I know a broken record sydrome exsists but.....

[AdrianR]

did I mention how much I LOVE THIS BIKE?????

When the air is cool, but not cold, man I feel like I am sitting on a jet airplane.  The power, smoothness of acceleration, and the way it turns...  EVERYTHING on the road is child's play (just about) compared to this Valkyrie...  I mean if you are a true motorcycle enthusiasts...and do not like the way this bike rides...you'd HAVE TO BE DEAD...

Stopped at a used bike shop...every brand represented is there...and many different models. My Valk blows them all away...  Everything else I sit on felt like a toy, including a 2015 Harley Street Glide...

I will NEVER sell this bike..and if I did, it would only to get another one...lol.

[dhaile]

I love my Valkyrie as well but "everything else is just childs play"  Really?  Almost every single sport bike over 500 ccs will out run it.  The Honda ST will outrun it, even my friends old 2009 LT will out run it and out corner it.  Its a great bike but I think it still needs more power and should have come with a 6th gear.

[AdrianR]

I love my Valkyrie as well but "everything else is just childs play"  Really?  Almost every single sport bike over 500 ccs will out run it.  The Honda ST will outrun it, even my friends old 2009 LT will out run it and out corner it.  Its a great bike but I think it still needs more power and should have come with a 6th gear.

BS buddy..lol..I smoked a few sport bikes already...small ones...500cc  really?? you must not know how to ride!   It NEEDS the Michelins man...stock tires BLOW...ETHANOL FREE GAS...I mean this, 30w synthetic oil...  to get the most out of it, and mostly, the know how to ride...

[texrider]

I'd say it's without a doubt one of the best heavyweight bikes I've owned.
Way better than big V-twins of any kind, and more gitty up than a lot of in-lines.
Mine runs indicated 75 mph at about 3200 rpm, so can't see the need for another gear you'd never use.
Plenty fast and agile for me, and as good an all rounder as something that size could manage.  

The nearest comparison in my mind would be Triumph Rocket 3 Roadster, with a bit more thrust but also heavier.
The VMax and Diavel seem more dragster, and probably compare more to each other.

[dhaile]

I love my Valkyrie as well but "everything else is just childs play"  Really?  Almost every single sport bike over 500 ccs will out run it.  The Honda ST will outrun it, even my friends old 2009 LT will out run it and out corner it.  Its a great bike but I think it still needs more power and should have come with a 6th gear.

BS buddy..lol..I smoked a few sport bikes already...small ones...500cc  really?? you must not know how to ride!   It NEEDS the Michelins man...stock tires BLOW...ETHANOL FREE GAS...I mean this, 30w synthetic oil...  to get the most out of it, and mostly, the know how to ride...

Its called ground clearance!  The valkyrie just doesn't have it.  Look, I get it, I own one!   But the bike is only fast to about 100mph and then almost every other bike goes by it.  As far as me not knowing how to ride, well I have raced professionally for WERA and CMRA road racing at the advanced level.  I scrape my pegs hard on my valk with the stock tires.  How about you?

[dinosnake]

Well for sure, but why are we...only giving a nod to the immature 15-year old children that write for all the major biker rags like Motorcyclist and Cycle World...even BOTHERING to talk about what happens over 100MPH?!  Considering that the fastest legal limit in all the land is 70 MPH, why does a STREET bike's ability over 100 even bother to come into question???!

I'm sick and tired of the wannabe boy racers who write opinion pieces for a living deciding how an entire industry's products will work.  If you want to go over 100, then get a race bike and head to the race track, where it is both LEGAL and SAFE to do that speed.  But I'm sick of the rags that have created a mindset that any bike that can't wheelie, stoppie and do at least 140+ just isn't worth any consideration.  Just because some punk spent money on a supersport didn't write him a carte Blanche check to violate every rule on the road, and all the sport magazines do is reinforce that mindset.

We are taking street bikes here, and long-distance ability street bikes at that.  It's completely not personal, but let's keep our heads on target here: just because a supersport can do 150+ doesn't mean that ability is the new minimum standard.

