Suggested maintenance for your aging Valk...

[nogrey]

I realize there are a lot of really knowlegable folks out there, but I'm going to throw out some observations from working on many old Valkyries over the past years. These bikes are aging. If you own one, it is at minimum 14 years old, and at most, 21 years old (my '97 was manufactured in Nov '96). Have been working on a new friends 2000 valk and my aging '97, as well as my other friends '97 and 98 getting them all ready for the trip to Inzane this June. It reminded me of the many things that need attention on these aging bikes. I'm going to mention items that I believe need attention if you've perhaps never done them before.

Carburetors: Replace float valves, pilot screw O-rings, springs and washers, air cut-off valve vacuum lines and vacuum port caps. Lubricate the link arm coupler (it has bearings that can fail) and check the diaphragms for tears or holes.

Fluids: Brake and clutch fluids if any color other than clear need to be bled and replaced. Radiator fluid is good for 5 years if using Honda 50/50 mix. Oil and filter need to be replaced regularly.

Final drive: Replace the final drive oil, drive seals and drive shaft lube every 10K miles.

Timing belts: Replace every 100K miles or 10 years. I've heard lots of debate on this and all I can tell you is that the 100K miles is Honda's recommendation, Gates, worlds largest belt manufacturer states that 10 years is maximum shelf life. You decide.

Tires: DOT stamps a date on your tires. It gives you the date of manufacture. If you don't ride that much you may want to check them. If the stamp is something like: 3115 you're good. Your tire was manufactured week 31 of 2015. If your DOT code is 1810, you're tires are 7 years old. No tire manufacturer will warrant a tire 6 years old or older. That's why you see tires on Ebay on the cheap.

Valve Stems: If you're running on the original plastic stems that were put on your bike, you should probably consider replacing them with steel stems that are much less likely to leak or break.

Cables: Both throttle cables as well as the fuel enrichment cables (includes cable from the lever as well as the two on each side of the carbs that operate the enrichment valves) should be lubricated. Many good cable lubes around.

Other items for consideration:
Head light: Consider replacing your 55/60 watt light bulb with a LED bulb. Lots to chose from. Lower wattage and higher lumens equals longer switch life. Another great idea is to add a "smart switch" that Bon S offers to save your starter switch. It routes all the current to your headlight directly from the battery and uses the starter/light switch only as a relay activator.

Tripple tree: Check the tightness of the tripple tree bearing retainer and retainer nut torque. Does your stearing feel clunky or tight? I recently found that the tightness of these items was loose on my bike.

Exhaust stud bolts: It seems like on all the Valks I work on, it never fails that I find one or two that have loose or missing exhaust bolts. Always worth a check.

Tire pressure: Always check it before a trip. Varies a lot due to temp/weather changes.

General cleaning: It never ceases to amaze me the number of items I find when cleaning my bike. Whether it be a loose nut, bolt or other maintenance item that needs attention. These bikes aren't Harleys, but they still see the road plenty and need to be maintained. Just saying.

Electrical: Check your battery posts for corrosion and clean as needed. Pay attention to how long it takes for your old girl to turn over when cranking to start. If it takes a lot of cranking, it may be because the battery is due for replacement. These bikes will crank on a low battery but won't "fire" if it can't power the starter and the spark both.

Finally, I know most of you are intimately tuned to what your phat gurl needs and attend to those needs regularly. I also know that there are many out there who ride these fantastic machines but are a bit gun shy about the maintenance aspects. So I'm just "throwing" these suggestions out there. Not as "The Authority" on the subject, but as an active observer of the items I've come across on these bikes that I know have caused grief when neglected.

Look forward to seeing everyone at Inzane.

[sandy]

Great post. I do most of these things to ensure reliability. I've had BONS smart switch on 2 valks and love it. I disagree with using an LED headlight bulb. They look brighter in the daytime but at night, the light doesn't reach out as far as a conventional bulb. I use a Sylvania SilverStar with 36 watt halogen highway lights.

[Tfrank59]

What's involved in checking the triple tree tightness? I know I have to jack up the bike but do I have to pull off the handlebars and everything to check that? Been riding the bike for 30k now and I've never checked it

[nogrey]

Great post. I do most of these things to ensure reliability. I've had BONS smart switch on 2 valks and love it. I disagree with using an LED headlight bulb. They look brighter in the daytime but at night, the light doesn't reach out as far as a conventional bulb. I use a Sylvania SilverStar with 36 watt halogen highway lights.

