500/750/800/900cc

[matt 1022]

hello all, i'm a newbie here, as well as a new vulcan owner, I bought a 1990 vn750a6, and am wondering where i can purchase a larger fuel tank? i have seen them on videos on youtube, but have yet to find out where i can get one. anyone have any suggestions?

[rustygunner]

Selling my Mustang Vintage Wide Touring seat. Like new:

http://www.kawasakimotorcycle.org/fo...ring-seat.html

SOLD

[Gray Hunter]

Hello gang,

I've been steadily working my way through this thread, and I'm amazed. I bought a 2000 800 Classic in August. It's my first bike, and I love it! Now that I'm getting comfortable riding it (fewer newbie mistakes than during my first month or so of riding) I'm thinking of making some modifications. Here is my current list, in order of priority:

1.) New grips (arrived today, the stock ones that I have look like crap - the paint on the plastic end caps is peeling)
2.) Mustang seat. Looking at the one piece vintage wide or the Daytripper. Any advice? I can't imagine going two-up for at least a year (due to my inexperience), but is the Daytripper comfy on longer rides?
3.) Saddlebags. I have mounting brackets on there already. Should I try to get hard bags that attach to these permanently, or get soft bags and tie them on to the brackets? Also, I have dresser bars on there already, so I'm a bit limited regarding bags that will fit between them and the stock lights.

Longer term stuff is:

4.) V&H pipes, because it is my understanding that before I can tinker with anything else on my list, I'm going to need to get rid of the stock pipes. Is that right?
5.) Modding the air box. I'm sure I could Scooterize or Grampsize, but I really think it would be better for someone at my level to get a bolt-on kit. I was thinking of this kit from Baron's. Any good? Do I have to rejet while I'm doing this?
6.) Adjusting the fuel mixture per the Russian Wolf's instructions
7.) Getting rid of all the EPA crap while I'm at it. Question though - given that I really am in California, is that legal? Am I going to fail emissions tests and have to put it all back on anyway?
8.) Changing the sprockets and chain (was pleasantly surprised how cheap that was, considering the apparent benefits)

I think that's it for now, sorry for the monster post. Any feedback would be appreciated. I'm a grad student living on a budget, so everything from point 4 onwards will be longer term (i.e. next year when I finally get my PhD and get a big boy job - I think ten years and four universities on two continents is enough ).

PS Damn you all for pointing out that although the 800 is a phenomenal bike when it's just stock, it can be so much more with just a few teeny tweaks...

[ckholiness]

What kind of grips did you get? I'm looking for a set for my 99 800 classic. Were you talking about a belt conversion? Tsukayu.com has some nice bags. Right now, I can only look. My next are engine guards and floorboards.

[rustygunner]

Welcome to the forum Gray Hunter... and welcome to the sickness
The 800 is a truely awesome bike and is darn near bulletproof.

What grips did you buy? That was the first thing I changed on my 800 also.

Mustang Seat; Daytripper is kinda suckish from what I hear; get the Fastback or any of the 'Wide Touring' seats. I'd get the latter since you have an 800 Classic; just looks better for the bike.

Saddlebags are a bit of trouble, especially with dresser bars. They just didn't leave much room for them. You may want to consider removing the dresser bars and even replacing the light bar to give more room for bags.

Aftermarket exhaust before you do anything else to the engine.
Both the Scooterize and Grampsize mods are rather old , and I would not do either without some slight modification to the mods
Basically, you do not want air to flow directly from the front or you will get surging. Rejetting the carb is really easy; getting the carb off the bike, not so easy.

EPA crap; maybe leave it in place and stuff a marble in the hose in case you need it intact for emissions testing. Have to wait for someone from CA to chime in on that one.

Change the sprockets when your chain is worn out; they should all be replaced at the same time anyway.

Do the exhaust, intake and re-jet before changing sprocket ratio.
Do not use the OEM needle with a washer under it whenever you do re-jet. Get the Dynojet needle (DNO106) 50 pilot jet, 165 main jet.

[ecave]

Originally Posted by rustygunner

Do not use the OEM needle with a washer under it whenever you do re-jet. Get the Dynojet needle (DNO106) 50 pilot jet, 165 main jet.

Hey Rusty...
I feel certain that this has been asked before, but is this advice good for any aftermarket combo of pipes and intake?
I asked because there is a large difference in the way my bike runs in the summer vs. the winter. My mechanic is great, but his solution is to "richen" the mixture. I do not know what needle and jets are in my carb. Could it have the wrong parts in there?

Thanks.

[rustygunner]

Dynojet needle (DNO106) 50 pilot jet, 165 main jet is the most common setup that works well for the most 800'ers.

I'm guessing that you have the needle that came with the Hypercharger (Factory Pro I think) a 170 or 175 main jet and the stock 48 pilot jet. The main jet required will differ a bit based on which needle is used and the e-clip location. I think your setup is fine except for the pilot jet should be a 50.

