[AtlAggie]

Excellent job, eternal. I noticed you were missing a couple of the stats on the Vulcan 500, so I thought I’d share with you what my research turned up.

Power 46 hp @ 8,000 rpm
Torque 33 lb-ft @ 6,000 rpm
Dry weight: 214.1 kg (471.9 pounds)

[AtlAggie]

If you look on the right side of this page, you’ll see a link to an article “Why 600ccs is Too Much!”. I think it might be a good read for you.

[AtlAggie]

Not sure what the insurance on a 900 would be. I really can’t afford to move up for a while, so I haven’t even asked my insurance agent about it.

By the way, if you like the bigger front tire look, make sure you’re looking at the 900 Classic, not the Custom. The Classic has a wide, 16″ front, while the Custom has a taller (21″) narrower front tire.

[AtlAggie]

eternal, most places list the Rebel at a whopping 18 HP. And the Vulcan EN500 is generally shown as 46-50 HP. That’s why it was such a transition for me. The bike was only a few pounds heavier, but almost 3x the HP!

[AtlAggie]

Man, I was in my Kawasaki dealer’s last Saturday, and if I didn’t love my 500 so much (plus I still owe on it), they would have sold a 900.

They had 7 brand new 900LT’s on the floor on sale for $7,999!!! I’ve already decided that’s my move up bike. I just can’t move up quite so soon.

[AtlAggie]

I’ve really been pleased with my Vulcan 500. Cruiser ergonomics, a little bigger than the Rebel, but with the parallel twin engine from the Ninja. Best of both worlds, as far as I’m concerned.

[AtlAggie]

I’ve put 250 miles on my Vulcan 500 each of the last two Saturdays, mostly riding in the N. Georgia mountains around Helen, Suches, Blue Ridge and Blairsville. The groups I have been riding with were mixed, with some cruisers, some sport tourers, and even some pure sport bikes. The Vulcan had no problem keeping up with everyone except some of the 1 liter sports guys. And I have always gotten at least 54 miles a gallon with every tank of gas.

[AtlAggie]

The ’09 Vulcan below is my 2nd bike. I put 2,000 training miles on a Rebel first.

Since I had not been on a bike in 30 years, I’m glad I did some time on the smaller bike first. With that said, I LOVE the Vulcan. I wouldn’t be surprised if I keep it a long time without feeling any need to “move up”.

[AtlAggie]

Pros:
– Great riding weather, almost year round.
– Lots of two lane country roads around the house, perfect for cruising.
– If I go north, the North Georgia mountains are only 60 miles away, and the Tail of the Dragon is 120.

Cons:
– If I go south (like I have to to get to work), I’m in Atlanta!

[AtlAggie]

When I owned my Rebel, I went ahead and installed a driver’s backrest, instead of a sissy bar. The pillion seat on a Rebel is neither long enough nor wide enough for anybody over 100 pounds.

To me, the Rebel, was my solo training bike. It’s NOT a 2-up bike.

[AtlAggie]

This is just another newbie’s opinion, but most veterans I’ve talked to don’t recommend buying new with your first bike. Odds are you’re going to drop your first bike a few times while learning to ride, even if they are just low speed or no speed drops. Much easier to handle that if you’re not still making payments on that shiny new bike. The other thing, is that your first bike is just that, your FIRST bike. Not your last, and usually not even the one you keep for a very long time.

I agree with all the advice here that it’s not safe to start off on a big bike. Most of the folks here will tell you that anything more than a 500cc is too big to start on. Just remember that, unlike the dealers, nobody here has any reason to push you toward a certain style or size bike. Doesn’t matter to me what you decide to ride. But I’d hate to see somebody, even someone I don’t know, get hurt because I was too lazy to try to talk them out of it. On the other hand, you have the advice from the dealers, or maybe from other riders who ride bigger bikes. With the dealers, you need to remember that their profit margin goes up in direct relationship to the cc of the bike! The other big bike riders may have been fortunate enough to start off on a big bike without getting hurt or discouraged, but why take that chance if you don’t have to.

I started on a used Rebel, and that bike was plenty for me when I was first getting started. After 2,000 miles of practice, I traded in the Rebel (getting almost as much in trade as I paid for it!!!) on a new Vulcan 500. Bigger bike, 100 pounds heavier, but about 2.5 times the hp of the Rebel. I’m still learning that bike now. I doubt that I’ll keep it forever, but it will definitely be enough bike for me for a good while. Maybe I’ll be ready for that 1200 or 1300 in a few years, or maybe I’ll decide the Vulcan is all I need. But at least I know I won’t be spending a lot of money on something too big for me to handle, where I don’t feel comfortable on the bike. I’ve seen a lot of big 3 or 4 year old cruisers for sale on Craigslist with fewer miles on them than I put on my Rebel in two months. Wonder how that happened….

[AtlAggie]

I’m still pretty new to riding, and I only own one jacket right now. It’s a slightly different X-Element from leatherup.com.

https://www.leatherup.com/p/Mens-Motorcycle-Jackets/Mens-Armored-Black-and-Grey-Cordura-With-Leather-Trim-Jackets/42543.html

I bought the jacket in August, and even then, with the vents open, it was not too hot as long as you’re moving. With the liner in and a couple of thin layers under it, it’s been fine down to about 40 degrees, which I’ve decided is the limit for my hands. I second the comments about them running a little small, so try some jackets at your local shop before you order.

[AtlAggie]

I started on an ’05 Rebel, simply because I knew I needed experience and practice, and I knew where I could get one pretty cheaply.

I always thought that I’d eventually move up to something bigger, because I hope I will be doing some 2-up riding one day. Apparently times are tough for the new bike salesmen, though, and a heck of a deal on a new Vulcan 500 has moved me up faster than I expected. But I put in 2,000 miles on the Rebel in about 3 months, and I feel like I was ready.

So far, the Vulcan has been all that I was expecting. I can see me keeping this ride for a long time.

[Author]

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