[Odin]

Just a few comments/observations about the bike and my setup:

I finally took the Valk on a much needed long trip. Over 700 miles in one day, including downpours to get to Hot Springs. We were cruising at about 90 most of the trip, and I wish there was a 6th gear! However, I still got a good number of miles out of each tank despite higher RPMs. The Corbin seat works like a dream and keeps improving long after the break-in period. My hips were sore before my ass went numb! I managed to drag a peg only once on those twisty mountain roads. My 4" Boss Audio bluetooth speakers were more than loud enough to hear at 90 behind a loud v-twin. My tall windscreen is not fun in the rain, even with Rainx for plastic motorcycle windshields applied. The radiators are a godsend, my V-Star gets so hot that you think your pants are going to melt to your legs; this was a non-issue! On the way there and back I had absolutely no mechanical/electrical issues which seem to follow me when I ride my other bikes.

Unfortunately, my shoulders and neck are still paying the price a week later. Unless BScrive wants to fab another set of bars to sell me, it looks like I'll be getting those 2" Rox risers about which I read 7 pages of posts!

Overall, this can be a great touring bike!

 

[Rich Wentz]

I agree with the 6th gear. This bike needs it.

As for your soar neck and back there is not much to do about that. Maybe soften the suspension a little? But that'll affect handling and make it soupy in the corners. Windscreen is a huge one too.

I rode mine from LA to Tucson (about 500 miles ) with a blvd screen and it made it a little miserable for me. The stock seat surprisingly did well. But the bike is unsurprisingly smooth and doesn't miss a beat.

 

[Poncho]

Overall, this can be a great touring bike!

well at its heart it is a Goldwing.

 

[Afta]

I just came back from Americade at lake George. About 400 miles and from home a ton of great riding up that way. I discovered there is no sense running anything higher than 87 octanes after a couple of fill-ups with my Harley crew my mileage quickly fell sub par with their v twins. I switched back and did found they needed to fuel up before me with two or three bars still on my meter.

My new rebuilt seat was heaven and I look forward to getting my tour pack on for the extra room so I don't have to bug my buddy to store my helmet or jacket.

New Avon memory foam grips were nice and I couldn't have made it without my forward pegs to stretch out on. My Honda windshield was perfect but needs a deflector to stop some wind that runs up under the tank.
My fog light came in really handy for animals having to leave so late at night.
I too love the radiator heat when you need to pull your legs into it later in the night. I had a family issue and had to leave at 3am. This came in handy and got me through some of the colder roads even with chaps on.

In the future I will be putting on heated grips and heat under my cover, Tunes of some sort, a phone holder for GPS and get my tour pack set up as a quick release and a set .

 

[DillPickle311]

I'll have to agree with all that was said here even though have not been on an extended trip yet.

I will still need to make some changes but hopefully get to do a trip soon.

 

[Odin]

87 is all our bikes need, and premium won't do them any favors. What kind of tour pak are you looking into? I'm almost certainly going with the Arlen Ness pizza box for Harleys for aesthetic reasons. Not sure about bags, though.

 

[Poncho]

my 015 cherry sure loves this more 'spensive retarded 93 petrol. I tried a tank of 83 and it got only 47mpg. I have been averaging rite at and now 51mpg with the retarded stuff. I would do 83 if I could get some w/o corn oil in it.


I read most fellas add lots of stuff to their bikes such that they either have to pull it off or buy it again on the next bike. in particular are the toons. why put a 'spensive stereo system on your sled and worry about it and cant hear it at speed, when you can just put blue tooth earbuds and stream anything from your pocket phone. when you get off the bike, it goes with you.
also heated grips and seats. why not just get some heated gloves and jacket liner. when you change bikes your gear goes with you , not the bike.
so many other items that can be ported over.

 

[Odin]

Where are you located that you have 83? The lowest I've seen is 87. I average about 42 mpg riding in the city.

As for a stereo system instead of earbuds, that's easy. I want to be able to talk to the people riding with me at lights, hear the traffic around me, earbuds always fall out of my ears, and I don't want a ticket for wearing them if they do stay in. $100 isn't expensive for a 1,000-watt bluetooth system that can be heard at 100+ mph and is easily moved to another bike.

