work in progress (warning long read)

[Heavyhitter]

Well I thought I would share my story if anyone cares to hear it. I was willed a 1997 Honda Valkyrie that my late Uncle purchased new. Not sure how many miles are on it but the odometer is 97k and speedo has been broke for years. This was the only thing my uncle ever bought new or treated himself too. It has seen several tours across the USA and even a little north of the boarder. Riden more or less everyday until his death it has sat for around 2 years waiting for me to pick it up. All of which is my fault. Original plan was to ride it from Long Beach back to where I live in Texas. For one reason or another I never did and as time passed by I became more worried that the bike would not be mechanically sound. Well finally got off my ass and had it shipped. Now that it’s home I have been non stop thing about it and spending what I ever time and money I have on it.

About the bike.... and the man who gave it to me.
Ok so it’s rough, most people would turn their nose up at it at first look. But most of it is cosmetic and easily cleaned up. To me I could careless, it’s about the history of the bike, again I’m willing to bet it’s got over 150k on it. I was told by him he estimated 200k. Don’t forget the speedo has been broke for longer than I can remember. He did some rattle can touch up which is as bad looking as you can imagine. And it makes me laugh because he was so talented but not very mechanical.

So the day in got delivered I had a Harley rider(local cop) there, both he and the guy who delivered it had the looks on their faces of “why bother”..... Some fresh gas and a new battery, she was running the next day. But I noticed I had a big fuel leak coming from the fuel rails on the carbs. So the tear down has begun. She will be on the road a again soon but I need to go over everything first, then I’ll do the cosmetic next winter. I’ll try to post a picture of it.

Pardon me for all this but I never got to say my peace at his celibration of life. (Couldn’t get up the nerve).

So my Uncle went off to Southern California way back before I was born. And when he came home to visit it was as my grandmother (his sister) put it“the second coming of Christ”. Well to me it was because there was a old cb750 that another Uncle of mine had in the barn. And about the only time it got ridden was when Uncle Ken came home. They would get it going and off we would go. I am 41 now and still remember to this day how the smell of the dusty dirty helmet he put on my head would smell. He would set me on the tank which now a days would get you arrested. But we went all over the western Pennsylvania area at one time or another. Then one day he showed up on his new bike. Now he had several through the years, even an Indian but this was the one and only new thing he bought, it was his retirement gift to himself.

I still remember the first time I saw it. I must have been 18 or so. He and his friend pulled in after riding across the country proud as he could be. He told me to take it for a ride and I was off. Two things I took away from that ride was my god the gas tank is huge, then I got a handful of throttle and firured out why it needed it. I owned a 600cc gsxr at the time and it still surprised me at the power it had.

I am leaving tons of stuff out but if anyone actually read all that you see why the bike means what it does to me. Besides it fits in with rest of my fleet lol.... I got a few obs fords plus 2 old 65 cars.... they all need my attention for one thing or another but I’ll get there. This thing is getting all my spare time tho.

So somewhere between my full time job, my side business, and life...... I plan on tearing it down and getting it solid mechanically. At this time I got the carbs off and getting a game plan laid out which I plan to post on here to get everyone’s advice and input. I put up some pictures as I go along.

Ill post up as I go and take the advice if you guys want to share.

[MarkT]

Good post.  And story.  200k?  The bike is a pup.  Just broken in.  DDT's has around 600k w/o an overhaul. This is the right place for support and advice.  Use the search engine a lot - everything you need to know has already been covered repeatedly over the last 20 years.  Be sure to put up some pictures.  They have to be hosted somewhere then you post the link to it.

[Hook#3287]

Great story 

Sounds like you're going to do your uncle proud by restoring his girl.

I've done a few Valk  rescues and really enjoyed bringing them back.

Totally worth it.

When your done, look up that HD cop buddy and show him why.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Great story ! Thanks for sharing it.  I wonder if your uncle Ken knew or rode with the SoCal chapter ?

