Shout Out to a New Friend

[steve 3054]

Last week I was out on my Valk and heard a chirp sound...knew it was the wheel bearing.  I was two blocks from the local Honda Shop so I decided to pull in there and have them change it out, and sync the carbs.  They promised it would be done three days later.  I called to pick up the bike and was advised, " what Valkyrie"...they did end up "looking at it and charging me $100. Said my problem was new pads in the rear and one carb not working, they would not clean one.  I was mad at this point and told them to put it together I was on the way.  In the meantime I PM and emailed John Schmidt, begging for help...John did PM and email back saying come on by and let me look at it.  En route to his home, I was praying the back wheel not lock up !!!.  Upon arrival, we met and discussed my bike and John said he would look at it...well look at it he did...John took the carbs apart, and I helped him remove the rear wheel.  Found the rear single roller bearing in very bad shape..." nick of time " was the term I heard.  John then over a two week period, cleaned up the rear end, ordered lube, new jets, o-rings and seals and a cut down spacer.  I got a CT put on the rear...John should have the carbs done tomorrow and Sat I will help him button the bike up.   John Schmidt is one fine fellow human being.  From the stories I have heard also a outstanding father and husband, a new friend to me and a gentleman.  I do not the words to express my gratefulness to John and his lovely wife Rita for coming to my aid and offering me their hospitality.  I hope this is the beginning  of many years of friendship between us.  Thanks again, steve... 

[tank_post142]

see and i thought he was just a nice guy. you learn something new everyday at this place. looking forward to spending some time with all you northerners who head to inzane.

[Thunderbolt]

You are not the only one that John has helped out.  He is a nice guy and knows his way around the bike too.

[John Schmidt]

Steve, I'm speechless! I let Rita read your post and of course my loving wife had to pull my chain a bit and add to it by saying....."who the heck is he talking about."   

As for the bad bearing, it was the usual culprit...left rear. We had to literally drive the axle out of it in order to remove the rear wheel. I don't think it had another five miles left in it. All splines were in good shape but in bad need of cleaning and servicing. Plus, somewhere along the line a METAL thrust washer had been added on top of the normally used one. Not only was the metal one about to go, but the plastic/nylon(?) factory one was totally ruined and distorted in shape. Removing the axle nut at the start gave me some insight as to what we faced; it had obviously been tightened with a rattle gun. I used mine at full air pressure and highest setting before getting it to move after working it for over a minute. I sent a note to my friend Bill Gurney(a/k/a Grumpy, one of our vendor supporters) for one of his cut down spacers, installed new double row bearings in both sides, cleaned everything up and the axle now slips in nice and smooth. Today, I should get the new dampers delivered for the rear wheel. The old ones were so loose and worn(42k miles) that when I removed the retaining plate and tipped the wheel sideways they all fell out and the metal inserts were loose in their rubber mounts. Today, I'm hoping to start the bike while waiting for Brown to deliver the dampers(they always come around dinner time).

Once the mechanical troubles are cleared up, we need to talk about the wiring. Whoever did the add-ons....well, let me put it this way: a bowl of spaghetti is more organized! 

Stay tuned!

[John Schmidt]

Brown delivered the new set of dampers late this afternoon and I was anxious to get the bike on the ground so went ahead and installed the wheel. Sure turns smooth with Grumpy's cut down spacer. Then I fired up the bike after hooking up my small external tank. I couldn't get it to idle down until I noticed the #1 adjustment screw for carb sync was turned all the way in. I backed it off and set all the screws to about the same distance from their base as a starting point. Now she roars like a Valkyrie should. Still need to sync the carbs but it always makes one feel good when it all comes together. Should be done Saturday, think I'll take tomorrow off. 

Can't wait to see Steve's expression when he takes it for a test ride.

[Big Rig]

So John,

Can you give me/us the run down on the dampers? Why loose is bad and why. How can you tell is the bearings are bad, can you tell when riding or when you have the wheel off? I know lots of questions...

Wish you lived closer, or I lived closer...

Thanks in advance for sharing your knowledge with me/us.

[Karen]

John, you are a prince!

[Grumpy]

John, you are a prince!

