So..................here's my take. And we all have opinions, so ...that's all this is....just my opinion. Over the years, I've heard folks post on here about all sorts of debate over things like radiator fluids, oils, drilling a weep hole in the driveshaft to let condensation/moisture out............and the list goes on and on. My counter is............"Mother Honda" designed the bike and gave us instructions for maintaining it. What kind of fluids, how often to change them, HOW to change them...........etc. For me, if it's good enough for Mother Honda, it's good enough for me. AGAIN, not saying there's anything wrong with other folks methods. NOT even saying....their choice of fluids or methods or mods.....might indeed perhaps be even better. But my argument is, again.........if it's good enough for Mother Honda...........
And the reason I say that with GREAT confidence....is I have a friend with a Honda Valkyrie (for those "old timers", please forgive me sharing this story......again). He LIVES off the bike. He doesn't own a house. He doesn't own a car. He owns a Valkyrie...and whatever fits in the saddlebags or in his backpack (plus a few boxes of worldly possessions stored at his Ex-wife's house in FL). He literally lives and rides this Valkyrie......just about every day.....EVERY where he goes. It's either a 1999 or a 2000 .....I can't remember which. Last I heard (and it's been several months now), he had over 665,000 miles on it. YES, I SAID.....665,000 miles. THINK ABOUT THAT. He doesn't do his own maintenance, as he only has the little tool kit that came with the bike, and he lives mostly out of hotels (occasionally staying at a friend's or relative's house). So he doesn't have the essentials to do most of his own maintenance, nor does he have any desire to do so. He takes the bike to a dealer.....and tells him he'll wait while they do the maintenance (on the rare occasions he has something major done, he took a cab or got a friend to take him back to his hotel while waiting). He's well known on the Valkyrie board, and a bit of a legend....as it were!
So....the BIG TAKEAWAY....the point I'm making....is ALL HE HAS DONE....is the maintenance Honda said to do. He uses Honda fluids, because that's what Honda said to use. He does it at the intervals Honda said to. And I'm real sure, the dealer is doing it per the manual. Using Honda oil. Draining once. Etc, etc. Per "the book". And.....yet......................he has 665,000 miles on the bike. It has had one clutch replacement...... a couple of alternators.......carbs rebuilt once (it's an old carb bike...with 6 of them!). But overall, it's mostly the original engine. It has NOT been overhauled.
So my take is.....if one can get 665,000 miles out of a Valkyrie by Honda, I feel confident both my Valkyries ( I have two of them, a 97 and a 98).....and my Rune.....will long, long outlast me since I'm now 66 years old and don't put as many miles on as I once did. I have 128,000 on my Valk and about 37,000 on my wife's Valk. I have .....as I remember last I checked....about 46,000 on my Rune. I'm absolutely confident they'll be going and running ....if I still have them.....until I die. Doing just what the manual says to do.
Might they be able to go even longer/further if I did some of the things others have posted on here? Some special blend of oil.....more frequent oil changes.....Evans coolant in the radiator......etc, etc. I suppose. But, again, we're talking about something that is a moot point for all practical purposes to me. It's going to last "forever" just doing what Mother Honda said to do. So for me, I see ZERO reason to do anything.....and I do mean anything.....different. I use Honda oil....i change exactly when the book calls for it......how it calls for it......etc. Same on drive shaft. Same on brake fluids, etc, etc.
Again, repeating....not knocking those who do different. Not knocking those that go "above and beyond". Just see ZERO need to do it. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. But of course, doing what you refer to in your post.....and what others have done with Evans coolant, special oils, more frequent changes, etc, isn't going to hurt. It might even help. But it's just what I see as little reward for the effort. And granted, everything is relevant. You may not see your method as adding much more effort to the process. And I can understand it might give you peace of mind or satisfaction to do it....and by all means, if that's the case....of course, I'd continue to do it if I were you and felt as you do. I just told you how I feel and what I do.
Again.....just another opinion....for what it is or isn't worth...................