I've been using LED headlights for years now. All I can say is, if you experienced the kind of low light output from an LED you had the wrong one. The light output is far superior to any light bult you could put in. I use Bons smart switch as well just as a matter of good practice. My friends that ride with me (all Valks) always want me to lead at night because of the added visibility.

[nogrey]

What's involved in checking the triple tree tightness? I know I have to jack up the bike but do I have to pull off the handlebars and everything to check that? Been riding the bike for 30k now and I've never checked it

It's simple and no jacking required really. Just remove the big nut on top and test the tightness of the one beneath. I only mentioned it because I found mine loose (the nut, or cap in the middle top of the tripple tree was loose. The bearing retainer was fine). The guys and I have been working on all our bikes getting ready for Inzane. One of those bikes is a new member. He's owned his Valk for 10 years and had done nothing but change oil. We've been going over his bike with a fine tooth comb and man did it need it. Did timing belts and brakes/clutch yesterday. The brake and clutch fluids were so old they had solids in the bottom thicker than snot.

[hubcapsc]

What's involved in checking the triple tree tightness? I know I have to jack up the bike but do I have to pull off the handlebars and everything to check that? Been riding the bike for 30k now and I've never checked it

They want you to strip the snot out of it...



There's a procedure in the manual, and Daniel Meyer has a write up.

I cheated once, I think it did a good job. Jack the bike up until the front wheel is neutral...
the forks aren't extended or compressed. Then I just took off the handlebars and
the top bridge, and tightened the bearings. If you don't neutralize the front when you
do this, stuff will flex enough that you won't be able to get the top bridge back
on... plus with the flexy/binding stuff going on, I don't think I'd trust how much
I torqued the bearings...

-Mike

[Savago]

Pretty good advice and nice list on recommended maintenance.

I would only add: - Check/clean/rebuild the alternator. It may fail when you are in the middle of nowhere, a symptom is needing to replace the battery in a short period (1 year).

Concerning LED lighting, I think it is debatable: this bikes got powerful alternators, so energy draw is not an issue. What I see with LED bulbs is that the quality vary a lot between manufacturers, unlike traditional bulbs that is more stable.

It seems that a nice LED H4 compatible bulb is around 60 bucks, you can buy quite a few H4 bulbs for that money and simply carry 1 spare under the seat.

Just my 2c.

[JimC]

Great idea for a post.

What about U-joint and wheel bearings (bearing mods?) as preventative maintenance after what 100K- 125K ?

Maybe someone putting a list together after everyone chimes in and make it a sticky on the tech page?

Jim

[saddlesore]

I replaced all of the radiator hoses last year.  I also cleaned and sealed the starter relay a couple of years ago.  I replaced the starter switch too.  I cleaned the contacts a couple of times but it only works a few times. 
I have a 1999 standard with 158,000 miles so I'm taking extra steps to replace parts that can age.   

[MarkT]

Good post Nogrey.  I'm saving it in my library.  

There are a lot of upgrades I could add but that's not the subject of this post. I would mention that going to Evans waterless coolant is a great idea to prevent corrosion and even eliminate maintenance of the cooling system.  Been using that for years - love crossing that off my maint. list.  I would also add, move the main battery ground off the back of the aluminum engine block, to the left side driver's footpeg bracket steel mount. Add a grounding strap if you think necessary, to the engine - I didn't and the bad ground problem is gone. I would also add, put electrical connection compound on the screws of the main 55amp "dogbone" fuse then slather the whole thing with Liquid Tape to seal it. I think my permanent mount lift adapter is a great idea in case work is needed on the road, but no kidding, I'm selling them.  I have them on my bikes, anyway.   I'm sure there are other maint. things but not thinking of them now.

