Vulcan 900 Custom or Classic?

[infuriated_rain]

hey guys, i know for sure i am getting a vulcan 900... now i am just having a hell of a time deciding between the custom and the classic. i think ultimately the classic will be more comfortable and handle better, but does it really matter? i know the front wheels are the main huge difference

[Alf]

One thing about it when you do finally decide neither is a bad decision.

[Utah Motorcyclist]

+1 Both are great bikes!

[McVulcan900]

hey guys, i know for sure i am getting a vulcan 900... now i am just having a hell of a time deciding between the custom and the classic. i think ultimately the classic will be more comfortable and handle better, but does it really matter? i know the front wheels are the main huge difference

I own a custom my mate owns a classic,both are nice rides but imo the custom is the better ride of the two,everyone will have there preferances so be sure to test ride both and see how they feel,even though there similar in a lot of ways they ride very different.

[wild_deuce03]

I'm prejudiced to the Classic but for me the Classic just felt like it balanced better. Either is a great choice though.

[TX 900 Custom]

Well IMO the Custom is better looking, If your going to get a big ol windshield, and bags, then Classic is the better choice. If you want tubless
tires and nice lookin wheels the Custom is better. If you were going to go Classic, I'd consider the 1500. You can get a great deal on them and You'd probably wish you had one a year or 2 if you get the 900 Classic.

Good luck

[infuriated_rain]

alright thanx alot guys! i think im going with the custom, i thought it was a bit more comfy but not much of a different i could notice

[N3FOLN3FOL]

It all depends on what kind of style and riding you want to do. I typically bring along a lot of personal stuff with me during rides and sometimes bring home stuff from my stops...so the Classic LT was perfect for me.

[insolentminx]

Custom is better looking in my opinion.

I do like the classic looks of the Classic (oooohh! I always wondered why they called it that!), but the wire spoked wheels, floorboards and ugly fenders put me off.

I'm sure the Custom rides a little different with the bigger, thinner front wheel, but in the end it's all down to personal preference and style.

you won't be disappointed either way!

[Scrambler81]

How do you plan to use it? I went through the same question, and I really liked the Custom. However, when push came to shove, the bike's main job was going to be getting me to and from the office. Having the bags to carry my lunch, newspaper and other goodies made a lot of sense. The fact that I plan to use it at least 10 months a year, and I have to deal with cold air as well as swarming bugs, made the windshield a no-brainer. So the Classic LT was the logical choice for me, but it may not make as much sense for you.

[infuriated_rain]

i will be driving it in town about 80-90% of the time, of course i will want to take the occassional highway trips to get out of town and enjoy the open road. ultimately i want something that is going to be safer, which i guess with on the classic having the bigger front tire i feel that is the one. but at the same time, i really love the look of the custom. i sat on them both and they were both equally comfortable in my opinion. unfortunately, both places hadnt serviced them so i wasnt able to ride them so i couldnt establish too well of an opinion. basically if i can be assured that the smaller wheel on the custom isnt much different saftey wise, then i will go with the custom.

[insolentminx]

i've never felt unsafe on the Custom with the narrower front tyre. The bike handles brilliantly.
I couldn't take any Vulcans for a ride before buying. Fortunately there's an HD dealer near me who have loads of Demo bikes, so i took out a few different versions of theirs to get used to mid pegs, forward pegs etc. The Sportster 883C was great, but seemed very small compared to the Vulcan Custom, so i went for the Vulcan. ... But if you can get a chance to ride on both then take them both out. I'd personally find the floorboards a little unsafe/unnerving... but each to their own

[infuriated_rain]

awesome, thank you for all the input. im about 90% positive on the custom, especially now that ive heard such good feedback about the small wheel. this being my first street bike i am probably putting a bit too much thought into the whole 'safety' thing haha.

but i should have her hopefully this weekend, just waiting on the money man! now i just gotta decide what type of exhaust, if any, to go with. i am thinking probably VH being that everyone says they are probably the better ones with a quieter sound

