A tough roll......"Shake Down"

[RonHolly]

 Still doing the new owner shake down.  I noticed that the bike is tough to roll around.  It's as if the brake pads are sticking somewhat to the rotors.  Gonna mic the rotors and check the pads when I get a chance.  I realize the tires are pretty fat/wide in comparison to my BMW.  I got atop my BMW and it moves around like a toy in comparison to my Valk.

Found the front left turn signal bulb was burnt and replaced it.  Couple a night's ago I noticed the headlight was "way" up into oncoming traffic and probably blinding them.  Turned it down considerably and will do a night ride when I get a chance.

Went for a ride earlier and kept noticing a strong smell like it was burning too rich.  The pipes are pretty black but don't really see any tell-tale black smoke coming from exhaust.  I do have Cobra 6-into-6 exhaust system and not really schooled on carburetor vs. exhaust problems and corrections there of.  (Yes I do have the pretty blue pipes where bolted to the exhaust port.)

The turn signal switch is not very "finger" friendly.  Seems it takes extra effort to turn that sucker off.  I push it inward and just doesn't want to co-operate!  Found several times that I left the blinker on and confused other drivers my intent.  Could put me in a dangerous situation.  Here is a mod that I did on my BMW signals to get my attention.  I added blue LED lights higher up to catch my attention.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WszbIj9A_VQ

[RonHolly]

Does anyone else find that their Valk is rather hard to roll around when your stradled on it?  Even on an incline she just doesn't seem to want to float around very well.

[98pacecar]

Does anyone else find that their Valk is rather hard to roll around when your stradled on it?  Even on an incline she just doesn't seem to want to float around very well.

You have a center stand on dat bike.. 

Use it,,,,  try n' spin each wheel one at a time, n' see what's goin on..

Might just be,,,, this is one big heavy bike...     

[James III]

Ron,
I took my switch apart and cleaned it with some contact cleaner and reassembled it. Also used a dab of dielectric grease. Use search in the tech section, I'm sure there are quite a few posts on the turn signal switch.
As to being hard to roll....ya, the gurls are heavy and sure footed. Rolling on the grass is almost impossible. If you run out of fuel, your not going to walk it to the gas station by yourself.....don't ask how I know that; up a grade a hundred and fifty feet from the pumps.

James

[hubcapsc]

Does anyone else find that their Valk is rather hard to roll around when your stradled on it?  Even on an incline she just doesn't seem to want to float around very well.

Your bike should roll easy. Have you messed with the brakes at all? I put on new
pads and bled the system when I got my bike, and didn't think much about how
difficult it was to push the pistons in. I should have cleaned them.

-Mike

[RonHolly]

Does anyone else find that their Valk is rather hard to roll around when your stradled on it?  Even on an incline she just doesn't seem to want to float around very well.

You have a center stand on dat bike.. 

Use it,,,,  try n' spin each wheel one at a time, n' see what's goin on..

Might just be,,,, this is one big heavy bike...     

I already know something is going on because I can hear the pads drag especially on the front.  The rotors are showing signs wear and hope they are not in need of replacement with only 53K on her.  Gonna get the guages out and see if they are in specs.  If they are I'll take some 120 grit to them and sand the pads a little to break any glaze or abnormal wear.  Replace if necessary.

[Bert AKA,Valkaholic]

The Rear Brake Calipers are Notorious for Sticking on Occasion. You may need to Disassemble and Clean one or more of the Calipers,( Front or Rear). Honda sells O-Ring kits for the Rebuild. I have had to Rebuild a couple of mine in the past.

[Thunderbolt]

Ron I don't know which tires you have on it but I always run my Avon's at 42 Front and 40 Rear.  Have you checked the inflation?

[RonHolly]

Ron I don't know which tires you have on it but I always run my Avon's at 42 Front and 40 Rear.  Have you checked the inflation?

Hmmm!  Actually "NO!"  How could I ever consider the obvious before you ride check list.  Tire pressure, go figure!

[RonHolly]

Anyone use a "Belly Pan" to protect the motors' bottom?  Just wondering if it's a worthwhile investment or not!  ($37 at Dave's Cycle Supply in Tampa)  Lot of small speed bumps in parking lots here in Tampa.

[RonHolly]

Did a night ride and the headlight adjustment is alright now.  I can actually see the road.   Have a question about the timing belt.  The former owner said it was replaced with a Kevlar belt at 50K.  When I shower down on the throttle I feel a vibration that "I think" is the belt vibrating.  Is this normal?  Gotta dig into the manual and see how the belt is tensioned.  Was caught up in some traffic a couple of times and noticed the radiator fan came on and that makes me feel a little better knowing that it works.

[saddlesore]

To help with checking the brakes you should consider a lift for the motorcycle. You get both the wheels off of the ground at the same time to check them.
The lift would help when you take the brakes apart.  Probably should do that any way.
The lift gets the bike up higher to work on.  Saves the back and knees.

[98pacecar]

To help with checking the brakes you should consider a lift for the motorcycle. You get both the wheels off of the ground at the same time to check them.
The lift would help when you take the brakes apart.  Probably should do that any way.
The lift gets the bike up higher to work on.  Saves the back and knees.

