'02 Vulcan 500

[BillInGA]

Originally Posted by Easy Rider

you need to actually take an 8 hour test ride, 4 out and 4 back to see what it's really like.

I rode Atlanta to Nashville (and back) several weeks ago - a couple of weeks before Nashville got all that rain and flooding. It was before I got my windshield installed and I got beat to hell by the 25+ mph winds. My planned route was 525 miles, but due to a navigational error the trip ended up being 550 miles. At the end of the day I was ready to get off the bike, and the next morning I was ready to get back on.

And that was on the GZ250. With the few miles I've put on the Vulcan so far, I can tell it is a much more comfortable bike. I'll be taking a 3-hour ride tomorrow morning on the Vulcan so I'll be able to get a better feel for it.

[Water Warrior 2]

Originally Posted by BillInGA

I rode Atlanta to Nashville (and back) several weeks ago - a couple of weeks before Nashville got all that rain and flooding. It was before I got my windshield installed and I got beat to hell by the 25+ mph winds. My planned route was 525 miles, but due to a navigational error the trip ended up being 550 miles. At the end of the day I was ready to get off the bike, and the next morning I was ready to get back on.

And that was on the GZ250. With the few miles I've put on the Vulcan so far, I can tell it is a much more comfortable bike. I'll be taking a 3-hour ride tomorrow morning on the Vulcan so I'll be able to get a better feel for it.

Sprinkle a bunch of talcum powder in your shorts, it will make things comfy for a longer ride.

[dhgeyer]

Bill,

You haven't mentioned this and it hasn't come up here. Did you get a service history/record with the bike? Do you know what has been done and when? If not, that's definitely something to look into before a long ride like you're planning. DOT codes on the tires indicating how old they are? More than 5 years and they don't have the stickiness (traction) they should, even if the tread looks great. When was the last tune up? Is the chain at the proper tension, and if so, is it anywhere near the end of it's (the wheel's) adjustment? When the chain is stretched too much it needs to be replaced. Spark plugs OK? Brake pads and shoes good? Check the ends of the clutch cable for wear. They almost always break at one end or the other, and if you look once in a while you can usually see it coming. Bad news to have one break mid trip. Brake fluid look OK? How about the battery - if it's not a maint free type how's the fluid level? Tire pressure of course. Oil and filter goes without saying. Got spare bulbs? Fuses?

I know you've been busy, but I would definitely go over the whole bike before taking off across the country. If you've already done all this, then never mind.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by BillInGA

At the end of the day I was ready to get off the bike, and the next morning I was ready to get back on.

You might be OK then. My enthusiasm doesn't wane until sometime about the middle of the second day.

Do you have a "plan B" incase of bad weather, etc. ??

[BillInGA]

Originally Posted by BillInGA

Exhaust with coverplate:



and exhaust with coverplate removed:

I finally managed to fix my loud and mangled muffler problem. I got a short piece of 1" copper tubing and attached it to the cut off inner pipe / baffle with JB Weld. After it cured, I used JB Weld Stick (a putty-like version) and formed it around the area that had been cut away around the pipe. I also used the putty to fill the three drilled holes as well.




The end result is the mufflers now sound like they ought to. Much quieter and no more harsh, really loud popping and backfiring during deceleration.

[mrlmd1]

Check out this link I also posted on AC's thread, from the Iron Butt Riders

http://www.ironbutt.com/tech/aowprintout.cfm

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by BillInGA

The end result is the mufflers now sound like they ought to. Much quieter and no more harsh, really loud popping and backfiring during deceleration.

Good job. I think you should consider that a temporary fix, though, and start shopping for some replacements. Hopefully you can find a used set somewhere.

[BillInGA]

Originally Posted by mrlmd1

Check out this link I also posted on AC's thread, from the Iron Butt Riders

http://www.ironbutt.com/tech/aowprintout.cfm

Good article, thanks. I added a few more nuggets of knowledge.

[BillInGA]

Originally Posted by Easy Rider

Good job. I think you should consider that a temporary fix, though, and start shopping for some replacements. Hopefully you can find a used set somewhere.

Definitely a temporary fix. The JB Weld putty is good up to about 250°F. I don't know how hot it gets at the end of the tail pipe, but my expectation is that it will degrade over time. If / when it does start to degrade I have some high-temp RTV to fill in any cracks that may form.

I've been talking to some folks on the Vulcan forums trying to line up some used pipes.