Well I sat on a new Valkyrie today.

[BigMac (SoCal)]

All I have to say is I'm not impressed with it. It seemed smaller than mine for sure which I'm sure will mean better handling. The top of the gas tank has a large chrome cover on it and I think it would reflect the sun in your eyes. Who knows! I don't see how you would put any saddlebags on it. Anyway the next time your at a Honda dealer check it out. Not for me but maybe you might like it. I would buy an F6B before I would get one of the Valkyries.

[hubcapsc]

The plastic on the Blue ones, including the gas tank "escutcheon",
is black instead of chrome. The gas tank is one place I don't want
a bunch of chrome. My tank bib covers the chrome on my Valkyrie's
gas tank.

-Mike

[The emperor has no clothes]

I haven't seen either in person yet,but from pictures I think the F6B would be more suitable. Can't afford either anyway but I would like to see them. Maybe I'll stop in at the Tucson dealer on the way to our ride coming up. Can't wait for the ride by the way, been working way too much!

[RichW]

Here is a recent test report:

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/firstrides/2014_honda_gold_wing_valkyrie_first_ride/

[strawbobrob]

I was at Mission Motorsports looking for a new jacket when they rolled three new Valks off the truck and into the showroom.  It was great seeing the name Valkyrie being re-invested in and I spent a long time looking at it.  One was the ABS version.  The new Valk has more to do with the new Goldwing than the original Valk, and that's not forgivable.  Mac's right--the F6B is the better-conceived bike. 

Honda has never understood the appeal of the Valkyrie.  This bike is just the 3rd of the three versions of the Goldwing.  They produced the Goldwing, then radicalized it a bit to make an F6B, then radicalized it a bit more to make the Valkyrie, probably without knowing who they were making it for.  It's really just an F6C, and so overdone with plastics.  It won't sell, like the Fury, like the CB1100.  Honda makes awesome bikes but they don't have much feel for the market.  Where their answer to the Stelvio and the Tenere?  Long live the original Valkyries and their riders.

[PA_1999Valk]

I took one for a test ride yesterday with the idea of buying it.  I loved the ride (power/handling/weight distribution/"naked" look) but...

I wanted the blue one with silver forks/passenger grab rails and shiny chrome but they come blacked out.  The red one that I drove was nice but I'm selling my 2007 Suzuki Blue/White M109R LE and my 1975 Honda Blue CB360T so I blue was my first choice since I have a 2003 Candy Red VTX1800C and a 1999 Black/Red I/S.

The final straw was the front tire on the new Valk is a Dunlop Sport Max 130/60R-19 tire.  I searched for hours and couldn't find any one that makes/stocks this tire.  You have to get the tire from your Honda Dealer at a bargain list price of $614.94.

I pick up my 2013 Black F6B next week.  I priced out the cost of Avon Cobras (currently running them on my VTX and I/S) at MotoSport.com I get the front and rear tires for $400.99 total.

Carl

[The emperor has no clothes]

I took one for a test ride yesterday with the idea of buying it.  I loved the ride (power/handling/weight distribution/"naked" look) but...

I wanted the blue one with silver forks/passenger grab rails and shiny chrome but they come blacked out.  The red one that I drove was nice but I'm selling my 2007 Suzuki Blue/White M109R LE and my 1975 Honda Blue CB360T so I blue was my first choice since I have a 2003 Candy Red VTX1800C and a 1999 Black/Red I/S.

The final straw was the front tire on the new Valk is a Dunlop Sport Max 130/60R-19 tire.  I searched for hours and couldn't find any one that makes/stocks this tire.  You have to get the tire from your Honda Dealer at a bargain list price of $614.94.

I pick up my 2013 Black F6B next week.  I priced out the cost of Avon Cobras (currently running them on my VTX and I/S) at MotoSport.com I get the front and rear tires for $400.99 total.

Carl

Holy crap! $600 for a front tire? That's crazy

[hubcapsc]

put       "130/60R-19"             (use the quotes) into google...


You'll get page after page of people talking about the new valkyrie and listing its
specs, and zero (that I saw) people selling tires of that size...

EDIT:

"130/60R19"

Does a little better... I found one place on this continent that lists them
(they don't have any in stock), and lots of places in England and Germany and Czechoslovakia
that might have them (I didn't translate the pages)...

-Mike "wow"

[Jess from VA]

Very interesting factoid Carl.  Thanks for the homework.   

All I could find was a bias in that size.

[PA_1999Valk]

put       "130/60R-19"             (use the quotes) into google...


You'll get page after page of people talking about the new valkyrie and listing its
specs, and zero (that I saw) people selling tires of that size...