[hubcapsc]

both he and the guy who delivered it had the looks on their faces of “why bother”.

Hee hee... that reminds me of my eBay Valkyrie... my first ride, with other people, was
before I had really gotten it cosmetically ready for riding, but the Christmas parade in
Enoree wasn't going to wait, and I wanted to be part of the SCV contingent. I had
removed one of the rear signal lenses to look at it, and hadn't put it back on correctly.
When I got to where everyone was, it had popped off and was hanging  . I put it back
on while everyone mostly had the same look you describe above. Most of them had
shiny new Harleys.

Anywho... numerous ones of the Harleys didn't do so well in the stop and go of
the parade. Of course, my water cooled Valkyrie had no problems.

The bike looked OK by January, though... I'd even found some pipes that weren't
rusty!



-Mike "Valkyries clean up good"

[Earl43P]

Welcome aboard Heavyhitter from another Western PA native (Uniontown), although I haven't lived there for many years. Get her going and I hope to share some wind with you one of these days.

You DO know about Inzane, right? That'd be a great time to get together with this group.
You won't be disappointed if you make the time to come down to Roanoke, trust me.

[DDT (12)]

Great story!!! And, I'm sure your uncle would be mighty proud of what you're undertaking... Many of us 'Valkers' have a common condition, and it appears your uncle had it too. I must say, it appears you are coming down with the same symptoms we display, also... We don't own machinery... we have love affairs with mechanical beings... I know I love my gal, and the relationship we share is one of the highlights of my entire life. I wish you well with your project, and I look forward to updates and perhaps a picture or two... Earl43P mentioned InZane... I also recommend it to you. It's not exactly like an AA meeting, but there are a couple of similar threads!

DDT

[Crackerborn]

That Lady your uncle left you is almost broken in. Other than she sat a few years and that does more damage to seals than running. Rear end service is a must, but with your mileage I would suggest it has been maintained. The tech section is a great resource on this board, ask and you will get answers. There is a Honda service manual for our Ladies available for download on the Valkyrie Norway site. I am sure someone has the link they can post. Fuel rails leaking is a common issue with our bikes that sit for extended times. Often, once soaked the seals will swell and no longer leak. If you already pulled the carb bank, you may want to look at a desmog. Since your Uncle was in SoCal I am guessing that you have a California Girl which has a charcoal canister and different cams than the rest of the US Ladies. There are some mods that you may wish to do or not, that is each owners choice and unless it is oil or tires ( ), all questions are welcome. Most here are knowledgeable about our Ladies and willing to share their opinions as well.

[Heavyhitter]

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate it. The mileage don’t scare me in the least. I already got the manual downloaded and have read many, many threads. My only issue is a lot of the pictures are not there anymore but I expected that as most posts are older. Still trying to figure out how to post pictures. I’ll get it, just need to spend a little time there.

As for now I got this planned...
Clean and reseal the carb, rejet if I find an exhaust system
Reseal the valve covers etc... adjust valves if need be
New coolant, hoses, and thermostat.... planning a 160 because it is so hot hear in Tx
Maybe even a water pump since I’m in there
Open up the rear end lube and replace as required
De-smog
Fresh fluids and filters
Timing belts (stretched and cracked) not sure how the bearings are tho yet.
New speedo cable

I’ll keep it updated as I go. It will take some time just due to the fact of all the other things I got going on. First thing I want to do when I get home is make lift adapter, which I see has been done before.

[Heavyhitter]

https://www.amazon.com/photos/share/nRxuX3HLLeHs6AAVTWZfy4yTQHtjA3CuOxqNCqCdEYy

See if that works for pics. I’ll try to see if I can figure out how to post in the thread. The phot share for members is what I will try but I lost my member number.

[hubcapsc]

can everyone see this? I didn't know Amazon prime had a "photostash"...

edit: Its gone now, I was afraid it was a temporary link...

