Various problems have been discussed on the
Valkyrie boards concerning a few shortcomings with the Valkyrie. Listed
below are some of the problems that have been brought up over the last few
years. This information was gathered from owner comments. They are not
necessarily something that WILL happen to you, but rather something to keep
an eye out for.
#1 Rear Turn Signals-Loose. On
the 1997 Valkyrie, the rear turn signals can become loose and actually sag.
There is a recall required the replacement of the metal mounting
infrastructure and rerouting the wiring for the turn signals and the license
plant light. They provided 8 individual parts for the change and it was not
too difficult to complete. There is no title or recall number on the
document. A part number on the directions is #0025Z-MZ0-305 and the parts
are 2 of #33640-MZ0-700, 1 of #80126-MZ0-700, 1 of #80127-MZ0-700, 2 of
#90001-GY6-900 and 2 of #95701-06018-00. For a PDF of the recall go here:
RECALL PDF
#2 Rear Fender Fatigue. On some bikes, the lower rear fender portion
that is holding the taillight and license plate, buckles about halfway up
from the bottom of the fender. You will see the fender bulge on either
side. If you flex the fender up and down you will see the bulge get larger
and smaller. The only fix is to have a Honda Dealer replace it under
warranty.
#3 Front Wheel Bearing Failure. The 1997 Valkyries have smaller
front wheel bearings and races than subsequent years. Possible indications
of bearings deteriorating are clunking in front end when hitting bumps,
brakes dragging, grinding noise or lateral movement in wheel. These
bearings are sealed and can not be repacked. If the bearings are not
covered by warranty, I would suggest purchasing the bearings from a large
bearing supplier such as Bearing King, for about 1/2 the price from Honda,
and you will probably get a better quality bearing. This problem was
noticed at about 25K, but could vary greatly depending on the quality of the
bearing, and the amount of grease originally installed by the supplier.
#4 Rear Wheel Bearing Failure. The bearing size for the rear is the
same for all years. Failures for the rear have occurred as well. The
possibility exists that a poor grade bearing has been supplied to Honda or
that the bearings have not been properly lubricated by the supplier. The
fix is the same as for the front bearings. Carry Spares.
#5 Final Drive. It has been reported that when draining the drive
oil, it was extremely dirty and of a very low output volume. The shop
manual recommends changing this fluid at 24K. I would suggest changing the
final drive oil at the first oil change and replace with a high quality
fully synthetic oil. The final drive unit will run much cooler than when
using regular oil. If the oil was extremely dirty, change it when you do
your next engine oil change. Change it every other oil change thereafter.
#6 Final Drive Spline Lubrication. There have been instances of
final drive spline failure due to no lubrication from the factory, and
failure of the Dealer to lubricate the splines during tire replacement. If
you hear strange sounds coming from the final drive, either check for proper
lubrication or have your Dealer inspect it. When disassembled, the splines
should be thoroughly cleaned and Molly 60 paste applied to all parts
recommended by the shop manual. Anytime you are the rear tire replaced, if
possible, watch the procedure to insure this is accomplished. Just because
Management insists that it will be done, does not insure that it will be
done!
#7 Dead Starter Switch. You have power but starter switch produces
no results. Kill switch is in correct position, bike is in neutral etc.
This switch can stick in the "kill the headlight" position and will not
activate the starter. There is a hollow space under the button that you can
GENTLY pry out a bit and retry. Not a great fix, but at least it may get
you to the dealer. You can prevent this from happening by R&Ring the
switch before it fails.
#8 No Power At All. All fuses check out, battery has juice. There
have been many instances of the battery ground cable to the frame not making
good contact either due to paint on the frame or the bolt not being properly
seated. There are several possible fixes for this. Remove the bolt and
insure that the threads are clean. Reinstall the bolt to see if it is going
all the way in. Also clean the surface to insure a good contact with the
ground cable. Some have recommended moving the ground cable to the bolt on
the left side that holds the front cover w/seat lock.
