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SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> The Cafe >> A mid-sized bike for short people /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1477693880 Message started by Oldfeller on 10/28/16 at 15:31:20 |
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Title: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Oldfeller on 10/28/16 at 15:31:20 I looked long and hard for a bike I could sit flat footed at stop lights, and I found the Savage. And I have been a happy Hurley killin' Savager for a long time now. But it isn't really an interstate bike, really, because it struggles some with a steady diet of 80 mph plus and it does beats on the rider some in doing that. So, I have been looking for something affordable that gets close to fitting my bill for an open road bike. At least 750cc or more, it has to have at least 55-60 ponies and over 35 ft/lbs of torque. Top end of over 100 mph with some oomph for passing trucks (and Hurleys). Belt or shaft drive, no chain slinging greasy muck stuff. Standard riding position or cruiser position only. No crotch rocket crouch please. Ease of maintenance says hydraulic valves, please. Regular gas, please. Over 3 gallon tank size, please. 45-50 miles per gallon real world, please. Can't weight over 500 pounds, please. Seat height can be rigged to be 27 inches or less for my short legs. Seat needs to sit good for all day riding. I only got $1500 to spend on a bike right now, so that is a somewhat serious limiter too. ..... and last but killer least, it cannot be a Hurley -- I got me some enduring bias, I do. My ideal bike is acting sorta elusive to me right now, you know? Got any ideas to share ??? :-? AND it would be nifty neat if it used a 15" tubeless rear wheel so I could continue to use them cheap arsed immortal rear tires, except they would fit on the rim better. AND it would be nifty neat if it had a forum that was neat like this one, full of illustrated how to's and such. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Rodger on 10/28/16 at 16:15:01 Dang!! Was thinking I have the bike for you, O.F. But.... 2002 Kawasaki Vulcan Nomad 1500 FI..fits the specs, except in weight & price (743 lbs, asking price $3,000, incl new, unmounted Kenda Kruze tires) ... |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by SALB on 10/28/16 at 16:16:36 I was looking for something similar before I bought this last S40. Although just a little short on ponies, the Honda Shadow 750 will do freeway easy enough. Newer ones are shaft drive, and the newest FI. Finding one for $1500 might be a challenge. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by MMRanch on 10/28/16 at 18:15:44 I understand you can re-gear one of these to run interstate speed up to 80. but the wind is so bad at that speed its not a lot of fun . http://www.ebay.com/itm/2014-Suzuki-Boulevard-/112184100315?forcerrptr=true&hash=item1a1eb185db:g:~5wAAOSwOVpXfpWZ&item=112184100315 |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by jcstokes on 10/28/16 at 18:26:52 Second hand Yamaha Bolt, $1500 budget might be tough. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by MMRanch on 10/28/16 at 22:01:38 I'm going for a 4.75 gal. tank for my LS this winter ... I'll take lots of pictures and post them when I start the project. :) |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Blade on 10/29/16 at 03:40:10 My other ride is a Suzuki VX800, which I converted into a cruiser and lowered by around 4". It is based on the Intruder 750, with the engine bored out to 805cc. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Blade on 10/29/16 at 03:41:53 From this: |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Oldfeller on 10/29/16 at 04:03:59 Nice, but moving from 31 inches of seat height down to 27 will take out most of the shock travel free space (i.e. rear tire clearance). |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Oldfeller on 10/29/16 at 06:13:37 Went bike looking this morning at a $1500 motorcycle, came back discouraged to a degree as when I left I thought I was looking at a bike with a 489 pound dry weight and was flat amazed at what it actually hefted when it was full of water and oil and gasoline. 560 pounds vs a Savage is a LOT of extra weight ..... |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Rodger on 10/29/16 at 06:39:42 Yup, "dry weight" specs are about as useful to us as a bikini is to a lobster. I bought the S40 'cuz the Nomad is just NO fun in city traffic. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Drestakil on 10/29/16 at 06:44:36 Other than price it seems like the H-D Street 750 would fit the bill. It might be awhile before they come down to the 1500 range. I know it's a Harley but this one doesn't seem to fit in with the "bad-ass leather boy" look of the full size ones. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Ruttly on 10/29/16 at 07:06:08 Go sit on a Triumph,heavy but Low center of gravity and well balanced,nice bike. Forget what model it was,one of the retro twins ! |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by oldNslow on 10/29/16 at 07:31:55 4C6F6765666F6F6671030 wrote:
I think you are going to keep being discouraged unless you revise your wish list a bit. Unless you are looking for a project. I don't know what things are like where you are, but 1500 bucks doesn't buy much motorcycle around these parts. Some 20 year old 2 or 4 cylinder japanese standards and such. Which would meet most of your criteria except for seat height. Or a Kawasaki EN500, if you can find one close to your price. http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/kawasaki/kawasaki_en500_vulcan_classic.htm 28" seat height, under 500lbs. and its a water cooled twin. It's the same motor as the old 500 Ninja I think so the performance should meet your specs. Most of the ones that pop up on Craigslist around here are priced between 2 and 3 thousand though. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Serowbot on 10/29/16 at 07:45:25 1986 Honda VT700C Shadow 700 might be close... (a bit ugg in the style department)... http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/honda/honda_vt700c_shadow%2083.htm http://https://www.motorera.com/honda/h0700/shad700/vt700c-86a.jpg PS.. I rode a 500 for while,.. and even it would fit the bill. 8-) http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/buyersguide/Honda-VT500Shadow.htm http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/buyersguide/motorcycles/HondaVT500Shadow.jpg |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by HAPPYDAN on 10/29/16 at 08:20:48 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_CMX450 Good Luck. A bike with that list of "wants" may not exist. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by old.indian on 10/29/16 at 08:42:12 This is as close as I can find in this area.... https://albuquerque.craigslist.org/mcy/5850918807.html |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Dave on 10/29/16 at 10:29:51 The Pathetic Coast is a great bike.....as long as you are not upset by the scooter looks. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by SALB on 10/29/16 at 12:21:35 6B505D4A5B574C4A5159544B380 wrote:
Pacific Coast........who was it that made those........Maytag? :-? With the extra storage, it would make a good tour bike. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by old.indian on 10/29/16 at 12:32:30 Actually the "Pacific Coast" is/was a pretty good freeway flyer for smaller people,(or larger people too.) The worse thing about them is the lack of "macho" image that appeals to Hardly riders and Serowbot..... |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Dave on 10/29/16 at 17:18:18 With the requirement for a shaft drive (or belt), low seat height, low weight, 80 mph cruise....15" rear tire with wide rim, and a $ 1,500 budget, I am afraid you won't find anything that meets all those standards. You could update your Savage to meet most of those needs without too much of a cost. A 94mm Wiseco could get you a bit more power, and with the Kawasaki pulley conversion you could drop the rpm down and make the bike capable of cruising at 75 mph without too much of an issue. It would not be too hard to put a wider 15" rim on the back of the bike.....just a new rim and maybe some new spokes. And maybe some upholstery work to make the seat more comfortable for you, and maybe a shock upgrade to get a better ride. The other bike I think would be a good fit for you...is the Vulcan S. I sat on one about a month ago, and it felt really nice. It is chain drive and a 17" rear rim...and I doubt you can get one for $ 1,500 yet, as the first year of production was a 2015 model. About 6 months ago my neighbor had his Volusia 800 for sale for $ 1,400 and I posted it on this forum....and it was a steal at that price. He had mounted aluminum wheels so he could run tubeless, and it had fresh Michelin Commander tires, a windshield, and he had put the shaft drive from the larger Volusia to cut the rpm down at cruise, and I think the bike only had 7,500 miles on it. The seat height was low, and the center of gravity was low - but it still was a bit heavy....but pretty easy to move around with the low seat height. It was a typical V-Twin cruiser.....it was limited in how far you could lean in the corners! |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Steve H on 10/29/16 at 18:10:51 Maybe one of the smaller viragos. They are shaft drive. Top out around 100. smooth engine. Don't know about the others but the 535 has 28" seat height. 