[bscrive]

For me, it is all that I will ever need.  If someone needs more power then buy a freakin Huyabusa. :cool dude:  I agree wi Adrian.  This is the best bike on the market these days.  That's why I have one.

[ledany]

@dhalle : the 1300 ST is a nice bike but you can't go faster than 90 ml/h because if you do so, the bike is freaking dangerous. Some say that Honda improved the stability, some say their ST is safe, others say (ex-owners) that pretending the bike is safe is a lie.

My Valk suits me perfectly, it has now 26,000 miles on the clock, runs fine, is reliable, not expensive in maintenance (compared to my former BMWs), really unique (unlike the R1200 GS, RT, K1600), I intend to keep it that way until 125,000 miles. Some details are missing of course (synchronized brakes, heated grips, a center stand, temp - to check if I'm frozen or not  , gear indicator etc.). Each morning I ride through a tunnel, 2200 rpm and the sound is disturbing, I have to go faster if I want to avoid this (but I don't ).

I don't care if other bikes go faster or not (the Diavel   , the S1000 XR  , any KTM) I intend to live long the only life I've got on display 

[hungryeye]

I also believe the Valk is the finest bike made today, it is great in more categories than most bikes. A 600RR sport bike will blow it away in a 5 mile race but I'll take on any RR bike in a race from NC to AZ. If the RR rider doesn't get arrested before the Mississippi river his a$$ will be so sore he'll need a days rest, I'll be a day ahead by the end of the 2nd day. When you compare the whole riding experience, not just one thing, the Valk will win overall.

Ledany, I bought a late model Goldwing center stand off Ebay for $40 US. Bolts right up, works perfect. Also will need a Goldwing exhaust heat shield, 10 inch piece midway.

[Robert]

Adrian you have a way with words and I couldn't agree more 

[dinosnake]

@dhalle : the 1300 ST is a nice bike but you can't go faster than 90 ml/h because if you do so, the bike is freaking dangerous. Some say that Honda improved the stability, some say their ST is safe, others say (ex-owners) that pretending the bike is safe is a lie.

My Valk suits me perfectly, it has now 26,000 miles on the clock, runs fine, is reliable, not expensive in maintenance (compared to my former BMWs), really unique (unlike the R1200 GS, RT, K1600), I intend to keep it that way until 125,000 miles. Some details are missing of course (synchronized brakes, heated grips, a center stand, temp - to check if I'm frozen or not  , gear indicator etc.). Each morning I ride through a tunnel, 2200 rpm and the sound is disturbing, I have to go faster if I want to avoid this (but I don't ).

I don't care if other bikes go faster or not (the Diavel   , the S1000 XR  , any KTM) I intend to live long the only life I've got on display 

Heated grips.  I'm really partial to the Drag Specialties heated grips

https://www.denniskirk.com/dk/product_images/06/1200pix/06300425.jpg

Their benefits are massively hot, on high you can't even hold them without gloves and even then your hands will often tingle from their heat, super-clean install as their controller is integrated into the left grip and the wiring to the right grip is all internal, easy install due to the integrated controller and the main power wire being a single wire external to the left grip only (run it along the bar harness), excellent reliability (second pair on second bike, no problems for years).

Their negative is the the left grip has always been too short, the right grip has always been perfect.  On the Valk I cut off the chrome inside ring of the stock grips, with the matching internal rubber, to act as the perfect spacer to take up the extra room.  Looks utterly stock, super easy.

Love these grips, recommended.

[Kidd]

I was hoping for HP like what was supposed to be in the EVO6.
I am ookay with what they gave us

Really , the negatives stand out a lot for me  and I fixed one .
Got a Bill Mayer seat  , took only one week  and what a difference .  Still needs adjustment , a ride in may be necessary for perfection   , but I  can now ride for hours though , if I wanted to , and I don't  .

