Anyone smell smoked bacon ?????

[Doc Moose]

All you Valkyrie guys are really just jealous of H-D cuz there's no Valkyrie Barbie or neat stuff like this:

[Tropic traveler]

IMHO we are talking about two things here, Mechanicals and attitude.

I give full credit to anyone that does his own work on his bike to increase power.  I give less credit to someone who pays good money to buy a bike then pays more money to the same company to increase the power that should've been there in the first place.

The Valk represents almost new technology.  The HD represents nostalgia, period.  To each his own.

With the mechanicals out of the way, I think that it's fair to say that motorcycles are, well, motorcycles.

Attitude... I give full credit to the riders that have the attitude that "It don't matter what you ride, just that you ride"  I give less credit to riders that have bias toward or against other riders because of what they ride...........  Unfortunately, that includes me.  For years I have heard remarks about the bikes that I ride: Jap Crap, Rice Burners, Unpatriotic, etc, so much in fact, that I've developed a bias against HD riders and judged them before the facts are in, and that's my problem.

I give no credit to the riders that have been responsible for my bias.  Most are probably newcomers who have been brainwashed and MUST follow the mystique of the HD Bad Boy image.

Just my .02

WOW! 
Confirmation that age DOES bring wisdom. Thanks Solo for expressing my feelings nearly exact. 

MCRider is surely entitled to his opinion but I think if he walked a mile in our shoes, our shoes being a metric rider here in Florida, he may have a different take. You can't throw a dead possum in these parts & NOT hit a Harley. Also, very much to the HD marketing machines credit, you can't help but attend Harley or HD dealer sponsored events, albeit in our case on our Hondas!   God Bless them for that!
I have absolutely no malice towards Harley Davidson the company or their products. However it does seem that an inordinate amount of  loud, biased, anti-anything but HD buffoons ride their product. Their act does get a little old.
Personally I have conciously chosen the flat-6 powered Honda over the plethora of V-twin bikes, Harley, Victory or any of the foreign makes included. I caught a lot of flak from my buds for my choice of a Valk over the "expected choice" of a 40 something re-entry rider too. The smoothness & power of the Valk was just something that was sorely lacking from the MoCo line-up.
As to the mechanical side of things, all things being equal {& they're not} a 6 cylinder bike will outperform a 2 cylinder bike nearly every time. I shake my head in amazement at the number of 2 cylinder bike owners that fail to grasp this concept.
As to the "street challenges" that sometimes get issued I don't jump on them as readily as I used to. Guess I either have grown up a bit or maybe owning a Rocket 3 for a year & a half got that out of my system.  Smoked a LOT of bacon with that!




Anyways, I am VERY pleased with being a Valkyrie owner & now a 2 Valk family to boot. I do feel a bit sorry for a lot of the American made bike owners rather than any form of envy. I kind of chuckle at them when they are on "full display" mode, bragging & denigrating the "Jap Crap" at bike gatherings. Knowing what they paid vs. what they got keeps me secure.

What $12K bought us.


Nearly 200 hp of smooth, reliable beauty.

Ride on brothers!

[saabfxr]

Love my Valk but it wont touch a 124 Zipper bike,that thing makes  Gobs of HP and TQ. Rode a 96 Zip and it was way fast. My next door bud builds the things at home and is very good at it has a Dynojet250 too. Dont mess with any of the hotrods he builds. And they dont break either.As far as fitting in and all that stuff, who cares in the wind its all the same to me. Doug.

[Dogg]

zipper has the best lineup of high performance harley parts anywhere. hands down. I know too many people who happy zipper crate motors and Ive done my share of upgrades using zipper race kits. but i have only been scared once so far...

[Duffy]

The VTX is a load of nothing but boring.

G-man - I think it depends on what you do with it.

A stock Valk isn't all that - but it has lots of potential. 

Just like the VTX.

In my opinion, it is as good as a V-twin can be. That 1800 - when you twist the throttle, you better hold on!   