Does anyone use a harbor freight lift, for the valk?? 

If so, can you tell me which one works best, for the bike? 

[John Schmidt]

Did a night ride and the headlight adjustment is alright now.  I can actually see the road.   Have a question about the timing belt.  The former owner said it was replaced with a Kevlar belt at 50K.  When I shower down on the throttle I feel a vibration that "I think" is the belt vibrating.  Is this normal?  Gotta dig into the manual and see how the belt is tensioned.  Was caught up in some traffic a couple of times and noticed the radiator fan came on and that makes me feel a little better knowing that it works.

You won't feel the belt vibration. If it's vibrating that much it will jump a tooth or two, then you'll have much larger problems(internal damage). It's quite possible the u-joint may be on the way out considering the mileage, it will give vibration when going bad. At first it will show only on hard throttle, then as time passes it will become noticeable at any speed. It might well be worth your time and effort to pull the rear end to check how serviceable it is, and check the driveline at the same time.

[saddlesore]

To help with checking the brakes you should consider a lift for the motorcycle. You get both the wheels off of the ground at the same time to check them.
The lift would help when you take the brakes apart.  Probably should do that any way.
The lift gets the bike up higher to work on.  Saves the back and knees.

Does anyone use a harbor freight lift, for the valk?? 

If so, can you tell me which one works best, for the bike? 

I use the Craftsman lift.  It takes up a lot less space.
Some people have had problems with the HF table lift. Might be in the tech section.
Sounds like you have a lot to check out. (just to be sure)  That's a lot of the fun too. The more you know about the bike the better you can take care of it .  Then when you ride you can ride with confidence. 

[RonHolly]

To help with checking the brakes you should consider a lift for the motorcycle. You get both the wheels off of the ground at the same time to check them.
The lift would help when you take the brakes apart.  Probably should do that any way.
The lift gets the bike up higher to work on.  Saves the back and knees.

I already have a lift.

[RonHolly]

I spent most of the day working on my Beemer.  Had to replace the front brakes lines.  It really tough working on a Beemer because everything is under the Tupperware fairings.  Before I put it back on I have to fix some cracks and splits.

[98pacecar]

I'll see,,,, yer ''tupperware'' n' raise ya,,,, 1  

[RonHolly]

I don't know why but I always admired the Pacific Coast and was looking to buy one but only junk was available.  This was just a couple months ago!  You really have a nice one.

[HayHauler]

Did a night ride and the headlight adjustment is alright now.  I can actually see the road.   Have a question about the timing belt.  The former owner said it was replaced with a Kevlar belt at 50K.  When I shower down on the throttle I feel a vibration that "I think" is the belt vibrating.  Is this normal?  Gotta dig into the manual and see how the belt is tensioned.  Was caught up in some traffic a couple of times and noticed the radiator fan came on and that makes me feel a little better knowing that it works.

You won't feel the belt vibration. If it's vibrating that much it will jump a tooth or two, then you'll have much larger problems(internal damage). It's quite possible the u-joint may be on the way out considering the mileage, it will give vibration when going bad. At first it will show only on hard throttle, then as time passes it will become noticeable at any speed. It might well be worth your time and effort to pull the rear end to check how serviceable it is, and check the driveline at the same time.

John might be onto something.  My ujoint first let me know there was a problem by vibrating between the accel and coast around 70 mph.  At 70mph slowly roll off the throttle and if you feel a vibration in your pegs, you more than likely have a ujoint on the way out.  Mine wasn't bad at all, but I swapped it out as I was headed to Michigan Inzane and didn't want any trouble out on the road.  
YMMV.  

Hay
Jimmyt

[98pacecar]

Thanks, I got it last December in panama city beach with 6,250 miles, fer $3K.

Looked for a few months, so ya, they are,,,,, hard ta find,,,,but they are out there..    

N' yes, it is a great bike, kinda like ridin yer sofa down da road..  

It's a keeper fer sure... I'm thinking I'll go down to 2 bikes myself,, this n' da valk... 

Jim

[RonHolly]

The way things are going with my Beemer I'm thinking of going down to one, the Valk!  Have to give that some hard thinking though.  I really like riding my Beemer.  It's a "Bitchin" ride!

[98pacecar]

 Hey Ron, how bad,,, did the state Florida rape ya, ta get yer out of state valk titled n' tagged.  

Was there an ''impact fee'' ?  N' you did, have to transport the bike there,,,, for Vin # verification,,,, correct?  

Bout ta go thru the same process, wondering bout how much dinero ta bring..    

[RonHolly]

Got 30 days to register.  7 percet sales tax.  $80 registration.

[FloridaValkRyder]

The previous owner of my bike gave me a second bill of sale for $2000. The DMV knew it was a little fib but couldn't prove it. She asked me if that is what I actually paid and I just said Yes Ma'am.  She told me everyone does it apparently. So I paid sales tax on that plus the cost of my tag and title transfer. They did need to see the bike to verify the VIN. I just rode it up there with no tag but brought the Bill of Sale in case I got pulled over. If you call them they will tell you how much the tag and such will be. I believe, if memory serves me, they don't take credit cards or debit cards, I forget, so ask them about that. I think I brought them a check.