140/90-15 rear 3.00 x 19 front. All up weight on the 535 should be about 430. Dry is 401. Can be had in good condition around your price range. Dunno if your thinking v-twin or not. Just a suggestion. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Dave on 10/30/16 at 06:35:57 A Virago might be a good choice. Looking at the Cincinnati Craigslist shows that there are a few nice ones for $ 3,000, and a number of beat up ones for much less - but there was one that looked to be in good shape for $ 1,500. https://cincinnati.craigslist.org/mcy/5834683020.html |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Oldfeller on 10/30/16 at 06:42:39 I recently owned a Virago 535 and it had the "old bike" syndrome to the point that it was a lot of trouble to fix up and keep up with. Yamaha has NO NEW PARTS FOR ANY BIKE OVER 10 years old. I just passed up on a Kawasaki that gave out that same sort of vibe -- lots of very major known issues and how to laboriously fix them -- again -- :P . I like the Vulcan S, but it must be a right good bike because there are none of them on the used market and the selling price of them just went up $2000. But, once again it is a liquid cooled bike that is 500 + pounds wet. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Steve H on 10/31/16 at 04:12:29 You just hit on my big sore spot with Yamaha. But, they do have parts. They just don't make any parts for anything over 10 years old and they won't service it. They still have parts for my '73 80cc dirt bike. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by BSTON on 10/31/16 at 05:48:08 15363E3C3F36363F285A0 wrote:
This list just seems way too particular and with a lot of things that just don't go together well. High CC, cruiser, and shaft drive tend to go against the weight limit. Low / ease of maintenance go against your $1500 limit. Raising your price limit by $500-$600 is going to get you a much nicer bike that probably already runs well and won't need maintenance right off the bat. Most of the bikes that I see that are $1500 or less have little disclaimers about how they "run rough once they warm up", or "just need a little carb work", or "ran the last time I tried a couple years ago." Also, don't get too set on the CC limit. Different style motors handle rpm in different ways. Look at the recent post by Dave. He's taking a 250cc bike on a 6 hour interstate trip. I just picked up a Ninja 650 and it's as smooth as can be on the interstate too. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Oldfeller on 10/31/16 at 06:03:10 Actually, all of the specs came from a VN750 Vulcan I was considering, but I was surprised by by the bike by how much it masses wet when I was expecting 489 pounds and I actually got 560 pounds in reality. Weight and mass are something of interest to me now, today I go look at a $1500 Barcalounger that weighs in at 600 pounds just to see how far my limits can mentally and physically stretch. Both Dave and MM keep a long distance bike ..... mebbe I should too. MM wants to go places ..... and his idea of how far is pretty durn far both for the trip and for today. Dave is the same way, he likes to ride. I'm going to up the mass ante in my mind to see what kicks out. Issue with both is they like to go too slow (semi-legal) in strange places. And it is all too strange for going out busting Hurleys. Speaking of busting Hurleys, you do remember the White Whale up on the Dragon that passes everybody all the time? Passed us too, although we all fought, we couldn't stop the silent White Whale from easing on by. I wasn't insulted at all, really, I admired his skill more than anything else. ;D Which do you think would be more insulting to Hurley riders, being passed by a Granny sickle or being passed by a |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Dave on 10/31/16 at 09:18:29 I wonder how hard it is to find a Kawasaki Eliminator in the 400cc size. It appears they stopped making them in 1994. It appears the Vulcan replaced the Eliminator series. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawasaki_Eliminator https://scranton.craigslist.org/mcy/5811319041.html Shame you don't want a 125...this looks like a nice one - cheap! https://nh.craigslist.org/mcy/5792188807.html Here is the ZL400...54 HP, Shaft Drive, 423 pounds, 150/80-15 rear tire! (But that simplicity of the Savage is gone....4 cylinders, 4 carbs, water cooled). |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Gary_in_NJ on 10/31/16 at 09:29:10 Reminds me of the old joke (that's actually true): Customer: I need it fast, cheap and with high quality Sales: You can only pick two of those Your list is too specific, especially with a $1,500 ceiling as it puts you into RatBike or rode-hard-put-away-wet territory. For what it's worth, and it's a bike that's been mentioned already, I had a Kawasaki Vulcan 750 (VN750) some 20 years ago. It was a great light (relative term) cruiser. Mine was a 1986 model, but I think they were unchanged for most of their production. Shaft driven, low seat height, liquid cooled, 66hp, 47 lb-ft torque, weighs around 500 lbs, 50-60 mpg, can be found in the $1,000 to $2,000 range all day. