So, you think if we let Honda know we want a

[stormrider]

new model Valkyrie that it would get their attention. Here is their phone number in California. Remember, they are on Pacific time when you call.  866-784-1870. I looked for an email address but couldn't find it. Call often.

www.powersports.honda.com

[Jack]

We did that a few years ago.  They could care less.  We even went to Marysville during InZane which coincided with Honda Homecoming and they had us park in a mud field.

[ChromeDome]

Honda has long stopped being an innovator in the motorcycle industry. The founder was the innovator which he instilled in the engineers. The 750, Goldwing, V45 & V65, the ST and the Valkyrie ... all pushed the envelope of street bikes and all seemed to say that Honda could build something new, something better, something you couldn't find anywhere else for the street. Now the company is runned by accountants & the marketing department, neither of which wants to push the envelop so .... since V-Twins are the HOT bike let's expand the Shadow line, introduce the VTX,  you want a chopper bring out the Fury .... you want innovation and pushing the envelop go somewhere else.

But that is just my 2 cents worth.

[valkmc]

Just like everyone else they go by the bottom line now. Valkyrie sales cut into Gold Wing sales, not H-D sales like Honda hoped.

[Popeye]

Years ago I was at Honda headquarters in Torrence  California.  I had a chance to talk to someone who I thought might have some input to the really higher ups.  I asked about when a new Valkyrie was coming out.  He had said that he had heard the question many times and the answer could get him fired if he told me. 

Like others have said, Honda stopped listening to the customer as far as the Valkrie was concerned.  They are more interested in Wing and sport bikes sales.

[six2go #152]

    
So, you think if we let Honda know we want a

   
new model Valkyrie that it would get their attention.                                                                                     Oh, absolutely! All that is needed is for 20 -25 of us to call & raise he!! with them & we'll have that new Valk by June, just in time for Inzane X. 

[Puffs Daddy]

The notion that Honda "stopped listening to the customer" when they discontinued the Valkyrie runs afoul of the dismal sales of Valkyries in the last two years of its existence. No manufacturer...none...has managed to snag a significant portion of the cruiser market with anything other than a vertical twin.  Yamaha tried. Triumph tried. BMW tried. Even Moto Guzzi tried. Same result in every case. Each of those bikes was/is an interesting example of a different approach. And each died or appeals to a very very limited (and rapidly aging) audience.

I love my Valkyrie dearly but I don't fool myself into believing that all it would take is a new version of the bike to rewrite history.

[BF]

Virtually everone that has commented on my bike in the past has commentented on the bulk of the motor.  They can't get past it's width and without fail most every one of them have said something to the effect of....."where do you put your feet?"

They don't get that the Goldwing has the same width motor and it's not a problem for a wing rider.  The thing with the wing is that the motor is mostly hidden and camouflaged with plastic so it's not noticable to the v-twin rider. 

They all can't get past the width of the motor and they say they'll stick with their v-twins. 

IMHO, along with shrinking sales, that's part of what Honda listened to......so they went the v-twin route too like everyone else.  V-twins sale.  Covered with plastic flat 6's sale.  Naked flat 6's don't. 

[ChromeDome]

All that is needed is for 20 -25 of us to call & raise he!! with them & we'll have that new Valk by June, just in time for Inzane X. 

Put a couple zeros after those numbers (2000 - 2500) and you may get their attention ... but I seriously doubt it.

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

Unfortunately, as much as we LOVE the Valkyrie, there just weren't enough like us to appreciate the bike to move them out of the warehouse and off the sales floor.  I figured that when I read of some that bought a 2 year old one that was still in the crate. Do I think they should come out with another one? THe selfish me that LOVES this bike says yes  , but the practical / Reality me    that knows they won't sell the numbers They're looking for says why bother, they'll just end up discontinueing it again. 

Just wish I was one of them that got the 2 year old one still in a crate. Hindsight...................... 

