Honda F6C Valkyrie (1996-2005)

his is my third season on my valkyrie, and it turns heads wherever I go, it still looks like new, I have emptied the exhaust of silensers and it roars! it rides like a charm, sidewinds are not a problem on this bike, I have 10000$ of extra chromes worth on it, and it Shines!! Being an old v.twin rider though I have only one negative thing to say, it's not a v-twin.. it's something much more, but the hog sound is just not there.. it sounds awesome mind you, but more like a ferrari or a porsche. cool yes, but I would like more pounding sound it I could. Mileage is maybe not the greatest, but if you ride a bike for 25000 $ just for the fun of it, mileage is not an issue.. just annoying to stop for gas so often. every 3 hours you need to fill it up. I really like my bike!

The F6C stands for “Flat 6 Custom” , how boring! In the states it’s called a “Valkyrie”. As all the Valks are made in the US of A I call mine a Valkyrie! Engine..Nothing is smoother than a 6 and it will pull from 800 rpm in top gear (20mph) but you have to hold the brake on as tickover is set at 1000rpm. High lift cams, 6 carbs, and manual tappet adjustment all contribute to a silky smooth powerful engine built for crossing continents in a day! Ride & Handling.. USD forks and reasonable rear shocks give this bike plenty of road holding. It doesn't particularly like small twisty roads and gets fidgety at slow speeds but that's not the cruisers domain. In fast sweeping bends there's no tail wagging it just tracks the corner perfectly. Equipment.. Up to your imagination. More accessories abound for this bike than any other although they are much cheaper directly from the US of A. My only gripe is there's no headlamp flasher! Quality and Reliability.. It would be easy to just say it's a Honda but it's THE Honda! All others pale into insignificance with the quality of this one. Lots of chreome as standard means a quick wash and rub down with a damp chamois bring it up beautifully. Reliability.. It eats it's own battery every 3 years, but that's not Honda's fault it's the battery manufacturer's! Value.. Very expensive new but what a lot of bike for your money. Keeps its value very well and recently appears to be rising in value. Performance.. I live in the real world and know what this bike will do. I average 40mpg whether at home or abroad. I get at least 160 miles to a tank full and I've seen 180 before refuelling and that was 2 up with 5 stone of luggage. The top speed is higher than MCN suggest and I've got SatNav data logging to prove it having frightened some poor person on a 600 sports bike by overtaking uphill on a slight bend! Probably thought he/she was being overtaken by a tractor when they saw the size of the front tyre in their mirror (it’s a 150)! Last words..My wife travelled from Clermont Ferrand to Belgium, Calais, through the chunnel and home (Nr Plymouth, Devon) in one go. 797 miles only stopping for food, toilets and her cigarettes (that’s the Belgium bit). We left Clermont Ferrand at 9am and got home at 1am without rushing. WARNING.. This bike attracts a lot of attention. You will be accosted at all times even by people driving by in town just to tell you what you already know..”That’s one beautiful bike mate!” Park this bike next to any other – yes, even Harleys – and people will stop and look at it, not at the plastic shod rockets nearby. You have been warned.