No longer on the fence

[sleepngbear]

Put down a deposit today on a new 2014 Valk in dark red. I had no idea you could still order '14s, but I guess they're still hanging around in the warehouses.

I went to a dealer today to see a '15 because their website says they had one, but they don't. I told the very nice and not pushy sales girl that they had one at a dealer up in Mass, and she said they could get it shipped down here, but she can do it cheaper -- if I'm willing to wait a few weeks for it. Well, I've been without a ride for three weeks now already, two more won't kill me.

Like the CTX1300, dealers are just afraid to have them in stock because they just don't move very fast (until they're out the door, anyway). So, going only by the words of you good souls, I basically just bought one sight-unseen -- like the CTX I just killed. The apprehension and wondering about if I'm going to keep riding or not has been instantly replaced by anticipation. Cannot wait for the next two weeks to pass!

[AdrianR]

Put down a deposit today on a new 2014 Valk in dark red. I had no idea you could still order '14s, but I guess they're still hanging around in the warehouses.

I went to a dealer today to see a '15 because their website says they had one, but they don't. I told the very nice and not pushy sales girl that they had one at a dealer up in Mass, and she said they could get it shipped down here, but she can do it cheaper -- if I'm willing to wait a few weeks for it. Well, I've been without a ride for three weeks now already, two more won't kill me.

Like the CTX1300, dealers are just afraid to have them in stock because they just don't move very fast (until they're out the door, anyway). So, going only by the words of you good souls, I basically just bought one sight-unseen -- like the CTX I just killed. The apprehension and wondering about if I'm going to keep riding or not has been instantly replaced by anticipation. Cannot wait for the next two weeks to pass!

Cool...you're gonna love it man...

[rogueleader_92]

Welcome to the club, be careful, don't let the power kill you.

[havoc]

welcome and enjoy!

[Moofner]

Truth be told, I purchased my Valkyrie without first riding it. I just knew that it was going to be pure sugar kitten smexy magic when I sat on it.

It did not disappoint, and with 4500 miles later she has turned into a sweet purring machine. My wife calls her "The Gypsy Bride" because she is fat, sassy, and likes bling. My only complaint is that seat. I thought my young butt could handle it for long periods. One future birthday purchase is going to change that thinking!

[rudymsmith]

Put down a deposit today on a new 2014 Valk in dark red. I had no idea you could still order '14s, but I guess they're still hanging around in the warehouses.

I went to a dealer today to see a '15 because their website says they had one, but they don't. I told the very nice and not pushy sales girl that they had one at a dealer up in Mass, and she said they could get it shipped down here, but she can do it cheaper -- if I'm willing to wait a few weeks for it. Well, I've been without a ride for three weeks now already, two more won't kill me.

Like the CTX1300, dealers are just afraid to have them in stock because they just don't move very fast (until they're out the door, anyway). So, going only by the words of you good souls, I basically just bought one sight-unseen -- like the CTX I just killed. The apprehension and wondering about if I'm going to keep riding or not has been instantly replaced by anticipation. Cannot wait for the next two weeks to pass!

Red is the fastest color - congrats = if the glare off the chrome gas tank necklace blinds you, you can buy one in black for 86.00 u.s. dollars. mo bettah when I can see in the high sun. enjoy your ride.

[Robert]

I cant wait to hear your reaction when you put a leg over it and get accustomed to the power and ride.

  You made a good choice and in the test ride that I took I was so nervous that I really didn't enjoy the ride that much. I was to busy checking the bike out and not slipping on a slightly damp surface. The ride home was interesting because I didn't have a windshield and I never like not having one especially at 70mph. The other problem was I was not used to the handling of the bike in comparison to my 1500, its alot quicker on turns.  But the bike will grow on you the more you ride it, the first ride you go wow the others you go, NOW THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT

I want some day to tour the roads in Mass like RTE 2 and go to the French King bridge with mine. That will be one of my road trips.

I kind of kept a diary of my bike from the dealer to now and this is my bike before uncrating at the dealers.


This is it today and its been a joy on every ride

[woofred1832]

         A big welcome from me also, once you get afew miles on this bbikesyou will know what the rest of us can't say enough about the power, smoothness, power, handling, and oh ya did I mention POWER........Some change seats, or handle bars, or add this or that, and thats half the fun, making the bike yours, not like anyother on the road.......
                   Enjoy, the ride.........

[sleepngbear]

         A big welcome from me also, once you get afew miles on this bbikesyou will know what the rest of us can't say enough about the power, smoothness, power, handling, and oh ya did I mention POWER........Some change seats, or handle bars, or add this or that, and thats half the fun, making the bike yours, not like anyother on the road.......
                   Enjoy, the ride.........

As if it isn't unique enough already. 

I can't wait to throw a leg over and just bask in the silky smoothness of that flat 6 motor. And I heard somewhere it has a little giddy-up, too. 

