Hey,

I want to dress up my 750 Shadow Aero for long
trips like Texas to Colorado, with saddle bags,
windshield, floorboards, highway bars, etc ...
but I am also thinking of trading up after a
year's time. Adding parts will not increase the
book value of the vehicle. So if I am going to
dress up a bike perhaps it should go ahead and
get the one that I want to keep longer?

I went back to my dealer looking at a VT 1100
Saber, because it has the look and feel of my
Aero, which I really enjoyed. However he steered
me towards Vulcan 900 Classic that is already
loaded with all the after market parts I could
want.

I hesitated because I doubt that a 900 cc engine
is a significant step up from 750 cc. Not to
offend Vulcan riders, I'm sure you can tell the
difference when riding, but if I'm going to
upgrade from a 750 wouldn't it make more since
to go up to the next class, like an 1100 or a 1300?

The dealer says since the Vulcan has fuel
injection it has a lot more pick up than my
carbureted Honda, despite not having that much
more displacement. What do people think, does
fuel injection make enough of a difference?

The only other doubt I have about the Vulcan is
that it is belt driven rather than shaft driven.
Perhaps that is not a big deal, what do people
think?

Thanks!  

1. If you plan to move up to a larger bike soon, don't spend much on your current ride. (You've got that issue resolved already anyway.)

2. Use the test reports from this website to help guide you in the selection of your next bike. Peformance can vary greatly from bike to bike; displacement and FI vs. carb are not the only factors. (Some FI Kawasaki models are relatively slow.) Fuel injection does have two benefits to you: automatic adjustment to different altitudes, and no carb fouling if you let it sit for long periods. Dealers are OK, and can even be a good source of info; but their focus is NOT the same as yours - so you may not be getting the straight story.

3. The Honda and Yamaha 1100's are pretty nice. The older Yamaha Virago 1100 performs extremely well; better than today's 1100's (see the MCCRUISER comparison articles). The new Yamaha 1300 looks like a better bike than the Honda 1300's on paper - but I haven't ridden either of them.

4. You could also move up to the 1500-1600 CC range - but it's more money, and generally more weight. But there are some really nice machines out there - both new and older. I personally went from a 1986 Virago 700 to a 2000 Valkyrie last year; but I wanted to start doing more serious long-distance riding. (I would have kept the Virago if I'd had room.)

Good luck with whatever you do!  

"Dealers are OK, and can even be a good source of info; but their focus is NOT the same as yours - so you may not be getting the straight story"

I went to several dealers, many of them steered me towards the Vulcan 900 Classic. There seem to be a lot of those traded in less than one year, less than 10,000 miles on them. I guess that was THE touring package last year. Nice package but still seems to me a small step up for a several $K addition to my nearly paid off note.

However I found a Saber that is a little older and my Aero actually has a slightly higher kelly blue book value so I could go for the even trade. The Saber has aftermarket pipes, ISO grips, and floorboards. I may go with that Saber if it seems to be in good condition after closer inspection. What ever the good points of a fuel injected engine I really like my Honda. and it has a rep for long lasting quality.

I was at "bike night" at local watering hole this evening, discussed with several riders. There was general agreement that the 1100 rides nicer at 70-80 mph, which is what I really want. Even though they weren't dealers they all brought my attention to Honda's 1300 touring package. Yeah, it is a nice offering, but adding a lot to my note is NOT really the way I want to go.