Gotta disagree on the LED H4 bulbs.  I've tried two different premium models and both were anemic out to distance.  Poor focus.  Not surprising - the reflectors are computer - engineered to focus the light source suspended in space, not on the side of a flat surface, as surface mount LED emitters are.  I'm guessing my standards are higher than most, esp. those who rave about LED H4 replacements.  They certainly look brighter, looking at them by oncoming drivers, and the light you can see they put out, is much higher temp in degrees Kelvin (light temperature was a big concern of mine in a previous life, as a pro photographer) But look closely at the light distribution out there - it's more a smear of light, not focused well.   18 years ago I wrote up my High-Power Headlight Mod (In shop talk, and on my page here http://horseapple.com/Valkyrie/Tech_Tips/Headlight_Upgrade/headlight_upgrade.html ) Which is what BonS Smart Switch became later, nicely packaged for Plug N Play. In my mod, not only does one gain the add'l brightness by delivering all the juice the bulbs want, but also much add'l brightness by changing to a high-power incandescent bulb. (I don't know what gauge power wire BonS uses, or if he upgrades the plug - if he uses thick wire and heavy plug, his mod will support the big bulbs as well) I use 130/90 bulbs - yeah they use double the power of OEM - they also light the road and ditches CLEARLY for a measured half mile.  Speaking from deer-killing experience in a high-deer population area, being able to see light brown animals near or on the road a couple hundred yards out is not only a good idea, it's a life saver.  I have my mod on Deerslayer and Jade and George - not on Marty because I haven't worked on him yet - acquired due to the death of my friend a year ago.  I always have a spare 130/90 bulb with me.  They typically last around 3 years with my use.  I get them from Competition Accessories online for about $15 IIRC. I have had no problems with reflector or lens degrading from the power in 18 years of use.

[joker]

I'm feeling a bit, no, a lot nauseous. My Valk is 18 years old, and except for oil change and ONCE a coolant change, I haven't done anything to her.
I feel like a resurrection is almost impossible. I'm not that handy, and to pay for all of this to be done is prohibitive. Not really looking for suggestions. Just commiserating out loud 

[nogrey]

I'm feeling a bit, no, a lot nauseous. My Valk is 18 years old, and except for oil change and ONCE a coolant change, I haven't done anything to her.
I feel like a resurrection is almost impossible. I'm not that handy, and to pay for all of this to be done is prohibitive. Not really looking for suggestions. Just commiserating out loud 

Hey Joker: Just had a new member join our group. Exact same situation you're in. Take a deep breath and relax. It's not that bad. Just begin simple. Get help from members in your area. You can do it and we're all here to help. Hang in there man.

[nogrey]

Good post Nogrey.  I'm saving it in my library.  

There are a lot of upgrades I could add but that's not the subject of this post. I would mention that going to Evans waterless coolant is a great idea to prevent corrosion and even eliminate maintenance of the cooling system.  Been using that for years - love crossing that off my maint. list.  I would also add, move the main battery ground off the back of the aluminum engine block, to the left side driver's footpeg bracket steel mount. Add a grounding strap if you think necessary, to the engine - I didn't and the bad ground problem is gone. I would also add, put electrical connection compound on the screws of the main 55amp "dogbone" fuse then slather the whole thing with Liquid Tape to seal it. I think my permanent mount lift adapter is a great idea in case work is needed on the road, but no kidding, I'm selling them.  I have them on my bikes, anyway.   I'm sure there are other maint. things but not thinking of them now.

Gotta disagree on the LED H4 bulbs.  I've tried two different premium models and both were anemic out to distance.  Poor focus.  Not surprising - the reflectors are computer - engineered to focus the light source suspended in space, not on the side of a flat surface, as surface mount LED emitters are.  I'm guessing my standards are higher than most, esp. those who rave about LED H4 replacements.  They certainly look brighter, looking at them by oncoming drivers, and the light you can see they put out, is much higher temp in degrees Kelvin (light temperature was a big concern of mine in a previous life, as a pro photographer) But look closely at the light distribution out there - it's more a smear of light, not focused well.   18 years ago I wrote up my High-Power Headlight Mod (In shop talk, and on my page here http://horseapple.com/Valkyrie/Tech_Tips/Headlight_Upgrade/headlight_upgrade.html ) Which is what BonS Smart Switch became later, nicely packaged for Plug N Play. In my mod, not only does one gain the add'l brightness by delivering all the juice the bulbs want, but also much add'l brightness by changing to a high-power incandescent bulb. (I don't know what gauge power wire BonS uses, or if he upgrades the plug - if he uses thick wire and heavy plug, his mod will support the big bulbs as well) I use 130/90 bulbs - yeah they use double the power of OEM - they also light the road and ditches CLEARLY for a measured half mile.  Speaking from deer-killing experience in a high-deer population area, being able to see light brown animals near or on the road a couple hundred yards out is not only a good idea, it's a life saver.  I have my mod on Deerslayer and Jade and George - not on Marty because I haven't worked on him yet - acquired due to the death of my friend a year ago.  I always have a spare 130/90 bulb with me.  They typically last around 3 years with my use.  I get them from Competition Accessories online for about $15 IIRC. I have had no problems with reflector or lens degrading from the power in 18 years of use.