[Dogg]

alot of my friends thought the same way, that 1800cc v-twin monster!!! yeah, traded in the valks for them. 4 or 5 of them. and the valk still pounced them. so, they start spending lots of money. up to around 170hp one of them. heehee, gotta keep up with the jones'....he is still slow...

[..]

Sturgis 2005.

I'm out in the countryside somewhere riding the Standard I owned at the time. Just chugging along.

A couple of V bikes start to close up on me. Remember I'm just chugging along.

We come to a downhill section riding into a low setting sun.

I decide to twist the wick a little, some of the bends I have to have my left hand up shielding my eyes from the glare of the sun.

The bikes behind me are hanging close enough without being dangerous.

This downnhill rush goes on for a few miles. Eventually we pull up at a red light and the guy behind me pulls along side.

He has a face splitting grin oh his face which is kinda disguised by an enormous white walrus moustache.

He says in a broad Yankee accent ( I'm guessing New York somewhere ) 'Thanks, that was fun riding with you".

I then notice he's got his lady sitting on the back.

He was one of the 3 - note only 3 - HD riders I met at Sturgis who seemed to be riders.

The rest of the inept, socially challenged plonkers you can stick up their own arses.

I have seen the morons unloading their trophies from trailers close to Sturgis, rub dirt on their jeans and with their 3 day unshaven jowls prepare to "RIDE TO STURGIS" whilst their women drive the last few miles hauling the trailer.

Sad plonkers.

[Chrisj CMA]

sometimes beating the HD isint as fun as just staying right next to him as he tries to smoke you.  On the way to Daytona last Feb there were 3 HD Road Kings at a light.  When they saw me on the Valk  with passenger and trailer and a 1100 road star (friend) of mine pull up they went 3 abreast and started planning their take off.  Of course the instigator popped his bike into neutral and had both arms flailing and pointing back toward us.  I could almost hear his...."lets show them bleepedy bleeps"   

So, when the light turned green two of them took off as hot as they could and that third guy cranked the throttle and popped the clutch in neutral (of course) I just sat there shaking my head "no" he didnt like that LOLOL he was so embarrased he slammed it into gear and blasted hard......I got on it and stayed right next to but behind his back wheel through the gears until we had to slow because we were coming to traffic.  When we stopped he looked back in dis belief and I was just shaking my head "no" again that really got his goat.....but when the traffic moved he didnt even get up to speed limit hoping I would pass (and I did) and waved......think he waved back...

[Stanley Steamer]

leading some folks from Mississippi back from one of his rides and was headed South over the mountains between Dillsboro, NC back to Franklin when a couple of loud obnoxious Hardley's passed them going up the mountain(double-laned all the way)....they were making a hell of a racket with all their downshifting and such....I had ridden seperate from Britman's group and was just behind them all cruising along, saw what was happening, and proceeded to smoke some bacon...it seems like the Valk buddies were smiling big as I ran those HD's down......it was all in a day's riding.... ... ....

[alph]

My father-in-law had a ‘64 pan head fully dressed Harley, actually a beautiful bike, but I never saw that thing run.  Never.  He bought it right before he went to Vietnam just out of high school.  His son bought a GW and you wouldn’t believe the grief he got from dad.  See he wanted to hand it down to his son but no, he had to go and buy a gook bike as he calls ‘em.  He later sold it for $15k.  That’s a lot more then he paid for it.  I enjoy my Valk, but I know that when it’s 40 years old, I’m pretty sure that I’d be lucky to sell it for twice what I bought it for.  Who knows…..

I have a lot of respect for Harley riders, having to be a master mechanic, with deep pockets, not to mention being part of some group of guys that has someone owning a trailer…..  Harley does make some beautiful bikes, just as Toyota did to Ford & Chevy in the ’70’s Harley will start making some damn good machines sometime in the future…..  But until they make a flat 6 engine, or one that has the zipp of a crotch rocket with the style of an Ultra Classic, I’ll be sticking with my Valkyrie.

