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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

04 Kawasaki EN500 Owner.

There seems to be a shortage of bikes like these on the market.From my experience's the Kaw en500 is a great motorcycle. It would be a great stater bike for those on the heaver side. Because of the way the motor has been tuned. The motor is from the Ninja 500r. Tuned for more TQ & HP in the lowe...r range. At 5'10 & 220 lbs the bike works great. Where a 250cc bike would not,and there are very few other options new.The bike's motor pulls good even with two people on.It's low seat height makes it easy to handle & maneuver at slow speeds. This was a home run for Kawasaki. Read Full Review

vulcan 500

I've owned this bike for a few years now i've put over 20 thousand miles on it i've been everywhere from austin to pennsacola on it she'll ride comfortably all the way at about 47.5 mpg only thing is a clutch cable every 10 thousand miles thats all! Read Full Review

A great bike

I purchased my Vulcan 500 in 2004 and its 2011 and I still have the same bike.



I toured Canada and the United States never not once did I have an issue. As well, I flew my Bike to Europe two times once in 2007 and in the summer of 2011 and toured all of Europe minus a few countries and Asia Mino...r. With all my luggage and all the twisites in the Alps I had no power issues. This bike is small and nimble enough to take on all the Alps could throw at me. If you have a passenger you will notice a power drop.

Everybody wants power, but remember this, the bigger the bike the better chance you have of getting into trouble and the bigger the bike the more insurance you pay. Sure I could have got a much bigger bike but then I'd be paying more insurance and gasoline consumption and the big shots from the insurance companies would have done these trips!

But even a great bike has a downside.

The mirrors......... they are good if you like looking at your shoulders all the time. You will replace the mirrors.

The seat...... its okay for an hour or two but after that its starts to get uncomfortable.

Not alot of accessories made of this bike so you need to be creative.

I wish it had a slightly larger alternator, heated clothing can comsume alot of power, I'm at the max with mine.

Check out my blog www.stampingboy.blogspot.com

~Stampingboy Read Full Review