MACKAZ Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 I've been all blah blah about getting another bike for quite a while On the 4th December I bought this thing 1997 Kawasaki Vulcan VN1500 D2 Classic. I call it the 10 footer. As in It looks mint from 10 feet at 10 miles an hour. Been owned by a "tough biker type not man enough to admit its not a Harley”. He's lowered the back guard. I lifted it up to original but didn't like it. I have lowered it back down. It's got some Aliexpress chrome taillights with dead sections. Bought some more then...  Ones a non worker. Another one coming. While at it I've rectified some mean as twist and tape wiring/whole new loom for the taillights. The brackets for the pillion seat were completely missing which i have sourced and fitted. Plans are a cosmetic rebuild over winter involving a colour change. The paint on it is nicely done (black with green metallic fleck/green pearl over top but the prep on the tank looks like its been bogged and sanded with 36 grit and primed with no rub back. The filler can be seen clear as day. Apparently it was hit by a woman with a tomahawk. It may need a new tank. Cross that bridge when I get to it. I need to tidy the horrendous muffler "delete". They've hacked it out and made a hash of it. Its rowdy and my neighbours hate it. Good... I'm also looking for an original taillight to fit back on. It's not everyone's cup of tea, and I appreciate that. It was cheap (I think) at $6200. I didn't need to travel south and fell well within my budget. My wife likes it and that is the biggest hurdle. It's got torque for Africa but it's not super fast. It is HEAVY!!! Weighs 292kgs. It's like riding a barge. Far cry from all of my other bikes in the past. It turns heads, gets thumbs up and I'm stoked with it 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xsinclairx Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 Looks pretty good to me! Good score. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MACKAZ Posted December 21, 2022 Author Share Posted December 21, 2022 Thanks man! I've found the biggest change was getting used to the forward controls and the toe/heel changing. I've clocked just over 100kms riding on it. I use it to go to work on on fine days. I got caught out second time I rode it and it pissed down. It's an experience in greasy conditions 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MACKAZ Posted January 2, 2023 Author Share Posted January 2, 2023 So I've covered a whopping 163kms on this in just under a month. I'm getting used to the weight and size of it. Had a front header pipe nut disappear as well as both holding the top muffler on. Thankfully they're just a standard metric nut so after spending an hour at my storage unit I found my stash of hardware as well as my MIG, vice and drill press. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datlow Posted January 2, 2023 Share Posted January 2, 2023 Sounds like too much back pressure Best remove the mufflers.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MACKAZ Posted January 2, 2023 Author Share Posted January 2, 2023 God no. It's already too obnoxious. Those "mufflers" have been gutted and straight pipe shoved in, or so Captain Harley told me when I bought it. Part 8 in picture is the primary muffler. It's had sections of pipe installed to remove it. Has been done very average 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregT Posted January 3, 2023 Share Posted January 3, 2023 The worst thing I know about those is the "back torque limiter" clutch. What that means is that effectively you have no engine braking as the torque limiting mechanism lets it freewheel. It's quite possible to get into trouble downhill on bad surfaces. Just when you'd like a bit of engine braking to stabilise things - you don't have any. Otherwise they seem bulletproof. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MACKAZ Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 Interesting. That's something I haven't encountered on it yet. Seems to have a decent amount of engine brake. Mind you I haven't been on a bike in years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MACKAZ Posted May 2, 2023 Author Share Posted May 2, 2023 Cosmetic rebuild starting this weekend I think. The bubbling on the tank has got really bad. Got a few holes to weld up after Captain Harleys lowering job on the back guard. Might have a go at making a combined backrest/saddlebag mount out of aluminium 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MACKAZ Posted May 7, 2023 Author Share Posted May 7, 2023 Well bit the bullet and pulled the guards and tank. And then I dropped the tank…. Judging by what I found the tomahawk legend is true This tank isn’t totalled but there’s A LOT of work that is needed to repair it. Captain Harley strikes again. Fuel seepage into the bog that’s 15-20mm thick in places. And it’s pretty fresh by the smell of it. Im waiting on pics of a tank with minor side damage that SHOULD take less time to repair. Removed some other redundant wiring that was for the blue leds. 3 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MACKAZ Posted May 8, 2023 Author Share Posted May 8, 2023 I think there’s a few more hidden surprises…. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MACKAZ Posted May 8, 2023 Author Share Posted May 8, 2023 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MACKAZ Posted May 8, 2023 Author Share Posted May 8, 2023 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MACKAZ Posted May 8, 2023 Author Share Posted May 8, 2023 Wire wheel tomorrow night and see what’s left… 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UTERUS Posted May 8, 2023 Share Posted May 8, 2023 Fuck that's cooked 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j.e.d. Posted May 11, 2023 Share Posted May 11, 2023 Agreed, but I do like the spaced out cat image on the back guard 3 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlownCorona Posted May 12, 2023 Share Posted May 12, 2023 thats not a cat, thats a portrait of the person who repaired the tank 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MACKAZ Posted May 13, 2023 Author Share Posted May 13, 2023 Found a shit ton more on the side and top of the left side (sitting on the bike). Sharp and deep with the obligatory birdshit MIG welding. I have called time on this tank. It’s too far gone for my abilities. I have ordered the other tank from down south. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tortron Posted May 13, 2023 Share Posted May 13, 2023 If you get caught out I'm pretty sure you could just weld 2 GN125 tanks together 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MACKAZ Posted May 13, 2023 Author Share Posted May 13, 2023 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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