Hello. I just purchased a 1986 Vulcan 750. The seat needs replaced. What year seats will fit on this bike?

Also.

I've been riding a 1996 and 1998 CBR 600F3 for the last 4-5 years. When I rode this bike it seems as if I have to push it to corner. Do all the Vulcan's do that??

Any year (1985-2004) seat should fit. As for the cornering thing you mention I'm not quite sure what ya mean. I've done track days on a '03 Kaw ZX-6R and while it's totally different I don't find the Vulcan hard to corner, different yes but it's a cruiser and I go easy in the corners anyhow (ya know that sand gravel thing ain't fun).

Does the entire seat need replacing, or maybe just the cover? I replaced the cover on my Vuklcan with a new seat cover from Dennis Kirk...denniskirk.com...for about $80.00. It had some extra padding in it. Fit great, and looks like new, and doesn't feel to bad on the old butt.

Wayne

By push it, you mean push the bar vs lean to turn?... Yes... Very important.. It is not a racing bike, but it is nimble for a cruiser.

RB

I found a seat!

When cornering (and it might be the tires) .. but I feel as if I have to push down on the handlebars leaning into a corner, granted I came off a CBR, but it still feels weird. (Maybe something I just need to get used to)

To turn right, press right...that's what they teach you in MSF school...I find that you really have to do this on a Vulcan 750, and mean it!

To turn right, press right...that's what they teach you in MSF school...I find that you really have to do this on a Vulcan 750, and mean it!

In fact I feel like I have to not only "press down" on the right handlebar to turn the VN750 right, I have to "pull up" on the left handlebar to dip it in the right direction.

As I understand it, this is true for all cruisers because the feet are in front of the center of gravity; the "press right" thing is more if you're in a neutral seating position like on most MSF bikes (small engine dirt bikes). I haven't ever ridden one but I would imagine on a sport bike, where you're actually leaning forward in the seating position, just leaning is enough.

Counter steering is definitely the way to get the best response with these bikes. Should be used on any bike especially at higher speeds. To lean to the right, push with right hand, pull with left, or both, in effect, turning the wheel slightly opposite of where you want the bike to go and it will lean in direction you want. My gs1100 was about 1000 lbs. and counter steering was the only way to turn that tank! It has standard position pegs also. Foot placement really doesn't matter tho. You'll get the same response whether you're on the highway pegs on the regular pegs (on cruisers anyway) :)

Robardin, I think you're right about sport bikes responding better to leaning since you do sit forward but when you're leanin' one over in a turn, I'm pretty sure there is counter steering involved.

In fact I feel like I have to not only "press down" on the right handlebar to turn the VN750 right, I have to "pull up" on the left handlebar to dip it in the right direction.
Ya know for some reason, I find that I do more pulling that pushin...
Have a good one...Old Dog...

You all seem a bit confused. You have to counter-steer to make ANY motorcycle turn. You can't turn a bike by just "leaning"...

What the OP was attempting to describe was the Vulcan takes more "effort" to put into a turn than his CBR. This is because the steering is "slower" on a cruiser compared to a sport bike.

I was surprised when I got my FJR how easily the bike went through a turn, almost like it did it on it's own without my help. Just because it takes less physical effort, you are in fact going through the same motions...i.e. countersteering.

Your right Knifemaker. Counter steering is taught in the safety courses and is the only way to steer a bike over a certain speed. Actually, pretty much any speed where you get the flywheel effect when the bike naturally wants to remain straight. I believe it does vary with bike weight and aerodynamics etc. I think it's perception that a bike responds to leaning because I know that I was actually counter steering before I was taught what it was and I wasn't thinking about what I was doing. I also learned that steering any bike with your feet is impossible. Had no trouble digesting that one since they are stationary pegs! But I knew some guys who insisted pushing on the right peg causes a right turn. Clamp your handlebars in a straight position and try and turn that sucker. Whatever, sometimes its easier to let them believe what they want.

http://www.superbikeschool.com/machinery/no-bs-machine.php


Looks like all the video on this is gone.

Great article. I think I saw that double barred bike in a video a while back. Maybe there are a few of them by now tho. The vid I saw IIRC had beams mounted (sort of like out riggers) on the bike to keep people from completely killing themselves.
Another thing I hear a lot from people when telling me how dangerous riding is, is "all it takes is a pebble or a rock and your done for". Thank God it isn't that easy to tank one of these things. With the amount of peoples crap in the street I've run over, I would have been "done for". :)