[G-Man]

Well, Honda has lost me.  If anything ever happened to my Valkyrie (And I hope nothing ever does), I'd be looking at the Yamaha Roadliner.  IMHO, the Roadliner has more style than any other big CC bike out there, today.  The Suzuki 109s are nice, but, nothing out there has that beautiful art deco syling that the Roadliner has.  The VTX is just plain boring....yes, I know...you can add a few thousand in bling and paint to have something nice, but the Yamie already has nice bling and nice 2-tone paint.  H-D bikes are too small in overall size for me.  Not into the big baggers, and the Road King, Fat Boy, etc, feel like a toy that I outgrew.

Sorry Honda.

[Big Rig]

No need to apologize to Honda...if they were smart and obviously they are not, with the internet now, they would have something set up that you could order exactly what you want...set up on a wing platform...ford does this with the pick up trucks, granted #'s are bigger, but if you cater to nitch markets, you can make a killing. If i could order a custom Valk from Honda via the internet...it would be a done deal...I know I would love that 1800 Motor and fuel injected under a Valk Name plate....woohoo...

Anyone want to go into business???

[JimL]

The notion that Honda "stopped listening to the customer" when they discontinued the Valkyrie runs afoul of the dismal sales of Valkyries in the last two years of its existence. No manufacturer...none...has managed to snag a significant portion of the cruiser market with anything other than a vertical twin.  Yamaha tried. Triumph tried. BMW tried. Even Moto Guzzi tried. Same result in every case. Each of those bikes was/is an interesting example of a different approach. And each died or appeals to a very very limited (and rapidly aging) audience.

I love my Valkyrie dearly but I don't fool myself into believing that all it would take is a new version of the bike to rewrite history.

I find myself in the uncomfortable situation of agreeing with Puffs Daddy.  It all comes down to whether or not the Valkyrie will sale in the numbers required to make the bike profitable.  Truth is, we are a "niche" group that falls a bit out of the mainstream when it comes to our taste in motorcycles.  Honda may agree with us that it is an awesome bike, but they will not manufacture it for a loss.

[Charlie]

Personally, I think that when Honda discontinued the Valk, it was a good decision based on their past sales, but a bad decision based on the following that continues to grow each year.  When they backed out, there were bikes still in the crates in most shops. 

They have all sold now, and as they age, people are looking to replace them with something similar, maybe with the 1800 engine vs. the 1500.  Many of us looked at the bike back then as something difficult to ride, maybe a bit top heavy.  After riding them and owning them, we have found the opposite is true.  There isn't a better ride on the market, or anything with the looks and appeal of the Valkyrie.  I get compliments on it almost every time I ride it.  I think if Honda were to look into this today, they may give it another go.  Someone should, that is for sure.

jmho.

[stormrider]

No need to apologize to Honda...if they were smart and obviously they are not, with the internet now, they would have something set up that you could order exactly what you want...set up on a wing platform...ford does this with the pick up trucks, granted #'s are bigger, but if you cater to nitch markets, you can make a killing. If i could order a custom Valk from Honda via the internet...it would be a done deal...I know I would love that 1800 Motor and fuel injected under a Valk Name plate....woohoo...

Anyone want to go into business???

I've propsed that here on this board before. Wonder what it would take financially to buy out Honda for the Valkyrie name and manufacturing tooling? When a big corporation is invloved, they have to make money for the employees, the cost of production, the supervisors, management, the Label (Honda), their stockholders, etc. But if a handful of us put up our own money, got our hands dirty, did it ourselves, reckon we could make a go of it?

I'm in.

[Puffs Daddy]

No need to apologize to Honda...if they were smart and obviously they are not, with the internet now, they would have something set up that you could order exactly what you want...set up on a wing platform...ford does this with the pick up trucks, granted #'s are bigger, but if you cater to nitch markets, you can make a killing. If i could order a custom Valk from Honda via the internet...it would be a done deal...I know I would love that 1800 Motor and fuel injected under a Valk Name plate....woohoo...

