A new Vulcan 500... now what do I do to it?

[storysunfolding]

I lucked my way into a 2005 Vulcan 500 for $900 this weekend.

The swag included:
-Nelson Riggs Cover
-Nelson Riggs Sidebags
-Nelson Riggs Topbag
-kryptonite rotor lock
-Chain Lock
-Battery Tender
-Bungees/Cords/Nets
-Chain Lube and rags

And oh yeah- an almost pristine Vulcan 500.

The paint is in perfect shape, there's a bit of surface rust in places but it all buffed off and didn't leave anything behind.

The bike hadn't run in a year and wasn't turning over so I went a little crazy. I cleaned the carbs, changed the brake fluid, oil, oil filter, air filter, coolant and signal fluid, fork oil, topped off the air, made a few adjustments and then rode it like I stole it (because in some ways I feel like I did).

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it yet (Keep it for friends, hack it, ride it a bit then sell it, or just goof off), but it was too good a price to say no!

[Gummiente]

CHOPPER!!!

[fireguzzi]

Too bad it didn't come with a seat and you had to take one of your leather couch cushions and throw it on there.

[ibswooft]

Nice!!

[joeinthedark]

RAT BIKE

[JC Viper]

Nice, my old bike... brings back so many memories. I did 40k+ on her and had plans on turning her into a flat tracker by getting a smaller thicker front tire and swapping out the forks and bars and already had engine work done to sorta match the Ninja 500. I pushed that bike to its limits and still have a smile on my face thinking about it even though I have a "Ninja."

The Vulcan makes a great commuter bike as it's pretty frugal. Just upgrade the brakes to sintered and the brake lines to braided steel to get a less mushy feeling, especially after extended riding. Horn also should be upgraded as it is a weak little thing. A bigger diameter headlight would do well too if you could fit it. I wouldn't worry too much about the carbs. I let the bike sit for a long time without Stabil and she started right up without a hitch.

[Gunslinger]

900 bucks for a 2005, wow. Someone either doesn't know squat about the value of motorcycles or it's got 75K miles on it. I still have my 2000 Vulcan with about 11K miles. It's a fun bike to ride. Very light and relatively easy to work on. I agree with Viper 100% on the brakes. After you ride a bike with dual disc up front you can really tell the difference. If it was me I would keep it as is, but I have seen people cut the back of the seat off and turn it into a solo. Gives it a nice custom look IMO. The only thing that sucks about the V is the aftermarket parts are slim. If you decide to modify it post some pics if you can, I'd like to see what you come up with.