[sleepngbear]

Cool...you're gonna love it man...

Thanks!

Hey, what kind of shield is that on yours? I searched around but didn't see any reference to it.

[hungryeye]

Welcome to the club, I knew you would do it 

Roberts windshield looks like OEM tall, I also use one, works good, the fatness of the radiator pods also keep the updraft to a minimum. I had my factory seat reworked locally for $150, made big difference.

[DOC47]

Response from a 38 bike owner over 57 years.... scared the poop out of me when I rode it 40 miles home. Took about 1K miles to tame the throttle but love this bike!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  ENJOY!

[sleepngbear]

Keep fingers crossed!!  I just called the dealer to see if they had a VIN yet so I can get insurance lined up. The truck just arrived, and this shipper usually has their Honda's. Sales girl is checking now to see if my bike is on it. I'll know in about an hour, but I can't wait that long. I need the positive vibes from y'all so I can be riding this weekend!!!!!!

Can I get a hell yeah??!!??

[hungryeye]

HELL YEAH! and don't break a leg... 

[sleepngbear]

Ha -- it's in!! 

If all goes well, I'll be picking it up Saturday afternoon.   

[hungryeye]

Morning would ne better...I'll call them 

[sleepngbear]

Morning would ne better...I'll call them 

Of course, but I guess they have a bunch of other new machines that they're swamping the shop with. On the other hand, I don't know what could possibly be more important to them than me. So anything you can do... 

[Kidd]

Yeah , me too , I will give them a call and tell them who they are fuc%*#$  with .

What's their  number ?   

Morning would ne better...I'll call them 

[Robert]

Ha -- it's in!! 

If all goes well, I'll be picking it up Saturday afternoon.   

Did you get it straight with them that Saturday AM is take off time? I found no problem when mine was in to wait. 

[sleepngbear]

Did you get it straight with them that Saturday AM is take off time? I found no problem when mine was in to wait. 

Ha! I have to call them in the morning to confirm the time. I'm gonna try to get them to push it up a few hours, since looking at the weather tomorrow is a chance of scattered thunderstorms -- the only day in a two week stretch that isn't sunny! -- and it looks like they're going to be later in the day. We'll see who answers the phone if it sounds like they're sweet-talkable or not. 

[Kidd]

I pray for cloudy days as I am very very sick and tired of the sun

Did you get it straight with them that Saturday AM is take off time? I found no problem when mine was in to wait. 

Ha! I have to call them in the morning to confirm the time. I'm gonna try to get them to push it up a few hours, since looking at the weather tomorrow is a chance of scattered thunderstorms -- the only day in a two week stretch that isn't sunny! -- and it looks like they're going to be later in the day. We'll see who answers the phone if it sounds like they're sweet-talkable or not. 

[hungryeye]

Clouds good, rain sucks!!!! That's all in ever does in N. Cloudylina...

[ledany]

IMHO, it would be a really bad idea to ride with the Dunlop super merdes OEM tires under the rain, unless you are a professional surfer 

[sleepngbear]

Oh. Wow.

That's all I can muster for now.

[hungryeye]

She's a beauty

[sleepngbear]

^^^ Thanks!

I cannot believe the instant torque on this thing right off idle. I've never ridden anything else quite like it, not even the original Valky. And coming off the CTX1300 with that big bulbous front fairing (which I always loved to look at), it's kind of a change looking out past the handlebar and seeing just... road. Just one trip home today, but I immediately noticed how much easier the Valk is to ride than the CTX -- or any other bike I've owned. I won't say it's quite flickable, but its handling is as responsive as something many times lighter. And that noise from a dead stop up through the gears without any effort has me actually hoping for more red lights to have to stop at. The riding position is just about perfect, having to lean forward a bit into the wind at highway speeds, but being totally relaxed at anything less. The reach to the bars, the spread of the grips, feet position, all about perfect. Even the seat isn't bad, certainly no worse than the CTX's which I though was pretty good. This is a phenomenal machine that I think is going to live up to all my lofty expectations and then some.

Any apprehension I had about riding again after wrecking the CTX last month is gone. I can't wait to get on again and rack up some miles.

And goddammmm, what a sweeet looker, too.

[dinosnake]

I've said it before, the dark red is the classy color    Blue = sporty, Black = classic stealth.

Glad you like it!    . As we owners tell others, and you're just discovered, a bike this big has no right to feel this small.  Once rolling it feels like a bike that is 600 pounds, not over 750 in reality.

So welcome to the club of Valkyrie 1800 ownership!!    May you be safe and enjoy many years of happiness!

[sleepngbear]

^^^ Thank you sir. 

[sleepngbear]

A couple with the backrest and rear carrier, and one with my hooligan buddy's XDiavel. Perfect day for a ride today.

[AdrianR]

A couple with the backrest and rear carrier, and one with my hooligan buddy's XDiavel. Perfect day for a ride today.

