Sweet Ticket - One Rider's Kawasaki VN750

Background: The First Year

Site Launched July 2004
Page last updated November 2004

I started seriously considering buying a motorcycle in February 2003 when gas prices were going up (seems like the good old days compared to the price of gas today) and I started feeling the pinch for the first time. I love my pickup truck and have no plans to get rid of it, but for the kind of around-town driving I do mostly, it was finally getting too expensive. I think too that I realized then the price of gas would never be going back the other direction.

Besides the pickup, my wife and I own a Volkswagan Passat, which she drives. The only gas-economical second vehicle I had any interest in was a motorcycle. I'd dreamed off and on of having one ever since I was a kid, but had pretty much come to the place where I really didn't think it was something I would ever end up doing. My life was already so full...

What was I thinking?

True to my personality, I started researching to learn everything I could about motorcycles and motorcycling. I also started dropping hints to my wife, who probably had more experience with motorcycles than I (as a passenger anyway) as my father-in-law has owned several Hondas over the years. My own experience was limited to driving a friend's minibike when I was a kid and one ride on the back of a little 175cc Yamaha my dad owned briefly when I was a teenager. I recall loving driving the minibike and not liking riding on the back of the motorcycle.

Raymond's Ninja My oldest son had bought a used Ninja from a coworker when he was 18, totaled it within a couple of months (he landed on the hood of the car that hit him - the bike didn't fare so well) and promptly bought a brand new (2000 at the time) Ninja with the insurance money. He loves his bike, and the 2000 Ninja ZX-6R is still his sole transportation.
As fun as they look, a sportbike wasn't high on my list for a bike of my own. I was envisioning a dual-purpose bike - something to get around town on and take off-road in the mountains - but as I began researching I started thinking a cruiser would be a more practical fit for me. I had owned a 4WD Bronco back in the 80s (before there were so-called "SUVs") and really didn't do that much off-roading during the 8 years I had it. I did drive it across the country a couple times though...

As I started scratching the surface, I didn't really like any of the small cruisers I saw; besides, if I was going to own a cruiser I didn't want some wimpy little thing. Of all motorcycles, the cruiser had always appealed to my romantic side. And whenever I thought of a cruiser, I thought of power. But how much power? At 5'11'' and 150 pounds I wouldn't need a 1000cc+ motorcycle to launch me down a road.

I've always liked Harleys, but I didn't really care to own one. I wanted something different.

I knew I wanted a powerful mid-size cruiser that didn't look like every other cruiser on the road. I knew I wanted a shaft drive. I knew I wanted a liquid-cooled engine.

It occurred to me a guy that used to work for me drove a 750cc Vulcan. He was about my size, and I remembered thinking it was a nice looking bike. I checked out the Kawasaki web site.

There it was. The 2003 Kawasaki Vulcan VN750. It had everything I wanted; nothing more and nothing less. It even had a center stand! I was impressed by its specs. I was blown away by its lines. The fenders were just right. It had mag wheels. To me it was exactly the right balance of chrome, black and paint, and looked more steel than plastic. And the Metallic Luminous Vintage Red and Metallic Graystone color combination was the perfect finish. At the price, this was the bike.

I downloaded the 2003 VN750 wallpaper from the Kawasaki site. I make my living with my laptop computer; at the time I was Manager of Technical Support and Applications Development in the IT division of a local company. I was working l o n g hours, in the office and at home, and I saw my 750 every time I looked at my computer desktop. The image of that bike was burned into my brain.
I confirmed the cost of insurance with my agent, brought my wife up to speed and started checking out the Kawasaki dealerships. The south coast dealerships had no new 750s. South Coast Motorsports in Oxnard had a used one that had been reasonably well cared for. I tried it on for size and confirmed it felt right. The sales rep at the Santa Barbara dealership said he would call around and see if he could locate a new one.

October, 2003

Meantime my father-in-law bought a new 1500cc Valkyrie and drove it to Santa Barbara from New Mexico where he lives, talking about riding together when I get my bike and fueling my fire to get that 750.

By June, the 2004s were out. When I checked in with the dealer he asked if I wanted him to order a 2004. I didn't, particularly. I wanted that red and gray bike I'd been staring at on my computer desktop every day. I asked him to keep looking for a 2003.

I went to the DMV and got my learners permit, and contacted the California CC Rider organization to sign up for the basic Motorcycle Rider Education (MRE) course. I'd have to wait a few weeks for the next session.

The photos at this site are greatly reduced from their original size. Click on a picture to display a larger version.

