Being as this is the least posted area of the states, I thought about saying something. Of course, there is no winding mountain roads or high mesa views, but there is some nice back country/county roads to cruise :motorcyclon with the broken sunlight streaming thru the pines that line the roads. Just a shout ;)out to any that partake of the coastal area.

Shout back at you. I'm over here in Florida (just north of Pensacola) and have enjoyed the back roads and tall pines for several years. Plus the fact that the weather here on the coast allows us to ride almost 24/7/365.

I live on the border of Mississippi and Louisiana and there are indeed plenty of beautiful country roads.

I'm in Alabama, plenty of country backroads here for your riding pleasure.

Hey y'all. I'm in Vancleave. Just joined your forum. I've been searching for a bike for some time, thought I wanted a V-Star until I rode one. I have my sights set on a Vulcan now. Too bad Kawasaki quit making them. From everything I've read, it's the best thing going these days. My last bike was a Yamaha Venture. Loved it. Rode it all over Utah, through New Mexico, Texas, Colorado. Brought it down here to Mississippi and explored the gulf coast with it. Shipped it to Germany and rode quite a bit over there. Then to central Florida, the panhandle, and finally put it to rest here in Vancleave. A mid-weight cruiser is all the bike I need now, and the VN750 seems to be about the only bike that hasn't swooned over the Harley mystique. I joined your forum to learn everything I can about the Vulcan. I'm sold on it. Now if only I could find one for sale! Looking for an '05 or '06 model. Craigslist, Cycletrader, all the classifieds within 100 miles, internet ads.... nothing. Lots of nice bikes for sale in NY, PA, Ohio, or whatever. Can't even get a test ride. It's become quite a quest.

You're right about year 'round riding down here. During the summer though, chances are good you're going to get wet in the afternoons. Those sun dappled two lanes through the pines are fabulous, and when you get a few miles north of the coast, you even get a few bumps in the landscape and the air cools a bit. Even better! And you can get some nice overlook views from the escarpment above the Pascagoula River basin.

There have been a few for sale recently here in Atlanta. Keep an eye on craigslist and if you need someone to take a look at one, hit me up.

Thanks for the offer. I have my eye on several - a 2006 near Tampa, another up in Ohio, an 05 in Coral Springs FL, and one in Richmond VA. All very nice looking bikes, low mileage, etc. But I'm not dragging my trailer that far before having ridden one. Did that once with the V-Star and was disappointed. 14 hours on the road and a motel stay, and came back empty handed. If I knew someone who owns one I could ride and get a feel for, I'd have no problem traveling some distance to buy one. But I don't, so I keep hoping a good one for sale will pop up nearby.

Natchez, Mississippi- how much reassurance can you give me that you'll make me "whole" if I let you test ride my bike IF something were to go wrong?

My bike is legal, do you have M endorsement? 5-0 is pretty tough aroudn here.

Hey Okie, I'd be curious to hear your report on what it's like to ride a VN750 on the Natchez-Trace Pkwy, there in Mississippi.

Here in south GA, the rides are well.....in a word, boring.

If I want any real beauty or decent sweepers, it's above Macon.

Msswmprt, be patient! I guess you already know someone will put a 750 for sale in your area, when they get ready to trade "up" for a "better" bike.

Going from a Yamaha Venture to a Vulcan 750 is a radical change. On the 750, you will feel like you are riding a scooter!!!

Yes, Okie, definitely! Love to hear about the Parkway. It's on my list... someday.

Theauhawk - Yes, it's quite a change. That Venture was my 5th bike, and the only superslab cruiser I owned. I took several motorcycle classes on that bike. Parking lot tricks on an 800 lb bike wasn't easy! Failed the first course. Passed later on, and then took the Experienced Rider Course. That bike and I were good friends for many years. I put 10,000 miles on it the first year I owned it. But now, I'm ready to downsize to something more nimble for daily driving, weekend cruising, and the occasional road trip.

Yep, someday, someone will have one for sale nearby. They may want to trade up to a BIGGER bike, but BETTER? Not in my mind. All those Harley wannabes leave me cold. Nice lookers, but I don't like the feel. Having been born, suckled, weaned and aged on 70s and 80s style bikes, I'm fairly confident the Vulcan is where I'm going to be most comfortable. But the proof is in the pudding, as they say.

Hey, I'm really glad to be here. This is a great forum! Many thanks to the folks who developed this site! Now, I'll shut up. My mouth runneth over.

Msswmprt, I think you'll find that the VN750 is what you hoped it would be, for general purpose use, and the occasional trip.

I use it mainly for touring. It's a pretty decent touring bike. But I (and many others here) find that the seat on this bike produces "butt burn" after an hour or so (give or take).

