[DillPickle311]

I recently pushed my Valkyrie more than any other bike that I’ve owned. Gravel almost got me on some twistys when I went too wide and later, an 18 wheeler pulled into my lane as I hit my front brakes… I was going way too fast.

Would have been my fault because he did not see me cause I was flying.

That said, I realize that you cannot and must not(ME~!) take this machine for granted. It can handle what you dish out. However, it will not be forgiving if you decide to be stupid. It only takes one stupid move and of course I realize this. Experience don’t mean squat it you are acting a fool.(ME~!)

I also realize that playing it safe all the time is no fun. Did I have fun? Absolutely! Not another machine I would have based upon my time on it since 12/2018.

 

[DillPickle311]

I just remembered how I've ruined myself with this bike.

It scoots so quickly and quietly. When I drive my car, I no longer have any patience with others. I'm moving several thousand pounds of metal and plastic and want to ride it like a valky.

You all know what it's like to have close calls riding a motorcycle. I love to cruise slowly and then sometimes fast but I always will want my life to end as an old man taking my last breath in my sleep.
Whether fast or slow, I'm a target. So be it... and I'm not going to live and ride being scared.

 

[KUGO]

I just remembered how I've ruined myself with this bike. ....

Whether fast or slow, I'm a target. So be it... and I'm not going to live and ride being scared.

I was thinking about this very thing the other day, and it kind of surprised me. I'm 68, healthy, thank God, and enjoy riding as much as when I started at age 12. Or do I? In the same ways? I don't remember being as cautious as I am today. Although I've always been extremely careful and never tried to pull stunts beyond my ability, I don't remember being so constantly defensively conscious of every moment I'm on the bike! It's mainly when I'm playing defense in traffic, but it's also a heightened sensitivity to listening for things that could be a possible precursor of calamity even when riding down a quiet country road. I don't remember being this way for most of my riding years. I was much more "care-free", it seems. Is it my accumulation of 56 years of rider "skills and knowledge" making me more intelligently cautious nowadays? I know for a fact I'm not more "mature" now. Is it my fear of texting cagers, a threat that I'd never dealt with for most of those past years? Or maybe just the acknowledgement/fear that my body doesn't heal as fast as it used to when I break something on me, so, I'm trying to just be more careful? Don't get me wrong, I still love riding every single moment I can. It's just my perspective that seems to have changed. And a part of it is that my previous bikes did not have the instant GO that this bike has. You don't just goose the throttle mindlessly on this thing w/o consequence. Just wondered if others know where I'm coming from.

 

[DillPickle311]

KUGO,

My riding buddy will turn 70 next month. He has as many years of experience as you. Never ever went down UNTIL he was behind me while I was making a turn into the blinding sunlight and I hit some loose gravel, went down, and he hit me in the rear. I ruined his bragging rights! :laugh:

I'm 60 and have no doubt I will feel the same as you as I age. It's a built in reflex which is why older drivers drive me nuts. They don't see or hear as well and reflexes are shot but we better not pull their DL's.

My buddy and I haven't ridden together in a while but this guy scares the dookie out of me when or if I let him lead. He rides wide open... I kid you not!

 

[Geepers]

I also realize that playing it safe all the time is no fun...

Nor is hospital.

 

[KUGO]

KUGO,

My riding buddy will turn 70 next month. He has as many years of experience as you. Never ever went down UNTIL he was behind me while I was making a turn into the blinding sunlight and I hit some loose gravel, went down, and he hit me in the rear. I ruined his bragging rights! :laugh:

I'm 60 and have no doubt I will feel the same as you as I age. It's a built in reflex which is why older drivers drive me nuts. They don't see or hear as well and reflexes are shot but we better not pull their DL's.

My buddy and I haven't ridden together in a while but this guy scares the dookie out of me when or if I let him lead. He rides wide open... I kid you not!

Got a good chuckle (not your incident) at that memory you just conjured up. My riding buddy and I were leaving a small town brew-factory after a rest stop for a cold one and a burger and then hopped back on the bikes to ride more. He was in front and as we crossed the intersection on our way to the Shell station on the left (that we'd previously decided to gas up at) I could see that his kickstand was down. A semi (gas truck, just for irony) was coming his way but I could tell he thought he could beat it. All I could see was the certain aftermath and started yelling as loud as I could (Illinois, no helmet law) and hit my custom airhorns. He, fortunately, heard the horns and looked back to see me waving to pull over to the right. That was the incident that prompted me to yell "KUGO" to all my friends getting back on their bikes from that time forward: Kickstand Up, Gas On! (These were the petcock days, when unexpectedly going "phhht-sputter-sputter" instead of "vroom" when you needed it could become an issue.) I loved riding with that friend for years, but I always kept a sideways eye out for him as I never knew just what he might do next.

 

[Old Guy]

My last crash was 1977 on my Honda CB350. That is until last August. I was turning into my gravel drive when I heard tires screaming from behind. In my efforts to get the H____ out of the way of an 18 year old texting while driving, I turned in too hott and the peg buried into the birm where the drive ends and the asphalt starts. Short story, it stood straight up, bars went left/right/left again and I am crawling out from under a 650 lb bike. Car didn't even stop to check on me until I jumped up and started screaming at them.

Bottom line--you gotta watch out whether it is somebody else of yourself. Of course in my case, 1 crash every 42 years is not too bad. But my wife now refuses to ride with me. She seems to always have something else to do.

 

[DillPickle311]

I hate gravel! It's like we can do all we can to avoid it and it eventually catches up with us when we least expect it.

This machine and gravel do not go together. I sometimes have to ride on the pea gravel roads and there is always some loose somewhere.

 

[Poncho]

I hate gravel! It's like we can do all we can to avoid it and it eventually catches up with us when we least expect it. This machine and gravel do not go together. I sometimes have to ride on the pea gravel roads and there is always some loose somewhere.

Or just get one of them fancy dual sport type adventure bikes with k'nobby tires.. I almost popped for a deal on that VRF1200X but was seduced by this F6C.. it was gonna be a toss up. the Valk one that coin toss. "slip sliding away" by JT playing in the background. poncho

 

[DillPickle311]

Or just get one of them fancy dual sport type adventure bikes with k'nobby tires.. I almost popped for a deal on that VRF1200X but was seduced by this F6C.. it was gonna be a toss up. the Valk one that coin toss. "slip sliding away" by JT playing in the background. poncho

Ha!I came close to jumping on a VFR1200F. Fascinated by its looks but didn't think I could handle the foot peg placement. I really wanted the CTX1300 and came close to doing a 1000 mile drive to test ride it and then I saw this valky.

No regrets! Love Paul Simon songs...