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New member looking at an 05

3K views 13 replies 6 participants last post by  Kawivulcan11 
#1 ·
Hey all new to the forums don't have a bike currently. Last bike was a Suzuki Volusia 04, had to give it up when I was out of work for a while. Looking at bikes now hope to get one in the next couple of months. I've currently found an 03 Vulcan Nomad 1500 and was wondering if there was anything specific to that year or this model that I really need to just be on the lookout for or be aware of when looking at the bike checking it out and considering to purchase?

Thank you in advance for any insight and help.
 
#2 ·
Well. Got a chance to look at it this morning. Honestly think I'm going to pass for now. Nice looking bike but appears to be a lot of surface rust all overt the bike; pipe surfaces, forks, windshield mounts. One headlight missing and exposed wires for both are pulled out. Too many flags right on the surface I am thinking.
 
#3 ·
The vulcan 1500 is extremely reliable. I know at 30k+ miles you'll need cam chain tension extenders. The steering head bearings need a good lube and re-torque at pretty much any mileage if it hasn't been done.

Can't recall if there was anything else.

But definitely never buy anything if you don't have a good feeling about it. And this one sounds a bit mishandled.


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#4 ·
I have a 2004 1500 classic carb and did cam chain tensioner extenders from Chucksters at the 33,000 mile mark, did fork oil change but haven't done a lube job on the steering head bearings, maybe I should have done that when I had the front wheel off doing the fork oil change. Steering head bolt was loose one time 2 yrs ago and torqued it up to specs, hasn't come loose since then, I plan to change rad fluid this winter layup and also change clutch and brake fluids and final drive gear oil. I use Amsoil 80w90 severe gear synthetic in the gear box.
 
#13 · (Edited)
I think the last year for the plastic oil gear on the vulcan 1500 was 1999, or maybe 1999 was the 1st year for the steel oil gear and 1998 was the last year of the plastic. I have the last model year 2004 for the carb 1500 classics, I would recommend a FI bike over a carb bike if you can get one. Also be aware that low mileage is good but, years ago I was given a low mileage bike that was sitting in a shed and was not stored properly and the inside of the gas tank was rusted really bad, low mileage bikes means it might have been stored and not maintained so check it over good for rust and also cracks in rubber parts that dry out when old. Also drain the carb of all gas when storing a bike and fill up the gas tank and add seafoam as a gas stabilizer and do not use that red or pink Stabil gas stabilizer stuff as that stuff will turn the gas in the carb to jello and plug up the jets. Use seafoam.
 
#14 ·
I had a 2005 1500 Classic and rode the hell out of it. It was an extremely reliable bike. I didn't have to do any major work on it until the cam chain tensioners had to be replaced at 88,000 miles. It continued to run until the transmission failed at 112,000 miles. I replaced the engine with a low mileage engine and ran it until the bike was hit while parked. It had 120,000 miles on the clock.
 
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