Hey Mark: Totally agree on the H4 LED. They are "anemic" to say the least. I should have clarified. Get an adapter and buy a 7" LED light fixture like the Daymaker. Not talking the $800 one. There are lots of options. I am an electronics engineer by trade. I promis you, there is nothing incandescent that you can put on your bike, watt for watt, that has the light output of the new generation LED fixtures on the market today.
Love your other electrical suggestions. Good grounding is a key to keeping things running (electrically) strong.

[nogrey]

Great idea for a post.

What about U-joint and wheel bearings (bearing mods?) as preventative maintenance after what 100K- 125K ?

Maybe someone putting a list together after everyone chimes in and make it a sticky on the tech page?

Jim

There are a lot of high mileage bikes out there with no issues with U joints, final drives etc. That being said, there is absolutely nothing you can do about bearings except replace them if you feel they are bad. They are a no maintenance item. I check mine for smoothness every time I do front/rear wheel maintenance. And I do those annually. I also have spare bearings, U-joints and final drives in case of failure. Just a good idea in my way of thinking.
Thanks and ride safe!

[nogrey]

Pretty good advice and nice list on recommended maintenance.

I would only add: - Check/clean/rebuild the alternator. It may fail when you are in the middle of nowhere, a symptom is needing to replace the battery in a short period (1 year).

Concerning LED lighting, I think it is debatable: this bikes got powerful alternators, so energy draw is not an issue. What I see with LED bulbs is that the quality vary a lot between manufacturers, unlike traditional bulbs that is more stable.

It seems that a nice LED H4 compatible bulb is around 60 bucks, you can buy quite a few H4 bulbs for that money and simply carry 1 spare under the seat.

Just my 2c.

I keep a spare alternator on hand. My experience with rebuilding them has not so positive, but I appreciate your ability there. I should've been more clear on my LED suggestion. I have a 7" adapter and have replaced the entire lamp assembly. Not with an H4 adapter, but with a complete new Lamp housing. There is absolutely now comparison with incandescent. I have my riding buddies to back me up. They want me to lead at night so they can see in the distance.
Keep safe and continue caring for your phat gurl!

[nogrey]

Mark T has added several really great ideas as well. I have looked at the lifetime radiator fluid option. Jay Leno recommends it and uses it on all his many, many machines. I'm going to invest in some next time a change comes around.

[DarkSideR]

Great write up.  

Only thing I can emphasis is to regularly inspect the Vacuum Bulk Hoses for the Air Cut Off Valves. There is one these hoses on the side of each Carb. You can easily inspect these by taking off the linkage covers, and the hoses can be replaced without taking the carbs off the bike.

The ends of the hoses split and leak causing rough starts, poor idling, and poor performance at lower RPM's.

Hope this helps,

DarkSider

[MarkT]

Good point on the hoses - unless you desmogged then they are gone.  Reminded me of a similar note on the valves.  When they get out of adjustment due to wear, they can go either way - too loose or too tight.  Too loose just makes them noisy.  But too tight and they cause hard starting, loss of power, and potential damage - burnt valves.  Don't neglect them.  The Honda interval might be too frequent but they tend to err on the conservative side.  They are pretty easy to adjust esp if you have a lift - just LOVE my Snap-On lift table Misfit sold me.  They don't require shims, just a feeler gauge, screwdriver and combo wrench.  Plus the Allen wrench to pull the covers - I spin them out with a Dewalt drill & bit.

[jim@98valkyrie.com]

I keep a spare alternator on hand. My experience with rebuilding them has not so positive, but I appreciate your ability there. I should've been more clear on my LED suggestion. I have a 7" adapter and have replaced the entire lamp assembly. Not with an H4 adapter, but with a complete new Lamp housing. There is absolutely now comparison with incandescent. I have my riding buddies to back me up. They want me to lead at night so they can see in the distance.
Keep safe and continue caring for your phat gurl!

Nogrey, do you rebuild the alternator yourself? I used Bart over at Durobilt in Nampa for several starters and alternators (cars & trucks) and he did top notch work. I won't buy anymore of those "guaranteed for life POS".

[MarkT]

There is absolutely now comparison with incandescent. I have my riding buddies to back me up. They want me to lead at night so they can see in the distance.

