r/vulcans650

I just recently finished taking the Swedish driving licence for "heavy" motorcycles and decided on this as my first bike. I really dig the look of it.

Some floor pads and a tailbag are the first additions I have plans for :D

Bought the bike two months ago with saddlebags, pillion seat, and backrest. Took all that off and added the CS Racing Exhaust, R&G tail tidy, and Oxford signals. That was a busy two days and I need a break now but the bike looks the way it should have all along. Stay safe out there 🧡

Love everything about this one, I can’t wait to take her out on the road soon. Any ideas (with links?) for what to slap on this bad boy?

Came home from ride and saw leak and drip from back swing arm spool. Put on stand but still some small accumulation. When I start bike there’s a white wispy smoke that rises from exhaust when it heats up coming from green dot.
What could it be? I don’t see any brake or coolant line leaks but certainly see smoke coming from that spot

A lot of first experiences took place yesterday and today. So my heel toe shifter came in over the weekend so I installed it but didn’t get a chance to test it out. Come Monday I had to build up the confidence to ride on the open road because I had to bring my Vulcan to the Sheriff’s Office for a VIN Inspection and then to the County Treasurer’s Office for Tax and Registration.

So before heading into the public roads, I drove around my subdivision to test out the heel shifter and to ensure the placement was perfect for my foot positioning. Instantly loved it and my shifting was 100% smoother and I felt confident, which I could use every bit of. There was no hesitation at all and it helped me stop overthinking the shift.

After about 10mins of riding around I finally made the turn towards the main road and off I went. The butterflies in my stomach felt like they were ready to come flying out of my ass because I was so nervous. Once I got to the stop light at the intersection I just took a deep breath and said fuck it. Purposely shifted the bike into neutral at the stop so I could follow and repeat the steps in my head. No car behind me at all so I felt calm and just kept repeating the steps in my head. Once the light turned green I shifted down into 1st and just slowly rode through the right turn. Using the heel shifter I was able to get up to 5th gear somewhat smoothly. just a slight jerk going into 3rd gear of course.

Man that ride towards downtown felt like I was floating, my senses felt overloaded but focused. My eyes were scanning every intersection, every car in front of me, my positioning, and the dark lines in the middle of the lane that I tried my hardest to stay off of. That has been the most exhilarating thing I’ve done in quite a while.

Thank God I was able to get all the requirements done and on the ride home I even gassed the bike up for the first time. It went smoothly thanks to Youtube lol! When I said I’m taking the slow and calculated approach to learning how to ride, I meant it!

Hoping everyone has a great Canada Day or Wednesday depending on where you at. Stay safe and watch out for the idiots.

What windscreen do you guys recommend for highway riding? I wanna go on a long trip and would prefer to not fight the wind the entire trip.
The bike on the left is my friends. I don’t have a lot of photos of my bike so I just used this one.

MY FIRST BIKE!!! Just bought it off the market place! 2019 with ABS. 1024 miles on it!
It HAS been sitting for a year roughly. Previous owner bought it and had to relocate due to job so they kept it at their parents house. They stated they started the bike “every now and then” to keep things rotating.
Definitely going to need an oil change soon and a new battery.
But he quite literally only put 10 miles on it (confirmed with original bill of sale)

I took it for a spin for approx 3 hours practicing low speed drills and then took it on a cruise at roughly 45mph on a major road. It preformed exceptional! Nothing came up that seemed alarming at all. It runs beautifully.

Just want some tips on what to do next to maintain and keep things well since im brand new to the motorcycle world.

As the title says, I failed my final skills exam after taking the 2-day MSF Basic Rider’s Course. I wasn’t surprised because I foot planted on the sharp right turn from a stop and also on the U-Turn in the small box. What surprised me the most though is that several of the other folks that failed look totally distraught, hell one of the female riders actually started to cry also. I get it, with the safety card comes the endorsement and your freedom to really hit the open roads.

