I noticed on the Kawasaki website that they now have a 2009 Kawi Vulcan Classic 1700 LT but they do not have a price listed yet but I like the looks of the bike and think it is going to come down to this bike or the Suzuki C90T.  This is tough for me cause I have always ridden Suzuki's with shaft drive.  Are their any benefits to a shaft over a belt?  Thanks  

HI; the shaft dr. does not need any adjustments. I have C50T and have never needed to do anything with it except drive. The belts last a long time but do need replacement and adjustments. From time to time. The belt is very reliable. I think it just a mater of what you like the most. The drive shaft bikes use to have a rear jacking problem. I don't notice it much with the C50. Suzuki has done a very good job of getting rid of this old problem. The fellow I ride with has a 109 and I never seemed to have the jacking when I was hot roding it around..IT is a hot rod compaired to the C50... YOU have two good picks to choose from so good luck...ride safe...scruffy  

I have seen the vulcans and I will definitely test drive one before I buy one but does a vulcan classic sound like a Harley do to the singlepin crank and belt?  

I have seen the vulcans and I will definitely test drive one before I buy one but does a vulcan classic sound like a Harley do to the singlepin crank and belt?

WHich bike would people recommend for a long trip From West Texas to Western NY?  

Hey guys dont no if the vulcan sounds like a harley but that 2009 vulcan 2000 sure looks good. To compare it with the suzuki c109r would be a good match up.  

Belt vs shaft...

Belts do need replacement from time to time. I used to replace mine every 100,000 miles. That was about every 4th time I took the swingarm off to clean and lube the swingarm bearings. I never had a rear drive belt break and I never met anyone who had one break.

As for adjustment, you adjust the belt when you put the rear wheel back on after replacing the tire. That's it, it won't change enough to need adjustment again before it's time to replace the rear tire again.

The only common complaint I've seen about the Kawasaki belt drives, is the dealers misadjusting them. Now that the 900's have been out a while, the dealers should be getting more practice adjusting belts, so that complaint should be going away :-)

regards,
Joe  

Well and according to the website they are using a new belt made of carbon fiber supposed to be 40% stronger than the kevlar.  One of my favorite features is being able to remove the keys after it is started.  

txbazzman asked...
...does a vulcan classic sound like a Harley do to the singlepin crank and belt?

It will for a little while. The Vulcans tend to build up chamber deposits (carbon). This mostly happens while idling. Turning the idle rpm down to where the engine lopes at idle like the old Harleys did, makes the problem much worse. Some people add carbon cleaning chemicals to their gas tank fairly frequently, so they can continue to sound like a Harley when idling. Others say to hit the rpm limiter at least weekly to keep the carbon blown out.

Personally, I turned my Vulcan idle up slightly after the first time it developed carbon knock, so I never had to worry about the dreaded Carbon Knock again :-)

regards,
Joe  

txbazzman asked...
WHich bike would people recommend for a long trip From West Texas to Western NY?

Since I have a worn out old body, except for a few aftermarket parts... :-)

I wouldn't recommend any bike that weighed less than about 700 pounds. That much weight soaks up the road bumps much better than lighter bikes do. On the other hand, when I was traveling coast to coast in my 20's, the only concern I had was reliability. Back then you had the choice of buying a Harley or a BMW if you wanted reliable. Today, everyone makes bikes at least as reliable as the Harley shovelheads were and I put 265,000 miles on one of them, so it really doesn't matter what you buy. Pick the bike you like best :-)

regards,
Joe  

First, sloowpoke, that is patently FALSE.  I've ridden numerous smaller bikes, both cruisers and sportbikes that had better suspension than 700+ lb bikes.  That's just a ridiculous statement.  The heavier a vehicle is, the more difficult it is to control its greater mass during bump absorption and damping while still providing a compliant ride.

As to the original question:

FIRST: didn't you check out my NEWS item on this website about the 1700s?  Tsk-tsk, many details available!

SECOND: belt is definitely superior to shaft -- NO maintenance (usually), quiet, and it helps smooth out any driveline lash.

THIRD: Kawasaki created a new carbon fiber-based belt that is capable of handling the power of a large engine but without being intrusively wide.  In fact, it's only 28mm wide, a little over 1in.

FOURTH: there is no price because it does not yet have an availability date and might not be available as a 2009, but maybe as an early 2010.

FIFTH: our C109RT test bike had rotten shaft drive jacking.  We all loathed it, as well as the bike's needless bulk.

SIXTH: sound of the engine?  Are you serious?  THAT is a deal-breaker for you when buying a motorcycle?  That shouldn't even be on your list.  How about superior brakes?  Low-speed handling?  Long distance comfort?  COMFORT, period???  If a bike doesn't fit you, it's not going to be fun to ride.  Looks?  Sure, that matters, you should like your bike.  But sound?  Uh-uh.

Happy trails!  

May main concerns are Reliability, longevity and comfort.  I have never been in the position til now to get a new bike and I just want to make sure to get a bike that will last me for a long time.  

I was curious about the sound but it does not weigh one way or another.  

I will be in the market to buy a new bike in May when I return from AFghanistan and was hoping this bike would be available by then but looks like it won't.  So I am thinking about the VTX 1800.  

Well, I would hold off until you get back because it might be available then, there's just no way to know for sure.  

As for the VTX1800, well, it was not our favorite in the August issue big tourer comparison.  So I'd REALLY hold off on that!  :-)

Do us all a favor and keep your eyes and ears open and your head down.  And be sure to tell which bike you get once you're back.  We'll be waiting.  

Hi guy 's been reading all the info ,I think the kawasaki vulcans are very reliable.  

prefer drive belt over drive shaft.kawasaki vulcan feels more comfortable to me than suzuki c109r.  

txbazzman,it sounds like you are looking for a CRUISER.in my opinion the best cruiser made was discontinued in 2003.hondas 1997-03 VALKYRIE.these bikes can be had used for $7000-8000.before you buy NEW check out this bike.you wont be disappointed.shaft drive,106 horsepower,6 cylinder.the kaw and honda v-twins are harley copies.if you want to make a fashion statement why not just buy the original.HD.