My 1997 Valkyrie won't start!! Any suggestions??!!

[croucdu]

I recently purchased this bike and was riding it for probably the 3rd time and it died during my ride.  It puttered to a stop as if I was out of gas, but I have a full tank.  This first time it did this, the bike fired back up after about 3 minutes.  I tried to ride it back to my house but it died a second time and would not start back up.  It is hard to describe how it sounded when it died, but it almost sound as if all the noise stop coming out of the right side exhause pipes and began to putter only on the left (The bike has Cobra pipes).  The bike also died once I would let out the clutch.  I could get to 4th gear and no matter how much I would throttle, the bike would not accelerate. Any ideas as to what is going on or how to get this thing repaired.  I would at least like to get it running so I could ride it to a repair shop rather than have it towed.  If you need anymore specifics please ask because I really need help.

[Hoser]

See if it will run with the gas filler open, could be a clogged or pinched vent tube.  That's the first thing to do, there are several other causes of what you describe, but try that one first.  Hoser

[R J]

Has the gas tank been off recently?

Sounds like a kinked vent hose.

Take your spare key, open the gas cap, and ride the bike.   If it keeps running without a problem, the vent hose is kinked.     Take the back bolt out of the tank, raise it up far enough to see where the vent hose is located, now go down under the tank and try pulling the kink out of it.

If you find a kink and can pull it out, insert the bolt, close the gas cap and happy motoring.

If this is not the problem, then the next place I'd look is the petcock.

Go to shop talk and find out how to solve this problem.   Happy trails Brother.

[9Ball]

vent line or petcock problem as described above....should be an easy fix.

Welcome to your new Valkyrie...lots of help available here.

[Ricky-D]

I guess the first question should be regarding the first few rides you took with the bike.

How long and how far did you go? I mean if it was just around the block, that would be quite different than say a two hour ride and more that fifty miles at a stretch.

Secondly, was the bike stored before you bought it or was it ridden a considerable amount up to the time you purchased it?

It sound more like bad gas so did you do anything regarding the gas in the tank? Maybe just added more at the gas station.

Have you looked at the spark plugs?

***

[croucdu]

I lifted the gas tank and found the kink in the line! The Valkyrie fired right up! Thanks a lot for all your suggestions.  Btw, does anyone know if they make highway pegs for the Valkyrie that would allow me to actually move the brake and clutch to those pegs? I have some cruiser pegs for it now that are up by the motor guard, but I still have to bring my foot off to brake or shift.  Thanks again.

[hubcapsc]

Check out the forward controls from Big Bike Things...

http://www.bigbikethings.com/NewProducts.html

You get to keep the regular controls, and have an extra set of controls up
by your highway pegs... most everyone I know has "tweaked" their kit
so that it is to their liking... I cut off the supplied peg mount and put on
Kuryakyn's, mounted past the curve on the small part of
the engine guard... way comfortable for me... I use my forward controls all
the time...



-Mike

[PhredValk]

You didn't say what model Valkyrie you have. I don't think the foreward controls work on an Interstate.
Fred.

[hubcapsc]

You didn't say what model Valkyrie you have. I don't think the foreward controls work on an Interstate.
Fred.

BBT has an Interstate version... I heard they hang lower, and I don't know first hand if
they are as awesome as the version I got...

-Mike