[Garthoc]

Hello All,
Purchased a Kawasaki VN900 LT last Aug. and have just come across your forum. Seems like a good knowledge base for my questions and as I get some time with the bike maybe I can contribute. After not riding for 20yrs. I hoped on this bike and it was the easiest to ride and most comfortable for my wife who is over 6' outside of a full dress or touring

 

[CyRider]

Hi all. Relatively new rider, just past couple years on a 2010 VN900B. Nice bike really, the PO put on a bunch of mods (flasher brake lights, Mustang seat, tour pack). Getting on this site to help me do some of the maintenance stuff and find tips and tricks, have had a lot of help on my Jags over the years from various Jag forums. I have learned that whatever problem I am having, someone way smarter than me already had it and wrote up the fix (with pics or a video) on one of these forum sites!

Got into riding as the gf is a serious rider, she grew up on dirt bikes and her dad is a still winning trials competitions in his early 60s. She now does long cross country trips on her HD Deluxe. Her comment on the Kaw - "so light and forgiving - if you can't ride this, you can't ride a motorcycle".

 

[dshrek49]

Welcome from VA!

 

[Fatal]

Just got my first bike, 06 Vulcan 500 with 830 original miles for $1700 (in my area it’s fairly cheap especially considering the mileage). Only the second owner and it’s been sitting for a few yrs. Starts right up and drives great but got it knowing the petcock valve was bad, currently waiting on a new one in the mail.

 

[Plee911]

good job welcome to the forum

 

[Capttom136]

Hello all, just bought a low mileage Vulcan 900 Classic LT. I live on the Maryland eastern shore. Some great riding here with very little traffic if you stay off route 50 and route 404, the two main routes to Ocean City and Rehobeth Beach.
I am 74 years old and have been riding for about 55 years or so. My first Kawasaki was 74' Z-1. I also bought my boys a 100cc Kawasaki dirt bike.
Had a bunch of other bikes, still have a 2018 Goldwing and a 2008 Suzuki Bandit which is my daily driver, but am replacing that with the Vulcan. My old knees just got tired of being so bent on the Bandit. The Vulcan is so much more relaxed to ride.
I am hoping I can ride this Vulcan another 10 years or so.
Hopefully I will be able to contribute to the forum. For now I will give you guys a suggestion about the blue ing of your pipes if you have this problem. There is a product that removes blue ing from motor cycle exhaust pipes. In fact the 900 I just bought had pretty bad blueing and I used this to remove it. Its call Blue Away, it's a small canister of a white powder that you make a paste out of and rub the blueing spots with. Fair warning, it takes about 8 applications but it eventually removes the blueing and will remove other things such as burnt boot marks.

 

[Capttom136]

Hello all, just bought a low mileage Vulcan 900 Classic LT. I live on the Maryland eastern shore. Some great riding here with very little traffic if you stay off route 50 and route 404, the two main routes to Ocean City and Rehobeth Beach.
I am 74 years old and have been riding for about 55 years or so. My first Kawasaki was 74' Z-1. I also bought my boys a 100cc Kawasaki dirt bike.
Had a bunch of other bikes, still have a 2018 Goldwing and a 2008 Suzuki Bandit which is my daily driver, but am replacing that with the Vulcan. My old knees just got tired of being so bent on the Bandit. The Vulcan is so much more relaxed to ride.
I am hoping I can ride this Vulcan another 10 years or so.
Hopefully I will be able to contribute to the forum. For now I will give you guys a suggestion about the blue ing of your pipes if you have this problem. There is a product that removes blue ing from motor cycle exhaust pipes. In fact the 900 I just bought had pretty bad blueing and I used this to remove it. Its call Blue Away, it's a small canister of a white powder that you make a paste out of and rub the blueing spots with. Fair warning, it takes about 8 applications but it eventually removes the blueing and will remove other things such as burnt boot marks.

Sorry the name of the product is BlueJob, not Blue Away.

 

[NebRider]

How's it going happy Vulcan owners! Just joined. Took me a month to get my bike. Crap happens but it was worth the wait!