I forget the other negatives

[Tundra]

AdrianR,
Glad you enjoy your bike, couldn't agree more.
It's a fun, fast sporty, good looking, handling bike with a very realistic price now. Flat6 with fuel injection, gosh probably the most bang for the buck available.

dhalle,
I had an ST1300 and can say for sure that it scared the crap out of me the first time I felt that death wobble. (also had the fork brace) Which I though would help control it and didn't. I thought the bike was coming apart, thought I was going into tank slap. Good thing about the ST, it was easy to throttle thru it, that bike likes to go fast and does it very easily. But slowing back down you must go thru it again. My opinion was very dangerous, especially to an unexperienced rider.
  Actually surprised mother Honda would sell it in that condition. It still is a very popular bike in the Sport Tour community.

[Robert]

I was hoping for HP like what was supposed to be in the EVO6.
I am ookay with what they gave us

I forget the other negatives

 
Yup that seems to happen to me also 

[Kidd]

Me too , had a 06 ST only once experienced the front  end wobble  and that was  the day I bought it , never again .
2 years ago   I met 4 cops training on ST's  , they knew about the problems  .
It was the only bike I ever dropped  , once in my drive way , lost footing and another time at 3 mph , the tip over bars saved it  , nothing else hit the ground  .
Do that on a bmw  , lol

The ST was soooo smooth  , amazing  smooth

AdrianR,
Glad you enjoy your bike, couldn't agree more.
It's a fun, fast sporty, good looking, handling bike with a very realistic price now. Flat6 with fuel injection, gosh probably the most bang for the buck available.

dhalle,
I had an ST1300 and can say for sure that it scared the crap out of me the first time I felt that death wobble. (also had the fork brace) Which I though would help control it and didn't. I thought the bike was coming apart, thought I was going into tank slap. Good thing about the ST, it was easy to throttle thru it, that bike likes to go fast and does it very easily. But slowing back down you must go thru it again. My opinion was very dangerous, especially to an unexperienced rider.
  Actually surprised mother Honda would sell it in that condition. It still is a very popular bike in the Sport Tour community.

[AdrianR]

I love my Valkyrie as well but "everything else is just childs play"  Really?  Almost every single sport bike over 500 ccs will out run it.  The Honda ST will outrun it, even my friends old 2009 LT will out run it and out corner it.  Its a great bike but I think it still needs more power and should have come with a 6th gear.

BS buddy..lol..I smoked a few sport bikes already...small ones...500cc  really?? you must not know how to ride!   It NEEDS the Michelins man...stock tires BLOW...ETHANOL FREE GAS...I mean this, 30w synthetic oil...  to get the most out of it, and mostly, the know how to ride...

Its called ground clearance!  The valkyrie just doesn't have it.  Look, I get it, I own one!   But the bike is only fast to about 100mph and then almost every other bike goes by it.  As far as me not knowing how to ride, well I have raced professionally for WERA and CMRA road racing at the advanced level.  I scrape my pegs hard on my valk with the stock tires.  How about you?

Okay, just got back from some awesome camping at a local forest preserve, hence why I haven't responded.  First of all, let me disclaim somewhat.  In my original post I said, and I quote; *most* things on the road.  I was referring primarily to all cruiser/standard type bikes..and of course most cars. Of course a true sport bike will outrun it, but who the *uck cares eh?  Those things suck anyway...yeah, yeah, tons of HP and no weight, but their stupid looking and have no character...aside from their amazing engineering (of which I respect)...  Speed is only ONE attribute to what constitutes, imo anyway, an awesome bike. The Valkyrie meets most of those characteristics easily... It truly is one of the greatest motorcycles ever made...again imo..  I've ridden plenty...and I love allot of them...but the Valkyrie is unique, BIG TIME..

The broken record skips again(sorry)....IF YOU DO NOT install the Michelins...YOU HAVE NO CLUE...how well the bike can handle...DONE.. and lastly GET RID OF THE GD ethanol...to get MAX HP.... 

I will for sure have the ECM reflashed once the warranty expires as well... I think first and second gear are somewhat neutered...I believe there is more ponies out there to be had with these bikes...

