Posted Sat, 08/16/2008 - 11:26pm by dave
Being a relatively short fellow (5' 7"), I've often found that the reach for the handlebars on my Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Drifter was a bit long - a motorcycle version of "the rack." Today I installed a pair of Scootworks PhatRiser II "risers", which raise the bars up a bit, and brings them back a couple of inches. The difference in my riding position is pretty dramatic. I now sit in a much more comfortable position. I also have more control, since my arms aren't reaching nearly as far. Even the ride seems better, as the bike now rocks between the front and rear wheels beneath me, rather than my leaning forward (into the handlebars) to control the bike. The review is in the "Read more..."
Posted Fri, 04/25/2008 - 3:37am by dave
Each workday I crawl into special gear before riding my Kawasaki Vulcan Drifter 1500 to work in Seattle. I’ve ridden nearly every day this past winter, with the exception of icy, snowy ones. After a full winter of punishment I’m ready to review the jacket I selected to endure this environment: the First Gear Kilimanjaro. Let me begin with the good news – this jacket works. Of all of the gear I purchased for commuting (jacket, over-pants, boots, etc.), the jacket was my best purchase. It has kept me dry in hurricane type conditions (70 mph winds in driving rain) and warm to nearly freezing temperatures.
Posted Thu, 04/10/2008 - 9:33pm by dave
The bulb in my Kawasaki Vulcan Drifter 1500 motorcycle headlight is approaching nine years old and has been fading for a while. It has been putting off a dim, yellow light that is hardly noticeable on reflective signs. Any motorcyclist will tell you that being seen is paramount for safe riding. Today I installed a new bulb - the PIAA Xtreme White Plus.
Posted Sun, 03/23/2008 - 3:59am by dave
A friend from church, Mike, dropped me a note a few days ago asking if I’d like to take a spin around the area with him. I’ve been riding my Kawasaki Vulcan Drifter 1500 motorcycle back-and-forth to work all Winter, so I jumped at the opportunity to take a recreational ride with friends. Mike, Gary (a friend of Mike’s), and I departed Lynnwood at 9 a.m. for a drive through the back roads.
Posted Wed, 03/05/2008 - 5:52am by dave
My Kawasaki Vulcan Drifter 1500 motorcycle has run "rich" since the day I picked it up. Since it is a fuel injected engine, I didn't think there was anything I could change without installing an after market computer - but I was wrong. A bit of digging around on the Gadget website (a wealth of Kawasaki cruiser info) provided the trick on adjusting the Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) which would adjust the mixture.
Posted Wed, 11/21/2007 - 4:56pm by dave
Today is the first day this year that I have not ridden my Kawasaki Vulcan Drifter 1500 motorcycle to work because of the weather. When I took a peek out the window today I found the damp leaves had become frosty overnight... very frosty. Cars that were parked outside had a thick layer of frost on their windows; the temperature was near freezing. It would only take one patch of ice to ruin my whole day, so I elected to drive to work. As I sat in the morning freeway throng a motorcyclist zipped past me in the car pool lane... "Am I a wuss," I wondered.
Posted Thu, 11/15/2007 - 5:26am by dave
Commuting on the Kawasaki Vulcan Drifter 1500 motorcycle requires a person to be paranoid to stay alive. I often coach new riders to believe that everyone else is out to get them. Unfortunately, it's often true, even if accidental. Today I was joining the flow on the Seattle express lanes and had to do a little honking to avoid seeing the underside of someone's car. My lane joined an existing lane to form two lanes. Unfortunately, the woman in the new Toyota had decided that traffic in her existing lane was moving too slowly, so she darted for my new lane as soon as possible – illegally crossing the four-inch solid white line in the process.
Posted Mon, 11/12/2007 - 3:28pm by dave
Today's commute provided a little more challenge than most days on the Kawasaki Vulcan Drifter 1500. At Seattle's latitude, we drive to work in the dark and drive home in the dark each day this time of year. Many days it is overcast and drizzling. This morning is a little more extreme: it is pouring Florida rain, 45 degrees, with crosswinds gusting to 40 mph.
Posted Mon, 11/12/2007 - 5:15am by dave
Picking the best gasoline grade for your transportation isn't always a simple decision. The owner's manual for my Kawasaki Vulcan Drifter 1500 motorcycle suggests that the gasoline used be 90 octane, or higher, to avoid damaging the fuel-injected, high compression engine. So, I've been running premium gas since I bought it, which clocks in at 92 octane in Washington - higher in Florida. But the engine has always run rich, leaving that raw gasoline smell behind it.
Posted Thu, 10/25/2007 - 7:56pm by dave
The lifespan of a motorcycle tire is about 20% the lifespan of a car tire, usually. Many motorcyclists will wear out a rear tire in 6,000 to 8,000 miles. I pushed my Kawasaki Vulcan Drifter 1500 stock tires to over 12,000... the mechanic told me, "You pushed this tire a little farther than you should have"; he then showed me that the tire sidewall was thicker than the main part of the tire... whoops.
