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Opinions Wanted

3K views 19 replies 13 participants last post by  Misfire 
#1 ·
I have a 2007 Vulcan 900 Custom. I am out of ideas for customizing it. I've added mini apes, powder coated the wheels, quick release backrest and windshield, highway bar with chaps, tail bag, swing arm bag, new exhaust.

I had planned on fuel processor and air intake this winter but I've read enough posts to talk myself out of it. It seems people spend up to $1000 on these upgrades with mixed results. I need something to do this winter. I'm happy with the bike but like tinkering with it. So what should I do? Give your opinions. Thanks!
 

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#3 ·
I make a bike a extension of my personality. If painting my bike green is to my liking then so be it. Once I've gotten to where I'm happy with the bike I just enjoy it. As time passes another idea comes along, or I see something that catches my attention. Be patient, that light bulb in your head will come on when the right situation or idea comes along.
 
#4 ·
I need something to do this winter. I'm happy with the bike but like tinkering with it. So what should I do? Give your opinions. Thanks!
cm,, folks tend to spend a sizeable amount of dough to get their one and only precious sled into a state of what they consider to be a "one of", "mine".. only to realize all these bolt on solutions are nothing more than dime store jewelry that every other bike guy has "added" to his sled.. so in time all you have is just another copy of some mainstreet bling just like every other bike.

you may do well to just keep yor day rider in something resembling stock form and spend yor hard earned dough on acquiring "another" project bike that you can wrench on and express your artistic side with other than off the shelf bolt on crap.

by having 2 bikes, one to ride and one to wrench, you will be able to satisfy your need to modify a piece of machinery w/o ever sacrificing your need to ride.. no down time. poncho

hey you asked for opinion..
 
#5 ·
Poncho's right, but only IF you can afford a second bike AND what it takes to wrench on the project bike. Not all of us have that luxury. That being said, what Ponch said about dime store jewelry is true. Especially for the 900. Not a whole lot of options out there. So in essence anything that bolts right on thousands of other bikes have that same thing on it. I wouldn't consider adding a windshield, sissy bar and handle bars "customizing". I would consider that to be dressing it up. Looking custom, and being custom, are two totally different animals. While my 900 doesn't have many true custom fabbed parts on it (although I have fabricated a few on there) and it does have parts made for other makes and models of motorcycle, to me it is a custom. Yes thousands of Road Stars have the seat I have on my 900. But very very few Vulcans have Road Star seats on them. Yes, thousands of Harleys have tail dragger fenders, but not many Vulcan 900's. There are some tho. And yes there are TONS of baggers out there. But not many if any other Vulcan 900's can go from tail dragger to bagger in less than 30 minutes. I'm also in the design phase to better adapt the Harley clone fairing made for a VN1500 I have to my 900 to allow for quick change from windshield to fairing. And more recently, I fabricated my own rear fender bib for when I remove the passenger seat and ride solo. To me, that's custom.

In my opinion, if you want to customize a bike, that requires fabrication and/or modification of parts. Otherwise you're not customizing, you're accessorizing.

If I had a garage to work in, I'm sure I would do a ton more to mine. Especially in the winter, even tho I ride in the winter. Just not as much. Ideas will come to you, but don't just rely on aftermarket dressings made specifically for the 900. Fabricate you own parts and mounting solutions and that will open up the parts world even bigger.
 
#6 ·
In my opinion, if you want to customize a bike, that requires fabrication and/or modification of parts. Otherwise you're not customizing, you're accessorizing.

If I had a garage to work in, I'm sure I would do a ton more to mine. Especially in the winter, even tho I ride in the winter. Just not as much. Ideas will come to you, but don't just rely on aftermarket dressings made specifically for the 900. Fabricate you own parts and mounting solutions and that will open up the parts world even bigger.
dci,, ther be many salvage bikes to be had for dimestore money. these make great platforms for starter projects to either rebild and bring back their heyday, or take them to the next level and chop/bob/ratt em into something personable, mor akin to home made.
as long as you got yor day rider, ther is no push to get this project done on somebody else time table. you can work at yor leisure, ie:beer:s are involved in the design faze. which can be perpetual. its not just a motor bike, but is art after all. somethings just cant be rushed. get another :beer: am thinking.

if a gayrahj is not available, any kitchen or even living room will do in a pinch. I even read some projects have been done in the bedroom. sleep you say? that's watt couches are made for. didn they lern you nuthin in college? poncho
 
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#7 ·
LOL Ponch I don't think I'll be carting my 9 up a flight of stairs to my living room or bedroom!
 
#8 ·
Yeah, blah blah blah...custom vs. bolt on...jeez, some of us cannot do custom fab projects on bikes or anything else...some of us are pretty happy with the bolt on stuff - hey, if you cannot shop at Tiffany's for your jewelry, then shop at Walmart.

Cole, just take a look at the bike and see what parts / areas are bugging you. For me it was the rear tag mount, rear flashers, and rear ride height. Sure, I added a tach, windscreen, and throttle lock - but not for that one-and-only custom look - but just because I like it that way. Added Cobra Powerflo & Powerpro because I felt like it - not so I could do 9 second quarter mile times.

