Avoiding major Hydrolock damage/ New approach ?

[whitestroke]

I've been reading about hydrolock issues since I got my Valkyrie 2 years ago.    How come I've never heard anything about making the starter gear mounted with a shear pin or something like an aluminium or soft steel starter gear that would break when hydro-lock occurred?
Seems like you should be able to modify the starter gear or the starter internals to stop major damage.
What am I missing?

[98pacecar]

Nothing, it just wasn't designed dat way.  

I've worked on a lot of gear driven, auger type ice machines, and the factory has a fiber gear on da mix.

Designed,,, to do zactly what yer sayin, fail if need be and save all other parts from damage.    

Tough part would be pickin da proper hardness of da material used.

So it would wear for a long time in normal use,,, but fail quickly enuff when need be,,, to save all other parts....  

[F6Dave]

While I haven't compared the specs, I assume the Valk's starter is more powerful than most.  That's because on the Gold Wing it has another function, to move the entire bike when reverse is engaged.  That makes damage even more likely when fuel fills a cylinder.

[whitestroke]

Is the starter rebuildable? Would removing some of the windings make it less powerful?

[gordonv]

Is the starter rebuildable? Would removing some of the windings make it less powerful?

Now that might be a good idea. Cut a wire/line or 2 within the starter windings, so it has less power.

Anyone know of a good winding guy, like Marrs, who might be able to test/research this issue?

[Michvalk]

The best way to avoid hydrolock on a Valk is to ride it every day

[HayHauler]

The best way to avoid hydrolock on a Valk is to ride it every day

+1  Phat Gurls need to be ridden@!  Sitting hurts.

Hay 
Jimmyt

[hubcapsc]

So it would wear for a long time in normal use,,, but fail quickly enuff when need be,,, to save all other parts.... 

That's the trick. It is great that the shear pins break every time my wife hits a rock with
the mower, and a drag that we're always working on the mower replacing shear pins...

Maybe Valkyries should have a shear pin in the starter and a kick starter as a fall back
plan 

-Mike "It would take a real man to kick start a Valkyrie  "

[MarkT]

My Ducati thumper was interesting to start.  It had a compression release on the handlebar.  You squeezed that and cranked it over several times to prime it.  Because it was a BEAST to kick over.  Then turn on the ignition, set the throttle, position the piston at the start of the compression stroke, jump WAY up and come down HARD on the starter WITH KNEE BENT and GET YOUR FOOT OFF THE STARTER PEG.  Starter was left side, so I got off the bike on the left side and used my right leg.  For two reasons.  I needed my strongest leg to kick it over.  And when it back fired, which is sometimes did, it would drive your teeth into your knee. If you were straddling the bike a backfire would break your leg when it hit. If you locked your knee - it would throw you 10 feet into the air while it broke your leg.  Once it backfired and threw the foot peg on the starter lever THROUGH THE WALL OF THE HOUSE.  AH, the good ol days when MEN WERE MEN and BIKES WERE FOR REAL MEN and wimmin loved em and sheep were SCARED.

[Patrick]

A lot of old time motorbikers lived on a hill top !  You could tell just where they lived by the skid marks on the road.

[reclaimerroger]

I had a "68 XLCH that was as much fun to start as your duck.  I had a "62 Monza that was a pussy cat to start.  Also to ride.

[HayHauler]

" it would throw you 10 feet into the air while it broke your leg."

Man, sounds like my brothers old HD pan.

Hay 
Jimmyt

[R J]

Mark, I had one of them Ducks in San Francisco.

Lived at the top of the hill on Geary Street.

Of couse the hill went the wrong way from what I wanted.

Got it primed and all ready to go.

Jump on with the clutch pulled, about 5 miles an hour popped her in 2nd and dropped the clutch.    If it didn't start, which it did a few times, push it back up to the house and try it again.    2nd pass, you could go ten feet, pop the clutch and you were on your way.    Had a lot of fun on that old girl.    Luckily she never broke my leg, but she sure raised hell with my knee.     In later life I had to have it replaced.

Was one fun old reliable ride.