Be prepared to make special provisions for an inadequate factory seat. Either an aftermarket butt pad of some kind, or maybe an aftermarket seat.

Gas mileage with it should fall into the high 40s, or low 50s, depending on how its driven.

Be sure to read thru some of the other threads here and also in the "Vulcan Verses" (if you haven't already) on recommendations for what to look for in a used VN750. And what to do right to the bike after you get it.

Being an informed shopper about the bike will of course save you $$$$$$$$ and mega-hassle, later.......:motorcycl

... It's a pretty decent touring bike. But I (and many others here) find that the seat on this bike produces "butt burn" after an hour or so (give or take). Be prepared to make special provisions for an inadequate factory seat. Either an aftermarket butt pad of some kind, or maybe an aftermarket seat.

I just returned from a trip of almost 1,500 miles. My longest day was 500+ miles. My butt felt fine, for the most part, but I often sat on a pillow that my sister cross-stitched about 25 years ago! I'm thinking about getting an Airhawk Seat Cushion ~ they're expensive, but apparently good quality. Others swear by the Corbin or Mustang seat replacements.

By the way... I have floorboards on the way, but I think I could have really used highway pegs too!!!

Yahoo! Yippeee! Woohoo! I'm now the proud owner of a brand new (practically) 2006 VN750!! Was about to go look at one in Baton Rouge yesterday, 2006 model with 7000 miles on it. Big miles for a bike that age, but it was only two hours away; worth a look. Checked Cycletrader one more time before I left, and found a new ad in Birmingham. This one is all stock, not a scratch on it, a little over 1900 miles, and $4800! It was a 12 hour round trip and I had never even sat on one, but took the plunge. After a short test ride, the owner asked me what I thought. I said, Sir, you have sold your bike! and I backed my trailer up into his driveway. It's now sitting in my carport, still on the trailer, and unfortunately, it's raining. Riding that bike yesterday was like coming home. We were like old friends, re-united. The Harley wannabes all felt foreign to me, but this one fits! I'm ecstatic!

Congrats,

If you check back a few posts in this thread you'll see that I said I have a 750 near Natchez, MS.

Where is Vancleave?

BTW, bought mine in New Orleans and trucked it home. About an 8 hour round trip. Has not been back in the truck since it got here. In fact, the truck has hardly been driven since the bike got here.

Welcome to the group.
As a new owner, especially of a newer bike, check out the verses for any gotchas that may be there. The splines are the most important thing right now. You may want to seriously consider relocating the RR as well as heat is the killer of the electrical system. I wish I had relocated mine much earlier. A maintenance free battery is also a must have with this bike.
Enjoy riding the 750! I know I love mine.

Vancleave is east of Ocean Springs, west of Gautier, and north of the interstate. Think Biloxi. Appreciate the hints. I've spent many hours reading through the posts, including the verses. Those three "fixes" are tops on my list. I just got back from putting about 60 miles on the bike. I'm picking my teeth now. :motorcycl A windshield is definitely on my list of improvements. I had the "no start" problem I've read about when I stopped for gas. Had to sit there for about half an hour waiting for it to cool down enough to start. Not fun. The rest of the ride was great! On my shopping list so far: windshield, backrest, possibly replacement seat (we'll see how bad the butt burn is), saddle bags, headlight modulator, brakelight flasher, suicide switch, NEW HELMET!!, better mirrors, crash guard and highway pegs and probably a travel pack for the road trips. That will get me started. I'm looking real hard at that Roadcrafter suit. Anyone have any experience with it? It's a bit spendy, but I see it as cheap insurance. The good news is, my rain suit, boots and gloves all still fit.

Sounds like a really nice find, Swamp Rat!! Congrats on taking the plunge!! :beerchug:

Also, be sure to add some silicone sealant/adhesive to the swing arm caps and the nut holding the toolbox lock on.
Before I put the first scratch on my Vulcan, I lost one cap. Less than a month later, I lost the toolbox lock :doh:
I believe it was shortly after that, I found this site. When I read about those issues, I thought, Oh, NOW I find out about that !!!

msswmprt, congrats on the new ride!!!

Welcome to the VN750 family.

If you haven't already read up on it, make friends also with "Sea Foam".

Run a few ounces thru the tank, at least once a month or so.

It will help keep the bike's fuel system trouble-free.

This bike is easily one of the most overlooked in the motorcycle community, and is one of the lowest-maintenance bikes available.

My handlebars stay vibration-free (to me, anyway) all the way from idle to redline. Truly the last of its kind.......:(

Swamp Rat, glad to hear you got a bike. I am just down the road in Pascagoula. For the Northerners, that's Pas-ca-gou-la, not Pensacola.
For the battery, the Yusas recommended I found at Coast Cycle World in Gulfport on Pass Road. Then there is a Kaw dealer in Mobile area. Go to Kaw site and search on nearest dealer and you will find numbers and addresses.