[AdrianR]

Well for sure, but why are we...only giving a nod to the immature 15-year old children that write for all the major biker rags like Motorcyclist and Cycle World...even BOTHERING to talk about what happens over 100MPH?!  Considering that the fastest legal limit in all the land is 70 MPH, why does a STREET bike's ability over 100 even bother to come into question???!

I'm sick and tired of the wannabe boy racers who write opinion pieces for a living deciding how an entire industry's products will work.  If you want to go over 100, then get a race bike and head to the race track, where it is both LEGAL and SAFE to do that speed.  But I'm sick of the rags that have created a mindset that any bike that can't wheelie, stoppie and do at least 140+ just isn't worth any consideration.  Just because some punk spent money on a supersport didn't write him a carte Blanche check to violate every rule on the road, and all the sport magazines do is reinforce that mindset.

We are taking street bikes here, and long-distance ability street bikes at that.  It's completely not personal, but let's keep our heads on target here: just because a supersport can do 150+ doesn't mean that ability is the new minimum standard.

Excellent post, and I couldn't agree more.  In reiteration, speed/power/acceleration is only ONE attribute to what constitutes a great *motorcycle*....  This paradigm as illustrated in these magazines is just one symptom of a very sick world...  Humanity and it's *ego* makes me ill to no end...

[ledany]

@hungryeye : to tell the truth, if I had to travel long distances fast, I would ride a R1200 GS water cooled. I had one, the bike is comfortable, easy and fast (too fast for other vehicles as I experienced it  ).

@dinosnake : thanks for the tip, though it's quite expensive (twice the price !). They look great.

@Robert : I think I'll buy a center stand, in case I take a ferry boat to Sardinia 

[Dragunslayer]

I have to agree. While it is nothing like my CBR1000RR it has some grin factor to it.

I pretty much already knew that after owning a GL1800 Goldwing for 5 years. Bikes this size just should not handle as good as these do.

And yes the Michelins do make the bike that much better.

For the record dragging pegs has nothing to do with speed and more to do with body position and ground clearance.

[Valk_Ridin_Soldier]

@dhalle : the 1300 ST is a nice bike but you can't go faster than 90 ml/h because if you do so, the bike is freaking dangerous. Some say that Honda improved the stability, some say their ST is safe, others say (ex-owners) that pretending the bike is safe is a lie.

My Valk suits me perfectly, it has now 26,000 miles on the clock, runs fine, is reliable, not expensive in maintenance (compared to my former BMWs), really unique (unlike the R1200 GS, RT, K1600), I intend to keep it that way until 125,000 miles. Some details are missing of course (synchronized brakes, heated grips, a center stand, temp - to check if I'm frozen or not  , gear indicator etc.). Each morning I ride through a tunnel, 2200 rpm and the sound is disturbing, I have to go faster if I want to avoid this (but I don't ).

I don't care if other bikes go faster or not (the Diavel   , the S1000 XR   , any KTM) I intend to live long the only life I've got on display  

Heated grips.  I'm really partial to the Drag Specialties heated grips

https://www.denniskirk.com/dk/product_images/06/1200pix/06300425.jpg

Their benefits are massively hot, on high you can't even hold them without gloves and even then your hands will often tingle from their heat, super-clean install as their controller is integrated into the left grip and the wiring to the right grip is all internal, easy install due to the integrated controller and the main power wire being a single wire external to the left grip only (run it along the bar harness), excellent reliability (second pair on second bike, no problems for years).

Their negative is the the left grip has always been too short, the right grip has always been perfect.  On the Valk I cut off the chrome inside ring of the stock grips, with the matching internal rubber, to act as the perfect spacer to take up the extra room.  Looks utterly stock, super easy.

Love these grips, recommended.

Or, go the route I did, which was to get an F6B deluxe, which came with the heated grips...

And when people ask me how fast the F6B is, or my '99 Supercharged Interstate, the honest answer is, I don't know.  Both are potentially faster than I care to ride, though- I haven't been scared enough of anything to break triple digits for long.