Anyone want to go into business???

Just how many $40,000+ Valkyries do you think Honda would sell? An 1800cc Valkyrie simply cannot be manufactured at a price point that (a) doesn't cannibalize GW sales and/or (b) is so expensive that it would not sell. Given the asking price of new Gold Wings, does anyone seriously believe that an 1800cc Valkyrie could be manufactured and sold for, say, $16,000? Personally, I don't.

[Big Rig]

No need to apologize to Honda...if they were smart and obviously they are not, with the internet now, they would have something set up that you could order exactly what you want...set up on a wing platform...ford does this with the pick up trucks, granted #'s are bigger, but if you cater to nitch markets, you can make a killing. If i could order a custom Valk from Honda via the internet...it would be a done deal...I know I would love that 1800 Motor and fuel injected under a Valk Name plate....woohoo...

Anyone want to go into business???

Just how many $40,000+ Valkyries do you think Honda would sell? An 1800cc Valkyrie simply cannot be manufactured at a price point that (a) doesn't cannibalize GW sales and/or (b) is so expensive that it would not sell. Given the asking price of new Gold Wings, does anyone seriously believe that an 1800cc Valkyrie could be manufactured and sold for, say, $16,000? Personally, I don't.

Remember it does not cost Honda 24k to make a wing...they have several versions of the same bike...so adding a forth option in production is not that costly, instead of wing plastic, they add valk plastic, same mechanicals as a wing with bolt on's similar to that of the wing, if they are designed the correct way, they could all be interchangable and would increase overall sales of the "wing" product line. Frames, transmissions, engines and most eletronics would remain the same, change the skins and some suspension features. Remember, after market is where the money is...we spend tons on trinkets and chrome for our bikes, new seats, windshields bags pipes...all told at least another 3k to 5k by the time we are all said and done...so imagine going onto a web based honda dealer and build your bike and pay for those features upfront...

I know I will not be going back to a wing after the valk, and I plan on holding onto mine for a long time to come, but if Honda realizes there are other options for us, maybe with minimal investment, we (Valk owners) would come back to mother Honda again...

imho...

[art]

check out the used triumph rocket on this site -doug douglas triumph motorcycles

[Charlie]

No need to apologize to Honda...if they were smart and obviously they are not, with the internet now, they would have something set up that you could order exactly what you want...set up on a wing platform...ford does this with the pick up trucks, granted #'s are bigger, but if you cater to nitch markets, you can make a killing. If i could order a custom Valk from Honda via the internet...it would be a done deal...I know I would love that 1800 Motor and fuel injected under a Valk Name plate....woohoo...

Anyone want to go into business???

Just how many $40,000+ Valkyries do you think Honda would sell? An 1800cc Valkyrie simply cannot be manufactured at a price point that (a) doesn't cannibalize GW sales and/or (b) is so expensive that it would not sell. Given the asking price of new Gold Wings, does anyone seriously believe that an 1800cc Valkyrie could be manufactured and sold for, say, $16,000? Personally, I don't.

Remember it does not cost Honda 24k to make a wing...they have several versions of the same bike...so adding a forth option in production is not that costly, instead of wing plastic, they add valk plastic, same mechanicals as a wing with bolt on's similar to that of the wing, if they are designed the correct way, they could all be interchangable and would increase overall sales of the "wing" product line. Frames, transmissions, engines and most eletronics would remain the same, change the skins and some suspension features. Remember, after market is where the money is...we spend tons on trinkets and chrome for our bikes, new seats, windshields bags pipes...all told at least another 3k to 5k by the time we are all said and done...so imagine going onto a web based honda dealer and build your bike and pay for those features upfront...

I know I will not be going back to a wing after the valk, and I plan on holding onto mine for a long time to come, but if Honda realizes there are other options for us, maybe with minimal investment, we (Valk owners) would come back to mother Honda again...

imho...

