Got myself a bike

[jjhotrods]

Well I ended up buying a kawasaki vulcan 500 and after riding I agree with the more veteran riders of the forum. Small is the best way to go. You will save yourself money if you find yourself uninterested quickly and you are much more able to focus on technique without worrying about losing the bike.

I've had the bike about a year and a half. Of course I now find myself looking to upgrade. I have pretty much decided on a yamaha 1100.

But I have a couple of questions for the more expierenced riders in relation to shaft drives and your expierence with them? Since my vulcan is chain driven I have no real measure of what to expect with a shaft. I have been told by more than one person that shaft drives tend to generate greater torque. Because of this the bike will have a tendency to "kick out" the rear tire is this true and if so how troublesome can this be. I am also curious as to the general upkeep of shaft drives and general upkeep of that model. I realize that yamaha has a very good reputation and history but I figure it is better to get info from people who have owned the bikes. I apologize for the length of the post but I have always found the site members friendly and helpful so thanks in advance for whatever respectful opinions you have.

[ZooTech]

A shaft-driven bike is prone to "jacking" which is caused by the pinion gear trying to climb the ring gear. The shorter the shaft drive, the worse the effect. I've ridden a V-Star 1100, one that was modded with a Big Air Kit, jet kit, and pipes, and it didn't suffer from jacking at all. It's usually only noticeable with more powerful bikes.

Shaft drives are less efficient than chains and belts because there are two 90-degree power transfers. Each power transfer results in a power loss.

As far as maintenance goes, they are not completely maintenance free. When you pull the rear wheel off for a new tire you'll need to regrease the hub splines in the wheel as well as the flexible joint and U-joint in the shaft itself. Do yourself a favor and buy some Krytox grease and you'll probably never have to open up the drive system again.

[jjhotrods]

Thanks for the info. However I was under the immpression that shaft drives were sealed? Though maybe I misunderstood.

[jjhotrods]

Looking for info on yamaha 1100 vstar opinions welcome. Also what is members expierence with shaft driven bikes? Or any of the other metric motorcycles in the 1100 cc range? Thanks

[jmillheiser]

shaft drive requires a lot less maintainance than a chain drive.

the jacking effect is no big deal, my CX500 will do it a little bit when it comes on the cam but all it does is cause the back end of the bike to lift up a little.

Most shaft drives will have a little power loss vs chain or belt due to the 90 power transfer. My CX does not suffer from this because it is a transverse mount engine (think moto guzzi or a goldwing), this eliminates the power loss but causes the bike to want to rotate over big bumps, again not a big deal.

for the most part shaft drives are much smoother and quieter than chain drives, perfect for a cruiser or touring bike

[jmillheiser]

I have heard nothing bad about the V Star 1100 aside from it being a pain to do an oil change on it.

It has decent power and is not terribly heavy for its size, I have sat on one and they are pretty comfy but like most bikes could benefit from an aftermarket seat

[jjhotrods]

Thanks for the info folks. Check back in tommorrow.

[ZooTech]

Another thing shafties are prone to is slack in the drivetrain. This makes them a little bit herky-jerky at low speeds during throttle-on/throttle-off periods.

[Sev]

Chains can have that same problem.

[jjhotrods]

thanks for the info