Why did you buy a Valkyrie? (long)

[xman]

My first Valk sighting was in a Florida gas station a lot of years ago. Don't recall the year but i can tell you it was beige.  I had no idea what it was, but it was the coolest bike i had ever seen. So when it came time to move up to a big bike, I looked for the bike I had dreams about. I found the VRCC site and read what you guys were saying. I never rode one until the day I went to pick up a perfect condition Black standard with 8K. The 1000 feet test ride convinced me this is a great bike.

Tom 

[GotValk]

My story is like many others, Back in 1997 while going through my Cycle magazine I ran into the bike of my dreams, the Red and White Standard ( which I still have frame on my garage wall ).
Any way I also had a 1978 KZ1000 which was my former ride, then one day back in 2004 I lost a main bearing on the KZ so I was without a ride for a couple of months, with that said my lovely wife finally caved into all my begging and pouting and gave me the green light to get another 2 wheeler , after many days of hard searching I found a 2000 I/S Red and Black that I just couldn't pass up , My plan was to buy a Tourer . After 11 years that Bike still turns me on as the day I pick her up!
Ya gotta love those Valkyries!!!
Gary

[Tropic traveler]

Started off on MX bikes mostly Yamahas as a teen. Got married {first time} & traded a 4x4 truck for a 1976 CB550. Rode & enjoyed it for a while before moving up to a couple of CB750's. Got out of street bikes then into a bit of drag racing cars before trading up wives.
Second wife {Kim} was a much improved model & I still was piddling around with drag racing. Decided to get back into street bikes as I was tired of all the wrenching for so little seat time with the hot rods & such. Not much fun for Kim with me in the garage all the time.
All my friends hollered "buy a Harley, you are a 40 something, it's a rule".  So I rode some tosee what all the hype was about. Uh, no. Also some VTX's, Vulcans, big Yamis, etc. Not impressed there either.
Enter the Dragon. One of my parts drivers at work said from what I had described as my requirements for a bike.... Big, smooth & powerful that I should check out this '97 Valkyrie that the local Yamaha shop took in on trade....... Done deal. WOW! What a motorcycle!


Anyways, that was 6 years & 56,000 miles ago. Had a year & a half fling with a Triumph Rocket 3 but ultimately the call of the Fat Girl was too much. Sold the R3, bought Kim her own Valk. Kinda gave away {loaned} her SS750 to her brother & picked up a Valkyrie orphan to rescue & rehabilitate.  
Now look what happened. We're a 3 Valk family now!  

I dismiss no brand but I do lean Honda.

[YoungPUP]

I was looking for a bigger bike (I'm 6'4"  and 300ish)  During my search I found this place and the hunt began.  Fastforward a year or two and my painter buddy tells me he has a Valkyrie in his garage and isn't sure where to start disassembly (harley guy) I helped him strip/paint/ reassemble, and then watched her sit for 2 years with no pick up from the owner.  He had paid for it but was too busy to pickit up. I was finally able to talk the owner out of it for what he had in it in paint and accessories that were installed post-paint.

[Tim H]

I wanted a bike that was well built, long-lasting, and not a maintenance hassle, while still being inexpensive and fun to ride.  Man that's a hard lineup to get in one bike, but the Valkyrie does it.

I was looking at moving up from a Suzuki GZ250 to a Vulcan/V-star/VTX 1100/1300 ish when I read so many positive stories on the Valkyrie.  One Google image search and I was sold I had to have one too.

[WamegoRob]

I was looking for anything bigger than the Yamaha 850 I had just sold and was at the point where I really wanted the red & white Tourer but almost settled for some '01 Honda Shadow 1100 because of the price difference.

Luckily my gorgeous wife is smarter than me and said, "we're going to use it a lot; get the good one."  =)

And so it goes...

[GreenLantern57]

Needed a replacement bike, found this one, wasn't ready for a mobile rocking chair yet. Found this one in Craig list and 3 blocks from the house.  I like it.  I had 2 vehicles staring today. I like those days.

[Sodbuster]

For me it all started when I first seen that big red & white Valk on the cover of Cycle World. The local dealer has an open house every year and takes a bunch of NEW bikes off the showroom floor for demo rides .... the Valk was one of them back then. After a couple years of that I knew I had to have one. And then in '99 the Black & Silver came out. I fell in love with that color combination and went into the dealer to see if I would qualify for a loan.  Nope, lack of funds and money was tight back then .... for me anyway. Fast forward ten years to 2009 and with a little more spending money I found a low mileage '99 Black & Silver on craigslist and it was a local seller. Wife and I went to go look at it and when we saw how good of shape it was in we just looked at each other and knew I was riding that thing home. Still hard to believe it's now in my possession.

[steve 3054]

For me, I had a Rune and an Ultra and wanted another bike as well.  Always loved the sound of the Cobra pipes so I started looking.  Found my girl up in Ocala from an ad on this forum.  Went to look and bought her w/o ever starting her.  She is now my go to bike and I enjoy every mile!!!