EDIT:

"130/60R19"

Does a little better... I found one place on this continent that lists them
(they don't have any in stock), and lots of places in England and Germany and Czechoslovakia
that might have them (I didn't translate the pages)...

-Mike "wow"

Mike,

Tried with the quotes and one foreign sites had the Dunlop D408 Harley Tire for ~$141 euro / $195 USD.  Didn't check the shipping costs (:>).  Thanks for the suggestion.

Carl

[Paxton]

"... I would buy an F6B before I would get one of the Valkyries..."
+1 

[RichW]

Well, since I now have a Goldwing, I visit that forum. Here is a review from a buyer:

2014 Valkyrie
A little background: First off, the Valkyrie is not mine, it belongs to my wife. She had been waiting since November to get this bike and put a deposit on one as soon as she could. She traded in her Suzuki M109 on the Valkyrie and couldn’t be happier. I ride a 2010 Goldwing and she now has the 2014 Valkyrie and also has a 2003 Valkyrie. We are both MSF Instructors, I include that not because it makes us any better riders than anyone else but only to lend some credibility to our comments and opinions.

Now about the new Valkyrie. Although I liked the looks of the new Valkyrie in the initial picture I must say it is much better looking in person. When I first saw the pictures I was a bit set back by the look, very different, almost futuristic. The more I looked at the pictures, the more I was intrigued and wanted to see it in person. Now this isn’t a bike I would own as “my” first bike, I am all about comfort and the ability to travel, I guess that’s why I own what I consider to be the ultimate touring bike (yes I am old).

When we arrived at the dealer, they had the bike in back so no one would sit on it. When they pulled it out as was amazed at how gorgeous it is. It is one mean looking motorcycle and the paint (she got the red one) is beautiful, a metal flake that glows in the sun. My wife of course took it out for a test ride before she made any commitment to purchase, after all this is a first generation bike in a way. However, because it is a Honda and because it is based in large part on the Goldwing, I knew she was going to love it. I had been telling her that since she first expressed interest in the bike. I owned an ST1300 for some time and knew this bike was going to be a cross between that and the Goldwing. When she returned from the test ride she had the biggest smile on her face, I knew she was going home with the bike.

My impressions of the Valkyrie are; it has a very comfortable sitting position, not as upright as the Goldwing and the controls are positioned nicely. When riding, the first thing I noticed was the weight and overall feel of the bike. It feels much smaller than the Goldwing and the 150 pound reduction in weight is huge. When watching Shari ride the Valkyrie and remembering how she looked on her M109, the Valkyrie looks small; I had to remind myself it is an 1800cc motorcycle.

The power is smooth and strong, you all ride a Goldwing so you know what I am talking about. It was obvious the 150 pound weight reduction has added a bit of giddy-up to the bike. The Goldwing is no slouch and has more than enough power, leaving most other metric and all Harley’s admiring the taillights from a distance. I will now have a hard time keeping up with my wife when she decides to get on the throttle of the Valk.

Initiating a turn reminded me of the ST1300, effortless and nimble. The suspension is firm and with the larger front break using trail breaking in a curve settles the bike in its sweet-spot nicely allowing a faster more stable entry and we all know what happens as you accelerate coming out! Slow tight turns are a piece of cake, again the weight reduction and the low center of gravity make the bike just as comfortable at low speeds as it is at higher speeds. It does have a long wheel base, so it will take some practice to get it maneuvered in the small box (those that have taken the BRC or BRC2 know what I am talking about), but it can be done.

Here is what is needed….It will have to have a windshield, we have both gotten spoiled and need the wind directed over our heads. Honda says they have a short and tall version, hope they look good. Someone needs to come up with a flat black rack to put on the back when the rear seat is removed. I am sure that is coming but who knows when. My wife did order highway pegs in black, should be a great addition for longer rides. Need a good way to cover the bolt holes if you want to take off the passenger foot-pegs, would really clean the look. The only complaint I have about the bike is the seat. Good God Honda why didn’t you just put a seat akin to the Goldwing on the Valkyrie? Going to have to put a gel insert in the seat or wait for Ultimate to make a seat for it and of course a backrest will finish up the comfort.

Overall, so far my impression is great. Honda did its homework before re-entering the big cruiser market. Love it, or hate it for whatever reason, this bike makes a statement, pushes the envelope and sets the bar high for the cruiser market. I have already seen comments from other bike riders stating they don’t like it, ok maybe you don’t like the way it looks, but there is no denying this bike was built for performance, something kind of novel for a huge cruiser. I can't wait to put more miles on the bike, when I am allowed.