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August 2015 BOTM Entry Thread

4K views 16 replies 7 participants last post by  MN-Rider 
#1 ·
Please post your bikes here to be entered in this month's Bike of the Month contest!

To enter your Vulcan, all you need to do is tell us a little about it, and post some photo(s). And don't forget the story behind the bike because that can often turn the trick!

The winner for each round will be chosen by our members' votes! A new voting thread will be created near the end of the month.

Year:
Model:
Eng size:
Pipes:
Seat:
Wheels:
Accessories:
And the story:

As long as you haven't won in the past year you can enter again.

Please post your entries in the active month's thread. That thread will be closed at the end of the month. We'll start a poll with that month's entries and the winner will be named and have their bike featured on the home page.

You must have accumulated 15 posts in order to enter a bike, or to discuss the bikes, or to vote. You will be able to view the bikes, but not discuss them, vote on them, or enter your own until you have accumulated 15 posts. This is the same number of posts that has been required in the past to vote for BOTM.

Please note; You may be disqualified if you 'rally votes' from other members. This can include sending private messages asking for votes, posting new threads asking for forum members to vote for you, etc.

Please be respectful when discussing other members bikes. You may also be disqualified for unsportsman-like comments about other bikes, which can include insults, demeaning comments, or demanding in open forums or PM's that others not vote for them or that they be disqualified. If you have a legitimate concern that someone is not competing fairly and should not be considered for voting, PM a moderator
 
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#2 · (Edited)
Year: 2012

Model: Kawasaki Vulcan Nomad w/ CSC Kruze trike kit

Engine Size: 1700

Seat: Stock

Wheels: Front – Stock; Rear – CSC American Racing wheel

Accessories: California Side Car Kruze trike kit w/ matching CSC Escapade LE trailer and the following CSC options... Powertrak 7.8 degree triple tree, electric reverse, performance brake set, shock preloader, chrome passenger backrest w/ Graber Enterprise rear armrest and Show Chrome cup holder, chrome luggage rack, chrome wheel well trim, trailer hitch, trunk carpet and light kit, chrome LED license plate frame, fender bra, storage cover, CSC custom exhaust, Dobeck Gen 3 EJK, Avon Cobra front tire, Cooper rear tires on CSC American Racing wheels, OEM light bar, OEM chrome bottom covers for passenger floorboards, chrome radiator cover, National Cycle front tip set & speedometer visor, Genmar K112 risers, RJS heat deflectors, Kuryakyn Dually Offset foot pegs, Custom Dynamics Mini Beast air horn, Guardian bell, Wagner Xenon Britelite.

And the story: After quite a few years not riding, having spent my time with growing kids, restoring muscle cars, drag racing, walleye/bass/striper fishing and being a volunteer FF/EMT, I got the idea to get back into motorcycles. A friend of mine had just traded his Harley on a 1500 Nomad and told me not to just go back to Harley without checking out the competition. He was totally happy with his switch. After looking around I decided to buy a 2009 Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic LT to not start back with such a big bike. The wife and I enjoyed it for four years but had talked the last year we owned it about moving to a larger bike more suited to longer distances.
In the fall of 2013, I was at our local dealer for a charity ride but was earlier than my riding buddies and got to looking around. I spied the 2012 1700 Nomad sitting there almost the same color as our 900 and inquired about it. The story was it was bought and serviced there but the owner had rode his brother-in-laws Gold Wing on the way back from Sturgis and decided V-twins weren’t for him and traded it. A few days later the wife and I rode it and her only complaint was it was too quiet. I said Vance & Hines could solve that issue and we ended up riding it home. After two years of happy riding (loved my six speed and cruise control on the highway BTW) we started to think about triking it in the future due to health issues with the both of us. After looking at other maker’s trikes, including a Tri-Glide since they are manufacturer built, we decided on doing a California Side Car Kruze kit on the Nomad. We had talked about this a lot, but were thinking maybe in an upcoming off season “one of these winters soon”. Our local dealer in the meantime had become the area California Side Car Dealer to our delight.
This past May, my brother and I were doing a pre-ride for the group we ride with and as I slowed to make a right-hand turn he couldn’t get his Harley whoaed up fast enough. He was following back far enough, and said later he saw my signals and brake light but just couldn’t stop. All I heard were squealing tires and it was over. His right engine guard hooked the lower chrome trim on my left saddlebag and when we came apart I got high-sided hard onto the road. Seven broken ribs, a broken collar bone that punctured my lung and a chip out of my hip bone. Thank God for leathers and a helmet. I spent three days in Critical Care and a day in a regular room before coming home. Laying in the hospital I said to my wife I guess now was the time to just go ahead and trike it. Didn’t make sense to let the insurance company make it a two wheeler again to just take it all apart to trike it later. So after two months recovery for me and the motorcycle, now trike, we are together in the wind putting on many smiles as Ponch would say. We decided to do a matching trailer for those long distance rides so the wife and I “could even take the kitchen sink along” as the saying goes. Our first day out on it netted a 271 mile ride. It is different not leaning into the turns but it is a good ride and corners like it is on rails. It feels good to be back in the wind leading my group as Road Captain again.
 