I believe the entire frame, suspension, wheels, etc. on a Wing are vastly different from a Valk.  About the only thing that is similar is the engine.

[Big Rig]

The thougt was if Honda was going to make a new 1800 Valk...they would not be starting from scratch...some good design and engineering would make it easier to get newer valks on the road....

How many of us are out there??

Just a thought and maybe the wingnuts at Honda reading the post would pick up on it....

[Mongo]

I don’t think Honda will make another Valkyrie in the near future. They just didn’t make enough money off either models. The Standard, Tourer. and the Interstate  were over produced.  Back in very early 2001 I bought my new still in the crate Interstate for $10,999.00 and I had my pick of color. Honda had hoped these bikes would bring around $15,600. They made more than they could sell, and then had to dump them. Honda may be great at production but they sink at marketing.   

The Rune is also a great bike but it cost to much for the average buyer. Then it had only one seat. Any dealer can tell you that it is the back seat of a Goldwing what makes the sale.
 
When the Valk came out the Wing had so much plastic, you could not see the motor. Also it was a little slow for some riders. The new Wing solved those problems. Which I’m sure took away some of the potential Valkyrie Interstate buyers. Honda dropped the Interstate the year the new Wing came out. I would love to see a Wing with a fairing that moves with the handlebars.

Honda could make a Valkyrie and make money off it. They need to price it right and keep the production numbers down. Look at the V-Max, Concours, Intruder they have been making money for years. Not a lot of money of course but it keep those buyers in their dealerships.

I don’t think the market demand for large motorcycles is going to increase anytime soon. Harley is hurting, Honda dropped the 1800 VTX. and my guess is the ST-1300 will be next. I think Honda will be looking toward smaller bikes to get them thru these rough times.
 
We can dream that Honda will wake up and build an 1800 Valk to try and hold on to loyal it’s customers. But we are already so hooked on the Valkyrie. they don’t need to market to us anyway. If they ignore us for 10 years and then bring out a new Valk We will all be at the head of the line. Waiting for that VALKYRIE RUSH

Just my 2 cents

[SteveL]

A new Valkyrie? Nevah gonna happen. Not the way you guys think of Valkyries (including me).

I think Yamaha wants to sell street bikes. Harley Davidson wants to sell street bikes. The others do too, but aren't very good at it.

Honda, not so much. What about the EVO? There's a concept bike that looks pretty close to rideable? Maybe they'll build that, is that a Valkyrie replacement?

[PAVALKER]

I don’t think Honda will make another Valkyrie in the near future. They just didn’t make enough money off either models. The Standard, Tourer. and the Interstate  were over produced.  Back in very early 2001 I bought my new still in the crate Interstate for $10,999.00 and I had my pick of color. Honda had hoped these bikes would bring around $15,600. They made more than they could sell, and then had to dump them. Honda may be great at production but they sink at marketing.   

The Rune is also a great bike but it cost to much for the average buyer. Then it had only one seat. Any dealer can tell you that it is the back seat of a Goldwing what makes the sale.
 
When the Valk came out the Wing had so much plastic, you could not see the motor. Also it was a little slow for some riders. The new Wing solved those problems. Which I’m sure took away some of the potential Valkyrie Interstate buyers. Honda dropped the Interstate the year the new Wing came out. I would love to see a Wing with a fairing that moves with the handlebars.

Honda could make a Valkyrie and make money off it. They need to price it right and keep the production numbers down. Look at the V-Max, Concours, Intruder they have been making money for years. Not a lot of money of course but it keep those buyers in their dealerships.

I don’t think the market demand for large motorcycles is going to increase anytime soon. Harley is hurting, Honda dropped the 1800 VTX. and my guess is the ST-1300 will be next. I think Honda will be looking toward smaller bikes to get them thru these rough times.
 