Don't want to dis your point, NG - I'm sure your designed-for LED light fixtures are quite bright.  BUT.  (There it is...)  Yours is not the only soln for a well - lit road.  I too am asked to lead on night rides - been that way since 2000.  I think you might be surprised on the light presented by a well-focused 130w high beam and two aircraft landing lights on Deerslayer. (Or the 130/90 main plus a pair of 60/55w H4 headlights on hi beam, on Jade)  Not to mention the other two small 50w halogens on the crashbars - just there for MY visibility / safety at all times. (Don't run the A/C lights all the time.)  Yep these proven - tech (read "old school") lights use much more power but the bike has proven it can handle that even with my stereos running and heated gear - I don't compare as you say, watt for watt.  But this soln was available decades ago before your higher tech LED's were - when I installed them. And setting them up costs less and is easy.  Basically, my Hi-power mod (linked above)  with a $2 fuse holder, 2 $6 relays, a ceramic H4 plug $5, 5 ft of wire & soldering stuff $2, a 130/90 bulb $15,  and an afternoon.  Or buy BonS's Smart Sw - more cost but less time. Not including the spots on the cost figure here - the 130/90 bulb is much more than adequate.  I tend to overkill sometimes but I like to run the spots in the daytime for visibility, having been hit by a left-turner "He came outta nowhere" back in 1970.

George doesn't have a good lighting soln.  But he's about stylin.  I don't ride him much at night.  Would that daytime front and rear visibility were better but I don't want to mess with the look. I did the headlight relay mod just to protect the switches but he has a stock H4 with one of those rainbow prisms around it in the VTX bucket. So far I've ridden almost always with the wife's Magna close which has my 3-headlight mod and a Radiantz array with brake flasher controller in a Suzuki fixture rear for increased visibility.

[nogrey]

Great write up.  

Only thing I can emphasis is to regularly inspect the Vacuum Bulk Hoses for the Air Cut Off Valves. There is one these hoses on the side of each Carb. You can easily inspect these by taking off the linkage covers, and the hoses can be replaced without taking the carbs off the bike.

The ends of the hoses split and leak causing rough starts, poor idling, and poor performance at lower RPM's.

Hope this helps,

DarkSider

That's one of the items on my list, and an important one! They do split. Also found some on a friends bike last weekend that looked just fine, but were so old they had expanded at each end and weren't holding well.

[nogrey]

There is absolutely now comparison with incandescent. I have my riding buddies to back me up. They want me to lead at night so they can see in the distance.

Don't want to dis your point, NG - I'm sure your designed-for LED light fixtures are quite bright.  BUT.  (There it is...)  Yours is not the only soln for a well - lit road.  I too am asked to lead on night rides - been that way since 2000.  I think you might be surprised on the light presented by a well-focused 130w high beam and two aircraft landing lights on Deerslayer. (Or the 130/90 main plus a pair of 60/55w H4 headlights on hi beam, on Jade)  Not to mention the other two small 50w halogens on the crashbars - just there for MY visibility / safety at all times. (Don't run the A/C lights all the time.)  Yep these proven - tech (read "old school") lights use much more power but the bike has proven it can handle that even with my stereos running and heated gear - I don't compare as you say, watt for watt.  But this soln was available decades ago before your higher tech LED's were - when I installed them. And setting them up costs less and is easy.  Basically, my Hi-power mod (linked above)  with a $2 fuse holder, 2 $6 relays, a ceramic H4 plug $5, 5 ft of wire & soldering stuff $2, a 130/90 bulb $15,  and an afternoon.  Or buy BonS's Smart Sw - more cost but less time. Not including the spots on the cost figure here - the 130/90 bulb is much more than adequate.  I tend to overkill sometimes but I like to run the spots in the daytime for visibility, having been hit by a left-turner "He came outta nowhere" back in 1970.

George doesn't have a good lighting soln.  But he's about stylin.  I don't ride him much at night.  Would that daytime front and rear visibility were better but I don't want to mess with the look. I did the headlight relay mod just to protect the switches but he has a stock H4 with one of those rainbow prisms around it in the VTX bucket. So far I've ridden almost always with the wife's Magna close which has my 3-headlight mod and a Radiantz array with brake flasher controller in a Suzuki fixture rear for increased visibility.

Not feeling Dis'd Mark, If I had your setup already, I'd probably not change a thing, and I am sure your lights are bright. I tried every kind of incandescent light available on my I/S when I had here. No Bueno. HID's were the absolute brightest but unreliable. Went to LED's and never looked back. They are way expensive though, if you get the bright ones. Still experimenting on my '97. I like the color of the LED's and the low power draw. I've got them as both running lights and headlight. I'd like to find a better solution for the turn signals and rear for brightness. I have a radianz knock-off for my brake light and it's awesome. Still drooling over the exhaust on your red bike. 

