98 Kawa Vulcan 500

JimW · 06-06-2011, 08:58 AM

Got a chance to buy a decent Vulcan 500 with 9000mi. Other than a slight dent in the tank it's in excellent cond. What's everyones thoughts on the Vulcan? The 500 is a rarety in my area. As a matter of fact it's the first one I've seen in person.

Jim · 06-06-2011, 11:46 AM

I have an 800, its been good to me.

FastDoc · 06-06-2011, 12:09 PM

IIRC the Vulcan 500 is an offspring of the 454, which was an excellent engine. Based on 1/2 the Ninja 900 engine. Good looking reliable torquey. I know the 454's werre belt drive which I like on cruisers.

JimW · 06-06-2011, 02:11 PM

Thanks fellas. I've heard they're a bit of a bear to service but reliable.

My son in law's 750 has the typical acct problems that I hear about but other than that appears to be a good bike.

The guy wants 1100.00. Do you think that's in the right ball park figure? The only thing I noticed about it when I rode it is, it seems slow about idling back down. Could be from sitting and maybe the throttle cable is a bit dry?

Barnone · 06-06-2011, 09:23 PM

JimW,
I had one of the 1996 Vulcan 500s's with the belt drive and a six speed transmission for several years and never had a problem with it. It had the Ninja engine so it was not like the other Vulcans meaning you had to rev it up but it would walk the dog.

I believe the 1998 has a chain drive and is a little different than my 1996 but both have the same sweet engine.

Don't know why they would be considered a bear to service except for the shim over bucket valve adjustment. I sold mine for $1900 several years ago so I think $1100 is a good price assuming the bike is decent and 9000 miles is nothing for a Kawasaki. The belt drive is nice.

I'd consider buying it if it was local to me.

Weldangrind · 06-07-2011, 12:57 AM

The slow-to-idle symptom is typical of a vacuum leak. Might be a bargaining tool.

JimW · 06-07-2011, 07:52 AM

Yeah W&G, I suspected that too. I guess when I get it here where I have extra time to look, I'll find it.

Barnone. On the servicing most complaints were the gas tank and instrument cluster have to be removed just to add coolant to the resevior or change the plugs. I'm going to pick it up this weekend so I'll let yall know what I find out. Thanks again!

Barnone · 06-07-2011, 09:03 AM

Jim,
Mine was the older version of the Vulcan 500 so what I say doesn't probably apply but changing the coolant on my Vulcan wasn't a big deal. The catch bottle was easy to view for checking.

There is a good Yahoo group on the 500 so you might want to visit it for better info on maintenance. I always like to go to a model specific forum and read through the postings for info before buying a bike. Unfortunately they are few and far between for China bikes.

I've owned quite a few Kawasaki bikes and they were always well built and reliable. I had the old model 1500 Vulcan and it was the most comfortable long distance bike that I have ever owned, even better than the 1500 Wing.

JimW · 06-07-2011, 09:24 AM

Thanks Barnone. One of the forums for the vulcans is where I got some of the info but, I'll do some more reading. My son in law says his 750 Vulcan is comfortable also. To me it seems awful heavy for a 750 tho. Thanks again!

2LZ · 06-07-2011, 11:42 AM

Dent in tank..... Possible explanation if it doesn't look like an impact.

A buddy of mine bought the brand new, smaller displacement Vulcan. The one that look like the fat tired cruiser. Classic, I believe?
He rode it around the first day and stored it in his garage. He got up the next day, walked out the the bike and there was a big dent in the top of the tank! 8O
He looked up to see if anything fell out of the rafters...all looked good. Nothing on the floor. He was perplexed. No scars or dings from impact either. Obviously, he was heartbroke.

He rode it over to Kawasaki to see how much a new tank was going to be. He wanted it fixed right away. The counterperson came out and looked at it. "Oh....that's a recall. We'll order you a tank. When the engine and tank cool after riding, it contracts and there's a faulty vent doesn't let air in and it collapses the tank."

Pretty odd, huh? 8O

FastDoc · 06-07-2011, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

The slow-to-idle symptom is typical of a vacuum leak. Might be a bargaining tool.

Agreed. DO the Old Starting Fluid test to make sure. Replacing the carb holders should not be too difficult or expensive. You can also coat them with RTV. Gross but effective.

JimW · 06-07-2011, 02:14 PM

Thanks Doc. I didn't have a good chance to check everything on the day, I rode it but pretty certain it's nothing serious. Youngest son in law bout an 85 Yamaha Maxim 700 back in feb doing a very similar thing except it wouldn't idle down at all. The vac line that runs from the fuel petcock to one of the intake boots had gotten old and cracked. This Vulcan isn't as severe as the Maxim was.

2LZ. Interesting story. This is definitly an impact dent. The kawa badge is gone and the tank is scratched. The man that owns it right now is 74. Said it ws like that when he bought it 6yrs ago. It doesn't look to bad but, I'm funny about how my vehicles look, and since my wife will be riding it, I'll fix it and paint it. I'm going to try the dry ice trick on it first. I'f that doesn't work, I'll have to try a different route.

FastDoc · 06-07-2011, 02:23 PM

A paintless door ding removal guy may be able to fix that I've had good luck with that.

A favorite passive aggressive trick my ex-wife would do when she decided to hate me was to kick a dent in my Ford Probe GT while it sat parked in the garage. I've had experiance with the paintless dent removal guy. :roll:

Weldangrind · 06-07-2011, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimW

I'm going to try the dry ice trick on it first.

Please explain.

I've had some success with popping dents out with compressed air, but I make sure that the tank is totally empty and dry.

JimW · 06-07-2011, 02:58 PM

Doc, not sure whether to laugh or feel sorry for you hehe. My first wife's dad was a pretty decent body repair and painter. He taught me alot about removing dents and my own dad tho a Ford mechanic by trade was a good body guy too.

Ya know, my wife is so easy going that in 30yrs, I've never seen her mad but, I have a feeling, I'd end up dented before any vehicles would if she ever got mad. It probably seems unbelievable but, she truly is that easy going and takes whatever life throws at her with a smile.

06-06-2011, 08:58 AM	#1
JimW Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Panhandle of oklahoma Posts: 276	98 Kawa Vulcan 500 Got a chance to buy a decent Vulcan 500 with 9000mi. Other than a slight dent in the tank it's in excellent cond. What's everyones thoughts on the Vulcan? The 500 is a rarety in my area. As a matter of fact it's the first one I've seen in person.
	0

06-06-2011, 12:09 PM	#3
FastDoc Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southeastern Washington desert Posts: 14,761	IIRC the Vulcan 500 is an offspring of the 454, which was an excellent engine. Based on 1/2 the Ninja 900 engine. Good looking reliable torquey. I know the 454's werre belt drive which I like on cruisers. __________________ Happy to serve.
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06-07-2011, 12:57 AM	#6
Weldangrind Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Sardis, BC, Canada Posts: 25,977	The slow-to-idle symptom is typical of a vacuum leak. Might be a bargaining tool. __________________ Weldangrind "I figure I'm well-prepared for coping with a bike that comes from the factory with unresolved issues and that rewards the self-reliant owner." - Buccaneer
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06-07-2011, 11:42 AM	#10
2LZ Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Volcano, Ca Posts: 7,065	Dent in tank..... Possible explanation if it doesn't look like an impact. A buddy of mine bought the brand new, smaller displacement Vulcan. The one that look like the fat tired cruiser. Classic, I believe? He rode it around the first day and stored it in his garage. He got up the next day, walked out the the bike and there was a big dent in the top of the tank! 8O He looked up to see if anything fell out of the rafters...all looked good. Nothing on the floor. He was perplexed. No scars or dings from impact either. Obviously, he was heartbroke. He rode it over to Kawasaki to see how much a new tank was going to be. He wanted it fixed right away. The counterperson came out and looked at it. "Oh....that's a recall. We'll order you a tank. When the engine and tank cool after riding, it contracts and there's a faulty vent doesn't let air in and it collapses the tank." Pretty odd, huh? 8O __________________ "Light a fire for a man, and you heat him for a day. Light a man on fire, and you heat him for the rest of his life." 2007 Suzuki DRZ400S (SM convert) 2009 Q Link XP 200 1967 BSA B25 250cc Starfire 2022 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 2023 Royal Enfield Scram 411 1948 Royal Enfield Model G 350
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06-07-2011, 02:23 PM	#13
FastDoc Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southeastern Washington desert Posts: 14,761	A paintless door ding removal guy may be able to fix that I've had good luck with that. A favorite passive aggressive trick my ex-wife would do when she decided to hate me was to kick a dent in my Ford Probe GT while it sat parked in the garage. I've had experiance with the paintless dent removal guy. :roll: __________________ Happy to serve.
	0

