F6B vs Valkyrie Interstate

[lifguardct]

Question, I am considering going from an Interstate to an F6B. Some of you have or had both, what are the pros and cons???

[Big Rig]

I own a Valk IS....I have looked at the FB6...

IMHO (without ruffling feathers) I am not sold on the style or seating position. I am 6'4" and to me (again to me) the FB6 seems short! Scooterish (again MO) When I first sat on my Valk, it said I am all yours...when I sat on the FB6, I was hoping for the same feeling...just was not there...I started to look at what I would need to mod to make it a better fit for me...the Valk...well it was "ride me like you stole me". I have only added highway pegs and a tank belt. 15 years later, she is still the best looking and riding bike on the road.

I have rode new wings, and they are nice, smooth bikes...my valk offers me more options (Super Valk) and looks...and no payments...

Good luck, it is a tough decission you have on your hands...wish you the best.

[sandy]

F6 is faster and has no carb issues. Handles better too. No trunk means adding one or towing a small trailer for trips. New F6 has factory cruise. Bigger payments with the F6B.

[Jack B]

I have both a 99 I/S (no trunk) and a new F6B. I Love the the Valk. But after riding the F6B I don't want to ride the Valkyrie anymore. The F6B feels modern and the Valk feels old. The F6B just does everything better.
I bought a new Tourer and I sold that this spring after 112,000 happy miles great bike. I only sold it because I bought a St1300 which was a fun bike but I ended up trading that in on the F6B. So now I'll be selling my I/S this spring. I will always love the Valk it is the best looking motorcycle out there.

[Tundra]

I do not own one, and have not ridden one, although would very much like to. I have a friend that has both, loves his Valkyrie but also said the exact same thing as Jack B stated. The F6B just does everything better.

[jimmytee]

I don't have an Interstate, but I do have a standard with a Woody's fairing and bags. Sorta a quasi Interstate. , no trunk. I also have a F6B. Speed , handling, no contest,the F6B wins hands down. As far as comfort, well that's a little more complex. As new ,off the showroom floor. the F6B would lose this comparison. That , however, isn't quite a fair assessment . My Valkyrie, like many here,  has comfort upgrades. Ultimate seats, highway pegs, Risers etc... Of course I would have to add in the Fairing and many other stuff, but Interstates already have these.

On my F6B,as far as comfort related items, I've changed the seat to Corbin,added Kury Ergo III highway pegs, changed the windshield, and have changed the handlebars to Helibars. With these items, my F6B is now more comfy than my Valkyrie. For me.

[Mr Whiskey]

Well, comin' from our wrecked out 2K/IS to an '05 Wing, here's my take.
The Wing does simply out perform the IS in every way, except cool factor!
That being said, Sugar would never let me dump the trunk either. (She really likes her darkside rocket sofa, haha!)
If the day comes where I find a really really really good deal (read dirt cheap) on another Wing though, this would be done by the end of the week.......
http://www.mblinnovations.com/sports_kit.html
(Cheap alternative to those F6B payments & works with all the gl1800's, first & second gen.)
I still miss the Valky sometimes, but after ridin' the Wing, gettin' on my Brothers Valk was like goin' back to a dinosaur. I've jus' come to expect too much more with the Wing that the Valky can't produce.
My .02 worth,
and there's still some cool factor, even for a Geezer Glide

[eric in md]

looks like grandads bike 

[dragon_slayer_129]

My little brother (turned 40 this year) bought himself a '06 wing last year and loves it.  He came from the crotch rocket world of riding for years  (over a 100K miles combined on 3 bikes).  He rode my valk a couple of times and that was all it took......he started looking for a big touring bike and settled on the wing with all the goodies.

Now that my brother has a wing my little cousin decided to get into the geezer glide (as you guys put it) club and started looking for himself a wing to replace his st1300.

[cookiedough]

Yah, my money is on a good used 01-05' wing over a new F6B costing around roughly 5 grand less in price (10K vs. 15K).

But, if you got money burning a hole in your pocket, go for it.  I have sat on an F6B and like it a lot, except I'd never spend that kind of dough on any cycle.   For some though, it is well worth it, especially if you ride a ton of miles per year say 7-10K.  Plus,  if you don't like nor need the top luggage trunk like the Wing has,  I say the F6B is even more to your liking then since doesn't have the top trunk, only side bags.  For me, I prefer the top trunk being useful plus sidebags offered on my Valk I/S or newer Wing. 

I contemplated for months in 2008 whether to buy the dime a dozen used 1520cc older wing for 7-7.5K or my 01' 1520cc Valkyrie I/S for 8K with much less miles on it.  I made the right decision for me, for now anyways!   