[nogrey]

I keep a spare alternator on hand. My experience with rebuilding them has not so positive, but I appreciate your ability there. I should've been more clear on my LED suggestion. I have a 7" adapter and have replaced the entire lamp assembly. Not with an H4 adapter, but with a complete new Lamp housing. There is absolutely now comparison with incandescent. I have my riding buddies to back me up. They want me to lead at night so they can see in the distance.
Keep safe and continue caring for your phat gurl!

Nogrey, do you rebuild the alternator yourself? I used Bart over at Durobilt in Nampa for several starters and alternators (cars & trucks) and he did top notch work. I won't buy anymore of those "guaranteed for life POS".

Exact place I've taken mine. Not sure of the guys name but the alternator lasted one season. Someone told me that the dad had sold the business to his son and that quality had gone down. Not sure on that but haven't been back.

[MarkT]

There is absolutely now comparison with incandescent. I have my riding buddies to back me up. They want me to lead at night so they can see in the distance.

Don't want to dis your point, NG - I'm sure your designed-for LED light fixtures are quite bright.  BUT.  (There it is...)  Yours is not the only soln for a well - lit road.  I too am asked to lead on night rides - been that way since 2000.  I think you might be surprised on the light presented by a well-focused 130w high beam and two aircraft landing lights on Deerslayer. (Or the 130/90 main plus a pair of 60/55w H4 headlights on hi beam, on Jade)  Not to mention the other two small 50w halogens on the crashbars - just there for MY visibility / safety at all times. (Don't run the A/C lights all the time.)  Yep these proven - tech (read "old school") lights use much more power but the bike has proven it can handle that even with my stereos running and heated gear - I don't compare as you say, watt for watt.  But this soln was available decades ago before your higher tech LED's were - when I installed them. And setting them up costs less and is easy.  Basically, my Hi-power mod (linked above)  with a $2 fuse holder, 2 $6 relays, a ceramic H4 plug $5, 5 ft of wire & soldering stuff $2, a 130/90 bulb $15,  and an afternoon.  Or buy BonS's Smart Sw - more cost but less time. Not including the spots on the cost figure here - the 130/90 bulb is much more than adequate.  I tend to overkill sometimes but I like to run the spots in the daytime for visibility, having been hit by a left-turner "He came outta nowhere" back in 1970.

George doesn't have a good lighting soln.  But he's about stylin.  I don't ride him much at night.  Would that daytime front and rear visibility were better but I don't want to mess with the look. I did the headlight relay mod just to protect the switches but he has a stock H4 with one of those rainbow prisms around it in the VTX bucket. So far I've ridden almost always with the wife's Magna close which has my 3-headlight mod and a Radiantz array with brake flasher controller in a Suzuki fixture rear for increased visibility.

Not feeling Dis'd Mark, If I had your setup already, I'd probably not change a thing, and I am sure your lights are bright. I tried every kind of incandescent light available on my I/S when I had here. No Bueno. HID's were the absolute brightest but unreliable. Went to LED's and never looked back. They are way expensive though, if you get the bright ones. Still experimenting on my '97. I like the color of the LED's and the low power draw. I've got them as both running lights and headlight. I'd like to find a better solution for the turn signals and rear for brightness. I have a radianz knock-off for my brake light and it's awesome. Still drooling over the exhaust on your red bike. 

All of the lights on Jade except the headlight & spots are LED.  All the lenses are smoke or clear.  I put a Radiantz on the back and power it with a really cool flasher control I found - flashes faster if you brake harder - has an accelerometer.  Also programmable if you don't like the std pattern.  Not expensive, very small.  http://www.3rdbrakeflasher.com/brake-light-flasher-c-65/stop-alert-flasher-with-gforce-sensor-p-183.html  I have 48-LED red boards in the rear markers powered with relays to be run-brake-turn - happy with them.  Same type, amber in the front. Used my circuit here for the rears - http://horseapple.com/Valkyrie/Tech_Tips/VTX_signals/vtx_signals.html.  The circuit can provide that function even with 1156 sockets. Buy my LED's in a few places online.  Prefer the old school LEDs rather than the SM type as the latter is sensitive to impedance and ground issues - often hard to get them to light evenly when you add resistors to dim them. I wired my H4 "spots" in the front to be controllable - can select Hi, Lo, off, off with parking lights, or follow-the-headlight-sw.  Also supports separating triggers from the headlight circuit with a 3-pos toggle if for some reason it blows out. Put the same circuit on the wife's Magna.  Useful.  This is the circuit:

[joker]

I'm feeling a bit, no, a lot nauseous. My Valk is 18 years old, and except for oil change and ONCE a coolant change, I haven't done anything to her.
I feel like a resurrection is almost impossible. I'm not that handy, and to pay for all of this to be done is prohibitive. Not really looking for suggestions. Just commiserating out loud 

Hey Joker: Just had a new member join our group. Exact same situation you're in. Take a deep breath and relax. It's not that bad. Just begin simple. Get help from members in your area. You can do it and we're all here to help. Hang in there man.

