[Texun]

Hello everybody. Great forum! Looks like a great place for some good info.

The last bike I owned was a Honda 500-4 and that was over 20 years ago. I've had the urge to get back out and see some country roads and have found a 2000 Vulcan Classic 1500 FI. It's got the following extras: V&H pipes, hard bags, windshield, padded sissy bar and aftermarket grips. It looks clean... couldn't find a scratch on it. The stealer has it on consignment and I don't have my motorcycle endorsement yet, so getting a test ride is a problem. But then if I were the one selling it I probably wouldn't let someone with experience from more than 20 years ago take it out of the parking lot either. I've got an uneasy feeling about dropping the cash before the ride. The salesman seems on the level, more so than others that I have talked to over the past 6 months of looking. He says he road it and said it's smooth and tight. It's got 10K on the clock.

I've done a search and came up with some info but was wanting to know some opinions on the bike. Any known problems with it? Anything specific that I should check out before buying it? What's good about the Classic FI and what's bad?

About the size. I am 6'6" and weigh 295. I had been looking at the 800cc cruisers, thinking I could start there and work up to the 1500 class, but have had a lot of people, including a 5'4" woman weighing about 110 that I worked with who happens to have started on an FLH, have told me to skip the 800 and get what I really want.

Fire away!

Thanks in advance!

 

[Texun]

Thanks, ******. I had thought about that but I really don't know anyone that I could ask to do that. One thing I thought of earlier today was having the shop mechanic take it out for a check up. I would be willing to bet that if I owned it and asked them to check it out, they would be glad to run it through the mill looking for something to fix.

Naturally they will want to charge for the PM check which I don't want to pay for. What would that cost? My guess is about $50 or so and I don't think it's unreasonable for them or the owner to cover that and give me something in writing. The price is below book but it's still a lot of cash to drop on a blind gamble. Thanks.

 

[Texun]

Re: re

maybe make a test ride by the mechanic a part of the deal so you
can at least see the bike at operating temps and look for leaks and smells
and such if you or no one can ride it

honestly- i'd just go ahead and get the endorsement , and then go shopping
i just couldn't buy a 10k miles bike without riding it :wink:

Thanks, man. I fired it up, let it idle for about 5-10 minutes, felt the clutch, put it in first and felt it engage. Didn't smell anything odd or see any leaks. That's about all I know. I looked it up, down, front and back. This is a tough one.

I don't know anyone here with a bike that I could use to get the endorsement, and in Louisiana it's a must to have a bike to get one as far as I know. Then again, this IS Louisiana. There's probably some kind of permit I could get or a or judges' fund that I could contribute to and just bypass the law. I've learned that almost anything in this state is possible with the right permit or connections. 8)

At this point I'm pretty certain I won't bite unless I can have them give it a clean bill of health. Naturally they said they put in on the road and it was a great bike, etc. But it's also their job to sell so I don't put much stock in that.

I know my newbie-ness is showing, but man this is like being on a first date again. It's frustraiting... I know what I'm after but I'm just not sure I'm going at it right. :wink:

 

[Texun]

Call your DMV and ask them what is needed to get a MC endorsement.

There job is to sell the bike, and that is their main concern, look how many 18 year old kids drive out of dealers on gsxr 1300 Hyabusas, with a happy salesman waving. But that is is a whole nother subject I better stop on.

You made a good point. I'll give them a call. I had heard from others that it's all done at the same time here, but these aren't people I know real well so I also don't know their history, how long they've been riding, when or exactly how they got their endorsement, etc.

I know what you mean about the GSXR's. A couple of young kids pulled out of the parking lot of the dealership, the sales guy gave them a thumbs up and one kid lit up the rear tire. The salesmen then said they really didn't know how to ride, they just wanted to impress people.

If you can't tell I got it bad... it's past midnight here and I'm still searching for any info I can on the 1500's, looking to see if they have any common problems mostly. If I find something then I'll have something to check more closely.

At the moment my plan is to see if I can get someone to go check it out but that's going to be a stretch. The bike is an hour away. My backup plan is to call the dealer and twist his arm for a full check up in writing. It may be slim, but I might at least have something legal to fall back on if I get it home and find something bad wrong. I don't expect perfection, but close to it.

