[Munch]

I agree with you… the moment the car on the left started smoking the rear tire is the moment her oh shit radar should have grabbed the break. I ride in traffic like that every morning going to work and even though it’s almost a guarantee that theres gonna be a sudden stop from 80 mph to near 20mph in less then a moment you never know when. Every time I get boxed in from cages all around me I drop my following distance waayy back. Then I am constantly scanning everything around me. If the cage behind me is to close for my judgment I do one of two things to back them off… first flash the brakes 3 times to grab their attention… if that doesn’t work …I start to do a weave in my lane then they really get the idea and go wayyy back. Point is I have had close situations enough to know to keep my mind in the ride at all times and scan without a seconds loss.

[Munch]

nope pretty much covered it. I would recommend however in those 45 mph residential type area….if theres no one around… slalom your bike and get used to the “delay” thats there at different speeds for swerving. Though on my 500 and now my 900 I never had issues with wind lasts from trucks. Though I don’t have a fairing on my scoot to get pushed on. Just remember what your taught in MSF… pass to the left and never loligag doing it.

[Munch]

First Welcome!
Now perks… lets see…. fresh air, all the Vitamin D you can ask for, riding can actually make you a better driver due to forced heightened sense of awareness. Keeps a smile on your face. Limits you to how many passengers (aka bad influences) you can take with you.
Down sides… no protection like that of a car/ SUV/truck. Weather can be an issue depending on locale and sensitivity. Depending on maturity can promote “squidliness” and not to mention fairly high insurance rates due to youth and in experience.

[Munch]

Ok….I keep mulling this over in my head… it’s bothering me , I don’t know why… I guess it’s all the ignorant laws that keep popping up for pointless reasons in the mean time we are paying these people to make the stupid laws all the while they cry and whine about not having enough money in the budget to support teachers……… sorry off topic….
OK are these blue “lamps” set up like you had on your 650? The LED’s under the tank to reflect off the chrome… or do you actually have forward facing bulbs (turn signals, “blue light” headlamps or just marker/parking bulbs mounted on the outside of the body)?

[Munch]

“If your summon does not involve points on your license, I’d just pay for the fine and move on. “

I see a big problem with this. In particular if the officer is not correct on the law, which is poorly worded, then they need to be informed as such. If he is correct then the clarification needs to be there for the general public anyway. Rolling over and taking it has become such a huge problem now days and the same ones doing it are usually the first ones sitting around asking “How did things get so screwed up?”

[Munch]

just make sure when the girl friend asks…it’s because of her

[Munch]

Kawi didn’t make anything worth capacity for the Vulcan 500. So what I did was get the saddle bag bracket mounts from Kawi and then went and got some saddle bags from cyclegear. This will allow you to put the placement holes in where you want them… not where an engineer thought it best to. After punching the leather get the appropriate bolt lengths wide flanged washer and a lock washer and install. Get enough flat washers to put both on the inside of the leather and outside to sandwich for structure to help keep the leather from ripping under the weight…. or go to a leather shop and have them put metal eyelets in them. Either way make sure you measure twice , punch once.

Edit: Just saw another post of yours in the review section. If your looking to relocate the signals the bags should have came with a relocation kit. Usually a metal bracket with 2 holes…one to bolt the bracket to the fender and the others to attach the signals to…or if they went really cheapo sent you nothing and expect you to drill new placement holes further back and either pigtail wire extensions for reach or left you enough for room to pull. Let us know what you did.

[Munch]

Happy B-day…. congrats on the bike…. but as is often said….
if there aren’t any pics….it didn’t happen

[Munch]

I def. would…take a print out of that with you and if Houston (god I hate that place) is the same here, requiring the officer to be in court during his tickets reviews, get the DA to have him show you where your lights were in violation. If your LED’s are about the same as was on your 650 there is nothing in there that it violates. I highly doubt they project a 300 candlewatt power intensity 75 feet in front of you… and unless you have them in flash mode… they can’t touch you on that either.

[Munch]

From the whispers I hear every time I go to the Kawi dealer, don’t be too surprised if the 500 version gets cut. The 250 made a huge showing and they have the 650’s for the next step. Business wise it does not make profitable sense for them to dump money into a redesign of the 500 when you already have a 650. Not to include all the hullaballoo about the emissions standards that are going to be coming down the pike.

[Munch]

apparently my core is shorter then most… I actually have to inward roll my jackets near my waist to keep them from bunching up at my chest and making it look like I have a second spine. None of my gear zips up to each other. However I have come to realize my risk meter is a tad more relaxed then most on here… so I might not be the best to judge from.

[Munch]

welcome! “outgrow the 250’s” well opinion vary but I can promise you most likely you will be happy til you make the mistake of sitting on a friends bigger bike…. it’s a more power kinda thing….kinda like some peoples addiction to tattoos. And don’t think it stops there…. jump to a 500 and you’ll want a 900 then up the ladder you go…then you start feeding your new addiction with bolt ons….. and its all down hill from there.
At your height and some experience that you do have a 500 should not be out of the question as long as you stay honest about your true abilities…. and pls take the MSF or equivalent courses. Not only are you adding power to the equation but also weight.
Most importantly…butt test everything you can!

[Munch]

Think me cold if you like…. tragedy is what the living family went through….. destiny is what the rider experienced.

[Munch]

If your already getting pulled…the “spanking” is coming anyway. If it’s a no no in your area thats just a tack on charge, for if you get even more out of hand then you may have already been to get pulled in the first place. The local laws vary , some allow, some don’t, some tolerate it with only 1 bud in 1 ear leaving the other to listen for surrounding sounds.

[Munch]

The only thing I got to add…if you don’t already have enough going through your head now. Any bike on the show room floor is a generic set up, meant to fit many but not all. If you like a bike and not the handle bar placement as above… ask how much more cost would be incurred to get risers for the handle bars to make it fit YOU. Same thing with pegs/floor boards.
My Vulcan 500 was a good fit for me, just not me and one of my kids for extended runs. I got my 900 and though it felt good under me the handle bars were a bit forward for me putting pressure on my lower back. I already knew I wanted a drivers back rest and once I got it I found that the handlebars were still to far forward to make use of it. So…got my risers for the handle bars… perfect, I now truly ride in my lounge chair.
So don’t let a stock set up turn you off completely you can adjust and change many things on any bike to make it comfortable for you. Just depends on your budget limitations and how much you like that bike.

[Author]

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