Kawasaki Vulcans

**Lord Derosso** · 14th November 2008, 17:02

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.

**GrayWolf** · 14th November 2008, 18:29

Well I dont own a Vulcan now, but I had a VN1500C for a fair while.
Great engines, low revving and torquey as heck. The 4 speed box was great. It really didnt need 5th gear adding, as done for the later models. It was very cumfy for distances for the rider, however the pillion HD style 'squab' was a little bit of an issue for 'her'. Good fuel consumption for a coupler of big jugs. They can use a little oil, seems it was expected and some VN's had a noticable oil usage. Think some of the early Drifter/Nomads had a plastic oil pump cog that wasnt the greatest thing to rely on.
My major beef with the Vulcun was the crap suspension, it handled as bad as a pre Evo Hardly Rideitson. Mind you I did own a Guzzi California directly beforehand, so maybe I am really, really biased?
If you dont want sprot bike handling, and a really lazy motor? The VN is a good look...... So are the early 1400cc Intruder/Invader? Suzuki's. I knew one lady with over 130,000 on a 700cc model.

**banditrider** · 14th November 2008, 19:07

Congrats on finding "your" bike. My old man had a 1500 and it was a hoot to ride. He ended up putting slightly longer shocks on the rear which helped the handling department a bit (don't ask me for any info on them - no idea). Damn heavy to lift up on blocks to pull the rear wheel & drive shaft though...

**Rockbuddy** · 14th November 2008, 19:10

I concur

go thevulcans

**The Lone Rider** · 14th November 2008, 19:16

Vulcan parts @ www.cruisercustomizing.com

**<G>** · 14th November 2008, 19:26

I have got a baby Vulcan i.e. the EN500 - he's a cutie pie!

**Jerry74** · 14th November 2008, 19:55

They are nice looking bikes and have an added bonus of being assembled in USA.

**fLaThEaD FreD** · 15th November 2008, 21:04

I learned to ride on my 800 and found it so easy. Well balanced and a bit lazy. Just what I needed. ..........did I hear someone say"should've got a 250 first!".......Well I didnt,simple as that.

**Lord Derosso** · 16th November 2008, 00:21

Originally Posted by banditrider

Congrats on finding "your" bike. My old man had a 1500 and it was a hoot to ride. He ended up putting slightly longer shocks on the rear which helped the handling department a bit (don't ask me for any info on them - no idea). Damn heavy to lift up on blocks to pull the rear wheel & drive shaft though...

Love that photo ...it looks like the rimatakas but..?

Yes, I think taking a 1500 Vulcan for a spin would be the next step one day though I am amazed how much grunt the 'little' 800 has. Though it is chain drive of course which counts a bit. And I havent even really got around to checking out its mono shock yet. Why bother when everything feels OK ?

But I hadn't really wanted to muck around a lot after fuc*king around with the Katana last time and losing a bloody tank mounting rubber down inside the engine with the full fairing on, resulting in driveway shakes to dislocate it from under the full fairing.....bloody sports bike !!!!

**Lord Derosso** · 16th November 2008, 00:50

Originally Posted by fLaThEaD FreD

I learned to ride on my 800 and found it so easy. Well balanced and a bit lazy. Just what I needed. ..........did I hear someone say"should've got a 250 first!".......Well I didnt,simple as that.

I would not class the VN800 as a begginers bike at all BUT definitely as the sort of bike for the sort of person that drives everywhere but wants a bike in the back of the workshop to ride from time to time or maybe as their second bike. Recommended for ladies with a bit of experience for sure as they are nice to ride and low. I have had a few fours more recently before going to this my second V twin. The last was a brand new Yamaha VS500 many years ago.

To be VERY very frank, I find the VN800 to be what they call 'unforgiving' in that you dont have the amount of steerway and moveabitity as most bikes. For example. its a bit of a 'pig' around city traffic unless you get the balance just right and because of the one front disc brake, can be a handful to control at low speeds and I am a big man. I am used to just touching the brake lever with one finger as with twin front discs and the VN has serious engine braking so you cant rely on that in slow traffic speeds. I rarely get out of 2nd gear below 60 kms ph though the owners guide says 5th gear after 60 km per ph! Yeh right.

I have found to just stop the bike short of traffic in front and F anyone behind me . I simply make up the gap when I get to take off. Funny also how noone wants to try and dent you when they think you are on actually on a HD costing five times the cost of the VN....The Katana was much better in slow traffic but had excellent front brakes and was so much lighter and could be balanced to a stop stand feet up unlike the VN. But once on the open road..well nothing esle needs saying. GO V twins for sure . F speed. V gives you wings.

**zuk** · 16th November 2008, 06:35

I must agree with all,just got back from a very quick trip down south,those roads were made for this bike.If you wont a crack on a bigger vulcan pm me, the 2 litre is a dream to ride,and sure no probs 2 up. cheers

**Lord Derosso** · 16th November 2008, 17:01

Originally Posted by zuk

I must agree with all,just got back from a very quick trip down south,those roads were made for this bike.If you wont a crack on a bigger vulcan pm me, the 2 litre is a dream to ride,and sure no probs 2 up. cheers

Thanks for the offer but I get nervous riding other peoples bikes and I have a feeling the 800 might do me for a while so long as I keep her well serviced and look after her. I might keep the thought in mind a couple years down the track to take one for a blast but I am not doing much travelling at present so cant justify putting myself in debt for a larger Vulcan just to have it sitting around. I might start using mine the odd day instead of the bus, once the get the new bike parks in around Wellington - I cant see anything going on in that regard and the current ones are packed with scooters. Not that they dont have the right to be there of course, just sometimes people dont use their brains and ride them in on bloody windy days and I see them on the ground and wonder what damage they have done to their neighbours bikes. Cheers.

**MotoGirl** · 16th November 2008, 18:09

Originally Posted by Lord Derosso

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.

You could try VROC, too. It's full of Americans but I hear it's a useful resource for everything Vulcan. My father owned a '97 VN1500D and was a member for a few years.

Although the Vulcan didn't go round corners that well (compared to our other bike, a 600 Bandit), I always enjoyed riding it and never found it too much of a handful.

**Lord Derosso** · 16th November 2008, 21:33

That had an interesting website attached:

http://www.ipass.net/wb4iuy/index1.html

QUOTE: from the above site by 'Tweek'

The Vulcan was actually designed by John Hoover when he worked for Kawasaki, in a computer simulation that morphed a 1941 Indian Motorcycle image to see what it _might have_ looked like today, if Indian had stayed in business throughout the evolution of Cruisers as we know them.

If you are looking for ideas on customising your VN check out this site.

I did wonder where they got the 'classic' from though I have to admit I did think it was designed to be a poor mans HD. Still, many many bike makers have used the V twin motor and I am certainly not complaining about my bike not being a HD.