SHE LIVES!!!!!!! Adventures with a new project on a Facebook find

[DK]

D.P.,

I'm new to Valk's, < one year. I am  one of those people possessed with that  curious affliction  which  causes me to disassemble anything mechanical that I think is unusually interesting or well made just to see what is in there and how everything fits together.

You have saved, or at least substantially delayed my taking apart a perfectly good Valk for no justifiable reason.

Thank you for so thourghly illustrating and documenting your repair. It must have taken you as much or more time to post than to do the actual repair.

It's hard to overstate how meaningful it is for you and so many others like you in this forum and others to document how to maintain and repair a remarkable piece of machinery. Efforts such as yours will contribute greatly to preserving Valks as classic machinery for many years to come, just as my other favorites; early 911 Porsches, 2 Cylinder John Deere's, & early Land Cruisers, to name a few.

I just hope that someone, somehow, somewhere it taking steps to preserve and keep available this sort of information we all hold so dear.

The commonality of all the classics; bikes, cars, tractors, whatever,  is dedicated  people  like you  together with the forums & clubs which make it possible for the average person to repair, maintain & enjoy a piece of older machinery better in many ways than current production. Absent this, the machinery lapses into obscurity because few can afford to pay a dealer to do maintenance or make repairs, even assuming that the necessary skills exist at the dealerships at any price.

I just don't like plastic except on toothbrushes, thanks for a job well done.

Dan

[dpcarson]

Thanks for the kind words again everybody. 

DK, I love to tinker, but was scared to tear into a machine I admire as much as the Valkyrie without knowing that I could get it back together on running.  It was quite intimidating to me.  I was a school teacher for nine years, and an instructor in the military before that.  Writing up a narrative of it was as much for my own preservation of my experience as it was for sharing, but I do enjoy sharing also.  It is my way of journaling I guess.  Wait until you see my boat project!

Jess, Funny, I just emailed another member about a black rear fender.  The front section of mine has a dent from the driver backrest pushing against it.  Previous owner was not a little fellow.  I am liking the quick conversion super talk kit.  I was originally planning to fix it and sell it.  Now it is a labor of love though.  Think I would rather keep it.  As for the wife, she actually prefers the seat on the standard.  We have the ultimate seat with the fold down passenger armrest and she likes that better than the IS wrap.  The ultimate armrest come out significantly further.



I will try to keep updating the thread as I finish putting the final touches on her.  Should take no more than a couple years. 

Take care gentlemen.

[Jess from VA]

Well then, if she prefers the std, you are fully cleared to make that a solo supervalk.  That nice Ultimate with backrest on your std will pop right down on the IS (the nose will lift a little bit on the bigger tank, and you need to tuck a piece of something soft in there to protect the paint, but it will work and look fine). BTW, on that fender ding.  If you do supervalk with just a solo seat, Mustang makes a nice little fender bib that would probably cover it nicely (nearly disappears on a black bike).

I have long been a believer in a man having two bikes (I had five once, but that was just stupid).  One may break or need a tire, etc, and there is always a backup.  And having two with nearly perfect commonality of parts and maintenance is even better.  I keep a parts bin with at least one backup of ordinary maintenance items (brake pads, plugs, air filter, yada), and as soon as one comes out, I order another backup for the bin.  My car tires last, but I always have a front ready to go on hand.  And in a pinch, you can cannibalize one to the other if necessary.  Because of storage in a tight place, I run one for 3-5 months, then switch.  Tires last longer this way, but every so often, you need two (fronts).  

Here's mine (with a black BMW-like pinstripe). Kind of fuzzy.

[HayHauler]

Dang Jess, looks like we have to sign in to view your pictures... 

on delphiforums.com

Hay 
Jimmyt

[Jess from VA]

Sorry Jimmy, the only pics of my bike on the web are on Delphi (don't do photoshop/bucket), and I didn't know you had to sign in to see them.

[dpcarson]

where are you in VA Jess?

[Jess from VA]

Fairfax County, 22309.  A mile north of Ft Belvior.

Planning to ride down and hook up with the FL group in Maggie Valley in late May.

[dpcarson]

WOOHOO!!  Just finished making my digital sync gauge thanks to Tom for the parts, instructions, and IT support.  Can't wait to pick up the hose tomorrow and come home and see if I can't talk sweet to her enough to smooth her out a little bit tomorrow night!!