Thanx so much Nogrey, I get overwhelmed easily. Lol. Taking her to a local shop that has a good rep. He said bring it in and we'll see what it needs and go from there.

I'll keep everyone

Joker

[Gabriel]

I'm running an LED headlamp and it absolutely smokes the stock bulb.
On bright I can see the reflection on the road signs in the day time! You can get a tan off this thing.
It has a cooling fan on the back of the LED heat sink that you can hear when you turn the key on.

It looks like this;


4000LM 40W CREE LED, IP67 rating, 6000K. The driver has a heat controller

Time to get out the ruler (it's not for the light either)

[mugmarine]

Great reading and very informative. Im interested in the led headlights, where do we buy these? Id like to do more reading before I change mine. Ive ordered the smartswitch so hopefully all will be better for lights.

[Gabriel]

eBay, US seller

[nogrey]

eBay, US seller

Find yourself a nice 7" round LED lamp that you like. Then buy one of the adapter rings that Josh Chambers makes (ValkyrieJosh from this group). https://youtu.be/K48cp45_h6Q

[MarkT]

eBay, US seller

Find yourself a nice 7" round LED lamp that you like. Then buy one of the adapter rings that Josh Chambers makes (ValkyrieJosh from this group). https://youtu.be/K48cp45_h6Q

+1  

As I said at the top of this thread - LED's done as H4 replacements are poorly focused.  The reflector is not designed for them.  You'll be disappointed after the new car smell wears off.  Coming from a very picky lighting system designer.

You will already have brighter lights with the Smartswitch.  You can also add a bigger halogen bulb safely with that.  Competition Accessories sells big bulbs - I've run 130/90's for 19 years with good results.  My lights illuminate the road CLEARLY for a measured half mile.  In heavy deer country.

[Gabriel]

I think some of you guys still think 8 track tapes are the only way to record and listen to music.
Better buy up all those halogen bulbs you can get because they are going the way of 8 track tapes...

Have you seen an household incandescent bulb for sale lately?
You can still get them and 8 track tapes if you look around enough.

There is no question that many installations are just wrong when installing an HID or LED in a housing designed for Halogen, however things are changing and at least some of these LED lights work well in Halogen housings.

Halogen bulbs are power hungry and often the up-graded bulb burns housings and wiring, not to mention what happens to them if you touch one with you finger.

I paid 20 bucks to up-grade my headlight to LED, there may be better options but not for 20 bucks!

Peace-out...

[MarkT]

I think some of you guys still think 8 track tapes are the only way to record and listen to music.
Better buy up all those halogen bulbs you can get because they are going the way of 8 track tapes...

Have you seen an household incandescent bulb for sale lately?
You can still get them and 8 track tapes if you look around enough.

There is no question that many installations are just wrong when installing an HID or LED in a housing designed for Halogen, however things are changing and at least some of these LED lights work well in Halogen housings.

Halogen bulbs are power hungry and often the up-graded bulb burns housings and wiring, not to mention what happens to them if you touch one with you finger.

I paid 20 bucks to up-grade my headlight to LED, there may be better options but not for 20 bucks!

Peace-out...

Very funny.  Yeah I'm a stick in the mud.  While you ignore the fact that the LED emitters cannot be placed properly for a halogen reflector fixture.  I'm an engineer pal.  I tried the LED H4 solution twice.  It is NOT viable.  If you think it is with the LED you pictured you are not discerning.  Some might work better than others, like the new one with a 4-sided emitter.  I don't believe the design you displayed is one of them - looks just like the failures I tried.  Those cooling fans are also known to fail.

I've been running my high-power 130/90 bulbs with my hi-power headlight mod (the "Smart switch" before BonS packaged it) for 19 years now on my first Valk.  With no ill effects and the light output is FAR greater than what you have with your H4 LED. I know because I tried out two different hi-powered H4 LED bulbs on my 2nd Valk Jade to try to conserve power and was pissed they did not meet their fantastic claims - or even get close.  The way to apply LED's to a headlight is to buy one properly engineered to focus LED emitters.  Like the Daymaker headlights.  Not cheaping it out as you did.  You get what you pay for - but you knew that right?