[Gray Hunter]

ckholiness: I got the Kury Iso-Grips (#6235) from Scootworks. They look awesome, haven't put them on yet. This is the second pair I bought - I originally got a different brand from Cruiser Customizing which didn't fit at all. You have to be careful with the Classic because it has those daft screw-on end caps, which will need to be modified if you're using grips designed for most bikes. At least that was my experience, Tweek has a page talking about this stuff here. I ended up returning those and ordering a set that was specifically sold as fitting the VN800. I'll let you know how they work out and post pics (lest the Donkey kick the crap out of me).

Rusty: Thank you! I was hoping you'd chime in. See above for what grips I got. I was actually thinking of the Fastback because the price is right, but I was worried it was an inferior version of the Daytripper (which I have heard mixed reviews about). If the Fastback is okay, I think I'll go with that if for no other reason than it saves me money for other mods.

I don't want to remove the dresser bars, I like the look and they've already saved me once when I had a low side fall in my first week of riding. No damage except to my pride, thanks to the bike landing on the dresser bar. I think I will get a fairly small set of bags for now, move the light bar later and get bigger bags then. I don't really need anything bigger than an overnight bag at the moment anyway.

I think I will just go for a bolt-on air intake kit, especially given your comments on Scooterising and Grampsising. Is the one I linked to earlier any good, to your knowledge? I will aim at getting new pipes on there over the winter, then do the intake and the rejetting shortly after that.

When you talk about stuffing a marble in there, will that just prevent the exhaust gasses from ever entering the afterburner etc, thereby bypassing it and eliminating the problems caused by it?

As for the sprockets and chain, how do I know when my chain is worn out? I have 8900 miles on the bike now.

I will be sure to take your advice when it comes to rejetting - you've certainly spent enough time digging around in the 800 carb

Thank you again.

EDIT: And thanks for the welcome!

[ecave]

Thanks Rusty.

[WhiteFox]

Originally Posted by matt 1022

hello all, i'm a newbie here, as well as a new vulcan owner, I bought a 1990 vn750a6, and am wondering where i can purchase a larger fuel tank? i have seen them on videos on youtube, but have yet to find out where i can get one. anyone have any suggestions?

I used to ride a VN750 myself, and always carried 2 (1) quart fuel cans with me, (the kind for small stoves).. That 3.57 gal tank looks cool, but if your running much aboge 60 mph, your mileage goes in the can.. I know... Have used the spare fule on one occasion. I just bungied them to the back of the sissy bar.

I think a bigger tank would be nice,, but it would spoil the lines of a really nice looking bike.

[rustygunner]

Gray Hunter; I only know one person who actually owns the Fastback seat; His first impression was that the seat was about as comfortable as the wide touring and the riding position was a lower and a bit toward the rear (vs. the wide touring seat). I'll email him today and see what he thinks about it now that he's owned the seat for a season.

There are plenty of bags that will fit with the dersser bars, but try to find some locally to be 100% sure they will work. Hopefully, someone will come along that is a bit more knowledgable about luggage that fits the Classic than I.

The BAK you are looking at is very popular with the 900 owners, but I don't know anyone that has one on an 800. Any open intake should flow more air than the engine could ever use, so jetting would be about the same.

Vance & Hines Cruizers seem to be popular for exhaust systems. Cobra slashcuts or drag pipes are OK and cheaper, or Roadhouse Brand if you have the money for them.

The marble just blocks air from getting to the reed valves. Important if you have aftermarket pipes because they will pop really bad on decel if you don't block the line or remove the EPA stuff. Check russianwolf's site for more info. The Wolf's Bike Shop; just how far do you trust me?

At 8,900, you chain should be nowhere near worn out. I kept mine clean and was on my second chain at 37K when I sold the bike (first replaced it at 24K).

[Gray Hunter]

Cheers, Rusty. I think the Wide Touring might be better for me, because I'm tall.

I've read through the Russian Wolf's stuff, but I'm having trouble visualising the process. I think I just need to take apart my bike without actually changing anything first, kind of a dry run before I do the work.

Any recommendations on cleaning the carb? The previous owner said that he thought it needed doing, as he never had (he only had it about five months before falling on hard times, thus he had to sell it to me). What do you use to clean it? I've never been inside a carb before, MC or auto. I'm getting about 42 mpg, so I don't think it can be that bad but I'd like to do it anyway.

Also, my chain looks a bit gunky around the edges. I've lubed it once, but I really want to clean it too. Any advice?

One last thing: I want to adjust the bike for my weight. I seem to remember Jeff mentioning that there's the complicated way that the service manual tells you (I have a service manual, btw) and then there's the real-world easy way. Mind telling me what the real-world way is?

Thanks Rusty. Maybe someday we'll download the contents of your brain onto a server and then we can just directly access this info without bothering you.

