Valkyrie “Lift” Question

[carolinarider09]

2003 Valkyrie Standard (89,000 miles) only owner purchased new June 2003.

I have a question but first I wanted to share a little story as to why this is important to me.

I purchased my Valkyrie, new, in June 2003.  I had been riding a 2001 Honda “Touring” bike prior to that time.

The Tourer just did not seem to cut it so…..  I decided to buy the Valkyrie. (Oh the “touring” bike had an issue that would have been costly to repair also)

I have had no major issues with my Valkyrie and I have done most of the maintenance. 

Now I have a issue with the Fuel Petcock and I need to change the air filter. 

But first, I want to tell a story.  My Valkyrie has not been to all 48 states but it has been to a few fun places.

Like Toad Suck AR


And “The Crossroads”


And the Tail of the Dragon


And when I stopped in Memphis to see Graceland, Elvis and his girlfriend asked to sit on my Valkyrie.  And I let them. 



Its a special bike.  But, for several reasons (none good), I have been letting a few things “go” and now I have the time and, I think, the inclination to fix them.

There are two things I want to do. 

One is to replace the fuel petcock.  It failed to shift to reserve a few years ago and I had let it stay that way (on regular).  But now I want change it out.  I have the parts.  At the same time I want to replace the air filter since I have to remove the tank to change out the fuel petcock (it appears from what I have seen on-line). 

To do this, I will have to jack up the bike.  I have a “platform” jack I have used to jack up my Valkyrie before and I have a “stand” that I made (I was into welding some years back and had the tools to weld it). 

My “Jack Stand” platform (all images are missing a “piece”)



 

The “Jack Stand” on the “platform jack” (current picture)



The “stand” has worked every time I used it.  And the last time I used it, maybe five or six years ago (I forget when), I left it on the bike.  That is, when I was finished with whatever I was doing, I lowered the “scissor jack” and did not detach the “Jack Stand” from the bike.

The stand was held in place by two “pins” (another question below).  I simply lowered the “scissor jack” and pulled it out.  Then I and got on the bike and took it for a test ride.  Somewhere along the way the pins holding the “Jack Stand” in place separated and the “Jack Stand” fell off the bike and the bike’s rear wheel rolled over it. 


The only damage was to the “cupped” area on top of one of the “stands”.  It was lost, ripped off somehow. (Image below)



My questions are sort of “weird”.  I have not used this jack since I left it on and it fell off, some years ago.  I now what to use it again.  So, I have to “weld” another “piece” on top of the one pole (again shown below).



And I have to try and figure out which is the front and which is the back of the “jack stand”.  And then figure out where I ‘pinned” the jack in place (see highlighted area in the picture below). 



So, if you can help be “figure” this out, I would really appreciate your help. 

Thanks.

[Willow]

Not related to the jack adapter but the petcock.  The petcock movement is purely positional.  My guess is that your problem was not the petcock but that your screen on the fuel line was clogged at the lower (reserve) level.

I would take out the petcock and screen and check for available flow.

I don't know why you would need to jack up the bike to remove either the petcock or the tank.

[carolinarider09]

I would take out the petcock and screen and check for available flow.

I don't know why you would need to jack up the bike to remove either the petcock or the tank.

Thanks for the feedback.  I watched a video on YouTube about removing the petcock and he had the bike up on a jack to allow easier access it appeared. 

The only other reason I considered "jacking up the bike" was to make it truly "upright" and stable.  I worry, when I put some "wood" under the kickstand to allow me access to to something on the left side. 

But having it upright was the driving force for jacking it up. 

[Pluggy]

No need to lift the bike.  I don't put a block under the side stand, either.

Removing the tank is easier if it is nearly empty.  Remove the tiny Phillips screw in the hole on the fuel selector, and remove the selector. Remove the bolt at the back of the tank.  Boost up the rear of the tank with a block of wood, then disconnect the fuel line and vacuum lines on the petcock. Remove the vent hose at the back of the tank.

The tank may then be removed by lifting it rearwards and up.

[carolinarider09]

No need to lift the bike.  I don't put a block under the side stand, either.

Removing the tank is easier if it is nearly empty.  Remove the tiny Phillips screw in the hole on the fuel selector, and remove the selector. Remove the bolt at the back of the tank.  Boost up the rear of the tank with a block of wood, then disconnect the fuel line and vacuum lines on the petcock. Remove the vent hose at the back of the tank.

The tank may then be removed by lifting it rearwards and up.

I shall give that a good look and try if I have it figured out. 

And yes, I planned on getting almost all the gas out of the tank before doing the task.

Just for the record, I have replaced the air filter before, but I have slept since then.   

As I get older, I tend to not remember some things I did in the past.  So, I know I did it but don't remember the process. 

[WintrSol]

If I want to support mine near level, but don't want to use the lift, I'll put stands under the engine guards, with wood for shims to keep it from rocking.

[Sixgunluvr]

I removed mine twice this year, all the way down to pulling the carburetor rack and then putting it all back together. There’s not much to it really….
like it was mentioned already stick a small screwdriver in the selector undo that screw and pull the selector down. Of course you will want to have very little gas in the tank and have the selector turned to off first. There’s a small bolt in the front of the tank and the back of the tank. Loosen the front bolt and take the rear one completely out and stick a block of wood underneath the back of the tank. That will give you enough room to pull the vent hose off the back of the tank then you can pull the block of wood back out and pull the main gas line off the petcock and the vacuum line off the petcock, then take the bolt out of the front of the tank and lift the tank up off the bike.

Better yet… there’s a video on YouTube that will let you see how it’s done with your own eyes. Just search for ‘replace Valkyrie air filter’