Kawasaki Vulcans

**Lord Derosso** · 19th November 2008, 19:08

Originally Posted by banditrider

Who would?

I was trying not to offend some people.

I need some advice on the front crashbars that came with the bike. Please review my profile picture. I suspect they wont be much help in a laydown but would be excellent for highway bar mounts. I do feel that the extra few inches these footbars allow would help with long trips. Where can I score some e cheapos to clamp onto the crash bars without all the big $$ for adjustment blots, clamps, chrome this and that please? Gee, extras, some of these things are grossly overpriced. I mean $100 for a tank protector stick on! Sure art is art but stupid is stupid too.

I am also tempted to get the seat remade or even look at a riders backrest. Didnt know they existed until web surfing last night. I got a King and Queen seat put on a older bike once and it made a huge difference and wasnt that expensive. I have seen proper full size crash bars but they dont look great. Even found 'Easy Rider' Sissy back bars for the Vulcan on one site but I dont think thats really me.

Had the day off today and yesterday only because I f'ed one of my toes so the day off plan to go fishing around the coast was cancelled on a bloody nice day due to a swollen 'member'.

Are any of you Wellington and other local guys and girls interested in organising a fishing trip to Castlepoint at some stage and booking motels overnight?

**heyjoe** · 19th November 2008, 21:48

Originally Posted by Lord Derosso

Well I have had a few rides on the 800 now and everytime cant get over the fact that it reminds me of why I never got a car licence in the first place after all these years of riding. In other words, I feel like I have refound my riding roots. It is such a pleasure just to cruise along without worrying about speed or getting anywhere in any hurry and without groin or back injury pain.
Its being many years between cruisers for me.

I am already planning to pay the 800 off, keep her as the everyday bike and look at one of the others, perhaps the 1400, to adapt for the longer trips. I was surprised how easy the Vulcan is to ride, sure not a cornerer like the Katana but then I am not in any great rush so the handling isnt so important. Just getting use to that wonderful low low sense of gravity and 'weight'. Its taken a while to remember where the footpegs are when taking off from the lights but I think I have sorted that now.

I would be interested in how other Vulcan owners feel about their bikes and if theres a good local website on them or that sells additonals etc. Is there any Wellington clubs?Anyone interested in starting one perhaps? Ta.

Hi there,
I am the happy owner of a VN1500 Vulcan Mean Streak. It is a great bike and comfortable to ride. Made for relaxing cruising. I am not aware of specific Kawasaki cruiser clubs in NZ. There are a number of forums in USA that cater for the Vulcan enthusiast regardless of the model. Two that you I have found to be very friendly and full of Vulcan owners that I chat with are from time to time are as follows:

http://www.kawasakimotorcycle.org/forum/

http://www.riderforums.com/index.php

Enjoy

**Lord Derosso** · 20th November 2008, 20:03

Nice bike Joe. I do miss having three disc brakes as just the one front disc brake makes it a bit more effort than just the little pinky on the front lever to stop and get hurdled 50 metres like the old Katana. That bike had very good brakes. The advantage of a back drum I was always told, was that it helps avoid lock up in the wet and or discs not working immediately in the wet. But I have got so used to drying discs by perdiodially using them that they always seemed to work OK for me. Do check out those websites quoted earlier as theres some really little touches like a horn cover which covers up the basic Kawie stock standard and can be brought for $9US. They go to such a lot of design trouble just to have basic ugly rusty horns..

**Rudra** · 18th December 2008, 09:32

I've been the happy owner of my VN800 for a year now. I've made a few modifications along the way. Vance & Hines Cruzers, Kuryakyn Hi-Five air intake system & rejetted carb, Mustand seat & replaced the tail light & indicators with LEDs. All in all, I'm really enjoying the cruiser style of riding.

**Lord Derosso** · 19th December 2008, 21:39

Originally Posted by Rudra

I've been the happy owner of my VN800 for a year now. I've made a few modifications along the way. Vance & Hines Cruzers, Kuryakyn Hi-Five air intake system & rejetted carb, Mustand seat & replaced the tail light & indicators with LEDs. All in all, I'm really enjoying the cruiser style of riding.

I agree totally with the cruiser remark. Its being years since I could just relax and ride without haste and my nuts being flatten, like with sports bikes - someone posted a report yesterday about flatten nuts etc reducing child bearing %... surprise surprise.

My bike was owned from new by a serious biker based on what I have being told and I think hes done a lot to the bike from basic. A lot of this is clear but I have had many bikes and I suspect hes also rejeted it with the power pipes and done some other things as I only got 170kms before my first ever reserve but mainly due to city use. But its got great pull and take off for just "56' Horse power. As these VN's are USA built I have checked out a lot of USA sites and you should expect 250 kms B4 reserve?

How do yu do. I keep to 95-110 on the highway and soooooooo looking foreward to geting her out on the long trip for several weeks after May. Ta Ross

**hunter** · 30th March 2009, 19:58

i have a 1600 meanstreak ltd edition,its an awesome bike,have owned sports bikes,this is my first cruiser,i enjoy a ride now instead of trying to there at light speed,and who wants to be clocked at 230 km's????,nearly did once,but thats another story,i would be very interested in starting a metric cruiser club,hondas,yammys,suzukis etc for day rides and rallys if anyones interested,cheers