New Valkyrie rider here

[tcblack]

TL;DR: I'm new to biking but have been yearning for a Valkyrie since I saw one.  I picked mine up last week and couldn't be happier.

The Story:
A little over two years ago a friend told me he had an old Honda in his barn.  It was a 1979 Honda CMT185 Twinstar packed full of Mud Daubers and needing lots of love.  I accepted the challenge and rebuilt it. I rode it last year while preparing to get my license and bought a second barn find 1974 Honda CB360 - in good but not running condition but just as old.
Somewhere during my rebuild adventures I started browsing youtube for motorcycle vids and found one of Sean at SRK cycles driving a 98 Valkyrie. 

I. Fell. In. Love.

Fast forward to this year, I've got my M license and I've been driving that 185 everywhere but finding out that (a) it just doesn't have enough power to be safe on highways.  (b) I'm getting tired of wrenching on it when I'd rather ride it.  (I like working on them, but sometimes I just want to ride).

I came to the conclusion that if I was going to keep classic bikes, I needed another one that didn't require a wrench before every trip. 

Two weeks ago I pulled up a "local" dealer's site and saw her: 1 1998 Honda Valkyrie with custom Corbin seat and Corbin beetle bags. Red and Cream color Scheme, and ... only 10K miles.

When I took her for a test drive, it took a team of plastic surgeons to remove the smile.

Longer story made shorter: I brought her home. 

Everyone, meet Eir. 
Eir was the Valkyrie whose name might be translated as peace or healing. 
This one is mine.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/QsGzPzjjsVQrMZGe6
(Sorry, I'm having trouble posting the picture directly, this is a link to the album I created for her.)

[f6gal]

Very nice.  Congrats!!

[Jess from VA]

Nice bike.   

And welcome.

[NewValker]

Love the color scheme.
Welcome!
Craig

[flsix]

Welcome to the forum from FL.
Good looking bike. Have fun with the new ride.

[Chrisj CMA]

Welcome and congrats on the bike looks like a good one

[Oss]

 10k  wow,  it sure needs to get broken in so

Ride it like ya stole it and welcome

Oss

Just a wild guess do you live in the middle of the country. Did not see any hills in the pic.

[..]

With the rare  chrome side covers.   

[tcblack]

10k  wow,  it sure needs to get broken in so

Ride it like ya stole it and welcome

Oss

Just a wild guess do you live in the middle of the country. Did not see any hills in the pic.

As a matter of fact, right in the middle of Illinois Tax Country. 
Moweaqua in your search bar if you want precision.

[Bighead]

She is a beauty. As said ride it like you stold it she will thank you and that grin don't go away I have had a 22 yr affair with mine and she seems to like it better everytime I twist the throttle. And so do I

[DirtyDan]

Welcome aboard

Dan

[msb]

Nice bike... nice story
Welcome from BC, and enjoy... sounds like the beginning of a serious relationship

Mike

[9Ball]

You chose wisely.

Just remember, you "drive" a car, but you "ride" a bike.

Have fun and practice often.

[JimmyG]

Pretty ride

[Funbaldguy]

Welcome 

[Challenger]

Good looking ride, I see you have a few of the more desirable and unattainable options.  Welcome from the northern part of the republic of IL.

[woofred1832]

                         welcome to one of the best sites i have found for bikers, especially for honda gold wings, older valkyries, newer valkyries and basic any questions on parts hardware maintenance on any bike. even some HD riders visit here. you now own one of the best bikes ever built and will be a pleasure to ride for years. 

[Dave Ritsema]

Beautiful indeed! There are still excellent specimens out there for those wishing to ride the dragon.
Enjoy and welcome!

[Gary]

Congrats on the find and your latest addition, very nice, I like the short little sissy bar you got.

I got my 97 new at Sport City Honda in Jacksonville, IL back in March of 97 after seeing a purple and white cruise passed me. I spent about 4 years in the Quad Cities.

There's some basic general maintenance items to check on which you can find some good reference info on in the Shop Talk section (if the links still work). That and the Tech Board.

Welcome and I hope you enjoy the new bike as much as the rest of us do.

