Four States, One Thousand Miles, in Three Days

My wife and I decided to take the Valkyrie on a quick vacation to visit some relatives in Texas.  The below is not to bore you with the account of our vacation.  Instead, I hope to provide some information on the Valkyrie and give you a few tips should you decide to take off on a long trip of your own.

We planned our trip after the Spring Break rush and before the summer vacation rush.  We also wanted mild weather.  We decided to depart on a Friday (April 27) and return on a Sunday (April 29).  Our plans worked as there was little traffic and the weather was great with nights in the upper 40’s and low 50’s and days in the low to mid 80’s for the entire route.  This provided a good operating range for the Valkyrie.  It was mostly sunny with a few scattered clouds.

Because the Valkyrie would be loaded down with two people, full hard bags, and a full T-Bag on the back, I adjusted the shock preload up to 4 on both rear shocks.  I thought about going the max to 5, but decided against it.  I also ensured proper tire inflation for maximum load and did all the other pre-departure checks for a long trip.

The first leg of our trip would take us from Montgomery, Alabama to Shreveport, Louisiana, a distance of about 480 miles.  Because we would be heading west, the sun would be at our backs so we could get an early start without sun in our eyes.  I wanted to arrive at our destination well before sunset so the western setting sun would not be glaring in our eyes.  We departed about 5:30 AM and underestimated the temperature drop on the bike, a common mistake I hope to one day be able to avoid!  Although it was a comfortable 50 outside, once the bike was moving, we became very cold which caused frequent stops early that morning.  Around 10:00 AM, it was significantly warmer and we made better time.

Our route was not one for sight seeing, but for time, so we took US 80 east until it intersects I-20 near the Alabama and Mississippi border.  We then stayed on I-20 across Mississippi and into Louisiana and on into Shreveport.  We stopped at rest stops, talked with other bikers we saw along the way, and stopped to relax and eat.  We arrived at our destination on that Friday at 3:30 PM, 10 hours after departure.

Our next leg on Saturday morning was simply a short 2-hour trip to Tyler, Texas for visiting and then back to Shreveport that evening.

The final leg was tracing our route back along I-20 to US 80 and then back into Montgomery.  Because we were heading east on the return leg, we delayed our departure until about 8:30 AM so we would not be riding into the morning sunrise.  By 8:30, the sun was up high enough to not be directly in our eyes.  The return trip took a little over 9 hours.

All total, with side trips we made and finding places to eat and such, we put just over 1100 miles on the Valkyrie in the three days, most of which was at highway speeds.

The accessories held up well.  The Corbin seats made the trip comfortable and our bodies only felt “beat up” for the about the last 100 miles on the final day, just before home.  The National hard bags made the trip easily.  They are removable, which made it nice at our destination.  We simply took them off and into the hotel room—just like a suitcase.  We’d leave them off the bike for trips around town.  The Honda CB/Intercom/stereo unit also worked well, but at highway speeds, we kept it off most of the time and when on, we only activated the intercom portion.  There is too much wind and traffic noise at highway speeds for the CB and stereo (we used quarter helmets).  The Kuryakan grips and throttle boss provided a comfortable trip, although the throttle boss is adjusted for the normal riding I do.  I should have adjusted it for the higher long-term throttle setting for the trip.  At the speeds I was going, my palm rested a little lower than what I had the throttle boss set for.  The only accessories I had trouble with were my highway pegs.  They have worked great since I’ve put them on.  However, I noticed at highway speeds, my legs act like an airfoil and push air up along my legs and body and into my chest and face.  For longer trips and high speeds, I’ll need to adjust them to a different location to reduce the wind.

The Valkyrie performed as expected—outstandingly!!  Road conditions varied from 2-lane highway parts of US 80, to six-lane parts of I-20.  There are some nice curves, but not as many on this trip as some bikers would like.  There were also some nice hills, although nothing I’d consider a mountain.  There was smooth pavement, construction zones, potholes, and very rough segmented concrete.  Through it all, I maintained an even 3500 to 3700 RPM, which on my bike with my tires produces a cruising speed of about 75 to 80.  Even loaded down and at that cruising speed, a punch on the throttle would still push us back against the backrests—plenty of power in an F6!  Wind from passing trucks (probably doing 85 or so, the trucks not us) or from trucks I passed was not a problem either.  I could not ask for a better bike for this type of trip.  The Valkyrie is the way to go!  It looks better and is lighter than the Gold Wing.  The Valkyrie’s smooth ride, zero vibration (yes, I’ve balanced a nickel on its edge on the engine casing and started the bike and watched the nickel just sit there), and soft purr of the engine result in a very enjoyable long-distance ride. 

If you’re planning a trip under these conditions, another thing you need to consider is gas mileage.  The Valkyrie Interstate has a larger tank, but mine is a standard Valkyrie.  I normally go about 140 to 150 miles before switching to reserve and finding gas.  With the bike loaded and at higher cruising speeds, that distance drops to about 130 to 135 miles.  I also noticed this on a trip back from Helen, Georgia last September.  The F6 Dragon likes to fly between 60 and 70 mph.  If you push upward of 75 to 80, your gas mileage will start to decline.  I’m not using a trigger wheel, so these values might be different if you have one installed.

At all the gas stations, restaurants, rest stops, and other places we stopped, everyone seemed biker friendly and we talked with other bikers, some on longer trips than ours and some just out enjoying the nice weather.  I did have a couple of people ask me about my license plate “Valhala”, which is Valhalla, but I had to drop an “l” due to the letter limit on Alabama plates.  If you’re not sure what Valhalla means, you should check out the Nordic legends about the Valkyrie you’re riding.  Honda didn’t come up with that name out of the blue you know!

Bob