MOTORCYCLE DISPLAYS (GAUGES) ARE POORLY LIT. BACKLIGHT ILLUMINATION IS VISIBLE IN NEAR OR TOTAL DARKNESS, BUT AT TIMES OF DIM LIGHT, SUCH AS FOUND DURING DAWN OR DUSK, THE TACHOMETER/ODOMETER/SPEEDOMETER ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO READ DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE BACK LIGHT AND REFLECTED LIGHT ON THE METER ARE EQUAL. *AK
1997 Honda Valkyrie
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Valkyrie years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 1 of 14 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Equipment. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Equipment complaints
5 reportsTHE NUMBERS ON THE SPEEDOMETER CANNOT BE SEEN AT DUSK OR ERLY DOWN DUE TO POOR LIGHTING OF INSTRUMENT. *AK
CANNOT SEE INSTRUMENTS AT DUSK OR EARLY MORNING. IT WAS THIS WAY FROM THE FACTORY. *AK
THE INSTRUMENTS ARE UNREADABLE DURING DUSK/DAWN CONDITIONS DUE TO A FAULTY LIGHTING CONDITION. *AK
THE TACHOMETER/SPEEDOMETER GAUGES ON THE HONDA F6 VALKYRIE ARE HARD TO READ EVEN IN DAYLIGHT DUE TO THE COLOR AND THE STYLE OF THE LETTERING ON THEM. AT NIGHT, IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO READ THEM. THIS CONDITION PRESENTS A SAFETY HAZARD, IN THAT IF THE RIDER ATTEMPTS TO READ THE GAUGES, HIS ATTENTION IS DIVERTED FROM THE ROADW…
Read full complaint
THE TACHOMETER/SPEEDOMETER GAUGES ON THE HONDA F6 VALKYRIE ARE HARD TO READ EVEN IN DAYLIGHT DUE TO THE COLOR AND THE STYLE OF THE LETTERING ON THEM. AT NIGHT, IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO READ THEM. THIS CONDITION PRESENTS A SAFETY HAZARD, IN THAT IF THE RIDER ATTEMPTS TO READ THE GAUGES, HIS ATTENTION IS DIVERTED FROM THE ROADWAY. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
Illustration