That’s not how I felt or viewed the situation though. I went into the BRC with literal zero experience operating a manual motorcycle. My riding experience comes from riding scooters and automatic 125cc bikes in Southeast Asia when I was in High School and Uni, but that was 20 years ago. So in my mind, I had no reason at all to pass that course because I have to get better. My safety and everyone else that shares the road with me depends on it.

That BRC was the most fun I’ve had in years and even after failing I went home and continued to watch videos on the basic skills, mainly slow movement turns and feathering the clutch properly. That following Monday, after a day of studying the review material, I immediately took the learner’s permit exam so I could legally ride a motorcycle, with stipulations of course. I then spent the next three days scouring Facebook Marketplace for a motorcycle.

Fast forward to now, I have this 2018 Vulcan S 650 ABS. From the reviews, I totally understand that it aint the bike for everyone, but it’s for me. I want to continue to learn and get better. I try to ride for at least 15-20mins every day around my neighborhood, just focused on the fundamentals. My biggest challenge right now is using my turn signal and actually remembering to turn it off and I’m okay with that. These are the challenges and frustrations that come with truly wanting to get better at something you really like.

I enrolled in another BRC in the beginning of August so I plan on just practicing and getting more hours into doing all the basic things that are taught in the course. I’m building up my confidence in riding on the open road and I’m fine with taking things slowly. I know this because I can sense my anxiety when starting the bike in my driveway, the jitters when repeating “Slow release that clutch bud, feel it move..”, and then the smile on my face and that peace and calm that hits once I start moving smoothly on the road. Wish me luck everyone and be safe out there!

So I just bought this bike and I was practicing smooth start/stops in the yard today and I noticed the clutch was losing its grab point. I parked it and now I can fully let out the clutch and it only crawls forward. Is my clutch cooked? The bike only has 5000kms on it

Also if I give it throttle it will grab still pretty good. Is this just normal and im overthinking it?

Seeing a lot of first bile posts here, thought I'd join in. Bought last week after I decided I liked the Vulcan more than the Rebel 500. Maybe a little more than needed for a new rider, but I love the look and finding a 2023 in mint shape with low miles was a no brainer. Looking forward to taking my MSF course and getting to know her.

Finally took at the MSF course at my local Harley dealership and passed!! Can’t wait to start riding this new bike I got from my coworker. 2023 with just about 400 miles on it. Does anyone know any good websites to buy a helmet from?? The one I got that came with the bike is way too small and hurts to wear after just 5 minutes of having it on.

Can you carry enough clothes for a week event and a full edrum kit on a 80l tail bag? Yes.

Can you carry enough clothes for a week event and a full edrum kit on a 80l tail bag and still be within the motorcycles GVWR? Yes.

Should you carry enough clothes for a week event and a full edrum kit on a 80l tail bag and still be within the motorcycles GVWR and have a multi hour ride? Probably not.

So then,

Why are you carrying enough clothes for a week event and a full edrum kit on a 80l tail bag and still be within the motorcycles GVWR and have a multi hour ride? I plead the 5th, your honor.

I’ve got the 2024 Kawasaki Vulcan S 650. The mods I’ve added so far are the Puig windscreen, passenger seat, rear pegs, Delkevic exhaust/headers, radiator cover, quadlock mount w/wireless charging, Viking saddlebags, and quick connect battery tender cables.

Last year, I dropped my bike halfway in a parking lot. I scuffed my exhaust and I’m not sure how to fix that area of ceramic coating but that’s the only mark from it. I think for my birthday, my wife is getting me a sissy bar. I’m thinking about putting crash bars on it. I’m still not totally comfortable with u-turns. 1 year experience with not having to do much of that.

I really like this bike though! It’s been a great first bike so far. I went in the deep end and joined a motorcycle association for veterans. The group rides are fun.

What do you think?

With just under 3,000 miles it's a new bike for me, brought it home today. Didn't want anything more powerful than a 650cc to learn with. Wife drove our truck in front of me for 40 mins coming home, didnt get much practice time in. Glad to be here.

Stock seat isn't too bad, Two Brothers aftermarket pipes 🔥 are louuuud! One thing I look to master is not giving it too much throttle as I slowly release the clutch.