By the beginning of June the Kawi dealer had located a new '03 at the dealership in Freemont and called me to confirm I still wanted it. Oh, I wanted it.

Since I had fallen in love with the lines of the stock VN750 I didn't envision myself deviating much - if at all - from stock. I did however, have the dealer order a engine guard to be installed when the bike arrived.

Right Rear When they called to let me know the bike was in I took my wife and son and went to have a look. Ah, the sweet memory of the first time I laid eyes on my bike! We walked in the showroom, past the cruisers toward the shop, and there it was. It was the best looking piece of machinery in the place, and it was mine. Since I couldn't drive the bike yet I arranged to have it delivered to the house after the dealer finished checking it out.
The guy who delivered the bike went over the controls, basic operation and care of the bike. He also showed me how to put it up on the center stand. Man, I love that center stand! And that banana seat; I hadn't really noticed before how uniquely wild that seat is!

Until I knew what I was doing, I knew better than to try and drive a 500 pound machine on the street, learner's permit or not. I contented myself with familiarizing with starting the bike, putting it in gear, moving up the driveway in first, stopping and parking, getting used to the weight. That bit of practice turned out to be an advantage on the safety course.

I took the MRE course in July, 2003. The four week course consisted of two weeknight classroom sessions and two hands-on sessions. I thoroughly enjoyed every session. The classroom sessions were held at the Goleta Community Center and the riding sessions were held at Camarillo High School.

Shortly after I got the bike I noticed the "Vulcan 750" emblem on the left side cover had been applied at a slant. One corner of the right side emblem (which had been applied correctly) was slightly bent away from the side cover as though it had caught a pant leg. At the time, I kind of liked those emblems so when I took the bike in for 500 mi. service I mentioned it to the dealer and they ordered new ones. The timing of the arrival of the new emblems coincided with having the clutch lever straightened (see "dropped the bike" below) so they peeled off the originals and applied the new ones - both equally straight - at that time. Not long after that I noticed that if I didn't take special care when dismounting the bike my jeans could catch on the corner of the new right-cover emblem. The first time it happened the emblem corner bent outward just enough to convince me this was going to continue to be a problem. By that time I'd already started debating whether I really like those emblems after all. So I removed them. I definitely like the look of the bike better without the side cover panel emblems.

While driving my truck to Camarillo the Saturday morning of the first riding session there was an ever-so-brief summer shower as I passed through Oxnard on the 101. Almost too light to even call a shower, really. Just after the rain stopped I came up on the underpass at Rice Avenue and there was a biker down. A couple of cars had pulled over and paramedics were on the scene. The bike, a touring bike - I thought it was a GoldWing - was on its side off the rightmost lane under the underpass. The driver, helmet still on, was on his back. I could see him moving, so he was conscious. The passenger, a woman, was sitting on the ground nearby appearing shaken but OK. I don't know what caused the accident (slick road, another vehicle, both?). It was a sobering sight on my way to drive a motorcyle for the first time. It didn't stop me though.
I already had basic riding gear by this time. I had purchased a helmet, gloves and a jacket (but this wouldn't be needed for the course) and was wearing sturdy hiking boots I'd had for a couple of years but hadn't worn much as I prefer a lighter boot when hiking. Those boots - a funky burgundy color - turned out to be great for biking, and the color looks good with my 750! I also wore a long-sleeve t-shirt. The weather, in spite of the light rain earlier, was hot but everyone had to wear long sleeves (and pants of course) per the rules. Those who did not yet own a helmet or gloves were provided them by the course instructors. One guy was turned away as he wasn't wearing shoes that covered the ankles per their requirements.

The instructors knew their jobs and though they were obviously serious about motorcycle safety skills, they made it fun as well. They asked those of us who already owned bikes what we had, and directed me to a little 250 Suzuki cruiser (all the bikes, though various styles, were 250cc). I quickly discovered it had a throttling problem; it was difficult to maintain strict control over speed at lower speeds, which most of the exercises required. At first I thought it was might be inexperience but when I tried the same back home on the Kawi I had no problem with throttle control. It added to the challenge of the manuevers they put us through but I still did OK and had a blast. The following week they had us use the same bikes we used the first week. The class was full and all bikes were in use. I had the instructors check out the one I had and they didn't think the throttle was a problem, so I stuck with it. I must have done OK; I passed with flying colors and had a ball doing it.