[Doc Moose]

A good reason to own a Valkyrie vs a H-D:

[bigvalkriefan]

Not long after I got my 98 standard we took a nice early evening right by the beach. On the way home, not far from the house, I stopped at a light in the right lane and 4 HD's pulled up in the far left lane. Three of them were stock looking HD whatevers but the 4th had a custom paint job and a non stock pipe. I figured he probably had a screamin eagle kit at least. Well the light changes and the one guy takes off, so then I go. He got the jump but I'm right on his tail gaining ground every second. By third gear we're even and by the time I hit 4th I'd passed him. By this time I'd proved my point and another light was coming up anyway so I backed down then here comes one of his buddies screaming by, he couldn't keep pace at all.
Oh, did I mention I had my wife on the back It took her an hour to lose the grin on her face!

[Steve K (IA)]

Now, I only do this on 4 lane divided hwys, not always, but sometimes I can't help myself. 
I'll be riding along, catching up to a bike that was farther on up the road.  If it is an HD,  (you can hear 'em before you can see what kind of bike it is) when I catch up, I'll just hang back about 8-10 car lengths.  Almost always as soon as the guy see's it ain't one of his own behind him he will pick up the speed...Can't let a non HD over take 'em ya know.  I let him go...get a 1/2 mile or more ahead of me and then I will come up and settle in behind him again.  This goes on for several miles until we're running over 80.  That's when if he speeds up again, I'll stick right on his ass.  When I think he has had enough, I put on the turn signal and pass him.  They disappear in the mirror really fast because they let up and slow back down.  Either an HD can't do extended high speed travel or the owner doesn't think his bike will hold up.  No matter, they always give up.  You bet they don't mention the encounter while swillin' beer with their kind at the bar.  Oh crap!   HD riders and bars...I can't get started on that subject.   

[Jabba]

A few things I have heard that describe HD's to me...

The most efficient  way known to man to convert gasoline into noise and vibration without the side effect of horse power.

Lawn Mower technology.

Both are spot on if you ask me.

Jabba

[junior]

i cant say that i have "smoked" a harley but it does give me a deep down warm feeling when they admire the valk

[Highlander]

Me, I never engage in such activities.      All I know is that tangerine with the blower sure did upset the two lungers . . . but they liked it.  They just didn't call it crap anymore.   Even took on a big s&s with a turbo, and he quit calling it crap too.  I think his mechanic pocketed $500 on that bet, and paid for the chrome parts I came in to buy.  Nice  guys.  I felt bad though, cause it was sort of like a gunfight with an unarmed man.

[MCRIDER]

Yeah, good, keep it up.  I love your stories.  Let's hear more.  Come on, which guy can top all the rest?  I feel like I'm in a high school locker room.  Who gets the prize for the biggest, best, most incredible story?  Don't stop now!!

[alph]

well, not to be proud or anything, but when i was in high school, i use to be called "KONG DONG"..... 

[Jabba]

Yeah, good, keep it up.  I love your stories.  Let's hear more.  Come on, which guy can top all the rest?  I feel like I'm in a high school locker room.  Who gets the prize for the biggest, best, most incredible story?  Don't stop now!!

Isn't that what being in the HD club is all about?  I have been to a couple meet ups... and all they did was bust my balls till we went riding.

Jabba

[SANDMAN5]

Yeah, good, keep it up.  I love your stories.  Let's hear more.  Come on, which guy can top all the rest?  I feel like I'm in a high school locker room.  Who gets the prize for the biggest, best, most incredible story?  Don't stop now!!

OK, when I had my '03, wife and I were riding up 107 and we came up behind 2 hardly's caught
behind a pickup pulling a trailer at about 10 below the speed limit. A bagger riding 2-up and some
kind of chopper looking thang with no signal lights and an almost invisible brake light...and of course
way too loud pipes. We came to a clear "passing point" and I saw both hardly's downshift and they
rolled on the throttle. So I downshifted (shouldn't have) and gassed it hard and had to hit the brakes
REAL hard to keep from running into the back of them! As soon as they passed the truck I kept going
on around them (with no trouble, of course)
and heard the chopper thang still running hard trying to keep up, but he kept getting smaller in my
mirror. I can still hear my wife laughing and saying "Bless his heart"!!