After riding both,  the VAlk I/S handled so much better and roomier for 2-up riding vs. the old 1520cc Wing (old man's bike).  Plus, I knew it was not in the cards when I did a U-turn in the middle of the road with the older 1520cc wing and scraped bottom doing it not even trying or turning sharply in the middle of the road. 

[Dave Ritsema]

I went from a 2000 Interstate to a new F6B this spring. Like others have said, while I loved my Interstate, (owned it for 13 years) the F6B simply does everything better. And it should, it is nearly 14 years newer, everything evolves with time. (Well maybe everything but most HD's)   When my dealer offered me a new F6B for my bike and $8500 it was a total no brainer.

With Ultimate seats, MBL innovations handlebar risers, Rivco floorboards and the taller Honda windshield I am as comfortable as I was on the Valkyrie. The audio system is great, the engine is powerful and the fuel injection takes away many concerns that the carbs created. The handling is not even in the same ballpark as the Valkyrie. I was concerned at first about not having a trunk, but with the luggage rack you can put on a large T bag and have more capacity than you do with a trunk.  

All that being said, the Valkyrie is a much cooler looking bike, I constantly got compliments on it whenever it was parked somewhere. Frankly that was kind of nice for my ego I suppose, but I ride what I ride because it is what I want, not to impress others. Heck that is what drew me to the Valkyrie in the first place, it didn't look like everything else. The F6B is very much the same way.

[Rams]

Very nice Wing.   

I'd ride that, minus the trunk but, I like that.

[Reb]

Very nice Wing.  

I'd ride that, minus the trunk but, I like that.

Damn, everyone is turning into a bunch of grandpas around here. I wouldn't be caught dead on one of those geezer glides.

So glad I got a GL1800RR instead 

[PA_1999Valk]

1999 IS - Great when it's cold and I need trunk space.

2013 F6B - Better for everything else.

Carl

[CoachDoc]

I haven't ridden the F6B, but if the riding position is the same as the 1800 Wing there is no doubt a stock Valkyrie is FAR more comfortable. The GL1800 has a really cramped riding position compared to both the Valk and the GL1500. I modified my '05 GL1800 with an Ultimate seat (higher and further back), a foot peg lowering kit (down and further forward) plus a riser kit to bring the bars up and back to match the seat position. So for almost a grand I now have an 1800 that is as comfortable, maybe even more so, then my '97 Standard, which has the seat off a 2000 but is otherwise stock. The 1800 engine in any of its versions does have more power for sure with better gas mileage to boot. No carbs to drive you crazy is another plus, as well as the cruise, ABS, etc.

[cookiedough]

Ride an F6B and if you like it, like previously said,  go for it since it will only cost out of pocket another 8-10 grand or so to trade in your Valkyrie for a brand new 2014 F6B since guessing most of us have our Valks all paid for.   The new bike should easily last yet another 15+ years of riding enjoyment.  Under 10 grand out of pocket for a new cycle lasting 15+ years in my book is a good investment, especially say in 15+ years it will be worth the 8-10 grand you spent to get it over the Valkyrie you traded in or sold outright for more money.

I do this with my used ATV's I buy all the time at a fair/good price.  My old 2000 Arctic Cat 500cc 4wd paid 2600 eight years ago sold for 2800 last year, my old 2003 Polaris Magnum 329cc 4wd bought 7 years ago for 3K, sold this summer for 2600.  I got 7-8 years of use out of them enjoying them for a few hundred bucks lost is all. 

My newer 2008 used Can Am Max 2-up 500cc and 800cc ATV's bought within the past 1 year for 5K and 5.5K fully expect (knock on wood)  to only loose out in say 7 more years of riding at most 1 grand each in depreciation.  7 years use or so for 1 grand each in depreciation is money well spent.

[Six-Cylinder Hooligan]

Man I guess I must've got old before my time... Bought my first Wing ('86 Interstate) when I was 25! 

Also owned a couple Shadow 1100's & an ST 1100. Bought a new V-Strom 650 in 2004 & rode it until it was knocked out from under me a few years ago... Easily my favorite bike but also one of the ugliest! LoL New 1800 Wing came along in '07. Probably the most disappointing bike I've owned. Should've bought used.

Got back into cruisers by default... 1800 Wing got sold during a lay-off & I was bikeless after the V-Strom got crunched. Brother in Law had 2000 Valk I/S that he wasn't riding so I gave it a good home. 