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions!!!!!!

 

[Texun]

try to get the previous owners number and give him a call..you can do that by getting the owner of the plate # or maybe just maybe the dealer will give it to you.dealer usually wont give it to you because he does'nt want you to know how much he is makin off the sale.i would try everything i could to talk with prev. owner...........

I called the dealer this morning and said I wanted the owner to pick up the tab for a check up. Instead of getting the owner and myself together, the dealer offered to have one of his mechanics check it out and put the findings in writing. Compression test, leaks, oil contamination... that sort of thing. It's all I have to work with at the moment. My connection at work is a wash out. I had planned to buy steak dinner in exchange for a second opinion, but I really didn't see any real depth of knowledge so I moved to the mechanic's check.

I wish it were closer so I could get the plate and VIN.

Thanks

 

[Texun]

Re: re

maybe the wrench over there will do you right-be nice if you could be there when he checks
it-maybe buy him a six-pack for a little extra attention to detail :wink:

Good point. I know it's the dealer's job to sell bikes, but I've been to several shops and have had my share of dealing with idiots. These guys are about the most down to earth folks I've come across so far. This isn't to say they wouldn't turn down achance to make a dollar but at least they don't come across like idiots. I've also heard from a couple of Suzuki owners who bought from them and said the same thing.

I'll know more after the check up.

I know one thing. I'm a big guy but I'm not ashamed to admit that I am nervous about riding again. Maybe it's age. When I was 20 and had my Honda 500 it wasn't so much of a concern, but several years ago I was on a friend's Kaw 700 and dropped it turning in his driveway when I hit some gravel. It happened fast and I have never forgotten that lesson. I healed up okay but I'm older now and want to avoid doing something like that again - or worse! I'm in the process of finding an MSF class so I can learn to do this right. There's too much to see out there to be riding with white knuckles.

Thanksa again everyone for putting up with my newbie-ness.

 

[Texun]

The actual difference in riding a 800cc or 1500cc cruiser is not that big it's not like sportsbikes that increase by leaps of about 10hp for every extra 100cc's. So I don't think that you couldn't get the 1500.

However from your post I'm getting the feeling that you are uneasy about getting back into riding, maybe even a little blockage caused by your droppage. In this case I would suggest that maybe you should start looking for an 800, it'll be a little lighter ( therefore easier to handle in driveways ). It'll also be cheaper and won't break the bank or your heart when you drop it.

When you get your confidence back , you can trade it in on something else that you'll be able to fully test ride.

You're right about the confidence thing. I hadn't ridden in years, went 2 miles and then dropped a bike in the driveway coming back and haven't been on one since. I don't think the block is permanent. I hope not!

As far as getting an 800.... too late, I bought the 1500 Classic this afternoon. I've been looking for the right bike for about a year. I looked at the Volusia really hard and read everything I could find on the bike. Even went to the volusiaowners forum. No doubt it's a nice bike but I had always wanted a Vulcan over any other bike. I found this used one and made the deal today. I looked it over as close as I could and there isn't any sign of a leak. They got their mechanic to do a compression test and check it out mechanically. I spoke to him afterward and he said it was perfect. I rolled the dice so I'll know soon enough. Not that it will help, but I financed a large part of it and if I find out it's been screwed up I'll start a war they won't soon forget, but I really don't think it will be necessary. If I thought it would be a problem I wouldn't have made the jump.

I'm having new tires put on it and the dealer is going to deliver it Thursday.

Thanks everyone for the advice. Although I didn't ride it I did the best that I could reasonably do to check it out. It was time to either let it go or pull the trigger and get it done. :roll:

 

[Texun]

To All: Thanks!

I got it tonight and it's awesome!!!!!!! I've got a lot of reading to do in the owners manual and I also got the study booklet from the DMV so I can take the test. Next step will be to schedule the MSF class. One thing the DMV booklet does is tell the cold hard truth about accident rates, but I'm not going to let that keep me from riding. I have no illusions about safety and the need to watch out for everything and everyone, including me! My plan for this weekend is to stay off the busy streets, take it easy and get back to the basics of handling the bike. It's been twenty-plus years, but after 5 minutes a lot of it was coming back to me.