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#8 ·
Yeah that is our plan. Already got a tour through VA planned out for a few weeks from now. Gonna load the trailer and put some smiles on. Fox Creek Leathers always does a customer appreciation ride and BBQ together and we are going to ride with them for one day of our trip. It does go up the road easy. We put 271 miles on the first day we had it and even my wife was ready to go farther.
 
#12 ·
I'm surprised there's only one entry so far. Come on guys, I've seen some amazing bikes on this forum. Enter them!
 
#13 ·
This is my 07 Kawasaki 1600 Vulcan Nomad, which is Personalized...and I call her "Ultra Nomad". I started back in 1999 with Vulcans, when I found I used '93 1500A BUBF, then came a 01 1500 classic, then 03 1600 classic, 06 900 classic, 06 900 LT. These are just the Vulcans I have had with a mix of other brand bikes...I made each bike into what I wanted but knew that in time I would end up getting a Nomad and adding and making it into all the past bikes I had owned. So after 27 years and 17 bikes, 3 years ago I started with a plain Jane 07 nomad. I had most of the things I wanted to add sitting in my garage (collecting over the years), fairings, trucks, lights, etc. I just needed to make them work on this nomad. I added a HD fairing over the stock windshield then a radio and it worked great but later removed it all, it was try and adjust, remove try again, add/cut/make etc..Below is what I can call finished.........the (my) Ultra Nomad, I should have called it the bike of changes, it can go from what you see to a plan jane or just about any kind of set-up I want with just a few bolts/items removed/added in mins. Some of the things I did are the Fairing with Recurve windshield, 220 watt 4 speaker AM/FM USB Bluetooth, holder w/GPS, Cell holder/charger, windshield bag w/power plugs. Throttle lock, 12" Handlebars/Grips, Head Light Modulator, Trunk w/ top rack/backrest one off rack which is removable w/2 bolts. Corbin Seat with 3/4" soft top and backrest, V and H pipes w/valkyrie end tips, Intake K and N 9" filters, Cobra FI Processor, Top & side rails on bags, leather covers w/pockets on rear bag guards. Foot pegs, one off clear lowers on engine guard, Wolo horn, extra LED rear running lights, pinstriping and chrome to bring out the black. There is more then what can be seen, the fairing can come off and the stock windshield can be used, the one off lowers can be removed and replaced with soft lowers and/or fork lowers. The truck can go and be replaced with the stock backrest..etc.. Hope you like it, I sure do, mj



The plate, MJ 21A...a= again
 
#15 ·
Thank You, ol' school. I really like your trike and trailer, super nice. I got my nomad has my last bike and always thought that I would trike it out when the time came, and I could no longer hold it up (bad knees) but back in March I hurt my back and now it hurts when I get on and off the bike, and when I stop and try to hold it up. So in the end the back went before the knees (not that my knees are good now) but the back pain goes down my left leg to my foot...so even triking the Nomad will not help. I only entered my bike so people can see it and maybe get some ideas for their bike. I maybe taken it back to stock and selling it and the parts to help pay the bills, and maybe get a smaller bike, But I do not know yet..lol. I can only ride maybe 20 miles then have to stop, take a pain pill, wait for it to kick in and ride some more....getting old sucks. Getting old without a bike for me would be every hard to deal with, so I understand why people get trikes, and yours is a very nice one. Happy riding, mj
 
#16 ·
I understand the back pain thing. I've had 2 major surgeries on my back and am only 41. There are days when my 900 causes me too much pain to ride, but I can't imagine not riding at all. I'll ride until I"m in a wheel chair, even if I have to down size to a 250 Rebel LOL
 
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