 

[Poncho]

Where are you located that you have 83? The lowest I've seen is 87. I average about 42 mpg riding in the city.

As for a stereo system instead of earbuds, that's easy. I want to be able to talk to the people riding with me at lights, hear the traffic around me, earbuds always fall out of my ears, and I don't want a ticket for wearing them if they do stay in. $100 isn't expensive for a 1,000-watt bluetooth system that can be heard at 100+ mph and is easily moved to another bike.

Tx with all our refineries is full of 83 and I have even had to resort to 81 in the Nevada and, ahem, Cali deserts when that is all they have. for $5 gal. that was back in 07-10.


I wear blue tooth hearing aids 16hrs a day so they don't bother me or fall out. they can be paired with most any new fangled device. I can control them up and down and still hear anything I want to.. or even Not.. as for occifers of the piece, its nothing but Yes Sir and No Sir and I read lips as I am mostly deaf anyway and require ear aids just to marginally function. Wearing ear buds or for that matter ear plugs is not against the law.

 

[Odin]

Those bluetooth hearing aids are supposed to be great, I'm hopefully decades away from needing them.

Here in Illinois, almost everything is illegal including riding with earbuds. You can wear ear plugs, but not something that plays music. I know a few cops in particular who will write a ticket for that every single time!

I loved Texas, ethanol-free gas was everywhere and my SUV got 5-10 more mpg the whole time.

 

[Poncho]

Save your Hearing!. Wear Ear Plugs All the time. even when just conversing among the locals. its not as if they have anything important enough, they can get your attention with good behavior (is what I tell them).. later in life you will miss all the little voices (grankids) that are telling you how the universe works and asking questions about how to fight bears and other nefarious creatures like boys, etc..


more importantly Hearing Loss is gradual and it actually becomes brain loss. not brain matter. but rather brain connections. over long time, because you cant hear sounds you forget what specific sounds mean. Even if you can restore some auditory signaling, your brain doesn't automatically register what all this new noise is, actually means something (important to somebody else). So mostly it is just noise. No you don't forget stuff or how things are, its just that you loose the ability to connect the dots between sounds have some significant meaning. your brain just maps out what it thinks it hears and usually it is wrong, from whatever it is that She is saying. It is like somebody is cleaning the chalk board of your life behind you as you go. All, many, most of the dots are gone and you have to process noises as though they somehow mean something. to somebody. else.. yes you can relearn much but it is never the same. and it is a lot of work. not sure that most people are worth all this effort. but you do what have to keep the peace and not get shot. poncho

 

[Geepers]

Save your Hearing!. Wear Ear Plugs All the time. even when just conversing among the locals. its not as if they have anything important enough, they can get your attention with good behavior (is what I tell them).. later in life you will miss all the little voices (grankids) that are telling you how the universe works and asking questions about how to fight bears and other nefarious creatures like boys, etc..


more importantly Hearing Loss is gradual and it actually becomes brain loss. not brain matter. but rather brain connections. over long time, because you cant hear sounds you forget what specific sounds mean. Even if you can restore some auditory signaling, your brain doesn't automatically register what all this new noise is, actually means something (important to somebody else). So mostly it is just noise. No you don't forget stuff or how things are, its just that you loose the ability to connect the dots between sounds have some significant meaning. your brain just maps out what it thinks it hears and usually it is wrong, from whatever it is that She is saying. It is like somebody is cleaning the chalk board of your life behind you as you go. All, many, most of the dots are gone and you have to process noises as though they somehow mean something. to somebody. else.. yes you can relearn much but it is never the same. and it is a lot of work. not sure that most people are worth all this effort. but you do what have to keep the peace and not get shot. poncho

What the man said. And let's not forget TINNITUS. I don't ride anywhere without plugs - not even the shortest ride - after giving myself tinnitus from playing in loud bands. I 'aint about to make it worse by exposing myself to 100dB inside my motorcycle helmet. Yep, 100dB. Check out what that equates to - jackhammers, that sort of stuff. Wear earplugs.