-Mike

[The emperor has no clothes]

can everyone see this? I didn't know Amazon prime had a "photostash"...

-Mike

I can 

[Hook#3287]

I bet she'll clean up just fine.

Nothing a little $$ and a lot of elbow grease won't fix.

[Skinhead]

That'll Buff out.  Welcome from a displaced Bethel Park PA resident.  Where are you located?

[Heavyhitter]

It will clean up. Just gonna take time and elbow grease. And a Lil $$$$ too.honestly I am in Florida right now and I am dying to get back home so I can get back to it.

[Savago]

Awesome story, thanks for sharing it.
 

[Hook#3287]

It will clean up. Just gonna take time and elbow grease. And a Lil $$$$ too.honestly I am in Florida right now and I am dying to get back home so I can get back to it.

Ahh, hook, line & sinker

She's got ya now.

[old2soon]

What my friend DDT-Bruce-wuz hinting around at but never quite mentioned wuz the FACT of how ADDICTIVE these machines that own us are!  And you heard me correctamundo-they in Fact OWN us not the other way round!  And truth be known-I personally would NOT have it any other way.  Your Uncle left you a Legacy. Honor Him Honor his Legacy. Honor His Legacy Honor your Uncle. Simple really.  Lotsa help available on this website a lot of us frequent. If you can breal loose for Inzane in June in Roanoke Va. you Will NOT be sorry. Again-Welcome from the Missouri Ozarks!  RIDE SAFE.

[Heavyhitter]

That'll Buff out.  Welcome from a displaced Bethel Park PA resident.  Where are you located?

In Dallas Tx, displaced from aliquippa pa

[Heavyhitter]

As far as Inzane goes, I don’t know much about it but we will see how the future goes.

Oh yea she got her claws in me. I have owned a great many bikes. Mostly sport bikes, and even a Harley street glide. The street glide I got rid of a few years ago because it ate up my back and nothing against this area but it sucks for riding. Too much crazy traffic and not much scenery. When I did have the Harley I took a few trips with a group from work, one guy had a Valkyrie. At the end of a days ride he was always in better shape than me. Plus he had way more power than I did but knew that.

Nothing against Harley because my street glide was a good machine, but you can’t touch a Honda. Hands down the winner. I was always a crotch rocket guy, still am at heart. But when I moved here all I could do was go fast and ride wheelies, and I knew how that would end. So I sold my gsxr 1000 and bought my buddies Harley and after a few years of back issues it had to go. So I’m excited to start out again on one of if not the best machines ever built.

So anyways lol..... the bike. Just got home and spent my one day off before I go back to work on the bike and my dog. My dog took up most of the day but I got the desmog done with the exception of the intake runners. No point till I get the carbs done. I also took off the exhaust. I know it had a leak last time I rode it but I also hope to find a used exhaust or if I have to buy a new one. Not many options anymore from what I see.

I also did a little clean up on the right rear area. I updated my photo album if anyone’s interested with the pics. Nothing special, just want to keep it from rusting anymore. A lil steel wool and paint where needed. Next winter I’ll do a proper job on the paint but for now it will protect what’s there.

Oh... also put in new rear shock bushings and pulled all the coolant hoses and thermostat. Glad I did because the thermostat base was pretty corroded and starting to exfoliate. So cleaned it all out and waiting for more parts to arrive.

I’ll post up another update when I get some more done.

[Heavyhitter]

Since your Uncle was in SoCal I am guessing that you have a California Girl which has a charcoal canister and different cams than the rest of the US Ladies. There are some mods that you may wish to do or not, that is each owners choice and unless it is oil or tires ( ), all questions are welcome. Most here are knowledgeable about our Ladies and willing to share their opinions as well.

