Why dont you just buy a Valkyrie?

[LTD]

I have an old friend of many years I ride with on occasion big time Harley lover, Harley everything you know the type. Im not sure he would even ride with me if we hadn't of known each other so long.  He probably has more in Harley accessories that's worth more than my 98 standard. Don't get me wrong I like Harley Davidson motorcycles but I like performance better and getting a Harley I feel like Im downgrading some just my opinion. Anyway during every ride I hear from him hey lets trade bikes for awhile so I always let him ride my Valkyrie and I will ride his dresser Harley. This last time I just came out and said what I had been thinking for quite some time. Hey I know you love the Valkyrie Why don't you just buy one you can pick one up for 3 or 4 grand.  Money is not a problem for him well over hundred thousand a year. He says I don't know Ive always ridden Harley blah, blah, blah,etc…  Finally I had enough of it and just flat out told him your worried what others will think about you not riding Harley right? He kinda smiled and said I guess so.  I laughed at him Your over 60 your already uncool by the masses if you ever were cool!  I told him give me my Valkyrie back he chuckled. Like I said we are great friends I can say anything to him he never takes it personal. But very sad he wont own a Valkyrie and he loves the bike.

[f6john]

I imagine many Harley riders figure I would ride a Harley if I could afford one. They’re right too, if I could afford an early knucklehead that was pristine I’d have one even if it was just to start it up and listen to it run.

[Jess from VA]

Here's what you do.

Start looking around Craigslist and our classified and elsewhere, and when you find a good deal on a nice looking bike, Email it to him.  Don't give him a hard sell, just a look what I found (with a smiley face).

If it's local or close enough, offer to go with him to look at it.

Oh, and tell him it's not adultery (either to look or to buy).      

If this kind of friendly persuasion rubs you wrong or takes too much time, never mind.   

[Psychotic Bovine]

Our local dealer has been getting quite a few calls lately from folks asking if they have any classic Valkyries.

[fudgie]

Our local dealer has been getting quite a few calls lately from folks asking if they have any classic Valkyries.

Do they have any?  ???

[hueco]

I am a Harley Davidson devotee from  the prehistoric days. If you cut me I would bleed orange and black. I also own a 1998 Valkyrie Tourer. It will run circles around any HD I have ever owned.  But. It was only produced for 7 years.  Given. They never wear out. But. The replacement parts for them are sketchy. And getting more all the time. Where as parts for all HD models are pretty much infinite. I guess this opens me up for a boot party from the  Valkyrie Hierarchy.

[Rams]

I guess this opens me up for a boot party from the  Valkyrie Hierarchy.

I would hope not.

While I admit I don't understand why anyone would choose to ride a V Twin over a flat six, it's your choice and I ride with just about anybody.   Well, there are two folks I don't like to ride with, their names are loud and stupid.

Rams

[MAD6Gun]

I am a Harley Davidson devotee from  the prehistoric days. If you cut me I would bleed orange and black. I also own a 1998 Valkyrie Tourer. It will run circles around any HD I have ever owned.  But. It was only produced for 7 years.  Given. They never wear out. But. The replacement parts for them are sketchy. And getting more all the time. Where as parts for all HD models are pretty much infinite. I guess this opens me up for a boot party from the  Valkyrie Hierarchy.

 Don't take this the wrong way but Harleys rarely change. They have used the same stupid,vibrating,outdated engine design for 100 years. Sure they finally put fuel injection on it but it's still the same inefficient common crank pin design. Even their biggest 117 inch engine still doesn't make 100HP. Valkyries make that stock and they are only just over 91 inches. Hell, even their saddle bags have looked the same for years.

[Jess Tolbirt]

I am a Harley Davidson devotee from  the prehistoric days. If you cut me I would bleed orange and black. I also own a 1998 Valkyrie Tourer. It will run circles around any HD I have ever owned.  But. It was only produced for 7 years.  Given. They never wear out. But. The replacement parts for them are sketchy. And getting more all the time. Where as parts for all HD models are pretty much infinite. I guess this opens me up for a boot party from the  Valkyrie Hierarchy.