Thanks, Okie. I'll probably be heading back to Coast Cycle Fri or Sat. Want to check out their helmets. Already looked at Suzuki City. Might trip into Mobile also. Dunno. Being single, I tend to do whatever my mood stirs me to at the moment. I like the price of the Yuasa battery on Motorhelmets.com. Hard to pass up $28. I have a Mustang seat coming! Should be here early next week. My eyes are bleary from researching windscreens. Dunno what I'm going to do there yet. Best option yet seems to be the PF3, which I'd have to cut down. As you know, down here during the summer, it would often serve as a rain screen as well, and we're not talking a light rain. You can be riding in bluebird weather and 10 minutes later be drenched in a torrential downpour. 10 minutes after that you could be riding through a hot steamy sauna on rain slicked road.

Given your description above of your hard hot start problem, per the related threads here.....you might keep looking into a maintenance-free battery (if you don't already have one), and also look into relocating your bike's regulator/rectifier to a cooler location.

For an '06 model, those moves will really help curtail that hot start problem.....:motorcycl

... a new ad in Birmingham. This one is all stock, not a scratch on it, a little over 1900 miles, and $4800! It was a 12 hour round trip and I had never even sat on one, but took the plunge. After a short test ride, the owner asked me what I thought. I said, Sir, you have sold your bike!...

What a great deal ~ worth every one of those 12 hours... and more! Congrats! :smiley_th

My eyes are bleary from researching windscreens. Dunno what I'm going to do there yet. Best option yet seems to be the PF3, which I'd have to cut down.

I have a PF3 ~ this summer I had 1.5" chopped off. Perfect!!! (see photo above)

Charlie, if that picture was taken from eye level, I'd say it's still too tall. Maybe the lens was below the viewfinder. Did you cut it yourself or have a "pro" do it? One concern I have is having that big sail on the handlebars and forks. I've never ridden a bike with a bar/fork mounted windshield, and don't know how it would affect handling. My last bike was a full size dresser with the fairing mounted on the frame. I would expect the wind resistance on the steering components to be quite different.

This thread is getting long, and it's my fault. I appreciate everyone's input, and the welcome I've received. I bought my first bike over 30 years ago, but have been bikeless for the past 6 or 7 years, and feel like a newbie all over again.

Vancleave! I spent a year there one night.

From what I have found, there is no place boring on our bikes; just new places to be explored. I have been amazed by some of the amazing rides hiding along this or that rode. Yes, the Natchez Trace is superb but so are the not-so-hidden National Forest rides in Mississippi just above our Louisiana border. It is hard hard hard though to find the eateries; they hide here and there not so below that border in our state where our plates are our National Monuments with sights you can't believe!!! Ferriday is hiding a nice one just as you get off the bridge from Natchez on your right side. Centerville has the Vine Brothers Grocery/Restaurant/Gas Station...bring a to go ice chest!!! Try South of the Border at the State Line, or Magnolia Grill in St. Francisville, La. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I love the smell of bacon on the wind on any morning on our bikes................... yall will know me if you ever see me as I ride in a Motoport Flourescent Green riding suit!!!!!!!!! They SEE ME!!!! Keep your wheels rolling, Ken (Riding our CLASSIC!!!VN750!!!

And speaking of eateries, if you happen to be passing through southern MS, there's a place called The Shed at the intersection of I-10 and highway 57. It is, literally, a shed, and they serve fabulous, award winning barbeque. Excellent potato salad too. Closed Mon and Tue. And no, I don't have any connection to the place. It's just good. :smiley_th

Speaking of Natchez, MS (I live VERY near there); there is a big statewide H.O.G. rally today. Bikes have been rolling in all week. Right now there are so many bikes in town you cant get a wave because every 100 yards or so you pass a pack of 8 or more riders. You'd spend all day waving and not holding onto your handlbars! They also have a V-Twin expo. My wife and I are going to go see what that's about and look at some bikes.

Hopefully the harley guys wont be too rude. And it looks like 8 out of every 10 hawgs I'm seeing is a road king! Where do they get the money? I'd always wanted a harley but I couldnt afford it. The local harley shop turned me down for a loan and there is NO WAY I could pay cash so...... I found a VN750 on craigslist. :) I ride past thier convention center everyday on my $1300 vulcan. After they are gone, I'll STILL be riding past there. :motorcycl

Thank you Atlanta for Alton Brown, his Feasting on Asphalt series is a boon to us bikers and his stops are our goals; Mississippi had three of them. Glad to hear about you Ferriday,as I sneak over the bridge to eat at some of your restaurants. Hope to see you one day, Vancleave as I sneak up through Mississippi all the time from Zachary. For any going through it, