[HondaBilly]

Hello, everyone.
My name is Bill, and I reside in central New Hampshire - one of the "frozen states."

As a matter of fact, it is snowing here again, today.

I have been riding Honda motorcycles for 12 years, in the following order: 2007 Shadow 600 VLX Deluxe, 2007 VTX 1300, 2007 VTX 1800 F3, 2016 Gold Wing F6B, 2014 Gold Wing Valkyrie.
I presently have the F6B, which I obtained August 2018. What a bike!
I have also had a Victory Gunner since 2014, and was riding the Vic for fun rides and short stuff, and the B for overnights and day long rides.
A few weeks ago, I stopped in at my local Honda Powersports and saw a black 2014 Valkyrie at a ridiculous clearance price. There were only 3 left. I could not resist. In order to make room in my garage, I will have to sell the Vic at less than she's really worth, but I justify my decision in that I'm getting one of the last 2014 Valkyries at 8 grand off MSRP, not to mention that now I will have two Wings - same motor, same 5-speed transmission, same unbeatable Honda quality and performance.
My Vic was pretty quick, you know?
But I have always wanted a really fast motorcycle, and I have been drooling over Valkyries for 5 years.
I think my decision is a smart one.


See you all around....

 

[Swagfu]

Welcome to the club. You will not be disappointed with your purchase.

 

[Afta]

Well Bill I'm from Tamworth, NH and wish you had bought a blue one as I'm about the only guy with a black Valk around. LOL. I bought mine last year at Naults. I've done a custom seat and a few other things. FYI Ill be selling the factory backrest and rack off mine if you're looking. I love mine and couldn't be happier. Great bike!

 

[JackB]

I also have a F6B and a Valkyrie both great bikes.
I love them both.
But if I had to sell one sadly it would be the Valkyrie the B is a better bike for long trips.
But I didn't buy the Valkyrie for trips.

 

[HondaBilly]

Well Bill I'm from Tamworth, NH and wish you had bought a blue one as I'm about the only guy with a black Valk around. LOL. I bought mine last year at Naults. I've done a custom seat and a few other things. FYI Ill be selling the factory backrest and rack off mine if you're looking. I love mine and couldn't be happier. Great bike!

I have an old friend who lives in Tamworth. Nice country up that way.
My home is in Davisville. Exit 7 off I-89.
Thanks for the offer regarding your Valk accessories.
But I think I will be leaving her in stock condition pretty much, and not touching her mechanically.
It's already so dam fast.:laugh:

As for trim items, I'm having a Boulevard windscreen and rear rack added to my bike right there at Naults, which is where I also got the F6B. I might be able to pick her up this Saturday, if we get the warm rain forecasted for Friday.

I have done this once before...letting go of bikes I already owned and was very happy with, in order to take advantage of an excellent, irresistible deal on an even better, new-old-stock Honda at Naults.
In 2010, I let go of my beautiful, pearl-white VTX1300 (had Stage 1), and threw in my Shadow VLX600, in order to get one of the last 2007 VTX1800s before they were all gone.
It was an F3, which was the fancy 1800. It had polished chrome alloy 18" wheels, digital instruments, and outstanding exhaust pipes, none of which were available on the other VTX1800 models.
It was metallic black. Wow! Even my mom (God rest her soul) thought it was beautiful 0
Do you have any buddies who ride together?
I might be interested in hooking up with you all on Sundays.

 

[Afta]

My father in law grew up in Warner near you. He was a Boutwell and if my wife doesn't know who your old buddy is I probably do. lol

I know what you mean about letting good bikes go for great deals.

I traded the silver VT 1300 interstate in that's now in Naults used section. I set it up stage 3 it runs **** good great sounding bike with the 2 into 1. Don Guhl mapped also.

I really hadn't planned on buying a new bike but the deal! Doug took good care of me as usual. Mine came with Honda bags, windshield, and backrest. I also added a few other goodies. I recommend highway pegs but dont waste the money on the Kuryakyn Ergo lll's I cant seem to get a set that works correctly on the left side. I wish I had the pop out ones instead but I'll just live with these for now.

 

[HondaBilly]

Looks like we've had similar experiences.
I am not anxious at all to let go of my Victory Gunner.
I have spend quite a bit of $ on her, improving performance, prettying her up, and making her my own.
Check out the pics over in "For Sale by Owner."

She's been on Craigslist for a few weeks, at a very reasonable price. But it's such a buyer's market out there right now.
I'm probably going to wind up trading her to Paul Nault in my Valkyrie deal, which I really don't mind doing at all. Any dealer who gets his hands on this bike is going to make a couple of grand profit, selling her at the higher price a dealer can get compared to a private owner. Besides, I'd just as soon Naults make the money.
I'm going to be riding two of their Gold Wings.
I do well if they do well.
Know what I mean?


BTW, Doug Clarke isn't with Naults any more. He works at Freedom Cycle in Concord now.

 

[Afta]

Wow! I'm surprised at that. I like working with Doug.

Good luck with picking up your new this weekend we still have a ton of snow up here. My bike is in my basement. I Had the seat on it done over with foam and gel. The Fog lights all done, but have to adjust them and put the lower back on. I'll probably do an oil change also.

Then its off to ACME chopper to get my Viking Tour pack fabricated the way I want it. I'm thinking this will be enough money for this year's modifications.

Eventually, I might add a Torque master exhaust and have Don Guhl map it. We'll see about his though. Honestly, I'm enjoying the bike the way it is. It's crazy I can go 24 MPH or 124 MPH in 5th gear you really don't have to shift this thing much.