Having passed the course I was now exempt from having to take the driving portion of the CA DMV exam for my license. California does require taking the general driving written exam again when you take the motorcycle test, even if you're already licensed. I went back to DMV, passed the general and motorcycle written tests and walked out a licensed Class M driver.
Having limited my driving to the driveway, (and after the MRE course, the neighborhood) I now began commuting to work and cruising in the foothills. Respecting my inexperience, I chose my routes based on the lightness of the traffic, avoiding the freeway and downtown. It didn't break my heart that the most direct non-freeway route between home and work happened to be Cabrillo Boulevard, Santa Barbara's beautiful beachfront.

Trying it on...

The first week, I dropped the bike - or rather, unexpectedly gently laid it down. On the way home from work one evening my left bootheel somehow hooked the foot peg at a stop sign and I couldn't put my foot down quickly enough when I rolled to a stop. By the time I got my foot on the ground the bike had leaned further than I could hold it. Without thinking I hopped off on the left side - still holding the bike by both grips - and managed to lay it down. Of course the bike stalled as it went down - first gear and no throttle. A car pulled up and stopped behind me as I lifted the bike and checked it out. The clutch lever was bent, the left mirror was askew and the back of it was scratched. There was no other damage that I could see at the moment. As the car went around me and continued on its way I got back on the bike, started it and tried to drive. The position of the clutch lever was awkward but it was drivable. Later, on closer inspection I found there was also a slight scuff mark on the lower edge of the clutch pedal, which could just as easily have been made by a boot (but wasn't), and a slight scuff mark on what I call the scrape nut: the rounded nut that protrudes from the bottom of the driver's foot peg that would contact the ground if you lean the bike sharply enough in a curve to scrape the peg.

Well... I'd gotten that out of the way.

The dealer straightened the clutch lever for me, with the caveat that heating the lever to straighten it could weaken the metal. I opted not to have the mirror replaced for a few scratches on the back.

Joey, far away... As I gained experience and my comfort level increased I started carrying passengers. Taking my son to school and other activities close to home was fun; taking longer cruises out to Winchester Canyon or the back roads of Montecito, even better. Joey, who had been carefully coached on what to do and not to do when riding as a passenger, is a great rider. On our first recreational cruise though, I noticed that he jerked a couple times on the way home. When I yelled back to him to ask if everything was OK, he said yes. After we got home I asked him if he enjoyed the ride, and he said he did, then he said "I was so relaxed I was falling asleep!". When I mentioned it to my wife, she confirmed that a pleasant ride on a beautiful day can, in fact, make the passenger sleepy. Though I hadn't wanted a passenger backrest I figured I'd better get one for safety's sake. It wouldn't do to have Joey fall off the back of the bike while taking a snooze.

I wasn't wild about the idea of adding a windshield, either. I have yet to see a windshield improve on the looks of a 750. The buffeting at freeway speeds though, convinced me to invest in one. I ordered a Kawi backrest and their V-Force windshield. My passengers have commented how much more comfortable the ride is with the backrest, and I don't worry so much about them falling asleep - and falling off backward - back there. I also discovered the backrest enhanced rather than detracted from the overall look of the bike so that was a pleasant surprise.

One change I want to make to the bike is a license plate frame to replace the plastic dealer-provided frame. In lieu of knowing what I want to replace it with, I blacked out the stylized "K" on either size of the word "Kawasaki" with spray paint. I liked the way it looked so much I decided a few weeks later to black out the rest of the white letters. That second removal and re-installation of the frame resulted in cracking it. Until I've decided what I want to replace it with I'm driving without a license plate frame.

I mounted and tested the windshield at various angles at freeway speeds, then removed it. For most of the driving I do I prefer no windshield. For longer trips at freeway speeds it will do for now - I mount and remove it as needed - but will eventually get another, better one. I found the sweet spot where the Kawi shield is most effective for me but it still provides minimal protection from buffeting compared to other windshields out there according to what I've read.

In October I dropped the bike for a second time, this time with my son riding on the back. We were driving from Goleta into Santa Barbara on Foothill Road. At La Cumbre Road, where I planned to turn right, the light turned red. I stopped the bike too close to the right edge of the lane, where the road surface dropped abruptly toward the curb for drainage. When I stopped I found nothing under my right foot and the bike - and its passenger - started going over. With the extra weight, higher center of gravity and my right foot finally on road surface about a foot lower then my left, there would be no holding it all up. Without a passenger behind me I might have been able to hop off and ease the bike down as I had the first time, but I couldn't separate from the bike. I struggled to control its fall, thinking mostly of my kid falling with it. Joey separated from the bike before it could trap his leg, landed on his side slightly scraping his helmet on the concrete next to the curb before hopping up onto the curb. I couldn't see any of this but could only sense it and put together the rest from what he told me afterward. As for me, I was able to minimize the force with which the bike landed on its side but ended up on my side with my left leg still over the bike and my right foot trapped underneath.
Gotta get one of these!

