1999 Honda GL1500 Valkyrie Interstate

Summary:

Fantastic motorcycle

Faults:

The antifreeze tank cracked. Fixed it myself, easy.

The kickstand spring retention bolt broke, very common issue.

The stock stereo is useless on the highway without helmet speakers.

General Comments:

Fantastic motorcycle.

Cons: It's top heavy, very top heavy. That doesn't matter above about 5MPH. It's not good on gas if you ride it hard. Ergonomically it was just OK. I rode it on long rides, but it's not a GoldWing. Better than many touring bikes, but don't over expect. If you want a true tourer from Honda, get the GoldWing. Clutch friction zone is short.

Pros: It's fast and very smooth. It's beautiful. Sans the occasional alternator it's reliable. It's overall a great motorcycle.

Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 2nd March, 2023

2000 Honda GL1500 Valkyrie Interstate

Summary:

The fat lady has sung!

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

This bike is awesome. It is fast, smooth, and reliable. I took a trip last summer, 6000 miles, not a problem.

Rear tire lasts over 10k, front tire over 15k.

Plenty of room in trunks and saddlebags.

Gas mileage isn't as good as a Gold Wing, but then again it's not ugly like a Gold Wing.

Most comfortable bike I've ever ridden.

The only maintenance required is oil changes and air filters.

Very well built, everything lines up nice, high quality parts.

Loads cheaper than a Harley or a Gold Wing.

Made in AMERICA.

Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 23rd March, 2005

23rd Mar 2005, 16:17

Having owned the Valkyrie Interstate and the GoldWing 1500, I would have to agree with you on most of the points you made.

Just a couple of things I would like to mention. In Canada sales for this bike were poor to say the least. Honda had it priced only a couple hundred dollars less than the GoldWing (which is not ugly to 99% of the population). With no cruise control and a terrible stereo, buyers just couldn't justify the price.

New tire technology will now allow 10,000 miles on a rear, but when it first came out, we were lucky to get 5,000 on the rear and 7,500 on the front. For a long distance touring rider, this meant one or two sets per season.

For those who are thinking about purchasing one of these bad boys, dive in, you'll love the rock and roll engine and dependability that comes from Honda. It's a fantastic motorcycle.

I hope Honda produces a new Valkyrie using the 1800 GoldWing engine. I'll be at the head of the line to buy one.

7th May 2007, 10:22

Thanks for your comments. I just bought a 2003 Valkyrie and am glad to hear they are reliable.

I am already having a minor problem, which might be me and/or the bike. She is hard to start. The choke seems to do nothing, so it may be broken. Trying to start her out often leads to me flooding her, but if I don't give it gas, it dies in a few seconds. Can someone give me some advice on the proper way to get her started (other than fixing the choke -- which I will as soon as I can). Please e-mail me at dciuffard@aol.com and put Valkyrie in the subject line. Thanks.

In reply to 7th May 2007, 10:22

3rd Sep 2013, 08:44

There is a great Valkyrie Forum on the web, where experienced people can answer any of your questions about the bike and maintenance. I have owned a Goldwing for many years and have recently purchased a Valkyrie Interstate (’99). Absolutely love the Valkyrie; it is a great bike to cruise around on, but I’m not ready to ditch the GW. It is very hard to decide which bike to ride to work, but I love seeing both of them together.

In reply to 7th May 2007, 10:22

13th Mar 2014, 13:21

I had the same problem. I wasn't fully closing the choke. You must press hard on the lever about half way through the movement; it feels like it's bottomed out, but it's not. Press until the choke closes all the way.

In reply to 13th Mar 2014, 13:21

17th Aug 2019, 05:25

The choke cable has several 90 bends, hence making it stiff to push down with thumb pressure; if not lubricated properly it will snap the end of the cable off. This happened on my Interstate. Now I move the cable back and forth to keep it free. Without a choke, it's hard to start at lower temps. Battery voltage/quality is also important.