Thanks Tom

[dpcarson]

Well, after lots and lots of tinkering and multiple orders of miscellaneous parts and screws and missing this and rusted that, we are getting closer and closer to having it exactly like I want it. (haha  NEVER)

Replaced windshield yesterday. Painted the little vent wing thingy's. Pulled the studded ultimate seat off my standard and put on it for more comfy riding.  Still have to replace the speakers because they suck, replaced battery yesterday, forgot to order one dang fairing screw last order I placed, so have to order that, and then it is on to CHROME!








So now, grand total in on project is right at $1600 on bike and parts.  Another 400 spent on new tools (motorcycle jack/lift, odd size sockets for engine disassembly, parts to build the digital engine synchronizer). 

AND, already put over 1,000 miles on her!!  Looking for more good weather today and tomorrow too!

[The emperor has no clothes]

You did good ! It's a beautiful bike 

[Hook#3287]

What a great outcome

She's a good looking ride.

[RDAbull]

I see a sideline starting up here. 
Look in barns:
Buy Dirty bike:
Fix up:
Clean up:
CLEAN UP

[dpcarson]

I see a sideline starting up here. 
Look in barns:
Buy Dirty bike:
Fix up:
Clean up:
CLEAN UP

Oh yes.  If you find another one, please call me!!!  I need something to do in the winters.  My wife is happy because now at least i can focus on finishing the boat for the summer season!

[Jess from VA]

Looking great DP. Very nice work.     My whole spring work was to get a new front tire on (whew LOL).  That and a good wash/wax.

I spent enough time in my youth under a wood/fiberglass boat with belt sanders to NEVER want to do that again.  (all my favorite boats since then belong to other people  )

Excuse the criticism, but that boat does not look exactly safe on a couple piles of wood blocks.  Safe enough, as long as you never get under it.

[dpcarson]

Looking great DP. Very nice work.     My whole spring work was to get a new front tire on (whew LOL).  That and a good wash/wax.

I spent enough time in my youth under a wood/fiberglass boat with belt sanders to NEVER want to do that again.  (all my favorite boats since then belong to other people  )

Excuse the criticism, but that boat does not look exactly safe on a couple piles of wood blocks.  Safe enough, as long as you never get under it.

HAHA, I'm not doing the bottom paint!  Actually if you look in the bottom corner you will see one of the stands under it.  It is actually set up on 4 stands with two or three blocking points under the keel.

[Jess from VA]

OK.

So do you haul it in and out, or keep it in somewhere?

[dpcarson]

It was hauled for repairs and repaint for this winter ( and the guys doing the work are not charging me storage so it is saving me from 300 a month slip fees) and is in urbanna right now. I will bring it down to beaufort later on his month or early May and then she will just stay in unless hauled for hurricanes or repairs.

[dpcarson]

I guess I will revive this old dead post.  After all, by the end of the week none of us will be able to leave home anyway, so might need something to do.  LOL.  I have a new post in the tech thread about pulling her out of storage and starting over on the fuel system basically.  Right after I got her running again, I changed jobs and wound up being on call seven days a week and had to be able to talk on the phone at all times, so I basically quit riding her.  Couple that with a shoulder injury and she sat for a while. So, welcome to the daylight again old girl!



 When I pulled her out I noted that the last registration on her expired in spring of 2016.  I got all the mouse nests cleaned our of her and checked over all the wiring and so far can find no damage. 

So..... Carbs off again.



Got to clean out this gas tank next.  Looked in and the amount of rust was disturbing.

[dpcarson]

Carbs are coming apart fine.  They were much cleaner than I thought and nothing was stuck anywhere.  Never using ethanol has its advantages.  Only having 2k miles since it was done last helps to.  I probably could have gotten by with just a good chemical cleaning and then workmen on the fuel tank and getting new gas in, but, while they are out might as well get it done right. 

Bent AtticRat's ear for about a half hour today and ordered a bunch of parts from Redeye Rich, so for now, just cleaning in the next few days.  Man there are a bunch of little parts here.  I usually wind up with no more than two or three parts left over on a project.  Guess I am going to have to figure out how to wind up with zero left overs on this one.



But for now, markets opening soon so time to get ready for work!!

[dpcarson]

So, this tank was nasty.  Here is what came out win the first dawn and hot water wash down of the interior.  The corners of this container are about a 1/4" deep and are completely full.  Hopefully the paint stays on her. 



After the first cleaning I did it three more times emptying it out on the ground.  My soils should have some high iron content in them now!!



Right now keeping her rotating with 2 gallons of Evaporust in her.  Will dump that out tomorrow and hopefully see nothing new come out.



Now to sit and wait on the mail to get all this new carb parts in.  I think I might be time to go fishing for a day or two.