 Don't take this the wrong way but Harleys rarely change. They have used the same stupid,vibrating,outdated engine design for 100 years. Sure they finally put fuel injection on it but it's still the same inefficient common crank pin design. Even their biggest 117 inch engine still doesn't make 100HP. Valkyries make that stock and they are only just over 91 inches. Hell, even their saddle bags have looked the same for years.

the numbers vary between different reports but,,According to the EPA release, though, the new 107 produces 92.53 horsepower (69kw) @ 5020 rpm, and the 114 produces 100.57 horsepower (75kw) @ 5020 rpm for the 114. why are you worried about  a couple horsepower? and yes the bags have changed as well as the fairings.
according to cycle world "On our in-house dynamometer, a 2018 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special powered by a 107 cubic-inch Milwaukee-Eight produced 77.34 horsepower and 101.46 pound-feet of torque." how many horses does it take your valk to make a 100 foot pounds of torque? nothing wrong with a single pin and a twin pin crank,,Honda makes both.

Written by: Biker Chad

    I hear a lot of people talking about horsepower (HP) ratings for various engines, and how they have more than the next guy, but have you ever tried to find real HP ratings?  It is not easy to find out how much HP your ride really has.  Harley likes to hide their ratings and only talks about torque figures.  I have listed some of the HP figures I could find for all to see, but I have to say that accurate ratings are hard to find.  There are a lot of things that can come into play when getting HP ratings like:
1. Is the HP reading taken from the rear wheel or the crankshaft (at the crank will no doubt be higher than the rear wheel due to loss of power from the drive train friction and power transfer from engine to clutch, transmission, belt/chain/axle, etc.) and the rear wheel ratings are all we want, but allot of motor companies will throw out crankshaft readings to get a higher number.
2. The Dyno operator and the actual Dyno machine style give different HP numbers, air moisture content, altitude, fuel style and quality, and so on can also change HP ratings.
   
    I have supplied you with the best rear wheel readings that I could find, on stock engines, at the rear wheel.  Keep in mind that these are still general figures and the actual numbers for your bike may vary, but at least this is a good reference point.  Keep in mind that each engine has different RPM capabilities, but overall the numbers I have given you are max HP and torque for each engine listed.
    I also have a lot of people asking me how many cubic inches is my cc engine?  Well, that is easy to figure out.  Once you know the real cc (cubic centimeters) your engine is (like a VTX1300 is actually 1312cc) you need to know that there is 16.38cc in one cubic inch.  So, you simply divide 1312 by 16.38 to get the cubic inch value of your motor.     

Honda VTX1300 (1312cc / 80” 52-degree V-twin carbureted) – 59hp & 71 ft lbs of torque

Honda VTX1800 (1795cc / 110” 52-degree V-twin fuel injection) – 88.9hp & 100 ft lbs of torque

Honda Fury (modified VTX1300 engine fuel injected motor) – 56hp & 72ft lbs of torque
 
Honda Goldwing 1800 (1832cc / 110” 12 valve SOHC flat 6 engine with F.I.) – 118hp & 123ft lbs of torque

Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 (1203cc / 74” 45 degree single plug F.I. engine)
70hp & 79 ft lbs of torque

Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 (883cc / 54” 45 degree single plug F.I.) 53hp & 51 ft lbs of torque

Harley-Davidson Twin Cam (1584cc / 96” 45 degree single plug v-twin with F.I.) – 66hp & 82 ft lbs of torque

Harley-Davidson Twin Cam (1450cc / 88” 45 degree single plug v-twin with F.I.) – 62hp & 77 ft lbs of torque

Harley-Davidson Twin Cam (1688cc / 103” 45 degree single plug v-twin with F.I.) – 83hp & 95 ft lbs of torque

Harley-Davidson Twin Cam (1800cc / 110” 45 degree single plug v-twin with F.I.) – 95hp & 110 ft lbs of torque

Harley-Davidson Revolution V-Rod (1130cc / 63” 60 degree v-twin DOHC with F.I.) – 109hp & 75ft lbs of torque

Yamaha Raider, Stratoliner (1854cc / 113” 48 degree v-twin) 90hp & 124ft lbs torque

Yamaha Warrior, Vmax, Roadstar (1670cc / 102” 48 degree v-twin) 79hp & 104ft lbs torque