5 weeks ago I drove 3 hours to purchase a 2017 Vulcan S with 2,500 miles. Spent $150 to rent a U-Haul truck & gas cost $100. Gave the guy my $4,500 and he handed me a bill of sale and NO TITLE! Good thing I brought someone with me. Seller claimed he told me there was no title. I told him to check his messages again since I clearly asked him about the title status. He acknowledged he "forgot" to tell me. After leaving him just a small deposit and him signing a receipt plus stating he'll deliver the bike to me, he let me keep the bill of sale. Sure enough 4 Weeks later he delivered the bike to me with the new title. I was the happiest fella in the neighborhood!

 

[NebRider]

Just got my first bike, 06 Vulcan 500...

View attachment 256098

That's an '06? It's a beauty!

 

[Plee911]

Good work on insisting on a title. Got stuck with a stolen bike once on a bill of sale. Hindsight the hole thing was kind of hinky since the guy didn't want to meet at his house and instead met at a Walmart. Couldn't even tell the cops where to go the address he listed on the bill of sale was a vacant lot. NEVER again. No title and I walk. For anyone reading. A bill of sale is worthless. If the owner lost the title all it takes is a trip to DMV for them to get a new one. If they cant get a title they are not the owner walk away.

 

[Fatal]

That's an '06? It's a beauty!

Yep just got the net fuel petcock in 2 days ago installed and took it around the block a few times runs smooth and no more leaking out the carb now to start replacing lights with LEDs for better viewing and safety (my opinion on the safety part of course)

 

[The rider]

Yep just got the net fuel petcock in 2 days ago installed and took it around the block a few times runs smooth and no more leaking out the carb now to start replacing lights with LEDs for better viewing and safety (my opinion on the safety part of course)

Need to fix the carbs as they still are leaking...the auto petock is only turning off the fuel when rhe engine is stopped.

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[Fatal]

Need to fix the carbs as they still are leaking...the auto petock is only turning off the fuel when rhe engine is stopped.

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Oh so your saying something like the float? I’m new to bike engines and especially carbs. All I know for sure is now that the new petcock is installed I’m not having any fuel leakage. Previously it would only leak when the engine was shut off and when I pulled the fuel line and allow it to just hang in a gas can it was definitely not seating slowly filling the can with time. Now it’s completely dry when not running. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Currently I’m just put putting around town as I learn how to ride (fin prior experience besides msf course) I’d rather have it figured out before going into the wide open world and having an issue.

 

[The rider]

Oh so your saying something like the float? I’m new to bike engines and especially carbs. All I know for sure is now that the new petcock is installed I’m not having any fuel leakage. Previously it would only leak when the engine was shut off and when I pulled the fuel line and allow it to just hang in a gas can it was definitely not seating slowly filling the can with time. Now it’s completely dry when not running. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Currently I’m just put putting around town as I learn how to ride (fin prior experience besides msf course) I’d rather have it figured out before going into the wide open world and having an issue.

That carb(s) will still be leaking...while you are riding you are using up fuel as fast as the leak...however during low load conditions such as stop signs extended idling it may not use up the fuel fast enough ..fuel can leak back to the airbox and become a fire hazard...difficult starting...bogging..washing the oil off rhe cylinder walls...contaminating oil.

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[Fatal]

That carb(s) will still be leaking...while you are riding you are using up fuel as fast as the leak...however during low load conditions such as stop signs extended idling it may not use up the fuel fast enough ..fuel can leak back to the airbox and become a fire hazard...difficult starting...bogging..washing the oil off rhe cylinder walls...contaminating oil.

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Oh I see, I greatly appreciate the info. Is there any direct way of verifying if this is happening?

 

[The rider]

Oh I see, I greatly appreciate the info. Is there any direct way of verifying if this is happening?

The drain nipples on the bottom of the carb....attach clear hose on them...bend em where they are vertical on the outside of the carbs...use tape or what have you to keep them in place
Remove vacuum line going to petcock.
Stick a bolt or similar in the vacuum line.
Start bike....run it until the carbs empty of fuel.
Level the bike.
Open the drains a couple turns each.
Turn petcock to prime.
The fuel level in the clear hoses should not rise about where the carb bowl and body meet.
Wait several minutes to check for rise...if it you see any rise ..turn petcock to on..this will turn off the fuel.. the vacuum line needs to be attached and the engine running to pass fuel through a property operating petcock...so just turning in to on or reserve will be shutting it off.



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