[suthrncop]

I never go looking for a race, but sometimes the Harley guys just ask for it, so when they do and I smoke them I have started putting a harley shield decal inside the top of my saddlebag to keep count...not many so far, but then most of my friends on the Harleys won't even think of trying me.

[SANDMAN5]

I never go looking for a race, but sometimes the Harley guys just ask for it, so when they do and I smoke them I have started putting a harley shield decal inside the top of my saddlebag to keep count...not many so far, but then most of my friends on the Harleys won't even think of trying me.

Be careful with them harley stickers. I put one on my Jeep Wrangler and it started
leaking oil. Had to take it off! That was when I thought I wanted a harley. Then I
rode a couple of them and went looking for something else. And I found the
VALKYRIE!! Lucky me

[F6CTrider]

Well perhaps,  just maybe, possibly?, Yeh I was looking for somone to run with after reading this thread earlier today.......On the way home I was cruising behind a slow cage (in the fast lane).  A group of 5 HD riders came up fast in the far right lane.  Shortly after they went ahead I was able to move into the center lane next to the trail riders.  I guess the lead two bikes thought it was game on, they hit it "hard" and sort of left the trail riders and I behind.  When they were about a hundred yards up and the road was clear, I had a spasm in my left toe, fingers and right wrist.  Within a flash my loaded 98 had closed the gap, I slowed and followed in right behind the two who were still going for it.  At 85, the valk is as smooth as glass.  I run a car tire, and with a ton of extra chrome plus my big self... lets just say it is fully loaded!  Besides a trigger wheel and a slightly modified exhaust, its basically stock.  Well there was a little dance show as one of the two tried to block the second lane.  The valk was just cruising along.  Ahead the highway was  going to merge down to one lane, and I was not inclined to follow these guys the last three miles home.  So another spasm(confined to the right wrist) and I quickly put them a hundred yards behind me.  I dont think they were ready to get smoked by the big guy smoothly flying by them.    I put a couple cages behind me and they must have shut it down then, they fell back almost out of sight. ........ I had my card in the gas pump when we exchanged glances as they finally pulled into town.    Wonder how the story played at the biker bar in town?  At least three "bros" got to witness the power.  I feel better now.  Thanks

[BudMan]

I would not trade my Valk for anything Harley makes. Period, end of discussion.
I would not trade my Harley for anything Honda makes. Period, end of that discussion too.
('Course, I do own 3 Hondas and only one Harley,,,,,Hmmmmm.)  ???

I think I'll get a reversible jacket made, that says, "Yes, I also ride a Honda" on one side and "Yes, I also ride a Harley" on the other.  That way I could tell both sides of the argument to P___-Off and leave me alone. 

About a month ago the Valk stranded me on an entrance ramp (loose fuse holder).  I had the seat off and jacket, helmet, and leathers strewn all over the place troubleshooting it.  I was summarily passed and ignored by one Harley and two Honda crotch rockets.  The person that stopped to assist?  A bicycle salesman in a van!
Go figure. 

Ride safe.   

[MCRIDER]

Good, good!!  Keep it up.  Now, tell us the story of how the Valk is sooo good that almost nobody bought it so Honda dropped it.  Yeah, yeah.  Tell us that one!!   Who can tell the biggest lie?

[solo1]

The final FACT is that a stock Valk will smoke the bacon on any stock Harley and that what this thread is all about.    Period.................. End of story.

Oh, forgot to mention.  It wont smoke the bacon on a certain Porsche designed water cooled HD that is considered to be a bastard by HD riders.  Just thought I would mention that to be fair.

[Jabba]

The final FACT is that a stock Valk will smoke the bacon on any stock Harley and that what this thread is all about.    Period.................. End of story.

V-Rods are a tussle.  A fat guy on a Valk will get edged by a skinny guy on a V-Rod.  (or a girl... as happened to me.)  But we were pals... so no bad blood. 