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Oldfeller on 10/31/16 at 10:20:38 Went to look at a bike, finally got to see the title and it was not titled to the man selling the bike. It was a 1100 cc Goldwing and was a nice touring bike, but it was TOO MUCH bike, way to much bike. Mike want to get him a 4.5 gallon gas tank on his bike so he can go longer distances on his Savage. Hmmmmm ....... accessory tank could add the same capacity, mebbe. Pop it on for a long trip, pop it off for the mountains. Lemme ask 'ol Yoda about what he thinks about an accessory tank, what with all his Jedi mastery and force tricks and all ..... |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Rodger on 10/31/16 at 11:41:41 "With the Force, gas you shall have!" :-/ |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by engineer on 10/31/16 at 13:22:01 I don't think OF is asking for too much but sadly they don't make it. The dollar amount is just a matter of age and condition, sooner or later almost all bikes get down to $1500 and less. The shaft drive does add some weight so I would look for belt or chain. Now that I'm in my seventh decade I want something that is light. The old British twins were fairly light, often under 400 lbs wet, and produced decent power and torque with a comfortable upright seating position. When you consider how light the 390cc KTM is or the new light weight Ducatis and how much power they generate you have to wonder why don't they market something similar for those who enjoy relaxed touring and cruising. A slightly larger engine for good torque and a similar light weight frame configured for a low seat and a more upright seating position. I've gotten in the habit of making my own foot peg mounts and seats which helps a lot of the older bikes fit my requirements. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by gizzo on 10/31/16 at 14:31:52 What about a Honda cx500/ 650 ? Shaft drive 15 " wheel ( C model ) Low seat 100mph $1500 cheap Easy maintenance Parts available Excellent forum If you find yourself a 650 turbo you're home and hosed. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Oldfeller on 10/31/16 at 14:36:02 I sat a CX500 and it had a 30" seat and I was dancing on my tippy toes. Plus it has all the wet weight heavy issues as well. So off to the swamp to see the Master I goes ..... ======================================= 'Ol Yoda was kinda grumpy today and he just said "Riding mower" and force-pushed my arse back on out of his hovel door, back off the path and back on down the hill so that I fell back into the the stinkin' mucky swamp water on the fly ..... ..... where I landed on my butt yet again all waist deep in the mucky green sludge yet again. Kerplop on my arse yet again. I hate that stinking swamp -- I really do. He does this all the time now, ya know. Being a Padawan learner to Yoda in his grumpy elder years really sux sometimes, lemme tell ya. "Riding mower" likely means an ugly cheap plastic tank you can see through, and since he was looking at the back of my bike at the new rack when he said it, I kinda suppose he thinks I ought to mount there like a hundred and seventy dollar spun aluminum keg tank. So I went and looked used tanks in the used mower junk listed on E-bone and this is what tickled my Yoda sense a little bit when I first saw it ..... a rectangular $10 plus $8 shipping type used plastic tank. http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/8t4AAOSw8w1X4XzL/s-l500.jpg http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/fJsAAOSw4shX4Xzy/s-l500.jpg By tying this vertically to my sissy bar sitting on my new luggage rack, I get to use gravity to "equal balance" the two tanks with a simple hose "T" fitting above my carburetor inlet, with each tank having its own separate filter set up so that one filter screwing up with crap and trash does not stop the other tank from delivering fuel. They would fill separately, but would move down with use roughly equally, so the back tank is also a readily visible "read at a glance" fuel gauge. Both tanks will be vented, so heat & pressure shouldn't be moving fuel from one to the other for much. Eyeballing the tank and the rack horizontal wise, the bottom edges of the two fuel tanks will be very close to being the exact same height, with the aux tank maybe being a half an inch taller than the gas tank cap when judged on the horizontal. So, I could just have me a black max fill line on the aux tank and fill the normal tank on