Yamaha Royal Star (1294cc / 79” 70 degree V-4 engine) 97hp & 89ft lbs of torque

Kawasaki Vulcan 2000 (2053cc / 125” 52 degree v-twin engine) 95hp & 120ft lbs of torque

Kawasaki Vulcan 1700, Voyager, Nomad (1700cc / 174” 52 degree v-twin engine) 82hp & 108ft lbs torque

Kawasaki Vulcan 900 (903cc / 54” 52 degree v-twin engine) 50hp & 52ft lbs of torque

Suzuki Boulevard M109R (1783cc / 106” 54 degree v-twin engine) 127hp & 117ft lbs torque

Suzuki Boulevard M90 (1462cc / 89” 54 degree v-twin engine) 106hp & 101ft lbs torque

Suzuki Boulevard M50 (805cc / 49” 45 degree v-twin engine) 45hp & 46ft lbs torque
 
This article was originally published in Saddle Tramp Magazine

[..]

Most riders never use the full power.

Proven by the many miles tires last them.

[Jess Tolbirt]

Most riders never use the full power.

Proven by the many miles tires last them.

i get 6 to 10 thousand depending upon the mood of my right hand..

[hueco]

I am a Harley Davidson devotee from  the prehistoric days. If you cut me I would bleed orange and black. I also own a 1998 Valkyrie Tourer. It will run circles around any HD I have ever owned.  But. It was only produced for 7 years.  Given. They never wear out. But. The replacement parts for them are sketchy. And getting more all the time. Where as parts for all HD models are pretty much infinite. I guess this opens me up for a boot party from the  Valkyrie Hierarchy.

 Don't take this the wrong way but Harleys rarely change. They have used the same stupid,vibrating,outdated engine design for 100 years. Sure they finally put fuel injection on it but it's still the same inefficient common crank pin design. Even their biggest 117 inch engine still doesn't make 100HP. Valkyries make that stock and they are only just over 91 inches. Hell, even their saddle bags have looked the same for years.

You just proved my point. When did the last Valkyrie come off the production line?

[Medina]

"oh, look, how quaint, two cylinders"
me, every time I hear the harley lads bragging.

Never owned, nor rid a harley, life long friend loves his, I just never felt like getting stereotyped into what is literally 90% of harley riders.
That south park cartoon NAILED it.



And if, when parts just aren't available, I'll either buy a new one, move on, or just be that guy who daily rides the late 40's, early 50's Indians and just accepts what it takes to do that.

edit- I also struggle to understand why Harley lovers would come into what is clearly a (insert one, kaw, yam, honda) forum and insist on pushing the Harley is King nonsense.. I would imagine not many gold wingers, Valkers, Royals etc would join a harley forum and do the same thing. f'ing mindset...

[RDKLL]

I have a couple of stories relating to this thread:
I had a friend who I used to ride with when I had my red and white Valk. He was riding a Kawi Nomad 1500. He used to love swapping bikes and I kept telling him to get a Valk and he would say that he loves the power and the look but it was not "biker cool"...

An:
My wife and I were looking for a sport tour (biased to sport) for the twisties in and around Mesa AZ. This was a segment that I knew nothing about but through checking out various boards and magazine reviews we decided that we would get a 2017 KTM Super Duke GT. Now the KTM could not be more different than the Valk.
Andrea is actually more comfortable on the KTM than the Valk because of seating position.  I am now understanding the draw of a V-Twin motorcycle albeit at greater hp and tq than most in a package appx 150-200 lbs less. I know the smoothness of the Valk and the GW is phenomenal but the smoothness seems to make the bike feel soul less. I test rode a BMW S1000XR, another sport tourer and segment partner of the KTM we have and I wanted to walk away thinking I bought the wrong bike, but I didnt...it was so smooth. Its performance and weight is very similar the KTM but the KTM V-Twin just "feels" better.
I then rode a BMW K1600GT. This one is GW territory and although it sounded like a muffled F1 car with the quick shifter and auto blipper still seemed too smooth. Then a couple of months later we did another ride of a '18 K1600GT, this time 2 up and by ourselves and we really liked it and it was on a short list until I went back to the dealer to look at it in the showroom and check out the storage and other things. There was no excitement...I guess I am now a V-Twin guy, just of the Mattighofen variety instead of Milwaukee.

