On a big ride. some observations and other fun stuff

[dhaile]

I have been on a big ride from Dallas to Moab UT and everything in between.  We have been in Colorado all day today.  I am with a group of 12.  There are many different types of bikes in the group.  There are three ST's, an LT, some RT's, couple of Goldwings, 1 yahama harley type cruiser.  I punched off (raced) many times with the GW's and of course blew them away.  The ST's and I were tied to together until about 70mph or so and then they walked away from me.  The LT I could easily beat till about 100mph and then if would go by me. 

Top speed of my bike with the large Honda windshield is 120mph or so but it takes a long time to get there once the bike reaches about 100mph.  The bike is very stable at all speeds.  The goldwing is just as fast if not a little faster on the top end (better aerodynamics) 

I still have the factory tires and although they don't have very good traction, they were never an issue. 

I used to road race with WERA and CMRA and I will say that I wish this bike allowed you to turn faster.  I scraped and scraped and scraped and many times I felt that if I just had a little more lean angle, that this bike would really be perfect.  I wonder if a 190/55 would work and if it did, would it allow more lean angle? 

I really like this bike.  It is so close to being perfect for sporty yet comfortable for long rides.

[AdrianR]

Replace the stock tires with the Michelins and it will turn a whole hell of allot better!

[dhaile]

Im scraping pegs like crazy so I don't see how michelins are going to help that.   ???

[havoc]

i'm a total newbie so pardon my ignorance, but what are ST, LT, RT?

[dhaile]

Bmw LT, BMW RT, Honda ST 1300

[Kidd]

Yup , the Valk is fast up to 70 , then it takes some time to get to 100.


Lovin' my new blue Valk

[dinosnake]

 ???

Yup , the Valk is fast up to 70 , then it takes some time to get to 100.


Lovin' my new blue Valk

Can I ask what gear / RPM you guys are using??  ???  The Valk is quite fast up to 100MPH, if you don't shift into 5th below 5500 (almost redline).  The engine has a power peak from 3,000 to 5,700 (or so) RPM and at 70 in 5th you're at 3,000, and the engine has to pull up against the overdrive to hit the peak.  Drop it down to 4th and hang on tight!

[Robert]

???

Yup , the Valk is fast up to 70 , then it takes some time to get to 100.


Lovin' my new blue Valk

Can I ask what gear / RPM you guys are using??  ???  The Valk is quite fast up to 100MPH, if you don't shift into 5th below 5500 (almost redline).  The engine has a power peak from 3,000 to 5,700 (or so) RPM and at 70 in 5th you're at 3,000, and the engine has to pull up against the overdrive to hit the peak.  Drop it down to 4th and hang on tight!

I agree, I have had mine up to 115 with no issues and it didn't take long either. Now I have not raced other bikes but the downshift is the key. About 126 the rev limiter I believe kicks in.

As for the turning issue maybe taking the nut off the pegs will give you just that little bit more. With the nut off the pegs it will take about 1/4 inch off. This may be just enough but I have never tried it and would like to hear the results.  I would also be careful with the factory tires.

Ride sounds like a blast will look forward to a ride report and pics when done, enjoy. 

[dans2014]

  How could an ST 1300 beat a Valkyrie??

[Kidd]

http://www.zeroto60times.com/vehicle-make/honda-motorcycles-0-60-mph-times/
I am guessing these  0 to 60  times were done by professional drivers .

So , street drivers like us will get different  results when racing other bikes ( no offense to you professional drag racers here on the forum )

This is fun to read
http://www.cheatsheet.com/automobiles/9-fastest-cruiser-motorcycles-from-0-60.html/?a=viewall

  How could an ST 1300 beat a Valkyrie??

[Robert]

The Valk beat the 1300 buy .4 seconds in the time sheets listed. I too thought how could a 1300 beat a Valk.

Actually the Valk comes out pretty good on all the comparisons and was a bit surprised by the difference in the Valk and Goldwing times.

[hubcapsc]

I remember stopping at the SC border with a bunch of guys
once... mostly 1500 Valkyries, and a ST1300... most of the guys
were headed towards Georgia. I watched them take off,
and like a bunch of motorcycle guys do, they accelerated
away with gusto. Relatively speaking, the ST1300 took off
like a Saturn-5 rocket.

-Mike

[_Sheffjs_]

Funny I was always convinced to the point I would never have tried to run an ST with our Valk.  I had a very clean low mile 1994 GSX1100G and that was faster then our 1800c.  Stock to stock.   Ok Jardine 4 into one and rejetted but that was not any huge diff.   Great bike but scary at high rpm's, not good for 2up and a buzz bomb at certain speeds.    Oh and a cookie for the one who guesses what the faring came off of.