We can dream that Honda will wake up and build an 1800 Valk to try and hold on to loyal it’s customers. But we are already so hooked on the Valkyrie. they don’t need to market to us anyway. If they ignore us for 10 years and then bring out a new Valk We will all be at the head of the line. Waiting for that VALKYRIE RUSH

Just my 2 cents

Honda seems to overproduce quite a bit.... and then discontinue when their actual sales fall short of their expected sales.  The VTX 1800 is another fine example of that.  It's a great bike, but they made too many and had to price cut them to sell and they have loads left in a warehouse they are pricing at great bargains to get out from under them.  I have a Valk and VTX, both discontinued and nothing new.  They both take the same size tires.... so let's just hope the tire mfrs don't discontinue that size.... LOL.  (and that is another reason to have a spare tire, or a spare bike).

[stormrider]

No need to apologize to Honda...if they were smart and obviously they are not, with the internet now, they would have something set up that you could order exactly what you want...set up on a wing platform...ford does this with the pick up trucks, granted #'s are bigger, but if you cater to nitch markets, you can make a killing. If i could order a custom Valk from Honda via the internet...it would be a done deal...I know I would love that 1800 Motor and fuel injected under a Valk Name plate....woohoo...

Anyone want to go into business???

Why does everyone keep talking Honda doing a new Valkyrie? I know I posted originally about them doing so, but aren't there a lot of start up bike companies that build on a limited basis? And make money doing so. If there is a demand, then what is stopping ..... oh well. I'm wondering if there is any way to contact Honda about buying the Valkyrie name/logo and all the equipment used to produce them. And a list of vendors that manufactured parts for them would be nice as well.

[six2go #152]

I'm wondering if there is any way to contact Honda about buying the Valkyrie name/logo and all the equipment used to produce them. And a list of vendors that manufactured parts for them would be nice as well.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Well, go ahead & do that. Be sure to let us know what ya find out 

[Black Pearl's Captain]

I'm wondering if there is any way to contact Honda about buying the Valkyrie name/logo and all the equipment used to produce them. And a list of vendors that manufactured parts for them would be nice as well.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Well, go ahead & do that. Be sure to let us know what ya find out 

I'd like a new 1957 Chevy while we are at it, and a 63 Vette? How about a TriZ 250 just for kicks?

Raymond

[G-Man]

And I want my hair back!

[Duckwheat]

Did you look around at the Inzane in Colorado. We are a bunch of middle aged, fat guys riding these Valkyries. The average age, well it was old! You are going to produce a new line of bikes for us?

Really?

DW

[stormrider]

I'm wondering if there is any way to contact Honda about buying the Valkyrie name/logo and all the equipment used to produce them. And a list of vendors that manufactured parts for them would be nice as well.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Well, go ahead & do that. Be sure to let us know what ya find out  

I'd like a new 1957 Chevy while we are at it, and a 63 Vette? How about a TriZ 250 just for kicks?

Raymond

http://www.cars-on-line.com/43235.html

How bout one of these. There are people that live the dream. Some of us have forgotten how to dream.

Say Raymond, get the contact info for the right person and I will persue it.

[stormrider]

Did you look around at the Inzane in Colorado. We are a bunch of middle aged, fat guys riding these Valkyries. The average age, well it was old! You are going to produce a new line of bikes for us?

Really?

DW

Not a new line, a tried and proven revamp of an existing line.

[RoboCop]

Did you look around at the Inzane in Colorado. We are a bunch of middle aged, fat guys riding these Valkyries. The average age, well it was old! You are going to produce a new line of bikes for us?

Really?

DW

I agree, Valk is like, OLLLLDDsville mannn



I think if you want innovation from Honda, the new VFR is where it's at.  Snazzy advanced shaft drive, fly by wire, dual clutch tranny etc.  I'm ok with that, I'd like to get one but I suspect the only thing I'll have is poop in my pants when I see the price tag.