 

[HondaBilly]

Wow! I'm surprised at that. I like working with Doug.

Good luck with picking up your new this weekend we still have a ton of snow up here. My bike is in my basement. I Had the seat on it done over with foam and gel. The Fog lights all done, but have to adjust them and put the lower back on. I'll probably do an oil change also.

Then its off to ACME chopper to get my Viking Tour pack fabricated the way I want it. I'm thinking this will be enough money for this year's modifications.

Eventually, I might add a Torque master exhaust and have Don Guhl map it. We'll see about his though. Honestly, I'm enjoying the bike the way it is. It's crazy I can go 24 MPH or 124 MPH in 5th gear you really don't have to shift this thing much.

****************

I know what you mean. It did get warm down this way yesterday, peaking in the low 60s. But it did not rain enough to melt that much of the snow.
There is still quite a bit on the ground here, too, and the roads have streams of meltwater running across them.
Better to wait 2 more weeks, and pick up the Valk at Naults at the end of the month, when it will be warmer and after some more of the snow is gone (cross our fingers, right?)

As for upgrading the stock edition, my new Valk already has a Rear Rack and a Boulevard Windscreen installed at Naults. I gave them a deposit of $500 to hold my Valk for me and pay for those accessories. That rack will allow me to install the baseplate from a nifty Italian Givi Travel Trunk, which pops on and off, and can be locked with a key. I had it on my Victory. Good for medium runs when I don't want to take my F6B.

The dealer that sold Victory around here was HK PowerSports in Hooksett. As you probably know, HK has another shop in Laconia.
The sales manager in Hooksett, where I bought it, wants to take a look at my Gunner, cuz he's considering buying it from me, and selling it for a profit. I can't see my Gunner priced at a dealership for less than $8000. It's truly gorgeous. And fast! The Valkyrie will not beat if off the line. The graph from the dynotuning that was done at KT Cycles in Hudson indicates 101 ft lb torque at the rear wheel. That is equivalent to 115-116 at the crankshaft, which is the statistic manufacturers advertise. The Valkyrie is advertised by Honda with 124 ft lb, right? But a Gunner weighs about 680 pounds, while a Valkyrie is up around 750! The Valkyrie won't start running away from my Gunner for about 4 seconds (75 mph). At that point, the massive horsepower of a Valkyrie would take over, and leave my Vic, as well as a lot of other "fast" motorcycles in the dust. Absolutely >

 

[Afta]

The thing I like most about these bikes is this. They cruise at grandpa speeds wonderful and rip like a 90s sport bike when the call comes. Ill be riding this bike for a long time. I hope you enjoy it as much as I.

 

[Geepers]

I hope you enjoy it as much as I.

I certainly do. When Shrubbo said he was thinking about buying a second one so he had a backup I thought "that's a bit over the top". But while riding today and thoroughly enjoying the incredible smoothness I actually started to think he's onto it. Not that I can afford to do it but I must admit, the thought of this bike being stolen or otherwise taken from me and having to ride something else, left me cold. I doubt I'll find anything to compare when it comes to such smoothness, handling and power. Not until we're all electric anyway

 

[sanmo]

...... Not until we're all electric anyway

I guess Europe is heading there faster than anyplace else. We'll have a sound and air-pollution free existence, but die of boredom. Here in the US I'd be happy if they changed the 2nd Amendment to confer the right to ride loud motorcycles instead of the right to bear arms.

 

[Geepers]

We'll have a sound and air-pollution free existence, but die of boredom.

Dunno about that. Watch the Ken Condon video of him riding an electric. Says in an interview afterwards that "I truly felt like I was flying above the road". I don't think we should judge them until we've tried them. Personally I think massive, vibration-free power delivered silently is pretty friggin' cool. I just hope they're on the road at affordable prices before I get too old to ride them(!)

PS..makes me laugh that I can say "friggin'" on this site but not "d__n". Go figure...

 

[sanmo]

Dunno about that. Watch the Ken Condon video of him riding an electric. Says in an interview afterwards that "I truly felt like I was flying above the road". I don't think we should judge them until we've tried them. Personally I think massive, vibration-free power delivered silently is pretty friggin' cool. I just hope they're on the road at affordable prices before I get too old to ride them(!)

PS..makes me laugh that I can say "friggin'" on this site but not "d__n". Go figure...

Sure, different strokes and all that. But where Europe is headed you won't have a choice regarding electric vs. gasoline vs. whatever....
Ken Condon is some sort of MC guru Down Under?

 

[Geepers]

Ken Condon is some sort of MC guru Down Under?

Nope, he's one of your very own

http://www.ridinginthezone.com

 

[DillPickle311]

Personally I think massive, vibration-free power delivered silently is pretty friggin' cool.

Yep! I like the idea of sneaking up on unaware drivers while they almost kill me cause they don't hear me and WE all know they can never ever see us anyway. huh? :|

Anyone riding a batt powered two-wheeler without discernible noise of some kind has a death wish.

The killers driving the cars will be asked by a TV reporter what happened and every single one of them will say... "I never saw that motorcycle" :crying: Duh!!!

 

[Geepers]

Anyone riding a ... two-wheeler without discernible noise of some kind has a death wish.

Like a Honda Valkyrie you mean?

 

[DillPickle311]

Like a Honda Valkyrie you mean?

The Valk is too quiet but not like an electric bike will be unless they add a sound like HD has for their new $30K elec machine. I'm pretty sure I'll never hear or see one though... unless it is flying past me... like a crotchety rocket. :nerd: