[mrtappan]

I was debating on getting rid of my Valkyrie for something I could customize more. I checked Kelley Blue Book for the price.........

$7500 trade in....... $10,500 retail for a 2014 non ABS.

I'm a little surprised. These bikes did not seem to hold their value at all. Kind of sad, these had so much potential that was never realized.

 

[turboyoshi]

I take the attitude that when I buy something, that money is gone, and that anything I get back is good. I never consider resale value.
That sucks for someone who bought in early, which is another reason to always wait a while after a new model has come out. Plus the fact that first and sometimes 2nd gens usually tend to be overpriced and also have more bugs that need to be worked out.

 

[Surfndad]

Yah I bought mine site unseen, received it three a month later got the first one in my area. paid full pop, but I look at it as I was riding it two years before anyone else. Kind of like walking around with a couple of playmates, a real head turner. But the weather has been so shitty and a bad shoulder I haven't spent much time in the saddle. On top of that I put about $3k into extras. But all that aside won't be selling my for some time, even if I put it in the living room just to stare at.

 

[Joflewbyu2]

That is actually pretty good. Most 1 year old metric bikes wholesale for 1/2 of what retail was when new. I bought mine in Feb 2015 for $12,999. No regrets thou. I got the color I wanted by my local dealer who will take it back on trade or on consignment. No other bike interests me thou. Waiting for the 17 Goldwing F6B which I hope will have a DCT, revised front suspension and LED lights. Lets see if my wish comes true for the 17 model year.

 

[mrtappan]

I'm kind of in the same boat. I'm not happy with the Valkyrie like I hoped I would be but then there really just isn't anything else that catches my eye except maybe a new Indian. I've owned a Polaris (Victory Hardball 106) before and I was seriously unimpressed with their design and quality. The Tech section of their forum was so busy with broken bikes you'd think it was a Harley forum. Not exaggerating, there were dozens of posts to the effect of "Bike broke down on the way home from dealership" and "XXXXX broken at only 1200 miles" etc. Polaris making Indian makes me seriously hesitant to own one.

I'd consider an F6B if they made them differently than the Goldwing, such as with a handlebar mounted fairing. I hate to use this analogy but: I'd like the Valkyrie body (without the weird pointed side fairings) with a Street Glide front end.

 

[turboyoshi]

I'm kind of in the same boat. I'm not happy with the Valkyrie like I hoped I would be but[...]

Just out of curiosity, are you just unhappy with the lack of custom options or are there performance/mechanical things you don't like?

 

[mrtappan]

My main complaint is the aftermarket aspect.

I know I'll probably take some flack for this but this is my main complaint in the performance category that does kind of rub me the wrong way. It's a 150 lbs lighter Goldwing. Where as the previous generation Valkyrie had some slight but noticeable differences in the engine, the new one doesn't. So to me it's technically not a "power cruiser" but a "lighter Goldwing." I've never actually seen one run the quarter mile but they claim it runs 11.9 seconds (up on the Goldwing by a good bit which is around 12.7 seconds). Which is good, as most comparable displacement bikes using a V-twin average around 12.4 seconds. So the Valkyrie has performance.... but it could have so much more. Would a slightly more aggressive cam and slight drop in MPG killed sales?

Of course that's just my opinion. I'm all for owning power in excess. I'd rather have power and not use it, than want more and not have it.

 

[turboyoshi]

Of course that's just my opinion. I'm all for owning power in excess. I'd rather have power and not use it, than want more and not have it.

Yeah I understand that. If I don't manage to score a Valk at a decent price, I'll probably go with the m109 for that reason. You'd think an 1800cc engine could do a lot more but I'm no engineer so don't really have any idea what the reasons are.

 

[mrtappan]

Manufacturers have all kinds of goals: economy, fuel efficiency, carbon output, longevity, etc.

The Valkyrie uses the Goldwings touring engine which balances power/torque with fuel efficiency and emissions. Sure the 1.8 liter engine could make way more than the horsepower it does..... but then it wouldn't meet emissions, have bad fuel economy etc.

Engines make power by burning gas. Want more power? Burn more gas (or burn the gas you have more efficiently).

I considered an M109 years ago but after riding one decided I didn't like it. I thought it was way too heavy for what it is and a V-twin with a 7000rpm red line wasn't for me. Always sounded like you had to wind it way up to get it to hit the sweet spot. I personally like low end torque monster V-twins with 5500-ish red lines. I really could care less about going 150mph. I want to smoke everything off the line traffic light to traffic light.

I have a whole M109 engine laying outside my shop in the junk pile. It's crankshaft sits on my coffee table.

 

[buzzard]

I'm not disappointed in the bike at all.
But, seeing that it may be an extremely short lived production life for it the aftermarket companies likely won't invest any significant $$$ due to the extremely limited number of potential buyers.
I've had to pick and chose the accessory items that I needed and could find.
Certainly not the same customization opportunities that any HD would have.
To date only some basic stuff so far: windshield ( NationalCycle Deflector DX), Honda sissy/backrest, aux LED brake lights, 12v outlet and most importantly, Michelin PR4 tires.
The Valk is absolutely perfect for hwy and back road use, predictable handling, good ride comfort, no vibration, gobs of power that and the 1832 flat six is just sweeeeet.
No regrets so far after 12k.

 

[Sensei]

I've had my 2014 for just over two weeks now. Picked it up new for $12k. Done about 600 miles. Really enjoying it. If you read my bio, you'll see I've had a wide range of bikes, like many riders on here. 2 of my last 3 bikes were HD's. Yeah, you can customize them all day long to get that perfect "look" and "comfort". What you can't do (short of BIG $$$) is significantly improve their handling or power. It took me 25+ years of riding to figure out what riding position works best for me - which is the Valkyrie config with pegs below and slight lean forward on handlebars. I don't have hundreds of customizing options, but the important ones are out there (windshields, bags, seats). The critical part is picking a bike with the right ergonomics/performance for you.

Not to bash HD's (they are good bikes, different purpose IMO), but during this last weekend ride I swapped bikes with an HD Ultra that wanted to try my Valk for about 10 miles. Wow, the 2016 HD seat was more comfortable (I've already ordered a Corbin), but the performance was dreadful. I felt like I was driving a bike with a lawnmower engine. A LOUD lawnmower.

 

[Emir]

Congrats your New bike. I Wondered that you bought 2014 valkyrie as second hand or i? it left over? ?? it possible for a bike not to be sold for 2 years?

 

[Sensei]

Congrats your New bike. I Wondered that you bought 2014 valkyrie as second hand or i? it left over? ?? it possible for a bike not to be sold for 2 years?

The bike was brand new - had 6 miles on it when I test drove it. I frequently see 2-3 year old model Hondas at the local dealerships. Maybe they overproduce/over-allocate for my area. I'm in Texas, where HD is the most common bike on the road, by far.

 

[Joflewbyu2]

New as in never titled. The metric bikes that come to my dealer do not have fuel nor oil installed. They are in a crate. Once you purchase the item, they open the crate and pre deliver inspect. Connect battery, air up the tires, add oil and fill with fuel. Start her up and check lights, signals and horn. Go up and down the block to return and make any adjustments before the new proud owner rides her off. The bikes on display are dry too. If purchased, they wheel them back to PDI.

My bike had 0 on her. After PDI, the odometer read 1.

The bike was brand new - had 6 miles on it when I test drove it. I frequently see 2-3 year old model Hondas at the local dealerships. Maybe they overproduce/over-allocate for my area. I'm in Texas, where HD is the most common bike on the road, by far.

 

[mrtappan]

Same here. I rode a blue demo Valkyrie at the place I bought mine from then paid for a black one that was in a crate and had to be assembled. Mine had the generic "one mile test ride" when I picked it up.