip on their bike.

On my recent trip to Durango I did note a substantial number of Metrics on the road and not all were large bikes. 

[czuch]

My name is Czuch and I'm a valkaholic.
I have a green-n-cream 97 Tourer and it had 14k on it when I bought it 4 years ago.
Now, Thrud has 66 k.  some outta state and most to work and such. I love "yard saleing" on the valk.
Keeps the weird stuff down and I have a car trailer and pick-up for the other moments.
I ve seen a few hjere but I'm the only one at the Patriot guard rides with a Valk.

[Des]

Well Cruzen -- obviously you missed my post about the short ride Kendall and I took over the weekend --- I'll admit I don't ride near as much in the heat of summer as Kendall does (that fool rides 365 days a year)  He'll leave out pouring down rain or 110+ --- hell not me!  I love riding but me and that damn heat don't see Eye to Eye.

Kendall has 2 valks - a 99 White I/S -- she's our White Dragon; then he's got a 98 Standard - we fondly refer to her as Noisy -- then there is my sweet 97 Purple & White Tourer known by most as "My Obsession".

All total we probably ride anywhere from 20,000 + miles a year --- and are very well known around these parts by most all AZ VRCC family (and many other VRCC family members not around these parts).  To further demonstrate we ride --- the many other VRCC Family members have gotten to know us from other places then here!   

We are evil bikers and fail to post on the AZ Board when we get ready for a ride --- have in the past and get very little interest and/or just flat spark up the concept at the last minute which makes it very difficult for others to join us.

When the weather cools down a bit you'll find at least 2 of the 3 of our valks out on most any weekend Kendall isn't working.  We are very active in charity rides throughout the state.

An upcoming ride we have planned --- is the LA Swamp Ride -- via Utah; Montana, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansa -- then of course we'll visit our way through Texas and New Mexico coming home. 

Love to ride and would gladly join you or throw out an invite to join us somtime!   





this last weekend - our trip to Show Low & Payson
first time my Mother ever rode with Kendall --- we've been trying to get her on the White Dragon for years!

[Willow]

I’m just trying to figure out why we seldom see other Valks on the road during our travels which I admit are restricted at this point to six Western states which, it seems, have the fewest Valks.

I see them all them time, both local and when traveling.  I have 155,000 miles on my Standard which I acquired in 2004 with 11k on the odometer.  I have 32,000 miles on a couple of Interstates in the past three years.  I sometimes ride my wife's Standard and have been known to ride a few hundred miles on someone else's Valkyrie.

I've ridden in the lower 48 states and a few Canadian provinces.  There are a lot of places I'd like to ride that I haven't yet been.

I can't really answer your question except that perhaps either your eyes aren't as good as they used to be or people just don't go where you are.

My annual mileage ranges from 18,000 to 35,000.  The 18K was because I was wheel chaired for a few months.  Some of my miles are over 100 miles from home.  My observation is that you've made some really bad assumptions from very limited experience.

Some Valkyrie riders ride.  Some don't.  I'm sure that in both cases it has something to do with the bike.      


 

[f6john]

     I don't talk so much about riding as I do reading about other peoples rides. The economy has really zapped my business for over 2 years now. When I have disposable income for travel, jobs are slim pickens so I don't feel comfortable spending it on myself. When jobs are available, I have to make hay while the sun shines so to speak. I do envy those who have both the time and resources to ride and I do enjoy the ride reports. In my mind I planned on the Blue-Grey ride, InZane, and the Natchez ride but each time as they got closer I realized it would not be in the cards for me this year. I'm just about to decide that Obama isn't going to bail me out so I need to do some long range planning for next year.
     Just so no one starts taking up a collection for me, I am blessed to have what I have and know that I am better off than I deserve. I do ride local and enjoy ever minute of it. The economy runs in cycles and we all just have to ride it out.

[Daniel Meyer]

The 18K was because I was wheel chaired for a few months.

Hey Willow, you ARE allowed to count the miles in the wheel-chair ya-know...

[Big IV]

I'm not sure if the other Valk spotted me or not. Sometimes you have to know where to look.
It's in there somewhere. Second row with a fender sticking in out around one of the HDs.

I do not attend many rallies or poker runs. I commute. I ride for fun when I can.  Of course sometimes I'm just out playing around.

I pledge allegiance to the united states of Valkyrie!
Or just more playing around.

[john]

the phoenix bunch is  hard to get together all at one time ...   
watch the board closely ...   
especially before new years day ...   

[Willow]

Hey Willow, you ARE allowed to count the miles in the wheel-chair ya-know...

I was too ashamed of my amateur skills with the accursed contraption.

Now this fellow was a true wheel chair rider.