Cost to trike an '01 valk.....thinking about going to the darkside

[dragon_slayer_129]

Like the subject line says what are my costs going to be to trike my current '01 interstate?  I'm debating on going for it or going to the darkside and buying a '03 100th aniversary HD that started life as an ultra classic and now is triked.   A friend of a friend just bought a new to him '13 HD trike and wants to sell his old one. The HD has 49K miles on it currently and does have the reverse gear installed (big plus) along with a trailer hitch and a tone of chrome goodies......asking price is 13,500 but is neg.  I stopped into our local HD dealer and asked what that bike would be worth in his shop and his response was in the 10-11K range with those miles on it even with the reverse and chrome goodies.

Pro's of valk trike:
Cool factor
Honda reliability
Already have the bike and it's paid for

Con's of valk trike:
No reverse
No cruise

Pro's of HD trike:
Has Reverse
Has cruise
Has CB (just like the valk)
CD player

Con's of the HD
Maint cost
Unknowns of the HD motor (for me anyway)
air cooled

Am I barking up the wrong tree so to say with this thinking but the valk is a classic bike that always gets looks when we are out but I'm not sure what I'm going to have invested in triking it.  Or would I be better off just buying a trike already finished and ready to ride and just selling my valk I have now?

This is almost a clone to the one I'm looking at (rear wheels are different)

[thedon]

Check with California Side Car.
This is my wife's trike. The kit was installed by a dealer in Virginia. We bought the trike already finished. The CSC is a very good trike kit.
Thedon

[_Sheffjs_]

Don't Need reverse on a trike

[BF]

Don't Need reverse on a trike

Only until you have to back out of an up hill parking lot towing a trailer. 

[John Schmidt]

You can buy a Roadsmith trike kit and install it yourself. You'll spend near $9k by the time you're done. If it wasn't so much I'd have already triked mine and do it myself in the garage. By all means plan on at least a six degree rake kit for the front end.

[..]

Don't Need reverse on a trike

Only until you have to back out of an up hill parking lot towing a trailer. 

 

[bscrive]

There is a triked 2001 Interstate on ebay right now for $18k with a matching trailer and he is open to offers.  Only 20k miles on it.

Check it out.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Honda-Valkyrie-Honda-Valkyrie-Interstate-GL1500CF-excellent-cond-with-tralier-and-helmets-/191470779885?forcerrptr=true&hash=item2c948c3ded&item=191470779885&pt=US_motorcycles

[BobB]

As much as I love the Valkyrie, when the time comes to go to three wheels, the platform I will start with will be nothing short of an 1800 Wing.  Why give up reverse, cruise, communications, etc. before even getting started triking a bike and sinking all that money into it.  Actually, I've seen a lot of such trikes offered for sale at a reasonable price.

[Hook#3287]

49K on a Valk, not even broke in yet.

49K on a 03 Ultra Classic, ummm?

You can add cruise to your Interstate.

If you park correctly, you won't need reverse.  It will mean less desirable parking spots.

You already know the ins & outs of your Valk.  Learning curve with the Ultra.

I haven't got close to needing to consider a Trike just yet, but I did help MickManchester convert a Tourer he bought here, triked, then shipped to UK.

I installed the 8 degree tree from Daryl @ vtwinextreme.com,  very nice product

Mick had American Trike and Motorsports out of Keene NH install a California Side Car kit.

The kit seemed very nice with fit and trim, but, AT&M were, in my opinion, very lacking to say the least.  If you want to have your questions unanswered and be ignored, go there.

So many questions that are of a personal nature when making this choice, but if you convert your Interstate, I'd definitely go Darkside.

[Willow]

The last question in your post is the most logical.

Triking your bike will be more costly than selling your bike and buying an already triked Interstate.  Trikes are regularly up for sale and often don't have a lot of miles on them.  No need to irreversibly modify a perfectly good Valkyrie.  Valkyries are diminishing in number.

Buy the trike you want.  Sell your Interstate to offset some of the cost.

Reverse -  if you can't push a trike backwards from the fork you really shouldn't be driving it in traffic.

[Disco]

If you really want a 12-year-old air-cooled v-twin, go for it.  But, you've already answered the question "If I can have a liquid-cooled flat six, why wouldn't I?" once regarding your Interstate.  In my opinion, you should carry that thought forward to the trike, too.

Then, ask the same thing about ABS, Reverse, Fuel Injection, Cruise Control, and Linked Brakes.

Sell the Interstate and buy a triked GL1800.    

[dragon_slayer_129]

Thanks for all the responses.  The trike on ebay looks nice and has very low miles for an '01 but it doesn't look as if it has been raked at all.....big deal or not really for a trike?  The biggest thing is that it is in SC (650 miles away) and it's 6 degrees outside here right now with some snow......not leaning towards a road trip to pick up a trike/trailer.

As far as me buying a 12 year old HD that has a lot of unknowns to me (been a honda guy for 30+ years) is a bit on the frighting side.  I talked to one of riding buddies that owns a HD shop here locally and asked him a few things regarding the '03.  He says the 5 speed tranny is bulletproof and nothing to worry about there.  But  between 40-50K you should replace the cam guides (a normal wear item I guess) which parts and labor rack up to the tune of 700-800.   That's something that I'm not really used to with a honda.....change the oil and filter and your good to go.


This valk trike is pretty sweet
http://youtu.be/5wuuTb3Ntyc

[Rams]

Sell the Interstate and buy a triked GL1800.    

I agree.    I ride with a few HD friends/riders.    Although there is some friendly rivalry, some good folks ride HDs.    I can't explain it and don't understand why but, they do.    We sat down for lunch one time and started comparing how much we had spent on our bikes and how many miles we had traveled on those bikes.    I'll only say this, those who rode HDs had spent a hell of a lot more per mile ridden than anyone else in the group.    Do the math, it's a no brainer to me.   

[BF]

This valk trike is pretty sweet
http://youtu.be/5wuuTb3Ntyc

For styling points, that's pretty cool.  And it even comes with a built-in breakfast tray.   

IMHO, I'd look for either a low mileage, late model GL1800 trike or a Harley Tri-Glide.  Both are very nice, and after market goodies are plentiful for either.  You can find both used for around 25 grand.  Then sell the Valk to offset some of that cost.