I could feel the distinctly unpleasant sensation of the weight of the bike compressing the bones of my foot to the breaking point. Unable to see Joey, I called out to him to find out if he was all right; he was. I could hear him moving back toward me and hovering around me like he wanted to help but feeling helpless, not knowing what to do. I told him it was OK, just stay up on the curb (I could hear traffic stopping behind us and slowly moving on around us when the light changed) and I tried to work my leg out from under the bike. It took a moment to free my foot. In the meantime a guy had stopped just around the corner and walked back to us to see if he could help. I tried standing up and tested my right foot. It was painful but I thought I was going to be able to walk. I told the guy to give me a second; I didn't want to try lifting the bike until I knew whether I would be able to hold it without dropping it again. At the same time, although I wasn't blocking traffic I was keenly conscious of cars going by and wanted to get my bike out of there.

Right foot throbbing, I lifted the bike. The stranger, an older guy, started pushing on the bike without asking where I wanted to go with it, and I was having trouble keeping it upright with him "helping". I asked him to go around to the back of the bike and push on the backrest without trying to help me balance it, and we pushed the bike about twenty yards uphill and around the corner to terrain that would position me to coast the bike into a nearby church parking lot and get off the road. I thanked him for his help; he smiled and nodded knowingly and said something about having been a biker once and knowing how these things happen as he headed back to his car.

Joey suits up... I checked with Joey again; he was fine. My foot was sore but not hurting as much as when I first stood up. I inspected the bike. The right mirror had snapped off just above the handlbar clamp; Joey had picked it up. He keeps it in his room as a souvenir, along with the Vulcan 750 emblems I had removed.
The only other visible damage was a slight (less than 1") scuff on the underside of the right exhaust pipe.
I mounted the bike and coasted it down to the church parking lot with Joey walking along. After a couple tries, it started up. I tried test driving in the empty lot and found I couldn't shift up from first. For the life of me, I couldn't see anything that would be causing this. Strange, too, I thought, that a shifting problem would result from laying the bike down on its right side...

I played with it awhile longer. At one point, by aggressively forcing the shift pedal up with my foot I was able to shift it into second gear, but no higher, nor could I repeat it once I'd shifted down again. I called the Kawi dealer, who also thought it was strange and had no idea what might cause it. I wasn't going to attempt to drive the bike in that condition, especially with Joey, so I arranged to have the dealer come pick up the bike and called my wife to come pick us up. After she picked us up we ran some errands, then headed home. When we got there I got in my truck and went out to the church lot in hopes of hooking up with the guys from the dealership. When I got there they were just putting the bike on their truck. I could see these were helpers and not bike mechanics, so there wasn't going to be a quick fix that would allow me to drive the bike without it going to the shop first. At least I was able to make sure they didn't fully compress the forks when they strapped the bike in.

Later when I talked to the dealer they told me the problem was that the gear shift pedal was making contact with the engine guard on the upshift, preventing the pedal from being raised far enough to shift gears. There were no bent parts - including the engine guard or any mountings - no damage to either frame or mechanisms. They had consulted with Kawasaki, emailed photographs and determined the gear shift pedal had been installed in the wrong position on the rod splines at the factory. The problem would never have occurred if the engine guard hadn't been installed. As it was, they concluded, the gear shift pedal must have been very close to touching the engine guard and the combination of normal break-in and laying the bike down must have caused the pedal to finally make contact with the engine guard.
Left Rear

The dealer proposed either leaving the shift pedal where it was and removing the engine guard or adjusting the pedal position to factory specs, which would require me to adjust to the difference. I had mentioned when I called them that I had cushioned the bike's landing with my foot, and they were concerned about the possibility of my taking legal action; after all, this problem with the bike's assembly was discovered in the context of a motorcycle accident. I assured him I didn't believe the clutch pedal position contributed in any way to my dropping the bike and asked them to adjust the pedal to the proper position. And order a new right mirror. They had checked out the bike and everything else seemed fine.

As soon as the adjustments were made and the mirror replaced, Joey and I rode back to the intersection where we had fallen, stopped where we would take the turn at a greater trajectory and made the turn with no problem. The placement of the clutch pedal to factory specs took a bit of getting used to but it was no big deal. The bike has been running beautifully ever since.

As I continue to broaden my motorcycling experience I'll try to keep the site updated with additional pages to include ride reports, maintenance issues, photos and links.
Shiny side up...