[Jess from VA]

Had a Hog dresser for 18 years.  Loved the bike and intended to keep it forever, but at 100K (complete engine rebuild, cam, carb, at 80K) it was just not reliable enough for me (mostly electrical issues).  So I sat down and made a list of things I wanted.... mainly at least 4 cylinders, water cooled, reliable, more power, more storage, radio, an ultimate dresser..... but not a Goldwing.  Ruling out the sport tourers because of seating positions, I was left with the dresser Royal Star and a Valkyrie Interstate, and the Valk had better reviews/stats than the Yamaha.  Had seen one or two, but never ridden or even sat on one.  Found a '99 IS with 3400 mi and 5K in upgrades up in PA, and went and bought it in '05.  Liked it so much, I rode a train to MA and bought a tricked-out supervalk '99 IS in '07. 

I think I chose wisely.   

I kept the Hog, and an '02 Mean Streak for several more years, but found I rarely rode them, and with taxes, tags, inspections, insurance, maintenance, and a lack of storage, I sold them off.

[Jabba]

Jabba

I absolutley love your blue and white Valk; it is a beautiful combo.


If you ever feel the need to donate that bike to a good cause: remember the Momz Valkyrie Orphanage is always willing to adopt a nice Valk. I guarantee that it will go to a good home.

Thanks.  I appreciate that.  I like it too.  You know when people compliment your bike... sort of out of the blue... I always respond... "Thanks.  She's not bad lookin' for a 10 year old scooter is she?"

I don't have NEAR the miles on Valks as a lot of you guys... about 45,000.  But I sure have liked them all. 

Jabba

[Jabba]

Luckily my gorgeous wife is smarter than me

ROB!!!!

All men marry up.  It's true for me, and it's true of every married man I know...   

Jabba

[~ Timbrwolf]

. ...was an easy choice. ....I was riding my deceased fathers 89 Gold Wing back then and hated it.
But I was bikeless at the the time and not about to look a gift horse in the mouth when my mother
gave it to me after he passed. It was the end of winter and I was restless as hell, so I got the Wing out just to for an aimless ride.....found myself at the Honda Dealer one town over. There sat a brand new black Standard, I just sat there and stared for a good long while. I had never seen a Valk before, and that big ol engine hanging out every where was giving me wood. The salesman walked by and I asked him....what is this ???. ...He looked at the bike...then me and grinned and said...thats the new Valk....sharp huh ? The guy bought it in for some work on the pipes.


Well, it took another year almost to the day, but I found myself financially able to buy another bike and finally shed that land yacht of Wing. So I strode into a different Honda Dealer and walked up to a salesman sitting at his desk doing paper work and said....see that Harley Heritage Softail and that Valkyrie Interstate ?. ...tag em up...were goin for a ride......


...Well...he looked across the room at the two bikes...then at me...and got a big ol smile on his face....he knew he had a sale. He rode the Harley and I rode the State onto the Interstate. We were cruising along at what I thought was about 55 mph and I looked down and we were doing 70...hardly even cracking the throttle....I was impressed. Then we switched.....I swore my next bike was gonna be a Harley...I wanted one bad. First thing I noticed was how low I sat on it....In all the years I had been riding I had never threw a leg over a Harley...until now. She rode okay...had decent acceleration ...She was brand new with about 300 miles on her. Story was that some little rich kid bought her....put 3k in Xtra chrome and goodies on her...then turned around and traded her for a Ducati Crotch Rocket.



When we got back to the dealer everyone there began telling me how I wanted the State and NOT the Harley....talked about expensive maintenance and performance....and price....they wanted 19,800 for the Harley, and wouldnt come down a dime. They wanted around 13,800 for the State and I talked them down to 12,500...plus 500 Honda Bucks to buy goodies....pluse 3.9 % for the first year on the loan. When we were sitting at the desk negotiating, the salesman said to me...Dave, I have a brand new 1999 State in the crate....black...and I,ll sell it to you for 10K. I thought for a second and said..nope..I want current year...2001...and I want to see it new in the crate before I buy it...I dont want one that every idiot in town has thrown a leg over in the show room. So he called me up a week later and we met at the Dealer and he took me over to a warehouse and up to an opened crate, and said....theres you bike.


