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Best entry level cruiser bang for the buck

When I returned to street bike riding in 2003, I sat on every new motorcycle at every dealership near me. I was amazed that there were very few mid sized bikes. However, the Vulcan 500 fit me like a custom-tailored suit.



When I started riding, a 500 was considered a big bike for experienced rid...ers only. Now it is entry level. Times certainly have changed!

I read a review of the Vulcan 500 that said it was the best bang for the buck in the under 750cc class of cruisers, with surprising amounts of power, good handling and a low price. So I decided to get one. And I found out the review was correct - it is a great motorcycle!

My Vulcan 500 turned out to be an amazing value for the money I spent on it. Its modified Ninja 500 motor had lots of power, allowing me to easily out-accelerate all cars and many larger cruisers. It had excellent handling in the twisties and great comfort. Gas mileage averaged 60mpg.

I put 18,000 trouble free miles on my Vulcan in the 18 months I rode it. Did an Iron Butt SS1000 on it also in great comfort. Bought it for $4199 and sold it for NADA book, which was $4000. That's great resale value!

The Vulcan 500 does not have a V-twin and it does have a chain. This turns off a lot of prospective buyers, but the inline twin makes a lot more power than larger V-twins, and the chain drive is much more efficient than a shaft. The result is a hot-rod entry level cruiser.

I sold the Vulcan to buy a VStrom and the Vulcan is the only bike I have owned that I regretted selling.

I now have a Honda Shadow Aero 750, and while it has the V-twin and shaft drive, the Vulcan ran rings around the Shadow performance-wise. Yes, the Shadow gets lots of compliments from admirers and it is a very good looking bike, but the Vulcan had better acceleration and cornering abilities than the Shadow does. Read Full Review

Awesome First Bike

This is my first bike and it's been great. When I took the Basic Rider Course we used Honda Rebel 250s. They were good to learn on but when I was looking for a bike of my own a little later, I wanted something that wouldn't struggle on the freeway and had a little more power. So my Dad, whose been r...iding since before I was born, found this little gem and told me to take it for a test ride. Instantly loved it. It wasn't too low like the Rebels were and it was a good height for me. It just fit.
I'll soon be moving up to something a little bigger, but I couldn't ask for a better bike to get used to riding in traffic. Get this bike. Read Full Review