[hueco]

"oh, look, how quaint, two cylinders"
me, every time I hear the harley lads bragging.

Never owned, nor rid a harley, life long friend loves his, I just never felt like getting stereotyped into what is literally 90% of harley riders.
That south park cartoon NAILED it.



And if, when parts just aren't available, I'll either buy a new one, move on, or just be that guy who daily rides the late 40's, early 50's Indians and just accepts what it takes to do that.

edit- I also struggle to understand why Harley lovers would come into what is clearly a (insert one, kaw, yam, honda) forum and insist on pushing the Harley is King nonsense.. I would imagine not many gold wingers, Valkers, Royals etc would join a harley forum and do the same thing. f'ing mindset...

This one reason I consider this to be one of the most closed minded, narrowed minded, egotistical, narcissist motorcycle forums on the net. (Never owned nor rid a harley) Said what his name.) I am a motorcylist. I have owned many brands of motorcyles in my 45 years of riding. I do not criticise any sickle unless I have first hand knowledge. And. I did not criticise my beloved Valk. Yes I own 3 HD's. That is where my heart is. But. I started out with a 1970 Honda CB 750. I do not see the amount of discrimination on HD forums against Jap bikes. Because. Most HD riders did not start out on a Harley. They started out on a Jap bike. Such as I. And. Most of them still have a Jap bike in the stable
.Let the Valkyrie boot party start.

[ridingron]

I have never owned a Harley and don't see myself ever owning one. If I did end up with one, I probably wouldn't hang out with Harley guys. A vast majority of the bikes are obnoxiously loud. The endless blipping the throttle has never been explained other than just a hey look at me exercise. I wear a helmet, jacket and gloves 99.999% of the time and do not wear black.

I'm glad you like your Harley(s).

[hueco]

I have never owned a Harley and don't see myself ever owning one. If I did end up with one, I probably wouldn't hang out with Harley guys. A vast majority of the bikes are obnoxiously loud. The endless blipping the throttle has never been explained other than just a hey look at me exercise. I wear a helmet, jacket and gloves 99.999% of the time and do not wear black.

I'm glad you like your Harley(s).

Well. It seems like you and I are 99.999% alike. Except I like my Valk and my Harleys. What do you have against BLACK?

[ridingron]

  Well. It seems like you and I are 99.999% alike. Except I like my Valk and my Harleys. What do you have against BLACK? 

It seems to be the Harley riders uniform color. Blends into the background on the bike. I did recently buy a black helmet. I bought it for a couple features it has. Unfortunately it's like a Model A, you can have any color you want as long as it's black. First one in over 20 years.

[hueco]

  Well. It seems like you and I are 99.999% alike. Except I like my Valk and my Harleys. What do you have against BLACK? 

It seems to be the Harley riders uniform color. Blends into the background on the bike. I did recently buy a black helmet. I bought it for a couple features it has. Unfortunately it's like a Model A, you can have any color you want as long as it's black. First one in over 20 years.

I would never buy a black helmet. As most sensible  people know. Black absorbs heat. It will cook  what ever brain cells you have left. My helmet is a full face white helmet.

[Hook#3287]

This one reason I consider this to be one of the most closed minded, narrowed minded, egotistical, narcissist motorcycle forums on the net.

Why are you here?

The replacement parts for them are sketchy. And getting more all the time.

Just wondering, what parts have you needed that you haven't been able to find?

[RDKLL]

*Well to be honest...the Valk is not "Cool" where all of the HD's are! Valkyres...pffft It does not matter how good it is made, how long they last...jeesh!






*just sarcasm to bring this back to the top

[Kokomo Kevin]

I have owned both a Harley and have had my 98 Valk since 1999 and bought an  13 F6B last year. I have ridden all of them over the USA. They are nice in there own rights but the Honda's at least for me were far superior, fit/finish/performance/comfort/reliability. I get the Harley thing. I actually was involved with Harley ignition systems, which were designed here in Kokomo in the late 90's. Just like the 6 gun sound!

[Pappy!]

Need I say more??

[Pappy!]

But.....since they only have 2 cylinders they have to make them just as loud as they possibly can and if that's not enough then add the most aggravating stereo system possible.

