Greetings from a potentially new Vulcan rider.

[Backstop]

Hello to all. I'm Bill from down in Houston, TX. I'm doing research on the right bike for me and, on paper at least, I am leaning toward the Vulcan 900 Custom.

I came here to get some first hand knowledge from Vulcan owners. Every review from a motorcycle site or magazine that I have found all say essentially the same thing, and nothing I couldn't find on a spec sheet. I want to learn from people that know by experience.

I rode a 2001 Honda Shadow Sabre (1100cc) for 5 years. It was a daily commuter for me on about a 35 mile round trip through Houston traffic and weather. I liked the bike, but I can't say I loved it. Now that I am getting back for just recreation, I can be a little picky.

The wallet is a little strained so I'm aiming for a mid sized model. Something with some mostly blacked out style, that has plenty of aftermarket parts and mods. That was never an option for my Sabre. It was kind of the bastard child in the Honda line up.

I look forward to picking your brains and reading through the threads. Thank you.

[Racinfan101]

Re: Greetings from a potentially new Vulcan rider.

Welcome to the forum!! I don't have the first hand knowledge on the 900 you seek but many here do! Having went from a Honda to a Vulcan myself I can tell you that the biggest thing I noticed was gear whine from the straight cut Kawasaki gears but that subsides considerably after a few thousand miles and I never notice it at all now. I will quit yapping and let the guys and gals with the first hand knowledge chime in but I do know Kawasaki has a couple of blacked out paint jobs our there for the 900 Custom and 900 Classic that look wicked!

[twowheeladdict]

Re: Greetings from a potentially new Vulcan rider.

I love the look of the 900 Custom. I never owned one but I did go for a few spirited rides on one during the Vulcan Nation Demo tour summer of 2011. That bike kept pace with the Vaquero 1700 no problem. The ride leader and I left everyone else long behind on a nice twisty road through the woods.

For me, the only negative about the 900 line of bikes is that they don't have hydraulic valves. Not that big a deal unless you put on the miles like I do. I average close to 25,000 miles a year on two wheels, and last year topped 34,000 miles. Hydraulic valves to rob some of the horsepower (so I've been told) so not having them is probably good for power, and explains why the bike could keep with the Vaquero.

[Backstop]

Re: Greetings from a potentially new Vulcan rider.

I love the look of the 900 Custom. I never owned one but I did go for a few spirited rides on one during the Vulcan Nation Demo tour summer of 2011. That bike kept pace with the Vaquero 1700 no problem. The ride leader and I left everyone else long behind on a nice twisty road through the woods.

For me, the only negative about the 900 line of bikes is that they don't have hydraulic valves. Not that big a deal unless you put on the miles like I do. I average close to 25,000 miles a year on two wheels, and last year topped 34,000 miles. Hydraulic valves to rob some of the horsepower (so I've been told) so not having them is probably good for power, and explains why the bike could keep with the Vaquero.

Thanks for the input, both of you. Stepping down from an 1100 the "get up and go" is a concern for me. Luckily I'm not a very heavy guy, and my wife rides with me seldom.

Twowheel, why are a lack of hydraulic valves a down side if, not having them is helps with the horsepower? Is is a maintenance issue?

I'm not a mechanic so I'm mostly engine ignorant. My experience is limited to preventative maintenance, minor repairs, and cosmetic mods.

[twowheeladdict]

Re: Greetings from a potentially new Vulcan rider.

If the valves are not hydraulic they have to be inspected and possibly adjusted at certain intervals. The intervals range from 9000 miles to 30,000 miles depending on the model of bike. Cost can vary depending on how much work it is for the techs to get to the valves and whether they have to adjust them or not. I wouldn't let that shy you away from the 900, but it is something to consider. If you are buying a used bike compare the cost of the 900 custom to the cost of the 1600 Mean Streak. Similar styled bikes, with the difference in the front wheel as the main aesthetic difference. The Mean Streak has hydraulic valves and a drive shaft. As well as more braking power and sportier handling.

[Backstop]

Re: Greetings from a potentially new Vulcan rider.

Thanks. Learning about those little hidden costs are the reason I came to this board.

Since they don't make the Mean Streak anymore I hadn't even heard of it. I'll do some research.

[Tommasaki]

Re: Greetings from a potentially new Vulcan rider.

