[buzzard]

Will be leaving NC on July 2nd which will start an 8 day trip to visit family and friends in central Fla. I anticipate about 2000 miles round trip including local rides while there.
I plan on making the trip down and back a two-day affair, stopping somewhere in Mid-GA going south and then around Orangeburg, SC coming back north.
I've packed gear that will hopefully help manage 95+ temps durng the ride. Departure times will be around 6 am each day to allow early hours of riding when it isn't so hot. That along with frequently rest and hydration stops hopefully will aid in not getting heat related problems.
If I can get off the road around 2pm each day and find a motel/hotel with a pool we should be good to go.
Bike is serviced and ready to go, should be a good time. I'll post a ride/Valkyrie review when done.

 

[st2sam]

I'll post a ride/Valkyrie review when done.

That would be great.


Have fun, ride safe.....

 

[goldstar903]

Cool I need a trip like that!!

 

[buzzard]

1900 mi ride is finished.
Had a great time visiting family and friends in Fla. Nephew put on an impressive non-stop 20 min fireworks show July 4th. Helped Mom with some house projects and became a great uncle again.

Now for some ride report highlights.
Traveling in July was HOT!! On the way back home Thursday through SC the temp hit 102. Packed a rain suit, it was never used. Purchased and mounted a handle bar bottle holder from Ebay before I left. This was a life saver. Stopped every hour and 1/2 to stretch my legs and get something cold to drink. Usually purchasing 2 bottles of Gatorade, drinking one and filling the bottle with the other to sip during traffic stops.

Now for the bike.

Pros: Performed flawlessly. Quite, smooth power at your command at any speed, passing was super easy. Eats miles without any effort. Logged personal best of 614 mi in one day. Handled 75+ mph on the hwy's and held steady on twisty secondary roads. Mileage avg'd 42.5 for the trip. OEM tires are decent but not the best. Would certainly like to see what a good set of Michelins, Perellis, Avons, etc... would feel like.
The National Cycle Deflector DX windscreen worked great. No helmet buffeting while letting some air come around the sides to help cooling.
Brakes worked fine, no issues even under hard braking events. (yes there are a$$holes on the road). Ergonomics were acceptable. Handle bar position felt good ( was raised about 1" higher at purchase), leg position and pegs were comfortable.
Every time I stopped it seemed like someone came up and asked what I was riding. All were impressed with the look of the Valk.

Cons: The factory seat is horrible!!!!! After 2 hrs all comfort goes away. At 4 hrs I found myself squirming around while riding repositioning my weight trying to find some way to stay seated. At 6 hrs I was suffering big time. There was no way to sit still, or redistribute my weight anywhere on the seat to avoid the hurt. I must have looked rather odd at times to other travelers as I wiggling around.
At 8 hrs I was off the road, couldn't take anymore.( On the return trip I borrowed a gel pad and it made a big difference. While it didn't totally cure the seat "contour" problem it gave enough cushion to allow 12 hrs in the saddle).
I set the rear shock pre-load at 15 clicks before leaving. I weigh about 195 and had about 25 lbs of gear strapped to the back seat/sissy bar & carrier. Even at this setting, some bumps in the road would buck me clear off the seat. I had to stop and adjust down to 10 clicks to get a better ride.

Overall, I was very impressed with the Valk's capability. It has all of the power and handling of the traditional Goldwing wrapped in a gorgeous muscular body. This bike should not be mistaken for a world class touring machine. It is a power cruiser that with a little refinement can be made into an acceptable daylong riding machine.

Y'all be safe.

 

[shrubbo]

lol thanks for the read and I laughed at you cons. Man I so get it. I fixed the pain bit with a reshaped seat and installed Rivco hiway pegs so I can move around a lot with no dramas. Big difference be able to cruise with your legs stretched out a bit. I ride solo but kept the back seat. I can sit there for a change if I choose haha.