[old2soon]

            Welcome from The Missouri Ozarks. Comin up on 9 years with my Phatt Ghurl and She STILL Makes me GRIN every time I throw a leg over. Cold adult beverages and Good BBQ will getcha lotsa help at yer casa.  IS one of The Best cruisers ever built.  Again-Welcome to our sand box. RIDE SAFE.

[Farside]

  My favorite color combo Welcome to the Valkyrie Team. Enjoy her ride!

[westsidevalk]

Welcome and nice choice of colors!

[tcblack]

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome. 
I really meant it when I said this was my dream bike.  The Valk is everything I wanted and more. 

I love that last picture by westsidevalk, and I'm staring at those saddle bag guards and wishing I had a set that would fit my beetle bags. 

I'm crushed to say I pulled up to a stop sign with a down and right sloping gravel covered section.  I had no footing and down she went, scuffing my bags.  I'm so embarrassed.  I've got a good paint and body friend in town who can fix the scuff, but now I'm on the hunt for beetle bag chrome guards.

Failing that I may put some dragon skin on it for the rest of the season.

[baird4444]

Welcome!!  I fled Illinois 7 years ago so start getting a plan!!
love the colors; you'll get tiard of all those cornfields real fast....
have a look at least 1,000 miles west as you dream about leaving
the Great Police State of Illinois...

10,000 miles??  still new!!
   - Mike

[cookiedough]

welcome and IL is a LONG state north to south done that a few times me living near northern border in WI and seems like forever to get to Bloomington area even on Interstate doing 80 mph.    Pretty boring state for scenery as well except for say Starved Rock/Mathieson state parks a few hours south of me. 

Nice bike like those beetle bags very unique not seen often enough for sure.    blue/cream and red/cream color combos go good together for sure. 

[westsidevalk]

TCBlack,

Of all the Valk Un-0btanium such as Cobra Radiator Covers and Cobra Lightbars I have never heard of
Beetlebag Rails, but that's not to say they Drop Exist.

Is yours a Standard or a tourer?
The Tourer has SC343 in the VIN.
If so,is it possible the previous owner kept the hard bags ?

Tourer hardbags are spendy, but I have seen some of the same bags that were sub-contracted to Champion ( I believe) go for a lot less because it is a lesser known fact that both the Shadow American Classic Edition  and our Vwlk Bags are the same.

Bit off topic but if I was looking for Pipes there is cosmetically rough set of Two Bros Six into Six that are
IMHO the BEST Mass produced pipes for our bikes.

I would get them and if they don't Polish out get 'em rechromed or powder coated.
My Fat Girl loves these pipes and screams her appreciation Everytime I twist the wick hard .

Cobras were ok, but the blueing was a bummer and you wouldn't know it until you see them side by side
But the two brothers are superior in every aspect of engineering and workmanship.

I loved my Cobras, until I got my Two Bros.

[tcblack]

I've seen heard the Cobra 6 into 6 pipes  .  I can't say I've heard the Two bros.  But TBH I'm quite in love with the stock triple tips from Honda. 

Also, I swear I saw a compatible Cobra Light bar .... going to have to dig through my history to see where.

I'm pretty sure mine is a Standard model, the vin reads SC3400, rather than 343.  I'm going to assume that means standard.  I ordered a FSM when I picked it up, that should be arriving someday soon, so I can check out lots of facts and figures.

I've already put 500 miles on her, and every time I park and walk away, I have to turn around and look back.

Also, I'm trying to figure out where I can find a set of arm rests for my passenger.  She has a habit of snoozing on the road.  Now that I've got her broken in, I want to keep her.

[threevalks]

With the rare  chrome side covers.   

?????????????????

[..]

With the rare  chrome side covers.   

?????????????????

Who the hell knows what I was thinking when I typed that. 

No drugs were ingested.

[3fan4life]

Nice looking bike! 

Just know that they are addictive.

I bought my first one in 2006 and at one time I had 3.

I'm down to 2 now, but if I had a way to sneak another one in past the wife, I might have 3 or 4.

[hubcapsc]

every time I park and walk away, I have to turn around and look back.

That doesn't wear off.

-Mike

[henry 008]

every time I park and walk away, I have to turn around and look back.

That doesn't wear off.

-Mike

if it does, you bought the wrong bike! 

[larue]

Welcome to the board from central Florida.