Not much help here as in the 900s..this Voyager is my first Kawasika also and I rode HDs and older metric bikes back in the 70s & 80s..this is not that far back...lol I would search for a left over as I did..I found this 2010 in Oct of 2012 and let me say I got it for one heck of a price...I am really enjoy my Kaw and very proud of it...A great ride and I get to enjoy the road and ride...I never like getting smaller rides..but this is me...look on ebay and see if there are any left overs but most of all Welcome to VRA. Look for a local Chapter and we are very happy to have ya.

[Voyager_PWS]

Re: Greetings from a potentially new Vulcan rider.

Welcome to the forum!! There are several other 900 Custom owners on the forum and hopefully they will be able to give you more direct insight into how the bike really is from experience.

I will say I have had a Vulcan since 2004, an 800 and now the Voyager. And I have not had any issues with either bike. I was mainly a recreational rider to start but have now started moving to more of a regular means of transportation, that is when winter finally goes away!!! The Technical Editor of the forum is one of the 900 riders we have if memory serves me correctly. So he should be able to give you more insight into it.

With any bike you are going to have little things that crop up that "cost" extra. I don't think any of them are crazy with the 900, so I would think you would be very happy with it!

Good luck in whatever you choose to go with! And just enjoy the ride!!!

[TSfan14]

Re: Greetings from a potentially new Vulcan rider.

Welcome to the forum from Minnesota. I have an VN800a and a 1600 Nomad. I love my 800 for around town, it manouvers very well and still has power. My Nomad is great on big open roads, but is not great at tight turns. As far as the valves go, I did the inspection two years ago and replaced the valve shims that needed replacing. It took me about 5hrs to do the job. I am glad that the Nomad has hydraulic valves.

[Pops]

Re: Greetings from a potentially new Vulcan rider.

I put almost 30,000 miles on my 900CLT in a year and a half and had absolutly no problems with it before trading it off for my Voyager. It is a great bike but many people grow out of it for somthing bigger. It has plenty of power and is very quick in the lower gears but top end is about 95 tops. I was looking for 6th gear all the time as it gets wound up pretty tight at higher speeds. My wife owned on too for about a year and traded up to a V-star 1300. She felt the 900 was a little top heavy for her. But neither one us ever had any trouble with our Vulcans. Good luck with your choice.

[ggale]

Re: Greetings from a potentially new Vulcan rider.

We have a 900 and a 1500 and 2000.. so we kind of know how they run LOL.. the 900 is great light weight bike that runs very well. valve check /maintenance is a bit of a pain but most times they just run, and run.... The only draw back to me is it is geared a touch low -- yes it could use a 6th gear on the x- way but the wife's 900 will run all day and not miss a beat [higher RPM's then I like] but it gets like 45 mpg. so it not bad.. top speed is 110.. ? if you want to run that fast. for most it's a great start out bike. many will go bigger at some point if riding is what you want to do. [long trips - lower RPM's] If I needed a "around town- go to work bike" the 900 would be a good choice for me... it is the wife "go to work bike" she has the 900/1500/ and a 1900 Raider.. I have the 2000.

[Big D]

Re: Greetings from a potentially new Vulcan rider.

Youll love the 900, I know I love mine. Hauls my fat butt up to the mountains or down to the beach and does not weigh a ton. I have the LT model and don't worry about the RPMs this engine wants to run. Let us know if you have any questions and welcome!

[stevel8]

Re: Greetings from a potentially new Vulcan rider.

I've got a 2009, 900 Classic LT. The first thing I replaced was the seat, I didn't like it for long rides. My wife and I did some camping on it and I'm sure that the both of us with our camping gear went beyond the spec'd weight capacity but it handled well. I was looking for 6th gear at highway speeds, but I reciently replaced the rear tire with one of a larger diameter and from what I've been reading, I may see a difference. BTW, just under 6000 miles on the factory tire, and the shop guys say that's about average.

[mmccune]

Re: Greetings from a potentially new Vulcan rider.

I havent had any problems at all with my 900. I put around 600 miles a week on it just back and forth to work and manage a couple hundred more on the weekends when able. I put a saddleman seat with a backrest rest along with 3 inch throw back risers and the only issue I have now is getting so comfortable on it I could fall asleep. Nice smooth riding scooter that gives me enough power to play when I need it. Got it off the showroom floor for a decent price also that has allowed me to put more gas in it than wasting money on payments. There are also a lot of after market parts that are available for this model. Good luck in your search for the right bike for you and welcome to the forum.

[Aquar1234]

Re: Greetings from a potentially new Vulcan rider.

I have 42000 kms on my 2009 900LT. No problems, and I often ride two up. I can easily keep up with some big Harleys and Wings in our local group rides.