Yeah, sure, I just bolted on some retail stuff, but hey, I never said the bike was "custom" - its just mine. And a bit different than the next guys VN900 Custom that rides by.
 
#9 ·
I wasn't knocking anything the OP did or plans to do, nor what anyone else does or plans to do. I was just stating that "customizing" and "accessorizing" are 2 different things.
 
#11 ·
Lights, lights, & more lights. Can't have too many. Need the visibility up front and be seen from the rear. Make em blink and flash, and while you're at it put a louder "toot" on there. That's what I'd do if the bike was idle for a while, like it is up there.
 
#12 ·
Do you do all your own work on your bike? Not just plugs & oil but grease bearings, adjust valves etc.
You can fab up any thing from anything if you are so inclined. Lights, lowers, chaps, light bar, faring, fenders & tank.
I know you said you do not want to add a FI controller, but if you pick up one of the older versions, they do need to be tinkered with. Besides you already have the pipes and opening up the air box can be low cost and make some power gains.
 
#13 ·
Thanks for the opinions. Customize and accessorize are the same thing to me. I do plan on doing the valve job this winter, along with regular scheduled Maintenance. Lights are a good idea and picking up a used fuel controller is too. No room in my garage for two bikes. Lucky I have room for one. I've considered painting or wrapping it. I'm boring though. I like plain black and silver.
 
#14 ·
One thing I want to do to my 2007 VN 900 Classic is paint it with a military green color (possibly matte, but unsure yet) and debadge it (even though I'm proud to have a Vulcan/metric). The bike's color is black, but I want it to have that green military color all over the bike with a white star on each side of the tank. I've seen a bike painted like this and it looks epic. I may get some mid-length ape hangers too although I like my VN 900 Classic to be more of a bagger type.

Any colors or designs that you may have in mind?
 
#15 ·
kamo. Desert sand or forest green. You could do a fall leaf foliage theme all red and yellow some brown and a bit of green. Maybe paint or put a stuffed squirrel on the tank.?
 
#19 ·
#16 ·
Wow! This really depends on what you want to accomplish, specific look, better performance etc.. Your budget? Unlimited?$2K, $1K, $500?

Pulleys, wider rear tire, lowering kit, floor boards or relocate foot pegs, big bore kit, fuel processor, performance intake etc., custom paint job, light kits, signal minder, hid headlight, upgrade brakes....

You can google Vulcan 900 photos or custom motorcycle photos etc. to look for ideas.
 
#20 · (Edited)
when i got my 900C, it came with one light on the tail... blinkers and brakelight/running light all in one. just like i have been doing to my truck for years now, i dove into some wiring projects. since getting it, i have added two cheap LED strips to the fender support covers to work as auxiliary signals. they aren't bright in the day time, but are a damn sight better at night than some smoke tinted yellow/red/flashing box at 2.5 inches across. i really couldnt tell which direction it was indicating without staring at it, and no asshat on a cellphone is going to take that much time to try and figure out what im doing. so i have flashy strips... but im not happy with it. i will change it later.

on the front, a headlight. period. no running lights or anything at all. far as anyone else is concerned, at night, its just a ball of light... a second headlight in the car behind me with a burnout on the same side. running lights have been added in the same strip light style as the back. i set them up just under the top of the triple tree in the recess... i glued them and argued with them and glued them a second time. they stay enough now. however, i had to wire the entire thing. +- leads split to diodes and resistors on the running light side, now (though i think i need a stronger resistor in the line... and that makes me angry.... its not a very big difference in flash.)... which got sunk in the headlight bucket and to the stock harness (which was cut and electrical taped... stupid! just stupid...)

it came with a license plate frame on the left axle adjustment. vertical thing with an LED strip of white running across the top pointed down. would have been fine if it only worked. i tore into the item... light strip is DEAD. looked for ways to replace it.... and never found the strip. i happened upon another version (meant to be horizontal) and bought it at the local non-brand bike joint. it wont mount horizontal with the mount setup on the axle adjuster, so i mount it vertical. that little light SCREAMS BRIGHT. so... i looked for a rheostat. didnt find one. i found an on-off-on switch and put a resistor in the line and mounted it at the front of the battery box in a preexisting hole (im funny about drilling something i can't plug later).... and i can increase my visibility or avoid blinding the person to my right with a switch. we aren't going to talk about the middle position. lol

im also looking to change the console lighting color. looks like a bulb change coming up.

LITTLE THINGS make BIG DIFFERENCES. not all your changes have to be custom fabrication. just pour a little blood, sweat, and explicitives into your ride, or a lot... and you have something distinctly your own. aftermarket or otherwise, combinations make it unique.

also, as long as it isnt kury stuff, you can generally cut/shape/paint/customize aftermarket stuff and not feel as bad about it, compaired to stock. Kury is just far too expensive to risk tearing it up.

end result, tinker, tear in, or tear out. make it yours, and make it your hands that do it. you'll be satisfied, or you will find more to do.

just my $0.02
 
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