[dinosnake]

FWIW, a bit of research at

http://www.mcnews.com/mcn/articles/2015_01PerfIndex.pdf

shows that the ST1300 is 8.62 seconds 0-100MPH and 11.47 seconds @ 116.16MPH 1/4 mile.

It shows the Valk at 9.5 seconds 0-100MPH and 11.65 seconds @ 111.42MPH 1/4 mile.

Very close to the same horsepower but the ST is just a touch lighter but higher revving, which allows it to maintain a gear lower with fewer shifts during the run.

There is a 5MPH difference at the end of the 1/4 but only 0.20 second difference to the distance, so at the 1/4 it isn't "walking away" from you but over a longer course there's that speed difference.  I would like to see top gear rollons, I bet they are somewhat close until some point.

[Thor32]

It would seem the weight is much higher on the Valk and may impact the comparison! Also areodynamics

[dans2014]

  Amazing bikes those st1300's

[Robert]

Motorcycle News testers supplied the times for each bike, while in other cases, in-depth Cycle World reviews delivered more recent times for the bikes in question.

Kawasaki Vulcan 2000
9. Kawasaki Vulcan 2000: 3.95 seconds

Though Kawasaki is currently not selling the Vulcan 2000 model new, there are enough around for cruisers to know this bike on the highway. According to the top time tested by Motorcycle News, the Vulcan can take its 818 pounds from 0-60 miles per hour in 3.95 seconds. Its power plant can produce a maximum 117 pound-feet of torque along with 90 horsepower.

Victory 8 Ball
8. Victory 8 Ball: 3.88 seconds

Using 110 pound-feet of torque and 105 horseppwer, Victory’s Vegas 8-Ball can sprint from 0-60 in 3.8 seconds on its best runs. For a cruiser, it weighs in on the light side at 638 pounds dry. In terms of image, riders love the look of the classic V/106 and the sound of the 1731cc engine. It’s old-school muscle and style at its best. Motorcycle News clocked its best 0-60 time at 3.88 seconds.

Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide
7. Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide: 3.7 seconds

To gauge the power of the Harley CVO Road Glide Custom Anniversary Edition, Cycle World pitted the beast against a Honda Gold Wing F6B Deluxe in what must have been an incredibly entertaining test. For its part, the Harley CVO Road Glide was able to use its 110 pound-feet of torque and 91 horsepower to blast from 0-60 in 3.7 seconds. It wasn’t faster than the Honda, but it was good enough to place it in the list of top cruisers on the road.

Suzuki Boulevard M109 B.O.S.S
6. Suzuki Boulevard M109 B.O.S.S.: 3.65 seconds

Suzuki’s Boulevard M109 B.O.S.S. is known as one of the beasts of the open road. With 97 pound-feet of torque and 105 horsepower, the 1793cc B.O.S.S. made its fastest 0-60 run in 3.65 seconds. The 2014 model weighs in at 764 pounds at the curb.

Harley-Davidson V-Rod
5. Harley-Davidson V-Rod: 3.59 seconds

A previous model of the Harley-Davidson VRSC V-Rod was clocked by Motorcycle News going 0-60 in 3.59 seconds. The latest model has upgraded its torque from 72 pound-feet to 83 pound-feet, while the weight has jumped from 619 pounds to a menacing 666 pounds at the curb.

Honda Gold Wing Valkyrie
4. Honda Gold Wing Valkyrie: 3.3 seconds

Honda’s monstrous Gold Wing squared off against the H-D Road Glide Custom in Cycle World tests and won in the 0-60 sprint, with a time of 3.3 seconds. It matches the best time posted by any Gold Wing model. Packing an engine of 1832cc capable of 110 pound-feet of torque on 104 horsepower, the Valkyrie is ready to match nearly any cruiser on the road.

Triumph Rocket Roadster
3. Triumph Rocket Roadster: 3.3 seconds

With 148 horsepower and 163 pound-feet of torque to power a wet weight of 809 pounds, it is easy to see why this Triumph bike is called the Rocket. It houses the world’s biggest production motorcycle engine (an imposing 2249cc) and can power from 0-60 in 3.3 seconds. The 2010 model ran the quarter-mile in 11.48 seconds.