[rustygunner]

Personally, I think the Wide Touring seat looks much better on the Classic, and the Fastback on the 'A' model. My guess is the WT is more comfortable as well. Just my .02

Ripping into the bike is not as bad as it sounds. The hard part is getting up the sand to do it.

If it's running OK, the carb doesn't really need cleaned. Just run about 1/4 can of SeaFoam every 4th tankful of gas and it will be fine. 42MPG sounds about right for a stock bike. With aftermarket pipes, intake and proper jetting, fuel economy will actually increase to about 50MPG. Mine got an average 57.4MPG this past spring on a 140 mile group ride!

I clean my chain with Kerosene and a couple small nylon brushes (the kind you would buy to clean a gun with). Toothbrush would work OK too, but the gun cleaning brushes are better IMHO. I used Bel-Ray lube, but any quality chain lube will do fine. After cleaning everything with the Kerosene, wipe it all down with a rag, then lube just the edges of the chain (where the O-rings are). The 'center' part of the chain and the sprockets require no lube. Wipe down with a clean rag so you don't sling lube everywhere and your done.

Owning a service manual is a must, but there are easier ways of doing things sometimes. Shock adjustment would be one of those times.
Raise the back of the bike (we'll get to the $10 lift later); remove the right side cover and the inner 'box' behind it. Has like 5 8mm's and 3 or 4 phillps screws. You should have access to the top of the monoshock now. There is a ring at the top of the shock that you would need to turn to adjust it. Use any long metal rod and a BIG hammer to turn it. Has 7 settings I believe, and you'll want it on 5 or 6 (factory is 2). It WILL turn, but you have to hit it hard.

[Gray Hunter]

Cool, thanks Rusty. I have the PDF for building the $10 bike lift - I'm going to try to put one together this weekend, but only if I can figure out why my drill isn't charging (hoping it's just the adapter and not the battery).

Going to NAPA tonight to grab some SeaFoam and a new 80/100 bulb while I'm there. Now that daylight savings has kicked in I'm riding home in the dark and it's scary how bad the stock bulb is.

Once that's done, I can clean the chain properly. Thanks for the info.

For the shock adjustment, am I rotating the ring towards the front of the bike or the back? Don't want to keep hammering it the wrong way if it's already maxed out in that direction.

Hopefully I'll get my new grips on this weekend - I'll post pics when I do.

[Pawky]

where is info on building this $10 bike life? you have my interest. Thanks

[WhiteFox]

Here is a link to a $20.00 bike lift.

$20 Bike Lift

[Pawky]

Originally Posted by WhiteFox

Here is a link to a $20.00 bike lift.

$20 Bike Lift

Man, that's almost double the one they were talking about... Thanks for the link, I like the pricetag. plus, it packs up nicely too for storage ;P

[rustygunner]

Originally Posted by Pawky

where is info on building this $10 bike life? you have my interest. Thanks

I think the $10 is assuming you have some of the stuff lying around already. I bought the board for $5.50 and the plate to screw the metal pipe into for about $4. Already had plenty of pipe at the house.

[rustygunner]

Originally Posted by Gray Hunter

Cool, thanks Rusty. I have the PDF for building the $10 bike lift - I'm going to try to put one together this weekend, but only if I can figure out why my drill isn't charging (hoping it's just the adapter and not the battery).

Going to NAPA tonight to grab some SeaFoam and a new 80/100 bulb while I'm there. Now that daylight savings has kicked in I'm riding home in the dark and it's scary how bad the stock bulb is.

Once that's done, I can clean the chain properly. Thanks for the info.

For the shock adjustment, am I rotating the ring towards the front of the bike or the back? Don't want to keep hammering it the wrong way if it's already maxed out in that direction.

Hopefully I'll get my new grips on this weekend - I'll post pics when I do.

That BP1210 H4 bulb makes a huge difference. I live in deer country, so the thing has probably saved my life more than a few times.

To increase the shock preload, the adjuster would need to be turned counter-clockwise.

[rustygunner]

Originally Posted by Gray Hunter

Cool, thanks Rusty. I have the PDF for building the $10 bike lift - I'm going to try to put one together this weekend, but only if I can figure out why my drill isn't charging (hoping it's just the adapter and not the battery).

Going to NAPA tonight to grab some SeaFoam and a new 80/100 bulb while I'm there. Now that daylight savings has kicked in I'm riding home in the dark and it's scary how bad the stock bulb is.

Once that's done, I can clean the chain properly. Thanks for the info.

For the shock adjustment, am I rotating the ring towards the front of the bike or the back? Don't want to keep hammering it the wrong way if it's already maxed out in that direction.

Hopefully I'll get my new grips on this weekend - I'll post pics when I do.

That BP1210 H4 bulb makes a huge difference. I live in deer country, so the thing has probably saved my life more than a few times.

To increase the shock preload, the adjuster would need to be turned counter-clockwise.