Hey crackerborn, can you elaborate or anyone else want to chime in. Desmog is done, and 2 of the ports were plugged up btw. But it is a California model and my question is on the charcoal canister and cams you mentioned. Is there delete for the charcoal can and purge valve? I didn’t see one but I would like to elimate any vacuum lines I can. Sorry if I am offending anyone but I’m not a huge fan of most epa add ons. Created more problems than anything but that’s just my opinion....

The other is on the different cams. I read that somewhere but can’t find any real info on that. When I looked up the cams on a parts site I only saw one option. So if there are 2 different cams what are the differences? Is it worth swapping out in the future if I find a used or cheap set? Not a big deal just wanted to educate myself a lil.

[Crackerborn]

The charcoal canister is between the cross members on the lower frame, under the engine. Here are two links to help with Ca Girls found in shop talk:
http://www.valkyrieriders.com/shoptalk/casmog.htm
http://www.valkyrieriders.com/shoptalk/smog.htm
 
Yes, the cams are smaller and I did change mine. It was a bit more umph on the butt dyno but then I lost that when I changed to Cobra 6X6 exhaust. I bought used heads before the used prices went crazy. Mother Honda may only produce the one camshaft at this point. A Partzilla search may show if both are still available, many Ca parts are now the same as the 49 state models.

I highly recommend on the carb rebuild using Interstate springs above the diaphram and changing the ICM to an Interstate module as well. A search in the tech section will give you lots of reasons why, it just makes the lady that much more responsive.

[Heavyhitter]

Ok so I/S springs are part# 16050-MBY-671 if I am correct and about $3 each and from what I can tell I could do it later with the carbs in the bike. Please correct me if I am wrong.

And as for the I/S ICM is any different than doing ECT mod with a POT? I know a saw a guy who even had a plug and play for about $50. I messaged him about buying it but I don't think I heard back yet. I just wondered if is going to be same result. Both advance ignition timing.

I got to go read the other links you posted on the desmog.

Thanks for the help.

[Crackerborn]

The springs can be changed any time. I did it while the carb bank was off the bike while on the bench and the screws were real easy to access. The ECT mod will give the same end result as changing the ICM. The POT will give you variability that just changing the ICM will not.

There are a good number of mods that are helpful and a few vendors that still offer products for our Ladies. Mark T's Horseapple Ranch site (http://www.horseapple.com/) has several good articles as well as offering an exhaust system. Rattlebars no longer offers product but the site (http://www.rattlebars.com/valkfaq/) also has some great information. I highly recommend adding a fuel solenoid and a relay for the headlights off the starter switch as mods that all should have. 

As mentioned earlier, tires and oil can result in heated discussions. and a quick search on either will give you more reading than you probably want for an evening.

[Heavyhitter]

Awesome! Thank you. Yea I find so much information, almost too much because it opens up so many more paths to different issues lol. But the fore mentioned subjects are taboo in any forum on pretty much any vehicle or bike. I never get involved …..... 

But I have found so many places with info. I spend all night at work reading stuff on bar rattlers or something.... man I just get lost in all the info sometimes. Only issue I run into is dead links and such but that’s to be expected.

Anyways, I am going to order the springs and I think I am just going to do the pot rather than the ICM.

The screws are all good but one that was a little chewed up. I have yet but I cracked them all loose with an impact screwdriver. I got new screws though. I pretty much ordered everything that Redeye had lol.

I will check out the other vendors you mentioned, I also cruise the classiest section but not much action as you would expect with an older bike. But I hope to be all done and running at the end of this month.

I do have a another question that I have been trying to find info on. I found 2 buzzers that are tied into the turn signals. One was completely broken and the other just hanging. Seems to be an ad on for a reminder and from best I can tell on the wiring diagrams (so hard to see) it didn’t come that way. I planned on eliminating them either way as I’ll never hear them. But I’m just curious if it’s original equipment. And if it’s not what kind of surprises I’ll find when I trace out the wires lol.

[The emperor has no clothes]

It’s probably a beeper wired into the turn signals. Ours aren’t self cancelling, and it reminds you to turn them off. They are not stock.