BTW - I bought a TON of household incandescent bulbs at Home Depot for ridiculous low prices years ago - they are in storage.  This was after Obozo announced he was shutting them down - with one of his imperial edicts IIRC.  I'm waiting for their value to skyrocket then I'm going to clean up on ebay.

[Gabriel]

I think some of you guys still think 8 track tapes are the only way to record and listen to music.
Better buy up all those halogen bulbs you can get because they are going the way of 8 track tapes...

Have you seen an household incandescent bulb for sale lately?
You can still get them and 8 track tapes if you look around enough.

There is no question that many installations are just wrong when installing an HID or LED in a housing designed for Halogen, however things are changing and at least some of these LED lights work well in Halogen housings.

Halogen bulbs are power hungry and often the up-graded bulb burns housings and wiring, not to mention what happens to them if you touch one with you finger.

I paid 20 bucks to up-grade my headlight to LED, there may be better options but not for 20 bucks!

Peace-out...

Very funny.  Yeah I'm a stick in the mud.  While you ignore the fact that the LED emitters cannot be placed properly for a halogen reflector fixture.  I'm an engineer pal.  I tried the LED H4 solution twice.  It is NOT viable.  If you think it is with the LED you pictured you are not discerning.  Some might work better than others, like the new one with a 4-sided emitter.  I don't believe the design you displayed is one of them - looks just like the failures I tried.  Those cooling fans are also known to fail.

I've been running my high-power 130/90 bulbs with my hi-power headlight mod (the "Smart switch" before BonS packaged it) for 19 years now on my first Valk.  With no ill effects and the light output is FAR greater than what you have with your H4 LED. I know because I tried out two different hi-powered H4 LED bulbs on my 2nd Valk Jade to try to conserve power and was pissed they did not meet their fantastic claims - or even get close.  The way to apply LED's to a headlight is to buy one properly engineered to focus LED emitters.  Like the Daymaker headlights.  Not cheaping it out as you did.  You get what you pay for - but you knew that right?

BTW - I bought a TON of household incandescent bulbs at Home Depot for ridiculous low prices years ago - they are in storage.  This was after Obozo announced he was shutting them down - with one of his imperial edicts IIRC.  I'm waiting for their value to skyrocket then I'm going to clean up on ebay.

Sorry, I'm just not bedazzled, nor I'm I taking the bait, maybe another time?

[mrtlc]

I think some dark night at Billings we need a Light Fight. Settle this once and for all     

[desertrefugee]

Or we all just listen to MarkT and the world will be ok.

[MarkT]

Or we all just listen to MarkT and the world will be ok.

Or I can just not share what I've learned from mistakes in 20 years on the Valkyrie and you can buy products that don't deliver as advertised / make the mistakes yourself.  Used to be this bike was too expensive for youths and the demographic was mostly baby boomers who have learned to get along.  No more - 20-somethings can afford the bikes used for chump change so now we see attitudes online.  I'm spending less & less time here. As are other knowledgeable riders who are tired of the attitudes.  I note the purveyors of the latter are usually short - timers here w/o respect for the original "fathers" of this marque.

[desertrefugee]

Sheesh.  Well now that you mention it, I'm definitely not a 20 something.  But, attitudes work both ways.  Being a "father" of the marque affects different people in different ways.  Many approach it with patience and aplomb.  Year after year.  Others grow weary and can become pompous and condescending.  Both add to the body of knowledge - but with different, if unspoken, resulting impressions.

A Valkyrie is a motorcycle.  It's not some mystical beast with secrets known only to a divine few.   And the finer points have been discussed many times here with a deep archive to draw from, if needed.

(maybe I shouldn't have posted that Viking thread).

[MarkT]

Since you have a "deep archive" to draw from - with hundreds of tips from yours truly - you clearly don't want my help on any tech matters so I'm respecting your position and won't bore you with any pompous  answers you request on your fresh issues.  

[ValkISDan]

Or we all just listen to MarkT and the world will be ok.

When people like Mark post many of us listen. I'm not going out on a limb to far when I say he knows these bikes better than 99.5% of Valkyrie owners.

[MarkT]

BTW I try to keep an open mind when appropriate.  I ordered a pair of those 4-sided H4 LED's to see if they throw enough light w/o being too smeared, to act as safety lights in my spots on Jade.  I already get enough light down the road with the 130/90 headlight for my vision & those brilliant white LED's might be more visible to texters etc in front of me.  I'll report if they work well.