Thanks again for the advice and encouragement! :wink:

 

[Texun]

As a noob returning after so many years I made what I believed to be an important re-discovery, at least to me. Then I come in and check the board to read that my hunches are right!

As I went for my first solo ride this afternoon (logged a whopping 15 miles) I started out practicing slow turns, left, right, large circles, etc. Once I began to get a feel for the bike and how it responded, especially with 5MPH turns, I realized that in order to ride safe it would be up to me to know my own limits and not do anything goofy. This is simple logic that anyone could agree with, but it feels much different once it has been internalized, experienced by one’s self so to speak.

A person with little to no experience at all can read reviews and stories for months as I did and probably never fully appreciate that little tidbit of information for its full value until they get up and get out. What I got out of my first 15 miles is nothing compared to what I have left to learn, but it is miles beyond where I was 24 hours ago and I still have a lot of work ahead of me; remembering where I am in traffic, speed, road conditions, other traffic, don’t panic or react hastily, etc. but I feel better about it now and the buyer's remorse is starting to fade. WOW! What a bike!

I am also internalizing the importance of looking for idiots. Learning how to turn and do figure eights is only part of the ride. Idiots are everywhere. I wasn’t on the street more than five minutes when a guy in a pickup truck pulls up behind me and started tailgating. It made me mad! I never would have noticed that if I were in my own truck. I know now that I have to add him to my list of things to look out for.

This may be "See Spot Run" stuff for experienced riders, but for someone like me who is learning this all over again it is an interesting discovery that I hope will help me build on the basics. I know on thing... I entered my driveway a lot better than I did when I pulled out. Now I wonder what tomorrow is going to bring????

And I agree with Bikeaholic and the manipulation of statistics. In my opinion there is too much political involvement in the numbers. With enough numbers, anyone can make them do or imply the any message they desire. The key is to see beyond the text and question the message. This is something else that I was caught up in a couple of days ago.

One more thing that must be mentioned: There is almost no chance that I would have done this if not for the people in forums like this one. I’ve read through several, and every single one of them has had nothing but the nicest people who are willing to help others with tips and encouragement. Thanks to all!

 

[Texun]

Hey Texun, how's it going with your new bike? Bet you've got a grin that just won't quite, huh. : ) Great!

I'm not sure if I bought a bike or a tractor. That thing pulls like a train! Yea... still have the grin, a real big one!

I posted a Q about a noise that I hear coming from the lower right side of the engine. It's a clacking sound that I can hear at idle after it's good and warm. Doesn't do it, or at least I can't hear it, once it's above idle speed.

The weather today was pretty poor so I let it stay in bed. I waxed it yesterday and changed the oil\filter. I don't dare take it out on rainy streets yet. I'm keeping it close to home and riding on the back streets until I get my endorsement this coming week. It must have been a mandatory overtime day for the cops yesterday. I saw about a dozen in my neighborhood Saturday afternoon. I really wanted to take it out on the highway, bad! I didn't buy it to ride around on city streets. I think a bike like this needs to breath.

Thanks for the check up!!!!!
Ride safe and well.

 

[Texun]

Another newbie question for the group... It's coming up on a week now since the bike was delivered and I am getting a pretty good feel for how it handles. My biggest problem is getting it in the driveway. I almost always have to go around the block at least once or maybe twice before I can get it parked. On a few occasions I even had to retrace part of my route before I could get it parked! Should this be considered normal?

 

[Texun]

Y'all pardon my dry humor..... I am having trouble parking it because I hate to end the ride. It just feels too good!!!!

 

[Texun]

Sounds like you've got a real serious problem there, Texun! : ) Might even find that it's a 'chronic condition'. Have fun!

It's still here and so is the grin. Last weekend I went for a ride in the country. It was sunny, about 70'ish and after a while I started to get a little dry. I stopped at this little "Fred and Ethel" looking Bait stand, BBQ, Beer joint and gas station where I stood in the sun and poured down bottle of water that had ice crystals in it. None of that 51 degree Circle K city crap. This was the country where you find clean air, cold drinks, friendly people and tall trees. That was when I realized why I bought the bike. 8)

MSF class coming up in a few weeks. So far all is well.

Apologies in advance to those living in the north.

Thanks again everyone.