vulcan 900 questions

[Jayxx]

My 900 had a bad noise. Kawa. mechanic said do not worry. my many years trusted mechanic says the book is not right on the belt titeness. OK now. almost ruined the pulley bearing before it was loosened.Being 81 years old and rideing sincd 17 years old I know when a bike is not right. Have been getting smaller bikes the last few years. I dont get weaker. The bikes just get heavyer.The 900 is just right for a few more years. have 12000miles on it

[Aifwikir]

My 900 is a great bike, with the exception of the belt noise. It got annoying enough I was thinking about getting a shaft drive bike. I had to loosen my belt a bit and make it ride the center of the sprocket. It moves around a little bit but the main thing is no more noise.
The mechanic at the Kawi shop said he couldn't get it to stop making noise. He was trying to adjust it by the book.
I brought my bike home, jacked up the rear enough so the wheel would spin freely. Then I started adjusting until it quit making noise. It also allowed the bike to coast easier and my gas mileage went up by 2 MPG (46 to 48 ).
It's not a hard thing to adjust if you figure which way the wheel/sprocket needs to move.


Aif

[snoke]

This is a great thread. I fell in love with the LT the moment I first saw it in the showroom. I had to wait a month or so to get mine but it certainly was worth the wait! Of the problems mentioned already, I have felt some slight vibration in the mid-high RPM ranges in 4th and 5th gear and a small amount of belt noise. I still have a couple hundred miles to go before the 600 mile tune-up - I will ask my dealer to address both issues at that time. They aren't anything I couldn't live with, just something I don't to live with. I was thrilled with the LT when I bought it last month... I still feel that way!

[Bay]

I have just picked up a used 900 06 with 2700 miles. Any suggestion as to the best places to get the sissy bar and rack? I also want a road bar.
I do not get the bike until Monday but can hardly wait!!!

[Vallejo]

Originally Posted by Bay

I have just picked up a used 900 06 with 2700 miles. Any suggestion as to the best places to get the sissy bar and rack? I also want a road bar.
I do not get the bike until Monday but can hardly wait!!!

There is one from Paladin with quick mount hardware, it's really nice and it's detachable in two seconds (and it has a lock). Very high quality chrome and it comes with plain fender covers so the backrest can be mounted.

I could also recommend the kawasaki gel seat. The wife goes everywhere with me and no complains about comfort.

Cheers

[Woodchuck]

I rode 1003 miles in 16 hours ( Iron butt ) to Wisconsin ( July 4 ) on my 2007 vulcan 900 classic LT.......No problem what so ever.....Got great gas mileage,was pretty comfy,Need a gel seat pad for long rides, Love the bike,I kept up with all the BIG BOYS....And I was weighed down pretty good too, Very ,Very happy with my choice of bike.Been riding on the street for 37 years. But, As allways my opinion is mine,You have to decide for your self....

[BY THE WAY]

...
Stock seat is breaking in and I modified the foam a bit to make it more comfortable.

Yes! The seat can reach out and touch my back after awhile. Been told the Mustang guys have really good seats.


...
It IS geared to low! I am always searching for 6th. I will have to change the pulleys to be happy and that should solve the vibration problem.


I agree but where would I find the info to change the gears?

My 900Classic 07 runs hot, has belt noise, and I can hear the valves. I bought it used. Don't have the manual and need one. Or a step by step on adjusting the valves.

[Sick Tom]

My LT no belt noise I can hear, great gas mileage so far 50 MPG in town, as another poster said noisy valves I can hear them, better loose than tight. No stalling issues. I like it, I traded a H/D 1200 Sportster for it.

[Jayxx]

Get the belt loosened now. Do not ruin your belt pulley. Noise qwill all be gone

[FL Vulcan Rider]

This thread has resurrected from the dead a few times in the past 2 years! Haha. All by tons of noobs. I'm sure the guy probably has bought the bike or gotten something else by now.

[pvl1964]

I got back into riding last year after a 20 year break. I did tons of research and although I was leaning toward the Honda VTX 1300 I eventually bought the 900 Classic. I just love it. It fits me really well (I'm a little guy - 5'4" and 140 lbs), it really gets up when you twist the throttle, it is rock steady on the hwy - I havn't been past 80 mph, it's pretty easy to handle in town, it looks good and it's cheap to insure.
What's not to like ??
Buy it, ride it, love it !!

[Sick Tom]

What I don't understand about all this belt noise issue is when are they hearing this noise, I hear a tiny bit as I slow to a stop and thats it, my trade in bike did the same thing till I got some miles on it.

The noise I hear reminds me of a brake rotor that's warped and the pad's are rubbing on it slightly, kind of a whirl ..........whirl.........whirl sound, if you know what I mean.

Is this what everybody is talking about?

[BikerEm]

Well just to create a hornet's nest, my main complaint is not the belt but the noise of the cross cut gears but non-the-less, it's a great bike

[BY THE WAY]

I heard the belt noise when I let off the throttle. It made me worry about the rear brakes. So I checked it all out to find it was just fine. Will be loosening the belt in next few days.

What about the gears though. Does anyone know of a replacement set yet?

BTW I am a newb as this is my first bike, but I have been riding since I was a kid. Glad to resurrect the thread.

[Wes350]

Originally Posted by LordGT

Motorcycle Cruiser Aug 2006 issue just came to the house. It has quite a long article in it on the Vulcan 900 LT. 11 pages in all, pics included.

Here are some of the performance specs. 33-44 mpg, 41.2 mpg average
Average range 203 miles
1/4 mile accleration: 14.85 sec. @ 83.7 mph
60-80 mph acceleration 10 sec. Must be a high gear roll on.
Minimum fuel grade: 87 octane.

High points: Impressive overall comfort, especially in LT form. Looks and feels like more than a 900. Commendable fuel capacity and range. Glet final drive, Effective windshield and capacious saddlebags on the LT.

Low Points: Noisy drivetrain, Tube-type tires, Optimistic speedometer, slight vibration at fast highway speeds.

First changes: Saddlebag waterproof inserts, Seal or replace wheels with tubeless tires. Better seat for long trips. More rebound damping for riding solo and unloaded.

This guy got to ride the Vulcan 900 from Daytona all the way back to California, almost 3000 miles. This is probably the most in depth article so far. He pulled out his GPS and found the speedometer to be 8 to 9 % off, so he rode 80 -85 mph indicated on his speedo, when he was in a 70-75 mph zone.

The magazine should hit the stands by July.

Enjoy

I read this post the other night and saw the 60-80mph time of 10 seconds, I figured there was no way, since the 1/4 mile was 14.85 sec at 83.7 mph. Not a huge difference in time and one was coming from zero. Yesterday, on my way home, I decided to test this. Once i reached a nice flat stretch of interstate, I got my bike right at 60 and opened her up. I hit 80 pretty quickly, and using the ole' tried and true method of "one-one thousand, two-one thousand..." counted a solid 5 seconds if not a little less to get there. I ride an '08 900 custom and since it shares the same frame and drive-train, I figured the times should run pretty parallel to each other. I haven't run the 1/4 officially yet, but as soon as I do, I will post the findings.