Mow when I bought her I told the salesman that one thign still bother me....as beautiful and sleek and fast as the State was...she was quieter then my Wing ! He just smiled and said...I can fix that and he handed me a pair of head phones and I took a listen. Then he told me...those are Two Brother 6 into 6 "straight pipes" I asked how much and he said a grand "installed". I bought those and 2K more in Xtras and I tld him...dont call me until everything is bolted on and ready. He called late one day and said my bike was ready, so I had my neice drive me over in my Blazer. I remember when I walked into the shop the kid behind the parts counter was all excited and goes....Man...they had your bike on the Dyno and it sounded like a fuc*ing funny car !!! I was like ...it did ?...and I turned to the salesman and said...can you still hear the stereo ?...and he goes..what ?...and I repeated...can you still hear the stereo ??....to which he replied...I dunno. Well....you couldnt...in fact with those brand new still green pipes you couldnt hear much of anything...but I didnt care. It was a cold March day and getting late...I remember riding home on the Intersttae with the sun going down...those pipes were so DAMN LOUD !!! 


Took a good long while for that "feeling" to wear off. Id be sitting there watching TV and just get up an wander out to the garage...turn the light on...and stand there staring at her. I raced anything and everything that pulled up next to me at a light for the next year. Back then the Valk was THE fastest "cruiser" around, if not one of the fastest bikes period. And I actively went "Harley Hunting" every time I opened the garage. I loved when a Harley would pull up behind me at a light and rev their pipes...then I would rev mine...and they were at least twice as loud....then the light would turn and Id blow their doors off...I had serious wood for the first two years.


..Id still like to have a Harley also one day...but hell..there a lot of different Id like to have in my garage.


....But I,ll never get rid of my State....Hell no...lot of our riding friends are trading theirs for a Wing....and Ive ridden the new ones...sleek and FAST....but they still have way too much plastic on em to suit me.


...Ive heard the Valk described as a "Classic" many times....and it kind of makes me shudder...because just like good rock music....it,s not classic....its bad to the bone.. 

[bigguy]

As a member of MOOT (Magna Owners Of Texas) I got exposed to a lot of Valkyries. A lot of those guys either moved up to a Valk, or got one as a second bike. Also, having ridden my Magna, I got used to power and performance in a cruiser.
I bought a Victory 92TC Deluxe as a larger, two-up bike for longer rides because I got a good deal on it. It was a good bike, and I was relatively happy with it in the role of heavy, long distance cruiser. I figured you just had to give up a little performance to get the big, comfortable ride. Then a friend let (continually insisted) me take the missus on a quick two-up on his Valkyrie.
The Victory just wasn't the same after that. I jumped on the first Valk I found that I could afford. It's a tourer. I did test ride an Interstate at the local Honda dealer. Somehow, I just didn't like it as much as I did the Tourer.
Still got my Maggie too.

[MacDragon]

I'm probably the only one on here that didn't buy a Valkyrie... I inherited mine.  I've had many bikes over the years from my first BMW 900 (90/6) to a Honda 550(4), Yamaha 850 Special, 1200 Sportster etc. 
My brother bought the 2000 Black Standard new with 1 mile on it and had it for 10 years before he got sick and passed away in July 2010.  I always told him I was going to either get one for myself or take his when he didn't need it any more.  I'll never sell it.  I ride for him every day.   

[JimmyG]

Why??? Well after owning and riding several different ones, the last two being HD's, I quit riding for about 3 years. Then I saw a Valkyrie and it kept whispering to me. I kept listening to make sure about the subdued voice and it became clearer and clearer, it said,"I want you".  So it chose me and I bought one. 

[Mr Whiskey]

Saw the "Nickel Trick". Knew it would be the next generation "Bullet Proof" engine, (after 750/4).
Had to have one!
Peace, Whiskey.

[Big Rig]

Had an 84 wing with 130K, was at the dealer for an oil filter and saw a green valk i/s. in 88 i paid $3500 for the GW i/s, she still ran and rode like a champ. I asked the salesman about the Valk on the floor. Price on the tag said $18999.99. The saleman informed me that they would be crating it back up and shipping it back in a month. So I asked him what the best he could do. He told me 14k. I asked about trades and he said sure. He said bring it by, I said it was out front, he went out to look at it. That is when I told my wife (gf back then) that is he gave me $2500, I woukd buy it today. The salesman came back in and said, you guessed it, $2500. I said sold. I saw a bumble bee a couple weeks before and did not know they had interstates...With all the v-twins out there, the Valk looks nothing like anything else on the road. It is a different bike, and I like different.

I think that is why I like this board too....it is different.

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

I'm probably the only one on here that didn't buy a Valkyrie... I inherited mine.  I've had many bikes over the years from my first BMW 900 (90/6) to a Honda 550(4), Yamaha 850 Special, 1200 Sportster etc.  
My brother bought the 2000 Black Standard new with 1 mile on it and had it for 10 years before he got sick and passed away in July 2010.  I always told him I was going to either get one for myself or take his when he didn't need it any more.  I'll never sell it.  I ride for him every day.  

My second and current Valk was given to me early from my Uncle who couldn't ride it anymore and was going to leave it to me. Didn't want it sitting and not getting ridden so told me to come and get it now, so there are 2 of us that will never sell due to sentimental value and I too ALWAYS think of him when I ride. He was and will always be my favorite riding partner.....