[odinseye]

If your worrying about safety/handling of the custom v classic don't, the custom is a very capable cruiser. I've had mine through just about everything I could dream of; Highway, twisties, rain, sand even a little bit of slushy snow this past winter and the bike handled brilliantly. That skinny front tire tracks really well especially when cornering but even does well on those annoying open grate bridges and grooved pavement.
No one has mentioned this yet, but last time I checked there wasn't any law against putting saddlebags on a 900 custom, I have some on mine and love em. Get a set of easy or ghost brackets and you can take them on or off any time you want with no effort or tools.
This being your first street bike don't forget about the MSF course, I grew up on dirt bikes too but there is a HUGE amount of good information you will pick up from taking the course.
Whatever you choose good luck...

[infuriated_rain]

oh yeah i am DEFINITELY taking the MSF course this summer. unfortunately, the first opening they have isnt until august so i got a bit of a catch 22 there

[Scrambler81]

No one has mentioned this yet, but last time I checked there wasn't any law against putting saddlebags on a 900 custom, I have some on mine and love em. ..

This true, of course, I'm just lazy. Everything I needed was already on the LT, except a comfortable seat.

[odinseye]

oh yeah i am DEFINITELY taking the MSF course this summer. unfortunately, the first opening they have isnt until august so i got a bit of a catch 22 there

I feel your pain... waiting is a b***h thats why the best time to take the course is in the winter months, it might be cold as all get out sometimes, or wet, or wet and cold, but there are always openings. Even if you pass the test and get your license now the course is well worth taking... although going from a 900 to the 250s they use around here could be quite the experience

[odinseye]

This true, of course, I'm just lazy. Everything I needed was already on the LT, except a comfortable seat.

I don't know that I'd call it lazy, you just get more riding time not having to do all the extra work.
I just find it funny how people look at it sometimes; I can get a 900 custom OR I can get a bike I can put saddlebags on.
I know to each his own, but I think the custom looks great with bags on it.

[insolentminx]

i've got saddlebags on my Custom. Well i've got the supports on there, I just add the bags when i need them. I'm saving up for the Easy Brackets though!

Regarding pipes, if it's your first street bike I might suggest to wait until you've racked up a few miles experience... It's a heavy bike compared to a dirt bike and evidently it's quite common for people to drop bikes (i've not done it yet) ... but as a new rider it's a little more likely... so it might be best to wait before splashing $500 on shiny pipes only to then ruin them through lack of experience.

Just my $0.02

[800AJAY]

IR, I just bought a 900 custom after having bigger(1500 cc variety) cruisers that look much like the 900 Classic. I wanted to get rid of some of the weight of those bigger cruisers because I don't really do any long distance cruising. Just county roads near my home for fun. For me the 900 Classic did not fit me as well. The handlebars came back to far and I felt I had a bit more legroom on the Custom. Plus I didn't want tube type tires and spokes which are a PITA to keep clean. I was concerned a little about the skinny front wheel, but I did own a Sportster 1200 Custom before so I new what I was getting into, so to speak. I don't know how the Classic feels to ride but I'll tell you I'm really impressed with the Custom. Can't believe how smooth the bike rides and the suspension is better than almost any other bike I've owned maybe with the exception of the 1500 Classic. Very surprising for a 550 lb bike. Power is all that I need and I can cruise all day at 65 and not feel like it's straining the engine. I don't know if it's the 21" size or what but that front wheel really rolls nice, if you know what I mean. On the bigger bikes I've owned you have to kind of muscle the front around a little when making a turn. With the custom putting it into a turn is just very smooth and easy. I don't push the lean angle very much, being an older guy. Too much of a conservative rider for that, so the skinny tire isn't an issue as far as concern over it breaking loose because of a smaller contact patch. It's probably all comes down to whether you want to do some touring with your bike. If so the Classic may be a better fit. I ride just for the pure enjoyment of the ride and the Custom is really nice for that. Choose wisely and good luck.