Ducati Diavel
2. Ducati Diavel: 2.8 seconds

For those who wouldn’t count the Ducati Diavel Strada a cruiser, it’s fine to take the Rocket as the leader of the pack and call it a day. Those who are  willing to include a “performance cruiser” will want a sprint on the Ducati Diavel, a bike that can go 0-60 in 2.8 seconds in runs confirmed by Motorcycle News. Powering the Diavel is the 1198cc engine, while the bike’s wet weight is just 557 pounds.

[AdrianR]

Motorcycle News testers supplied the times for each bike, while in other cases, in-depth Cycle World reviews delivered more recent times for the bikes in question.

Kawasaki Vulcan 2000
9. Kawasaki Vulcan 2000: 3.95 seconds

Though Kawasaki is currently not selling the Vulcan 2000 model new, there are enough around for cruisers to know this bike on the highway. According to the top time tested by Motorcycle News, the Vulcan can take its 818 pounds from 0-60 miles per hour in 3.95 seconds. Its power plant can produce a maximum 117 pound-feet of torque along with 90 horsepower.

Victory 8 Ball
8. Victory 8 Ball: 3.88 seconds

Using 110 pound-feet of torque and 105 horseppwer, Victory's Vegas 8-Ball can sprint from 0-60 in 3.8 seconds on its best runs. For a cruiser, it weighs in on the light side at 638 pounds dry. In terms of image, riders love the look of the classic V/106 and the sound of the 1731cc engine. It's old-school muscle and style at its best. Motorcycle News clocked its best 0-60 time at 3.88 seconds.

Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide
7. Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide: 3.7 seconds

To gauge the power of the Harley CVO Road Glide Custom Anniversary Edition, Cycle World pitted the beast against a Honda Gold Wing F6B Deluxe in what must have been an incredibly entertaining test. For its part, the Harley CVO Road Glide was able to use its 110 pound-feet of torque and 91 horsepower to blast from 0-60 in 3.7 seconds. It wasn't faster than the Honda, but it was good enough to place it in the list of top cruisers on the road.

Suzuki Boulevard M109 B.O.S.S
6. Suzuki Boulevard M109 B.O.S.S.: 3.65 seconds

Suzuki's Boulevard M109 B.O.S.S. is known as one of the beasts of the open road. With 97 pound-feet of torque and 105 horsepower, the 1793cc B.O.S.S. made its fastest 0-60 run in 3.65 seconds. The 2014 model weighs in at 764 pounds at the curb.

Harley-Davidson V-Rod
5. Harley-Davidson V-Rod: 3.59 seconds

A previous model of the Harley-Davidson VRSC V-Rod was clocked by Motorcycle News going 0-60 in 3.59 seconds. The latest model has upgraded its torque from 72 pound-feet to 83 pound-feet, while the weight has jumped from 619 pounds to a menacing 666 pounds at the curb.

Honda Gold Wing Valkyrie
4. Honda Gold Wing Valkyrie: 3.3 seconds

Honda's monstrous Gold Wing squared off against the H-D Road Glide Custom in Cycle World tests and won in the 0-60 sprint, with a time of 3.3 seconds. It matches the best time posted by any Gold Wing model. Packing an engine of 1832cc capable of 110 pound-feet of torque on 104 horsepower, the Valkyrie is ready to match nearly any cruiser on the road.

Triumph Rocket Roadster
3. Triumph Rocket Roadster: 3.3 seconds

With 148 horsepower and 163 pound-feet of torque to power a wet weight of 809 pounds, it is easy to see why this Triumph bike is called the Rocket. It houses the world's biggest production motorcycle engine (an imposing 2249cc) and can power from 0-60 in 3.3 seconds. The 2010 model ran the quarter-mile in 11.48 seconds.

Ducati Diavel
2. Ducati Diavel: 2.8 seconds

For those who wouldn't count the Ducati Diavel Strada a cruiser, it's fine to take the Rocket as the leader of the pack and call it a day. Those who are  willing to include a "performance cruiser" will want a sprint on the Ducati Diavel, a bike that can go 0-60 in 2.8 seconds in runs confirmed by Motorcycle News. Powering the Diavel is the 1198cc engine, while the bike's wet weight is just 557 pounds.

Hey Bob, great post man!  I plan on having the ECU modded for peak performance.  I have to admit, although cool, I think the Valk could use a little extra kick in first and second and maybe a bit more snappy throttle response.  It's obvious that it has been neutered somewhat in those first two gears.  3rd gear is where I really notice the power/acceleration build...weird...  I want to keep the bike for the most part completely stock, including the exhaust...but I want max. power for it's design...all while remaining predominately stock.