Might Be Buying A Valkyrie

[rooster]

Hello all,

I am new to this forum and I don't currently own a Valkyrie but I have the opportunity to buy one for sale locally. 

The bike has 95,000 miles on it and it is a 2000 model Valkyrie Standard.  The chrome and paint are in excellent condition. 
The Blue Book value is right around 5000 bucks.  I was just wondering if anyone could give me a few pointers as to what to check out/ask about when I talk to the owner with respect to maintenance and other issues common to this model.  Anything I should be listening for when I start it up? 

The mileage is my biggest concern, as it seems a little high, but I have done a little research and it seems to me that these bikes should last up to 300,000 plus miles on the odometer, so how concerned should I be?

Any and all input is greatly appreciated,

Thanks,
Shane

[9Ball]

shocks, fork seals, timing belts, wheel bearings, final drive properly maintained, color of brake/clutch fluid, how often antifreeze changed, etc..  These are some of the items that may need to be replaced but they are cheap and relatively easy to do yourself.  If the owner has maintenance records/receipts then you have some assurance they took good care.  The fact that it is clean and in good shape says something about how the bike has been kept.

Good luck....

[Black Dog]

Welcome to our Big Ol' Goofy Family!

Well, the good thing about the mileage, is that it means the bike has been ridden, rather than sitting.  I'd ask the owner if he/she has paid attention to the 'Drive Splines' when the numerous tire changes were done.  For a Valk with miles on it, the drive train would be the place to be sure the maintaince was done right, and by right, I mean proper lube in that area when the rear tire has been changed.

Also, check to see if the bike has been 'Desmogged', meaning that the owner has removed the 'plumbing' involved in the emissions area.  If it has, that's good, as you don't have to worry about the endless lengths of vacuum hoses used on the emission system.  If it was not desmogged, check the records to see if the vacuum hoses have been replaced.  Age is the enemy of those hoses, and vacuum leaks can cause this wonderful motor to run poorly.

Beyond that, good common sense as to the condition of the machine as a whole.  If it has been well maintained, it should show.

Good luck, and again, welcome 

Black Dog

[F-106]

Mileage never hurt this bike depending on how well it was kept. things i would ask for and look at

1. maintaince records
2. tires- overall condition
3. rust in the tank- look inside
4. ask if the timing belts have been changed- they are due at 100,000
5. on start i would look for loud ticking, some ticking is fine but had tapping or knocking i would not go for.

if all seems well buy it. do a good service on it to include valve adjust and carb sync, change all the fluids and filters, look at the rear driveshaft splines. then the only thing left is ride it and have fun.

[VALKTERY]

Well rooster a dodle doo , rooster, , these guys have pretty well covered it,. these motors are   bullet proff as long as needed maintenance is done... weather it be this bike or another, welcome to the brotherhood!

[Ivo]

 I bought a Valk three years ago and picked the right bike for me.A Valkyrie with
95,000 miles is better than a Harley out of the showroom HAHA .The advise you
have been given is standard and very wise.Looks say alot.Look around the engine
and undercarrage to see if there is any signs of leaks etc.

[Daniel Meyer]

95,000? Not quite broken in!



Check out the rear drive splines. Pretty much everything else is bullet proof and any repair needed is a minor affair.

[Tropic traveler]

Miles are nearly irrelevant on a Valkyrie. All "conventional wisdom" concerning what is high mileage on a motorcycle does not apply to any flat 6 powered Honda. It's all about condition of the bike first & making sure it has not been abused. 90K on my '97 and it looks as good as any 2-3 year old cruiser of any other make! 
Beat the seller up about the miles as if the Valk was the same as all others to get a good price {maybe that will work...maybe not} but feel safe in the knowledge that there are LOTS of miles left in her!
I paid $6k for my Tourer 3 years ago with 57,000 miles on her. Best money I ever spent on a vehicle. 

[Bill Laslett]

Where are you located ? Maybe you can find a VRCC member in your location to look at the bike with you. 

[Big IV]

Most people that say 'might' buy them if at all possible.
So, welcome aboard!

[Big Rig]

WARNING!!!!

What ever you do, do not test ride it!!!! If you do, you will plop your money down on one of the finest bikes ever made...

Welcome to the wonderful world of Valkyries....

Post pics when you get them...and remember, I warned ya...

Once you go Valk, you never go back! 