06-06-2011, 11:46 AM	#2
Jim Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Abbotsford, BC, Canada Posts: 4,880	I have an 800, its been good to me.
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06-06-2011, 02:11 PM	#4
JimW Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Panhandle of oklahoma Posts: 276	Thanks fellas. I've heard they're a bit of a bear to service but reliable. My son in law's 750 has the typical acct problems that I hear about but other than that appears to be a good bike. The guy wants 1100.00. Do you think that's in the right ball park figure? The only thing I noticed about it when I rode it is, it seems slow about idling back down. Could be from sitting and maybe the throttle cable is a bit dry?
	0

06-06-2011, 09:23 PM	#5
Barnone Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 1,348	JimW, I had one of the 1996 Vulcan 500s's with the belt drive and a six speed transmission for several years and never had a problem with it. It had the Ninja engine so it was not like the other Vulcans meaning you had to rev it up but it would walk the dog. I believe the 1998 has a chain drive and is a little different than my 1996 but both have the same sweet engine. Don't know why they would be considered a bear to service except for the shim over bucket valve adjustment. I sold mine for $1900 several years ago so I think $1100 is a good price assuming the bike is decent and 9000 miles is nothing for a Kawasaki. The belt drive is nice. I'd consider buying it if it was local to me.
	0

06-07-2011, 07:52 AM	#7
JimW Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Panhandle of oklahoma Posts: 276	Yeah W&G, I suspected that too. I guess when I get it here where I have extra time to look, I'll find it. Barnone. On the servicing most complaints were the gas tank and instrument cluster have to be removed just to add coolant to the resevior or change the plugs. I'm going to pick it up this weekend so I'll let yall know what I find out. Thanks again!
	0

06-07-2011, 09:03 AM	#8
Barnone Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 1,348	Jim, Mine was the older version of the Vulcan 500 so what I say doesn't probably apply but changing the coolant on my Vulcan wasn't a big deal. The catch bottle was easy to view for checking. There is a good Yahoo group on the 500 so you might want to visit it for better info on maintenance. I always like to go to a model specific forum and read through the postings for info before buying a bike. Unfortunately they are few and far between for China bikes. I've owned quite a few Kawasaki bikes and they were always well built and reliable. I had the old model 1500 Vulcan and it was the most comfortable long distance bike that I have ever owned, even better than the 1500 Wing.
	0

06-07-2011, 09:24 AM	#9
JimW Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Panhandle of oklahoma Posts: 276	Thanks Barnone. One of the forums for the vulcans is where I got some of the info but, I'll do some more reading. My son in law says his 750 Vulcan is comfortable also. To me it seems awful heavy for a 750 tho. Thanks again!
	0

06-07-2011, 02:14 PM	#12
JimW Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Panhandle of oklahoma Posts: 276	Thanks Doc. I didn't have a good chance to check everything on the day, I rode it but pretty certain it's nothing serious. Youngest son in law bout an 85 Yamaha Maxim 700 back in feb doing a very similar thing except it wouldn't idle down at all. The vac line that runs from the fuel petcock to one of the intake boots had gotten old and cracked. This Vulcan isn't as severe as the Maxim was. 2LZ. Interesting story. This is definitly an impact dent. The kawa badge is gone and the tank is scratched. The man that owns it right now is 74. Said it ws like that when he bought it 6yrs ago. It doesn't look to bad but, I'm funny about how my vehicles look, and since my wife will be riding it, I'll fix it and paint it. I'm going to try the dry ice trick on it first. I'f that doesn't work, I'll have to try a different route.
	0

06-07-2011, 02:58 PM	#15
JimW Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Panhandle of oklahoma Posts: 276	Doc, not sure whether to laugh or feel sorry for you hehe. My first wife's dad was a pretty decent body repair and painter. He taught me alot about removing dents and my own dad tho a Ford mechanic by trade was a good body guy too. Ya know, my wife is so easy going that in 30yrs, I've never seen her mad but, I have a feeling, I'd end up dented before any vehicles would if she ever got mad. It probably seems unbelievable but, she truly is that easy going and takes whatever life throws at her with a smile.
	0