Looks sweet man....Wait till' ya get some miles on her....  swap out the oil with full synthetic bike oil...the correct weight...it just keeps getting smoother and more powerful.  Also, the pipes will start breaking in and actually get somewhat louder.  My bike now with nearly 7K on it...has developed a really nice exhaust sound.  Love the way it sounds around 3-4K rpms...a nice pitch...on the low side...but prominent to the point that it is getting louder then the sound of the timing chain whine...   Also, and I know I am gonna catch crap for this (sorry)...run ethanol free gas if you can...or treat the gas in your tank with one of the many ethanol conditioning products on the market...  The bike will run smoother, develop more HP, and get better fuel mileage.

[hungryeye]

The Duc looks like a contraption compared to your Valkyrie 

[sleepngbear]

The Duc looks like a contraption compared to your Valkyrie 

That Duc is one sick machine. We swapped rides for a bit today; the Duc is now pretty much broke in, which it wasn't yet the last time I rode it, so I got to hit it a little harder. You'd better be hanging on real tight when you crack it. I did a 5th gear roll-on that wasn't anywhere near its sweet spot, and man what a friggin rush. I haven't thrashed the Valk at all yet -- it's barely seen above 3k rpm, and probably won't until after the first oil change -- but I'm sure all that torque will wake you up from a nap too if you're not ready for it.

Difference between the Duc and the Valk is like a C7 Corvette vs a Charger Hellcat. Two very different answers to the same question, but both guaranteed to put a smile on your face and a pucker on your backside. The Duc just begs to be thrashed soundly -- it's happiest when you're beating the piss out of it. Seriously, I've never ridden a bike that wants to be ridden hard and thrown around like that one. Like the Valk, it needs to be experienced to be fully appreciated. It is definitely a blast and a half to ride, and I'll happily swap with him again any time he wants, but the Valk is the better choice for me. It seems to be just as happy poking along like grandpa as it is being hammered. 

[hungryeye]

I owned an 02 750 Monster and an 07 GT1000 modern classic. They are a fun ride, but my all time favorite ride was always a Goldwing with BMW boxers a close second. I just feel at home on my Valk or Kerry as other say it..

[ledany]

My Valk has now 29,000 mls on the clock, I love it and I don't see which other bike I could desire for the time being. This said, the Diavel is probably the most exciting bike I've ever ridden, though  the 2014 model I rode was limited to 106 HP. I intend to ride the X Diavel full power in september, I know it's gonna be a hell of a fun 

[Kidd]

If we do not see any more post of yours after Sept , we'll know what happened

Good Luck

My Valk has now 29,000 mls on the clock, I love it and I don't see which other bike I could desire for the time being. This said, the Diavel is probably the most exciting bike I've ever ridden, though  the 2014 model I rode was limited to 106 HP. I intend to ride the X Diavel full power in september, I know it's gonna be a hell of a fun 

[brew1brew]

IMHO, it would be a really bad idea to ride with the Dunlop super merdes OEM tires under the rain, unless you are a professional surfer 

I don't agree with you, The Dunlop tires performed quite well for me in Texas thunderstorms.

[brew1brew]

Gratz on the new Ride! And Welcome to the insanity! I bought my 2014 in May of 14 when they first came out, I now have 33k miles on it and it still thrills me when I get on the throttle!

[Dragunslayer]

IMHO, it would be a really bad idea to ride with the Dunlop super merdes OEM tires under the rain, unless you are a professional surfer 

I don't agree with you, The Dunlop tires performed quite well for me in Texas thunderstorms.

I am with you on the Dunlops. They never gave me a worry as far as traction was concerned wet or dry. The Michelins are better, but I would not shy away from the Dunlops other than price.

[rogueleader_92]

IMHO, it would be a really bad idea to ride with the Dunlop super merdes OEM tires under the rain, unless you are a professional surfer 

I don't agree with you, The Dunlop tires performed quite well for me in Texas thunderstorms.

I am with you on the Dunlops. They never gave me a worry as far as traction was concerned wet or dry. The Michelins are better, but I would not shy away from the Dunlops other than price.

I'm on the other side, the stock Dunlops suck, I rode a 97 valk with Michelin's in every kind of weather for years and never had an issue but with the first storm on the new valk I was slipping even with cautious riding. First thing I did this year was replace them and I haven't had another slip.

[ledany]

Dunlop OEM : on wet roads, at any speed, even at the red light, you feel joyfull and begin a soft conversation with the throttle (you are educated and polite, you have gentle manners not brutal ones). Then the rear begins to slip = end of the conversation. That's what I experienced with the CTX 1300 (Dunlop) and with the Valk (tires were new). On the highway and under the rain, above 80 mph I felt insecure and I saw a guy with a R1200 RT who was 20 mls faster. So I decided to go for the Michelins and these worries are beyond.