Kawasaki Vulcan 2000 Classic
MSRP: $13,899
Caretaker: cherney
Measurements: 5'7"/155 lbs/30" Inseam
Odometer: 4584
Miles Since Last Issue: 1500
With 2009 drawing to a close, it was no surprise that Kawasaki came calling for their machine to be returned. Alas, the suspension plans with Race Tech and Progressive Suspension never came to fruition, but frankly, the rear end became much more tolerable after I swapped in the Mustang seat. So last month, I stripped the girl back down to stock and steeled myself for another run down to L.A. from Portland. It being November, I knew there'd be weather issues along the way, and Mother Nature didn't disappoint: much of the I-5 corridor had snow in the passes, so I was forced to take the coastal route. The detour added 350 miles and two days, but through it all, the V2K was ol' reliable: rock solid through rain and hail as well as 35-degree mornings, starting up without complaint and running smoothly even through the worst Bay Area traffic. I was pleasantly reminded of how damn good the stock pipes sound and run, too. The motor is a brute, but never in an obnoxiously aggressive or abrupt way, it just always seemed to be there, with gobs of torque standing at the ready.
The 1300 mile trip served to remind me that the V2K steers too heavy for my liking, but that usually happens when you're a short-armed, 5-foot, 7-inch dude trying to wrestle a 900lb. machine through days of twisties.
So now i'm eagerly awaiting the next long termer, a V Star 950.
| Modifications: |
| Cobra Speedster |
| Slashdown exhaust |
$609.95 |
| Cobra Fi2000R |
$234.95 |
| Cobra Short Sissybar |
$254.95 |
| Cobra Short luggage rack |
$139.95 |
| www.cobrausa.com
|
| Mustang Two-piece Vintage |
| Touring seat |
$489.00 |
| www.mustangseats.com
|
| Total |
$1,728.00 |
Honda VTX 1300T
MSRP: $9599
Caretaker: Zimmerman
Measurements: 5'10"/220 LBs/32" Inseam
Odometer: 4800
Miles since last issue: 569
In the December '09 issue, reader Lee Bloomquist took us all to task for not riding our long-term testers more. He's got a point; in many instances readers probably do rack up many more miles between issues than we do, or so it might seem. Speaking only for myself, let me just clear the air. This year I accumulated something over 10,000 miles between January and November on a variety of bikes. That's by no means serious mileage but it's healthy, especially when that mileage is divided up between test bikes, my own motorcycles, and even some track time. So it's no wonder the VTX has barely accumulated 5,000 miles. I try to ride it every day, but there's only so much time I can spend wandering around before work intrudes. The flip side is that, like many of you, I also have other things I enjoy doing of a non-motorcycling nature, as well as family responsibilities that take precedence over riding.
All that aside, I've managed to hang onto to the VTX for the time being, but since I don't know when it'll be going back to Honda (it's mid-November as this is being written) it's unlikely I'll do more than ride the thing whenever time and weather permit, until they ask for it back. Frankly the way the bike's been working for me, I'm afraid there's not a whole lot to write about anyway.