The V-Rods are pretty fast, even if they are as ugly as a mud fence IMO.

Jabba

[solo1]

See above post, Jabba.  I was typing that while you were typing yours

[R J]

  As I have said before:

Don't care what you have or ride, also don't care how fast it is, as there is someone out there that will and can cook your bacon.......  There is an  exception to that.

I had a lot of fast units, and there was always someone who would fry my butt.

That happened several time even when I had a Cuda 440 6 pak for a Patrol Car.

One of my units, a Chrylser Newport, with a 426 inch Hemi and dual staggered 4 barrels would and could give a big bite into a lot of vehicles.  It had the needed weight to take curves at full throttle, along with a good set of stablizers bars. 

Even today the CHP is getting their butts slammed by stock vehicles.  The Dodge Charger with the 5.7 Hemi is no match for the old 426 Hemi on bottom or mid range grunt.  IMHO on that, since I have run both engines.....

To clarify that, there is 2 things that I don't care what you ride or drive you will never out run.

That would be Mr Motorola, or Mr. WhirlyBird........

[Dogg]

Good, good!!  Keep it up.  Now, tell us the story of how the Valk is sooo good that almost nobody bought it so Honda dropped it.  Yeah, yeah.  Tell us that one!!   Who can tell the biggest lie?

MAYBE you should research it yourself since you want t make the statement....From what I remember reading, the total sales of the valk throughout its 7 year romp was somewhere near 166k? I cant verify that but, I thought that was the number. Anyone else ?

[Dogg]

How come you dont post where you live? Do you really own a valk or what??Whats YOUR story...

[SteveL]

Guys who eat, live and breath motorcycles can usually appreciate the beauty in all good machines. Weather it's a Honda, a Harley or something else.

Every time I ride the FatLady I end the ride thinking "man, I love this motorcycle". Every ride I come home on my Electraglide I think, "man I love this motorcycle".

They're both great bikes and they both bring me to that high I get riding down the beautiful roads we have here in New England. I get something a little different from both of them, but I get that same joy of riding a fine machine from each of them. The Valkyrie is bigger, more powerful, smoother, beautiful, singular, and, in my opinion, the nicest motorcycle Honda ever built. It's as close as Honda will ever come to building a machine with soul. If I could only have one, it would be a hard choice, the Harley is also a beautiful motorcycle and provides every bit as much satisfaction and pleasure for my riding style and requirements and it's got a song made in heaven and it's got soul.

Like Louis Armstrong once said, "man, if you gots to ask, you'll never know."

I can't stand the bashing and/or disrespect on either side and I get a chance to be on either side regularly. Anyone that's "the real deal" knows damn well it comes from both sides. No need to 'splain it here. But going out to "smell bacon", that's not cool no matter who starts it. How fast you can go is just a matter of how much you want to spend, and is no measure of a man.

[Ghillie]

The primary reason Honda dropped he Valk from the lineup was it was digging into the Wing sales.

[SteveL]

>>> The primary reason Honda dropped he Valk from the lineup was it was digging into the Wing sales.

Nah, the primary reason was that with the new Wing using the 1800cc motors, there was not enough volume of Valks to justify keeping the production line of 1520 motors running.  That and the death of Joe Boyd. http://www.valkyrienorway.com/STORY%20OF%20THE%20VALKYRIE.html

Not cannibalizing GW sales was a benefit but the real business decision was keeping a entire motor production line running for the already "low volume" sales Valkyrie.