#9 Dunlop D206 Rear Tire Delamination. There have been many reports
of the Dunlop tires delaminating. This is a bubble on the in side of the
tire or a chunk of tread coming off or a slight thumping vibration caused by
the less severe swelling on the tread side. If this happens, slow down, get
the bike to a Dealer and have them contact Honda for warranty service. Honda
and Dunlop ARE aware of this problem . This problem was with original
equipment tires on 97s and 98s only and is not a problem on current
production tires from Dunlop.
#10 A Whining Noise Coming From the Engine. This usually occurs
between 45 MPH to about 55 MPH gradually going away as speed increases. This
is common on the flat 6 engine due to the straight cut gears in the
transmission. It is one of the things we have to endure to ride the best
motorcycle in the world.
#11 Leaking Coolant Reserve Tank. These tanks crack frequently
where the lower hose connects to the lower connection on the tank. Honda has
been replacing them under warranty.
#12 Fuel Shut Off Switch Failure. Some switches have failed to cut
off the fuel supply while in the ON position, with the engine off. This is
due to the diaphragm in the petcock failing, resulting in the cylinders
filling up with gas. If you crank your engine and get a click and/or a
teeth not meshing/grinding sound, there is the possibility that the engine
is frozen due to a hydro lock condition. This can cause the starter idler
gear to break. ALWAYS turn the fuel switch to the OFF position when not
riding.
#13 Gas Cap Leaking Fumes From Key Hole. Does your garage smell
like gas? It could be the gas cap. Honda has replaced caps with this
condition under warranty.
#14 Tires vibrating / growling in turns. This is normal as the
center of the tire flattens out. It creates a ridge where the flat spot
transitions to the side of the tire. When cornering you will notice some
growling/vibration. Some brands make more noise than others.
#15 Buzzing Sound Coming From Engine. There is a bolt that is
directly behind the bolt that your horn is mounted to that reaches to the
other side of the engine. It runs through a spacer tube and if not REALLY
tight, this tube will create a buzzing nose. Have someone hold the nut on
the other side of the engine and really crank her down until it squeals. It
is a high grade bolt and will take a lot of torque. The radiator chrome
side covers can also rattle. If they are loose, bring the engine to
operating temperature and use a putty knife to remove the reflectors from
the covers. Use the allen wrench from your tool kit, tighten, and stick
your reflectors back on.
#16 Loose Header Nuts. These nuts use compression type washers and
need to be tightened several times before they are fully compressed. DO NOT
use lock tight on these nuts. The torque is 7 ft pounds, so don't over
tighten. You can check them during oil changes. If left loose, they could
cause popping of the exhaust system as air leaks back in or you might hear
a ticking sound making you think the valves need adjusting. USE A
QUALITY TORQUE WRENCH, ONE THAT MEASURES INCH POUNDS IS BEST, AND GO SLOW.
7 FT POUNDS IS NOT VERY MUCH AND IF YOU TWIST ONE OF THESE BOLTS OFF YOU
WILL NOT ENJOY WHAT COMES NEXT!
#17 Loose Muffler Hanger and Muffler Bolts. Check these bolts
occasionally; many have not been tightened properly.
#18 Cracked Vaccum Tubes. The vacuum
tube coming off of cylinders 3 & 4 that run up to the pair valve split and
crack open at the bottom of the tube right where they connect to the stub at
the manifold. The correction is to cut out as far back as practical and
splice in another length of tube. This information came from Mike Townsend
with Viper Creations and Richard in Milwaukee.
#19 Kickstand Support (Frame Member) is
HOLLOW. Take a look under the bike and there is a big casting
holding the prop stand (kickstand). It is bolted to a frame cross
member. If you are jumping curbs, the casting may be fine, but when it
gets hit, it can twist and bend the frame member. This information
came from Stephen Hyde.
ShopTalk 