Cheers!
-Art

[jimmytee]

I haven't ridden the F6B, but if the riding position is the same as the 1800 Wing there is no doubt a stock Valkyrie is FAR more comfortable. The GL1800 has a really cramped riding position compared to both the Valk and the GL1500. I modified my '05 GL1800 with an Ultimate seat (higher and further back), a foot peg lowering kit (down and further forward) plus a riser kit to bring the bars up and back to match the seat position. So for almost a grand I now have an 1800 that is as comfortable, maybe even more so, then my '97 Standard, which has the seat off a 2000 but is otherwise stock. The 1800 engine in any of its versions does have more power for sure with better gas mileage to boot. No carbs to drive you crazy is another plus, as well as the cruise, ABS, etc.

Seating position is different than the regular Wings. One of the reasons I preferred the F6B. The F6B has you sitting further back. It's more akin to the Valkyrie seating position.

[BF]

I haven't ridden the F6B, but if the riding position is the same as the 1800 Wing there is no doubt a stock Valkyrie is FAR more comfortable. The GL1800 has a really cramped riding position compared to both the Valk and the GL1500. I modified my '05 GL1800 with an Ultimate seat (higher and further back), a foot peg lowering kit (down and further forward) plus a riser kit to bring the bars up and back to match the seat position. So for almost a grand I now have an 1800 that is as comfortable, maybe even more so, then my '97 Standard, which has the seat off a 2000 but is otherwise stock. The 1800 engine in any of its versions does have more power for sure with better gas mileage to boot. No carbs to drive you crazy is another plus, as well as the cruise, ABS, etc.

Seating position is different than the regular Wings. One of the reasons I preferred the F6B. The F6B has you sitting further back. It's more akin to the Valkyrie seating position.

The 1800 Wings feel cramped to me as well. 

I haven't rode an F6B either, but I have sat on one and thought it really comfy and roomy.  The seat felt further back from any 1800 Wing I've been on and was much softer and had way more room too. 

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

Finally fell in behind one on The Gulf Coast Ride coming back home up through Georgia.... The F6B looks like a bigass Cushman scotter from behind. We blew by and I was looking for his " step through "      The new Goldwing Valkyrie is looking better all the time with the Corbin saddlebags .

[Mr Whiskey]

Very nice Wing.  

I'd ride that, minus the trunk but, I like that.

Damn, everyone is turning into a bunch of grandpas around here. I wouldn't be caught dead on one of those geezer glides.

So glad I got a GL1800RR instead 

Thanks Rams!
Hey Reb, "Lets you ride-a my Road Rocket" bawaahahaha

[Dave Ritsema]

Early last spring.


4 Hours later.




The Valkyrie was the best motorcycle I have ever owned in terms of reliability and smile factor. The F6B has to fill some pretty big expectations but so far is meeting them all. One thing that I really enjoy about a newer bike other than the obvious improvements is that I can actually buy all kinds of accessories without any problems. Great for the bike, not so great on my bank account. 

[PAVALKER]

Dave - nice F6B.  It needed that taller shield IMO.

Out of all three variants of the GL1800, I like the full Wing and F6B.....that other one just doesn't do a thing for me.  However, that being said, I made my own comfortable version of the Flat Six Bagger with my Solo Valk.  I am  surprised in how much different, better IMO, the Solo Valk rides over the Interstate.  I did look at the F6B and even considered a full Goldwing, but opted to keep with what I already felt to be the best bike for me.....just changed it up to suit my needs...  My SO didn't ride or tour with me anymore so I sold my full IS and trailer setup, keeping this one here as my solo ride for years to come I hope.  Yea, there might be an F6B or Goldwing (2010 or earlier) in my future......I will worry about that when the time comes then find a gently used one with low miles, and low price.

[WNGD]

Of course the f6b is the more capable machine at a dozen years newer and both built by Honda. But a solo'd Valk IS vs the f6b is no comparison in looks and coolness, heavily in favor of the Valk.

[Jack B]

Of course the f6b is the more capable machine at a dozen years newer and both built by Honda. But a solo'd Valk IS vs the f6b is no comparison in looks and coolness, heavily in favor of the Valk.

I have both but I like riding the F6B a lot more.

[PAVALKER]

Of course the f6b is the more capable machine at a dozen years newer and both built by Honda. But a solo'd Valk IS vs the f6b is no comparison in looks and coolness, heavily in favor of the Valk.

Yep....and if were to get the itch to ride with the trunk and/or rear pillion I can add em back on.  I don't think the F6B has that option.....but it is newer, bigger, faster, but I won't say better (.depends on perspective).

[BF]

Cool lights.     Where'd you get them?

Yep....and if were to get the itch to ride with the trunk and/or rear pillion I can add em back on. I don't think the F6B has that option.....but it is newer, bigger, faster, but I won't say better (.depends on perspective).

You can always add a Harley trunk like this......