[98pacecar]

Got 30 days to register.  7 percet sales tax.  $80 registration.

So,, you don't have a plate on da bike,,,

You still have the out of state owners, plate mounted?

Yer not,, riding it???   errrr what??  

[98pacecar]

The previous owner of my bike gave me a second bill of sale for $2000. The DMV knew it was a little fib but couldn't prove it. She asked me if that is what I actually paid and I just said Yes Ma'am.  She told me everyone does it apparently. So I paid sales tax on that plus the cost of my tag and title transfer. They did need to see the bike to verify the VIN. I just rode it up there with no tag but brought the Bill of Sale in case I got pulled over. If you call them they will tell you how much the tag and such will be. I believe, if memory serves me, they don't take credit cards or debit cards, I forget, so ask them about that. I think I brought them a check.

I still have the bike in my Sprinter, so I can run it up there.   

 But I have yet ta change my home address. to my new location on anything... including my drivers license.   

Sooo,,, gotta do dat Monday, as well as sign up fer homestead exemption.

THEN,,,, do the bike thing..   

Bringin,, Benjamins. Not a fan of credit cards...

Thanks,, Jim

[Grumpy]

All the DMV offices in the Tampa area, will accept debit cards. I always pay for my tags that way.

[RonHolly]

Oooouch!  Just titled and registered my Valk.  $287 smackeroos!  Of Course I didn't fudge on the sale price!

[FloridaValkRyder]

Of Course I didn't fudge on the sale price!

Yeah well, I'm just an outlaw I guess....

[F6MoRider]

Ron,
I took my switch apart and cleaned it with some contact cleaner and reassembled it. Also used a dab of dielectric grease. Use search in the tech section, I'm sure there are quite a few posts on the turn signal switch.
As to being hard to roll....ya, the gurls are heavy and sure footed. Rolling on the grass is almost impossible. If you run out of fuel, your not going to walk it to the gas station by yourself.....don't ask how I know that; up a grade a hundred and fifty feet from the pumps.

James

+1 on the cleaning of the switch and adding the dielectric grease.  I do it every 3 or so years, more if she's in the rain frequently.

Having same issue with the front brake dragging.  Never had the issue before, the pads prolly need changing.  It may be that as the pads wear they don't sit as tight in the caliper and bind slightly at the rotor?  Changing mine in a few weeks ... Fluid as well. 

[98pacecar]

Oooouch!  Just titled and registered my Valk.  $287 smackeroos!  Of Course I didn't fudge on the sale price!

 Did mine yesterday as well... $345.60,, and, I had a current plate, from a bike I sold,, to mount..     

[RonHolly]

Oooouch!  Just titled and registered my Valk.  $287 smackeroos!  Of Course I didn't fudge on the sale price!

 Did mine yesterday as well... $345.60,, and, I had a current plate, from a bike I sold,, to mount..     

Haven't seen you start a new thread on your Valk yet!   

[98pacecar]

Oooouch!  Just titled and registered my Valk.  $287 smackeroos!  Of Course I didn't fudge on the sale price!

 Did mine yesterday as well... $345.60,, and, I had a current plate, from a bike I sold,, to mount..    

Haven't seen you start a new thread on your Valk yet!  

What,,,, would I say,,, dat I ain't said already???    

Just pulled it offa da sprinter a few hours ago..

N' have all of,,,, 25 miles on it.  

But here... is a pic just taken,,,,, in my front yard...  



N' one in,,,, ''downtown''     Yankeetown... (really) 

[FloridaValkRyder]

That's a beautiful bike you have there. Congratulations. Now how about a pic with you next to the bike and you can post it on the "Who we are" thread....

[98pacecar]

 Thanks,,, bout da bike.. 

But,,   Nah,,,,       I'm ugly enuff,,, in person...  

[RonHolly]

Thanks,,, bout da bike..  

But,,   Nah,,,,       I'm ugly enuff,,, in person...  

Great looking bike!  From all the pine needles I see laying in the yard you'd better keep it from under the trees.  Pine sap is a buggar to clean up after.  

Yes, yes, yes!  We do need a pic of you next to your bike and posted over in "Who we are."  Just sayin!

[98pacecar]

Honestly, I just don't  put, that kind of thing on the internet...

Used to belong to other biker boards n' saw the kind of crapola that it can lead to.     

[John Schmidt]

Honestly, I just don't  put, that kind of thing on the internet...

Used to belong to other biker boards n' saw the kind of crapola that it can lead to.     

This site is a bit different from others I've either belonged to or still take part in. You can't post without being registered to begin with. I know the main board often gets some rather hairy subjects going, but I've never seen it happen on the Fla. board that I can recall in the last 10-11 yrs. Probably because most of us have  known each other for quite a while on a personal basis and not just through what we see posted.    

[RonHolly]

Honestly, I just don't  put, that kind of thing on the internet...

Used to belong to other biker boards n' saw the kind of crapola that it can lead to.     

Actually I think your right!  At times it does seem like a social network here.  But people with a common moto interest getting together, for picnics and the like, that can't be all bad.