up normally and not have to screw with anything at all, ever. Looking 4-5 gallons net capacity at a cost of $18 plus fuel line and hardware. And I can take it off and put it back on depending on what/where I am going to be doing on that trip. I shoulda asked 'ol Yoda for some training fund money to buy the stuff, he surely does like getting some change back from a twenty, he does. ---- a whole lot ---- :-? |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by verslagen1 on 10/31/16 at 14:57:12 If you take a stock petcock, convert it to manual, you'll have every thing you need. just take the diaphragm out and put the back on w/out sealing the port and connect that to your aux tank. The line is smaller, but if your tanks are level and drain at the same time, it won't matter. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Oldfeller on 10/31/16 at 15:09:08 I have a manual petcock somewhere, but a plastic "T" fitting in the line does the same job without inviting any of them stock petcock gremlins to come back for a visit ..... Plus, I intend to be able to take it all off at the back, plug the fuel line back at the removed tank junction and just go. I guess I need to invest in a proper line cut off tap for back there just to make sure off is off ..... instead of fiddling around with a potentially leaking fuel line plug. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Dave on 10/31/16 at 17:42:21 If you are doing the rear tank....you should install one of the inline valves in the line. The equalization is fine - except when you park on a hill. or even ride on a long hill like the Cherohala Skyway. The higher tank could drain all of the contents to the lower tank and make it overflow. A while back I had an S10 and I plumbed an additional windshield washer pump and some tubing to the truck....and I had a small nozzle at the edge of the tail light. When somebody was tailgating me, I could squirt water out my tail light. If I parked with the back of the truck downhill....my tail light would start to dribble and empty the contents of my washer bottle. ::) |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Oldfeller on 10/31/16 at 19:12:31 This is true. I think by using a relatively "minimum" fuel hose size you can limit the back flow issue from tank to tank during actual riding since the back flow has to go past the consumption draw point and some of it is going to be redirected to the carburetor. The rate of carburetor consumption would easily be half of the possible rate of transfer, and since the tank to tank transfer reverses direction constantly the net effect might not be too great. We shall see, I suspect. Parking on a hill does not have this consumption effect, so yes a cut off valve would be very nice to have. Anytime the main fuel tank is higher (or lower) than the top of the sister tank you have a 100% flow back total dribbler mess possible. I think the cut off could be positioned near the "T" junction (relatively near engine) and placed so it can be found by finger touch while riding. Placing it near the normal petcock location could allow a muscle memory style turn off routine to become ingrained. ;) Note to self: do not tailgate Dave -- he'll pee on you. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Oldfeller on 10/31/16 at 19:46:03 http://https://images.craigslist.org/00B0B_lsute6ZmJ5n_600x450.jpg This is what the feature list came from. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by verslagen1 on 10/31/16 at 21:24:39 that reminds me... of a vincent inspired virago. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N2JNZfpTME8/UPAY4PztgVI/AAAAAAAAzXQ/LLD737qVoGY/s1600/V02LR.jpg |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Gary_in_NJ on 11/01/16 at 05:06:15 65464E4C4F46464F582A0 wrote:
So I guessed correctly. Do I win the bike? |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Ruttly on 11/01/16 at 06:35:46 In the living room , Very Cool ! |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by MMRanch on 11/01/16 at 21:00:55 I found a 1/4" in-line shut off at Harbor Freight air tool dept. Kinda small and cute looking ! :) OldFeller , that Kawasaki 500 Vulcan is belt drive and lots of power , You can put short shocks on anything and/or let the front tubes slide up through the triple tree. ::) If you want to try the "Long-Legs" pulley on your Savage , then pick one up on ebay and I'll fix it for ya --- but ya gota slide the rear tire forward almost all the way. It does : "Make it a totally different bike" |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Oldfeller on 11/02/16 at 03:50:19 I bought a pack of four cutoffs on Amazon, plastic cheapie looking stuff. We can rig our bikes for more gas, but our kidneys won't change one iota. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by justin_o_guy2 on 11/02/16 at 06:00:29 243720213E3335373C63520 wrote:
Now, that is doggone clever.. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Oldfeller on 11/02/16 at 10:35:57 070D09030801050C525450600 wrote:
So I guessed correctly. Do I win the bike? [/quote] Nope, I do. Buying this bike is sorta like a whimsical statement that I can keep an old bike running well. I can, but I can't ride two bikes at the same time. One is always getting neglected. I will fix it up a bit and ride it for some longer mileage rides with MM, then sell it at a mild loss or mebbe even break even, who knows? For about the same 500+ pounds wet, I pick up 10 extra hp compared to a brand new Vulcan S, pick up much better brakes and a gas gauge and a center stand etc etc. I also pick up quirks and old carbs and electrical problems and LIKELY sign up for a engine out of the frame event sometimes on down the road. I also invest a lot less $$$. This afternoon I do a quick charge voltage test (looking for stator and RR issues) and go pay for the bike and ride it on home. ====================================== I will plumb both my bikes to use the little gallon and a half adder tank, as I can take it off, swap it around from bike to bike or leave it off completely for local riding. :) |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Oldfeller on 11/02/16 at 15:13:40 Went with the wife in her car to buy the VN750 and I was glad I brought a volt/ohm meter with me. Seller had the bike hooked up to a maintainer, so I went through that connector to get directly to the = / - battery voltage so I could check his charging system output voltage to get a read on the RR and the Stator. Voltage did not rise above base voltage until the bike was revved up really high, and then it was erratic as the dickens, spiking way high and then not budging at all. My gut feel is that the bike has poor connections and/or a vibration caused short in the stator winding itself -- very bad news as it is $140 for a rewound stator and it is a full engine tear down or else a complex "cut the side case open" extraction type process to get the old one out and put a new one in. So, the owner keeps his bike, and my wife who was with me during all of this has now offered to buy me a new Vulcan S as she doesn't want me to be stranded out in bumbfook by some sorry old shaky bike. :D ..... hmmmmm ..... White or Burnt Orange ??? Choices, Choices. http://www.bestbeginnermotorcycles.com/files/vulcan-s-white.jpg http://www.vulcansabs.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Kawasaki-Vulcan-S-ABS-CAF%C3%89.jpg |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Dave on 11/02/16 at 17:33:30 I feel better about it too......old bikes are good for day rides, new bikes are better for multi-day touring. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by MMRanch on 11/02/16 at 21:40:31 Who knows how to start a poll ? White or Orange ? :-? Congratulations OldFeller ! 8-) That Vulcan S is a pretty bike ! :) White |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Gary_in_NJ on 11/03/16 at 05:25:33 O R A N A G E |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Rodger on 11/03/16 at 05:42:43 +1 on the Congrats, Old Feller!!! And another vote for orange. Glad you "dodged the bullet" on the no-chargey used bike. :) |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by engineer on 11/03/16 at 08:01:48 I like the orange best. They are nice comfortable bikes and low enough that you don't feel the weight so much when stopped. Looking forward to your first ride reports. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by justin_o_guy2 on 11/03/16 at 08:24:20 I LIKE white cars, and bikes. A white helmet is cooler than a dark helmet. I think White is more visible. But, DANG, that's a Purtee Orange.. I might lick it... |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Dave on 11/03/16 at 09:16:45 Cycle Specialties in Cincinnati has a used 2015 in black with only 700 miles on it, for $ 5,599. http://ztmqskzd.50belowcommerce.com/2015-Kawasaki-VULCAN-S--inventory.htm?id=1385435&in-stock=1&vin=JKAENEA18FDA00242&unitType=1786&unitBrand=20 The also have a used one in green with a lot more miles for more money at $ 6,199.....maybe it has ABS. They would probably deal with winter just around the corner. http://ztmqskzd.50belowcommerce.com/2015-Kawasaki-VULCAN-S--inventory.htm?id=1388912&in-stock=1&vin=JKAENEA11FDA03225&unitType=1786&unitBrand=20 They also claim to have a new 2015 in black for the $ 6,999 list (the stock photo is green....but the words say black).. http://ztmqskzd.50belowcommerce.com/2015-Kawasaki-VULCAN-S--inventory.htm?id=1388880&in-stock=1&vin=JKAENEA10FDA03328&unitType=1786&unitBrand=20 Oh wait....this link works better! http://www.cyclespecialtiesinc.com/s/search/inventory/query/vulcan%20s |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by justin_o_guy2 on 11/03/16 at 09:37:26 Come Spring those bikes will be marked down. Offering someone the opportunity to turn money tied up in inventory, in a machine that will depreciate over the winter, would likely yield a nice savings. Six-speed with positive neutral finder. Gotta go look that up.. m prety sure all kaw. have them.When you approch a stop start downshifting,after your stoped shift to first then click up one for neutral.When stoped the positive neutral finder will not allow you to shift into 2nd.Only after you are moving foward it will let you shift.No more hassels looking for neurtal. Phhhhht,, my toe Feels neutral just fine. The only time I ever had a problem WAS, Eggzaklee when I seriously didn't need it. The clutch cable shat the bed and I hadda slap the kill switch to shut down for a red light. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Dave on 11/03/16 at 09:41:42 77686E6974734272427A68642F1D0 wrote:
I could be a positive neutral finder - I think?.....Yeah I'm pretty sure I could do it! :-? |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by BSTON on 11/03/16 at 10:12:38 697670776A6D5C6C5C64767A31030 wrote:
My '03 Kawasaki had this. It's not a bad thing to have. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by SALB on 11/03/16 at 10:37:14 I've drooled over the green since the Vulcan S came out. The orange would be my second choice. Maybe one of your local dealers has a new 2015 left in stock. Sometimes you can get a pretty good discount that way. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by justin_o_guy2 on 11/03/16 at 10:49:18 But, are you Positive? I can occasionally find one where it ain't even Spozeta Be.. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by springman on 11/03/16 at 13:08:27 Old Feller you son of a gun, white gets my vote. That is one good looking bike. Enjoy. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by justin_o_guy2 on 11/03/16 at 16:54:14 I think you oughtta go shopping for a pickup.. You'd just be surprised how many people are selling pickups with bad alternators and voltage regulators and sketchy starters,, and Take your WIFE! |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by MMRanch on 11/03/16 at 19:23:11 Hay how about a new one for $6,K ? Maybe less ??? http://gadsden.craigslist.org/mcd/5859911161.html :) also http://huntsville.craigslist.org/mcd/5784113840.html http://huntsville.craigslist.org/mcy/5843176097.html |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Oldfeller on 11/06/16 at 05:42:50 Now, having shaken off the lying dude selling the sorry charging system vn750, let's move on to something that is good. The tank is in, it looks OK and it is about the right size for the job. Size is about a gallon and a little bit which gives me around 3.5 gallons on tap. I also tend to carry a 1 gallon gas jug in my bags, so with 4.5 gallons available I would guesstimate I can go about 200 miles safely now. If I took out the larger jets, this number would go up some, but when playing in the mountains I like the larger power surge that the larger jets provide. So, you see me here creating some locational "mounting features" on the bottom of the tank to mate with the luggage rack using my favorite Loctite liquid to rubbery solid "sticks to anything" Urethane based construction adhesive. Sticks to anything, but it can have the bag pulled free from it as the bag material stretches out when pulled, losing its grip on the adhesive when the stretch happens. Any oozy excess can be trimmed with a sharp knife, meaning you can rig it up sloppy and make it all neat enough after the fact. I can strap the tank down and the weight of the gas will help keep everything located in place. Quick to remove, easy to install. Strap width will be 3/4" with tension buckles. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Oldfeller on 11/06/16 at 05:43:38 Another shot from the other side. There is still enough room to strap some stuff on the rack behind the tank. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by springman on 11/06/16 at 15:33:15 Here's another 2 options. http://victoriatx.craigslist.org/mcd/5837106122.html http://victoriatx.craigslist.org/mcd/5837192932.html |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Oldfeller on 11/08/16 at 05:23:51 I'm torn about spending that kind of coin just to get a larger bike. I like riding the Savage and if you stay off the Interstate it is just fine for all other uses. However, usable bikes for less than $1500 are rare and the next best trade-off of features and weight is a Suzuki 800cc Intruder which can be had for less than $1000 if you are willing to replace (or have straightened) a couple of bent fork tubes and a new front wheel. And get it running again ..... Or you can spend some more and get one that is ready to go ..... ;) |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by MMRanch on 11/08/16 at 12:11:35 OldFeller , you know the larger Kawasaki pulley makes an Interstate cruiser out of any Savage . |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Oldfeller on 11/08/16 at 12:47:47 Yep. and you know I have NO FREE ROOM in my wheel well to move the tire forward any at all. Besides, with my heightened RPM ceiling I can go as fast as I can go (92-93 mph) in third gear, with a little less mph in fourth and still less mph in 5th. The bike I am currently looking at has about the exact same top end, stock, but gets there with less strain and relatively more comfort. But this bike can cruise at 75-85 with relative aplomb compared to the Savage, at a cost of about 50 extra pounds of wet weight. 3.5 gallon gas tank too. As has my Savage. now, with the adder tank. Which bike did you ride to Texas on ??? |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Rodger on 11/08/16 at 14:22:04 Hey, there, Oldfeller, Nice looking bike in the photo. What brand/model, exactly? |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by MMRanch on 11/08/16 at 17:58:33 OldFeller wrote : Which bike did you ride to Texas on ??? The Savage w/Long-legged pulley. :) It was 70-75 most of the way . The little tank wore-me-out somewhat :( but I'll work on that this winter ! ::) |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Oldfeller on 11/08/16 at 18:17:15 That is a 2002 Suzuki Intruder, 800cc. The 1400cc is out there, but it is simply a bit big for the munchkin class person. This 800cc has the same seat height as the Savage. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by MMRanch on 11/08/16 at 19:07:18 OldFeller, I do like the 883 and I suspect that 800 Intruder - being a couple hundred pound lighter would be Quick ! Also The V-Twin is smooth , and easy to like ! ;) |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Oldfeller on 11/08/16 at 19:11:34 Shaft drive. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by MMRanch on 11/08/16 at 19:50:34 Get one of them at winter prices and if ya don't like it sell it at summer prices ! ;) Shaft drive works good on my car ! ;D |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by MMRanch on 11/08/16 at 20:21:54 OldFeller check out the big fuel tank ! http://www.ebay.com/itm/2006-Suzuki-Boulevard-/142168695166?forcerrptr=true&hash=item2119ea217e:g:T~YAAOSwXeJYGiqt&item=14216869516 Wasn't you looking at one of these earlier : http://www.ebay.com/itm/2003-Kawasaki-Vulcan-/332024800896?forcerrptr=true&hash=item4d4e386680:g:k-EAAOSwnbZYH7qK&item=332024800896 This one looks like its in good shape , our CMA present has one of them and loves it for his "Me" bike . |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Oldfeller on 11/09/16 at 09:20:51 VN 750s have fairly common issues with stators and rectifiers going sour, sometimes requiring "pull the engine" type fairly expensive repairs. Also has known issues with drive shaft splines not being properly lubed by the factory (wearing out as early as 10,000 miles) and some early cam chain tensioner issues as well. Other than that, the bike was fine. Gives you things to check out thought, whenever you go bike shopping ..... Lookie at what is mounted to the luggage rack on my old Savage ...... I had a subsequent thought on the transfer of gas from tank to tank when parked on a hill. ::) If I just remember to cut off the main tank petcock -- it ALL stops moving, no transfer either to or from main tank is possible at all. Unless I have a leak of some sort or another, nothing goes anywhere when the normal petcock is cut off. Still thinking I need to have a small tank cut off anyway, though. |
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Title: Re: A mid-sized bike for short people Post by Oldfeller on 11/11/16 at 08:59:42 Well, I started working on the plumbing from the two (2) gas tanks joining them with a "T" that leads directly to the fuel filter. Both the fuel filter to carburetor line and the conjoined in-feed line from the two tanks are mocked up in the picture below. Right now I am still waiting on the brass "T" which is inbound from China along with the cheap Chinese shut off valve for the back tank. [smiley=evil.gif] I am also doing some curiosity research on some other liquid fuels to put in the top tank that could possibly give a short term HP boost to the Savage when mixed around 50-50 with gasoline ....... ;) I also visited my third (#3) separate Kawasaki VN750 and none of them (not a single one) had proper output from stator/RR system. I think I am giving up on the model as a bad bet for any long trips or long term good use. Shame, that ..... |
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