That he is, rare to find ones like him.

[John Schmidt]

John, you are a prince!

Naw, just helping a fellow rider out. Had an amusing thing happen this afternoon when installing the wheel. I needed an extra hand, someone to tap the axle in while I held things lined up on the other side of the bike. So, I went in and got my honey to handle the "tapping chores."  If you recall, she has Parkinsons quite bad and therefore her hands shake. So, when she went to tap on the axle, it wasn't just one tap....it was 4-5 at a time. She couldn't help it, but it's what I needed and we got to laughing about it because the whole process was over in no time. She still has a marvelous sense of humor through all her trials.

BigRig, worn dampers can cause excess wear in the driveline due to the slack. You often can hear it clunking back and forth especially when slowing and you're coasting or feathering the throttle. It will most likely cause stress on the u-joint as well, banging back/forth like that. As for the bearing being bad, you'll know it when it starts to go....you can hear it. This one was to the point it was squealing like a stuck pig, probably didn't have more than 4-5 miles left, if that much.

[John Schmidt]

John, you are a prince!

That he is, rare to find ones like him.

Bill, that spacer you cut out worked beautifully. Slipped right in, perfect size. Thanks bud.

PS: In a few weeks I have some chromed forks & trees coming, can I impose on you? The forks need to be assembled and I don't have those tools.

[Grumpy]

Sure, are you changing the tree bearings also ?  They can be fun.  Forks are fairly easy.

[Valkahuna]

While we are sending out "shouts" to genuinely good guys, Grumpy needs to be included in that list as well.

Knowing, and being near one Gentleman like this is a lucky thing, but having two, both in Florida and in close proximity, is unbelievable.  I don't think that there were ever two nicer, and unselfish guys. I guess the rest of us down there are just lucky! I know I am proud and happy to consider both friends.

Thanks Steve for bringing this up!

[Tundra]

Last week I was out on my Valk and heard a chirp sound...knew it was the wheel bearing.  I was two blocks from the local Honda Shop so I decided to pull in there and have them change it out, and sync the carbs.  They promised it would be done three days later.  I called to pick up the bike and was advised, " what Valkyrie"...they did end up "looking at it and charging me $100. Said my problem was new pads in the rear and one carb not working, they would not clean one.  I was mad at this point and told them to put it together I was on the way.  In the meantime I PM and emailed John Schmidt, begging for help...John did PM and email back saying come on by and let me look at it.  En route to his home, I was praying the back wheel not lock up !!!.  Upon arrival, we met and discussed my bike and John said he would look at it...well look at it he did...John took the carbs apart, and I helped him remove the rear wheel.  Found the rear single roller bearing in very bad shape..." nick of time " was the term I heard.  John then over a two week period, cleaned up the rear end, ordered lube, new jets, o-rings and seals and a cut down spacer.  I got a CT put on the rear...John should have the carbs done tomorrow and Sat I will help him button the bike up.   John Schmidt is one fine fellow human being.  From the stories I have heard also a outstanding father and husband, a new friend to me and a gentleman.  I do not the words to express my gratefulness to John and his lovely wife Rita for coming to my aid and offering me their hospitality.  I hope this is the beginning  of many years of friendship between us.  Thanks again, steve...  

John is a good man. As is every one of the Florida Valkyrie Riders I've had the pleasure to meet. All these men have helped me out with their knowledge and talent over the years. It's nice to have folks willing to teach newer members. I hope I can pass the torch to others as well.

[RTaz]

 

[RedValk]

I know Steve from the Rune board....good people........

I know John from this board....good people....

sounds like the perfect ending on getting this bike right 

[John Schmidt]

Sure, are you changing the tree bearings also ?  They can be fun.  Forks are fairly easy.

I won't be changing them out in the steering head, although I can remove the bottom race quite easily if necessary....thanks to Daryl(sp?) at F6 showing me how he does it. As for the lower one on the stem itself, I would imagine that was removed prior to chroming so will have to come up with a method of pressing a new one on. I've always wanted a small bench-top press, probably wouldn't use it all that much but sure come in handy when needed....like the majority of my tools.    This might be the time to invest in a small one. I'll probably wait until after my friend Carman's visit most likely next month, don't want it tore down while he's here.