[Forge]

I’m a Valkyrie convert as of the beginning of this year.

Shortly after high school, Class of ‘85, I saw the 1987 Suzuki Intruder 1400 commercial and fell in love with both the bike and the girl.

https://youtu.be/T0kJ-84IYGE

Later, I saw the Valkyries and was again smitten.

I’ve owned multiple inline 4  bikes over the years and went about 10 years without a bike after my wife followed me home one night while I was on my FZ-1 and saw me almost get creamed on the highway. We had young todlers at the time. So when the boys got older, she said I could ride again so I started looking at “budget friendly” bikes. I decided to get one of my bucket list bikes and found a very clean Intruder. I loved that bike! It was narrow, torquey, and just looked super cool when I was done dressing her up. It was my first V-Twin and with the dual crank pins, she was a very fun ride. I had ridden a friends Harley once and didn’t care for the shake, rattle, and roll.

Earlier this year, I just decided to look at facebook marketplace and I saw a 99 Green and Silver Valkyrie Interstate with only 10,700 miles on it for $2300 that had just been posted a few minutes earlier. It had some heavy road rash along the right side and a dent in the tank as well as had been sitting for a year and a half. Knowing that was a good deal, I told them that I would happily make the 90 mile drive and had cash in hand. Luckily, I was the first person in line to contact them. I picked her up after making sure the engine wasn’t seized, took her home, and have been in love ever since. We also negotiated the price down to $2150! The old guy that I got her from slid her on the highway at 60 miles per hour and was badly hurt, so he was done with riding. He said he didn’t understand because the tires were in great shape. Umm, the tires had plenty of tread, but were from 2002 and 2008 and were rock hard! Luckily, the crash bars took most of the damage and other than a badly bent right footpeg and mount, it only had cosmetic damage. She also had Two Brothers 6x6 pipes installed and came with the almost new, but dusty stock exhaust. I sold the 6x6’s and happily put the stock pipes back on to save my already damaged old man hearing.

The Interstate wasn’t my first choice in a Valk because of the trunk and big fairing since I was digging the cruiser scene at the time, but the convenience of having the trunk has really grown on me as well as the super smooth engine! I’ve got her running great now and have done some minor mods. I
I’m hoping to do the body work and a new paint job this winter to remove the battle scars from my hot lady warrior.

 Well, wifey said I couldn’t have 2 bikes so the Intruder went bye bye. I miss it badly, but my Valk, Lagertha, trumps all for me. It’s also super convenient if one of my young teenage boys wants to go for a ride with me and get a burger an hour away just because. Even my 30 year old son from my first marriage bought a 97 Standard Valkyrie after riding mine because he loved it so much. He says it’s the ultimate bike and we switch off when he wants to borrow it to go on a road trip with his wife, so I still get to ride a standard like I fell in love with when I was younger!

[Pappy!]

Ahhhhh .... a story that will warm the heart!

[Hook#3287]

Ahhhhh .... a story that will warm the heart!

I second that

[Jess Tolbirt]

But.....since they only have 2 cylinders they have to make them just as loud as they possibly can and if that's not enough then add the most aggravating stereo system possible.

you mean like the 6 into 6 straight pipes on the Valks?

[f6john]

Very telling of the attitude of Harley riders when they use the term “Jap bike”. I like Harley’s, I probably won’t ever own one as I don’t lust for one. I did ride a Harley Deuce once a few years after I bought my Valkyrie and for the short in town ride it was fun.

[cookiedough]

99% of all NON 97-2003 valkyrie owners do not want a 20 year old bike is that simple.

Even some of us on here have converted to the newer Valkyrie/F6B/Goldwing and am sure I will be one of them someday as well.  Not there yet though but one day....

Most just see a 20 year old bike being nothing but a maintenance headache and will cost more in repairs than the bike is worth.  Once it comes to that,  I may sell as well but for now enjoy what I got even if I do not ride them as much per year as most.   If the time comes I do not ride any of my cycles for more than 1000 miles per year,  then time to sell 1 of them.  Gives me a good excuse on weekends to run errands that do not require a vehicle loading capacity of more than my I/S can handle. 

Once my other kid goes to college and mom passes away,  will have more time to ride as well and hopefully go fishing on weekends as well.