[Black Pearl's Captain]

All above is good advice. I might add find out if the alternator brushes have been changed. They should be chaned at not much mire then 90,000.

If you are afraid of the engine at all have him ride it while you follow next to him just behind. Ask him to roll up the rpm's and then let it roll down and watch for any smoke at all out the back during decel. I doubt you'll see any buy that's about all you can do with a Valk. They go 300,000 plus as you already know. If you can get it for around 5 get it and ride it like you stole it.

Raymond

[Big IV]

I didn't take a test drive before I bought mine. the trip up and down the road was what the seller called a test drive. to me, it was my first ride.
As I pulled out the seller asked my wife if I had ever ridden a bike that big before. She shurgged and said I can ride anything. He shook his head and said something like, 'if he breaks it he'll buy it' which made my wife laugh. She knew I was going to buy it when I set eyes on it.
test drive? nope. that was my first dance.

[Quicksilver]

For the past 3 years I've been riding a 1980 gl11oo Goldwing, a great old bike and I've come to appreciate the smoothness of the boxer engine. It has become a challenge to keep her running well however, especially after i dropped her on a curve last summer and shook her up a bit. 10 years ago I sat on a Valkyrie in a showroom, loved the bike, solid and beautiful to look at. For the last 6 months I've been watching the ads for Valkyries in my area. Finally last month one come up in Montreal that I could afford, a 1997 with only 65000 kilometers on it say 40000 miles. I emailed the owner in Montreal, told him I was interested, he told me I should wait till april because it was in storage and he couldn't get it out for the snow. In march we still had a foot in the yard. I told him it would be gone by april and that I was sending him a checque for $1000 dollars, the remaining $4600 I'd give him when I picked up the bike.
I sent the checque, he cashed it, and I made arrangements to go and get it April 18th. I contacted him on april 16th after getting an email saying that if I didn't contact him by the 16th he'd sell it to someone else. Keep in mind I live 3 hours from Montreal, I didn't know this guy from Adam and when I tried to confirm his existence via internet search for his name and address he didn't exist. He told me he was listed under another name in the phonebook.The emails did keep coming and he did answer the phone when I called so I didn't feel that shaky. He however only spoke french. I only speak english, so the wife got involved in the deal. The owner suggested that saturday would be good but the bike was still in storage and he would take it out and over to his girlfriends in another town from where i had sent the $1000 dollar checque, we would then go to the liscence bureau for the transfer. he was sure they were open on saturday but only until noon. So I'd have to get there early. I wondered about the office being open on Saturday so I checked via the net and no office in the entire region was open on Saturday. Hmm. So I got the wife to call him back. The only office open late was within 2 miles of the residence where I had sent the cheque and that meant I'd have to go there on Friday April th 17th before it closed at 830 to get the transfer done.Well last Friday April 17th the wife and I drove to Montreal, we got to the address about 4 oclock. There in the yard was the motorcycle exactly as pictured in the ad. My wife tells me that relief was written on my face. Actually it felt like Christmas. The owner turned out to be 100% legit, nice fellow just found the bike a bit large and too much to handle. I guess he was about 5' 8" and didn't really like the weight. So my test ride was from his house to the liscence bureau 10 minutes later. I paid him the balance, got my new plates, installed highways pegs and drove it home from Montreal a trip of about 4 hours. A new bike on highways I'd never driven on a Friday night in Rush hour traffic. On some bikes that might have been a problem, not the valkyrie. She cruised through that traffic like she had wings. Center of gravity is lower than the Goldwing and she sits solid on the highway. It was a windy day with the trees blowing and gusty winds hitting us but no problem plowed right through. Finally settled down enough to check her over well yesterday. Leaking fork seal is only glitch so far, changed the oil and new filter today. Best deal I ever made. And she looks just like the one I sat on 10 years ago.
Quicksilver

[Serk]

Congrats and welcome to the addiction! I've had mine 8 and a half years and 91,000 miles, and it's STILL love at first sight every time I see her!

 

[SgtBunny]

I had always dreamed of owning a Valk.  When I ran across this one last year it was love at first sight.  Sight unseen with the exception of pictures I was sold.  I am in Afghanistan and only come home every 6 months so I promptly bought it and had it shipped to my dad's to watch over while I was away.  I learned real quick that I had to get it to my house and away from my dad.

Welcome aboard.