[Big Rig]

Thanks John.

I replaced them, just was not sure what they do, but they were loose and knew that was night right...so now I know.

+1

[John Schmidt]

Steve came over today and helped with the finishing touch; reinstalling the saddlebags and guard rails. I set it up with a home version of the "quick drop" kit, saving him future time and hassle. He then took it around the block which is about two miles since it goes around the central portion of a golf course. I could hear him rumbling down the street a half mile away and knew when I saw that big grin on his face as he came around the last curve that all was good in Valkyrie Land. It was his first experience with a c/t on his bike but it didn't slow him down. Before he left, I told him to keep it under 100 and I just got a funny grin. May not have hit that mark on the toll road going home, but I'll bet he was cruising a bit over the posted limit. I got a call later from one happy camper....quote: "that bike runs like there's no tomorrow." 

That's what I wanted to hear, he had told me before he left that for the month he's owned it the bike has never run right. Frankly, it sounded like a John Deere tractor it was missing so bad.

Just had to share, I'm pleased with the results and so is Steve. That's all that counts...he's satisfied that now he has a solid & safe bike to ride for both himself and his son whom I met for the first time today....fine young man. Ride safe my friend, it was a pleasure.

[steve 3054]

Yep all true!!!  Got home and got her cleaned up ... ate dinner and told momma, See ya latter... 12:00am rolled in.  I think I am used to the CT.  no problems at speed, a little awkward and slow speed.  I will figure it out...fule mileage sucks...but I am sure this has somethin to do with running around and shifting at 5K rpm...bike never would roll up there before...NOW I know what brought people to the Valk...Another thanks to John, taught me alot in a short amount of time.

[Paxton]

John, Sir;
We've never met and chances are we might never meet.
However, the family stories and challenges that you have shared with us and how you have coped, that's admirable. 
In the face of adversity and sadness, your wife and you nurture each other spirits; and you pull through.

By reading these posts and your past entries, I can sense the goodness of your heart.
Thank you for been a good-sharing person.

"Still round the corner there may wait a new road or a secret gate; and though I have oft passed them by,
a day will come at last when I shall take the hidden paths that run west of the moon, east of the Sun."
J. R. R. Tolkien

[TN Rebel Soul]

Great stuff to hear from a great group of people! I am definitely a true "Valkaholic' now. The info and discussion here helps tremendously!

I have gotten a lot of help from Goose since getting my Valk a few months ago - lubed splines, changed bushings, lift adaptor, etc. - and planning more next week! Thanks to Goose and all of the Valkaholics!

[The Anvil]

Once the mechanical troubles are cleared up, we need to talk about the wiring. Whoever did the add-ons....well, let me put it this way: a bowl of spaghetti is more organized! 

That's one of my peeves. My buddy Joey's old Dyna had a bunch of lights and an amp and speakers added and the wiring was a nightmare, which might have explained his electrical troubles.

Take that bearing down to the dealership, drop it on their counter and tell them that they're lucky it didn't cause a wreck and to hire some techs who have a clue.

[John Schmidt]

After Steve had put a few miles on it, he started to hear a "click" coming from the back end, took him a while to pin down the location. We were on the phone, he had the bike on a lift and spinning the rear wheel and I could hear that loud click. He later called and said he can put his hand on the area of the four nuts where the final attaches to the swingarm and can feel it clicking there. Not sure but sounds like his u-joint may be going out at 42k miles. This is the first time his bike has run hard and strong since he's had it...about a month. That's probably all it took to finish it off, although I'm only going by what he tells me at this point.

The driveshaft had been removed and everything cleaned and relubed. I didn't remove the u-joint for inspection but did pull the boot back and felt no irregularities so just lubed and left it in place. What a PITA for him, he has to wait until we return from D.C. to attend a wedding next week. At least I won't have to wait for a new u-joint because I'm a pack-rat....I have three new spares.    If that's what it is, I'll probably just drop the wheel to the side and not roll it out, then I can pull the final so I can get at the u-joint up behind the rear master cylinder without pulling the swingarm.