[Gavin_Sons]

That harley trunk looks awesome on the F6B

[PAVALKER]

Yep....and if were to get the itch to ride with the trunk and/or rear pillion I can add em back on. I don't think the F6B has that option.....but it is newer, bigger, faster, but I won't say better (.depends on perspective).

You can always add a Harley trunk like this......

Or even a piece of Samsonite.  Yea, there are always options.  That trunk doesn't look bad, but show us some pics of it from the front and how it might fit with a passenger.   There is a kit for the Goldwing where you can blank out the trunk, it goes on and off and still retains all the good features from the Wing that they removed for the F6B.  How sweet would it have been for the F6B to have had the adjustable shield, cruise, and that other stuff they removed.

Don't get me wrong, I like the F6B and the Goldwing..... But I hate that they took so much off for the F6B, with not that much in price difference in the grand scheme of things.  But I'm quite happy with my "Vintage"  Flat Six Bagger....

[Dave Ritsema]

Cool lights.     Where'd you get them?

The lights are from Kuryakyn, they are available in black (like mine) or chrome.

Yep....and if were to get the itch to ride with the trunk and/or rear pillion I can add em back on. I don't think the F6B has that option.....but it is newer, bigger, faster, but I won't say better (.depends on perspective).

You can always add a Harley trunk like this......

[Jack B]

Show Crome also sells a set of rear LED's for the rear in smoke chrome or chrome. They both look good.

[Mr Whiskey]

Hey BF, that trunk makes that ride! Got anymore pics? Real or photoshop?

[BF]

Hey BF, that trunk makes that ride! Got anymore pics? Real or photoshop?

No I don't.  It's real though, not photoshopped. 

I think it was Jimmytee that originally posted that pic.  Think he said it was from another Wing forum and that it is a Harley trunk. 

I have a Harley trunk that I use on my bike from time to time and for two up riding.  It's for the Harley Heritage Softail.  I put a Corbin backrest on it. 

[jimmytee]

Hey BF, that trunk makes that ride! Got anymore pics? Real or photoshop?

Yep it's real. If you look close, in this particular set up, the trunk actually overhangs where the antenna is and the rubber antenna is bent over. There are actually several F6B owners who have added trunks of various sorts that quicj release. Some have fabbed their own system others use off the shelf quick release from makes like Givi. That pic is from one of the members on the F6B Forum. It is a chopped HD Tour Pack.

[BF]

Hey BF, that trunk makes that ride! Got anymore pics? Real or photoshop?

Yep it's real. If you look close, in this particular set up, the trunk actually overhangs where the antenna is and the rubber antenna is bent over. There are actually several F6B owners who have added trunks of various sorts that quicj release. Some have fabbed their own system others use off the shelf quick release from makes like Givi. That pic is from one of the members on the F6B Forum. It is a chopped HD Tour Pack.

You have a link to those posts, or the forum?

[jimmytee]

Hey BF, that trunk makes that ride! Got anymore pics? Real or photoshop?

Yep it's real. If you look close, in this particular set up, the trunk actually overhangs where the antenna is and the rubber antenna is bent over. There are actually several F6B owners who have added trunks of various sorts that quicj release. Some have fabbed their own system others use off the shelf quick release from makes like Givi. That pic is from one of the members on the F6B Forum. It is a chopped HD Tour Pack.

You have a link to those posts, or the forum?

Here is a link that features a couple of Givi trunks, which I'm not fond of. It also has the one up above and another one that is one of the "pizza box" style. Not bad, but I think he got the mounting angle off a bit. The guy above goes into detail about how he mounted that chopped Harley Tour Pack.
http://hondaf6b.com/showthread.php?3136-Givi-trunk&highlight=trunk
Here is another one.
http://hondaf6b.com/showthread.php?4171-mounting-a-tour-pack&highlight=tour+pack

And yet another

http://hondaf6b.com/showthread.php?708-F6B-With-Harley-Trunk&highlight=tour+pack

[3fan4life]

If I had the money I'D add a Black and Red F6B to the stable in a heartbeat.



But I don't think that the Valk would go anywhere.


Come to think about it, if those lottery numbers ever hit I'd also add:



A 2015 40th Anniversary Edition Goldwing


And



A New 1800 Valkyrie

[cookiedough]

I really, really, really like that dark red and all blacked out new goldwing they got out now, looks sharp and tough at the same time, not like your old mans Wing like most others.  Sure hope my 2001 Valk I/S lasts another 15 years so I can afford one down to say 10-12 grand by then.  At over 20g's,  not so sure too many will be buying one though.  Sure hope they do though,  so in 15 years there are some on the market used to afford.