[SANDMAN5]

Ya know...I'm purty sure this thread would have stopped quite a while
back if a certain whiner had kept his mouth...I mean 'keyboard' closed.
When I bought my first Valk in '03 and put enough miles on it to feel
confident in my (and it's) ability, I'll admit I often did pull up to a red light
HOPING that a harley would pull up beside me. I NEVER started a race with
one but a few of them started one with me, and I have yet to finish anywhere
but in front. I don't do that anymore, but I probably wouldn't back down, either.
If somebody is happy with what they ride, more power to 'em, but what makes me
grit my teeth is "the attitude". You all know it..."you only bought a Honda cause you
can't afford a harley" and all that. When I thought I wanted a harley, I got to be a
regular at the local harley shop, but every time I walked in they tried to steer me
towards the Sportster. I told the salesman I wanted a big (LOL) harley and he said
"They cost more"...at the time I could have paid cash for any bike he had in the store.
I'm glad he felt that way, though, or I wouldn't have found the Valk!! Wonder if he got
a commission from Honda??

[SteveL]

Ya know...I'm purty sure this thread would have stopped quite a while
back if a certain whiner had kept his mouth...I mean 'keyboard' closed.
When I bought my first Valk in '03 and put enough miles on it to feel
confident in my (and it's) ability, I'll admit I often did pull up to a red light
HOPING that a harley would pull up beside me. I NEVER started a race with
one but a few of them started one with me, and I have yet to finish anywhere
but in front. I don't do that anymore, but I probably wouldn't back down, either.
If somebody is happy with what they ride, more power to 'em, but what makes me
grit my teeth is "the attitude". You all know it..."you only bought a Honda cause you
can't afford a harley" and all that. When I thought I wanted a harley, I got to be a
regular at the local harley shop, but every time I walked in they tried to steer me
towards the Sportster. I told the salesman I wanted a big (LOL) harley and he said
"They cost more"...at the time I could have paid cash for any bike he had in the store.
I'm glad he felt that way, though, or I wouldn't have found the Valk!! Wonder if he got
a commission from Honda??

The "attitude" comes on both sides. The "Whiner" didn't start the thread, someone else did and the title of the topic speaks to a "attitude".

I have a riding friend that owns a GoldWing and he denegrates the Harley all the time, "just can't understand why you'd pay more to get less", "old technology", "poor performance" "Blah, blah, blah"...  I put up with it, because he is too stupid to get that he is insulting me. I ride with him less and less. His denegration of my ride is his way of justifying his own purchase. When a HD guy asks "When you going to buy a real motorcycle", or some other stupid remark, just realize that they are really just insecure about their own choices and talking to themselves more than you.

Stupid and insulting motorcycle owners are out there in all colors and ride all kinds of bikes. No one brand has a monopoly on the A$$hats.

[MAD6Gun]

 I started this thread. If you didn't like what I said than don't read it. The point of the thread was to say what a lot of guys on here do all time. With that said. I don't care what you ride. If you are happy riding what you like that's cool.
 I have a good friend that has a real nice Harley Springer. I mess with him all the time. He returns the insults so it all good.
 have gone to many bike shows a lot of  them put on by Harley dealers. If I see a nice looking Harley I will be the first to complement them on it. At one show I won the "other" class. That in itself is an insult. WTH is the "other" class. To make it worse there were two Chopper type scooters with lawn mower engines in them in our class. In fact one of them beat another valk. That is big insult to me.
 What I get real tired of is some stranger at a show coming up to me and telling me to "buy a real bike". I said to one of them "OK whats a real bike". Or some jackars trying to mimic Japanese language with his eyes pushed up trying to make a funny. I think he was retarded,an absolute idiot.
 What is comes down to is the attitude of some of Harley owners that I get real sick of. So if you are going degrade me for riding a Honda you better be prepared for what is coming.

[MCRIDER]

MAD6Gun, why didn't you start your own show to enter?  That way, you could put your Valk in whichever category that you wanted to compete in.  Why did you choose to enter a show at a Harley dealership?  If you hate Harleys so much, I just curious to know why you were't at the honda dealership where you could be appreciated.  If I'm riding my valk, I stay away from the H-D shop.  When I ride my harley, I stay away from the Honda shop.

Why are there so many sensitive guys on this board?

[Dogg]

I took best in show at the local HD summer bash....with a valkyrie.

[hubcapsc]

When I ride my harley, I stay away from the Honda shop.

D00d. This is the Honda shop. 

-Mike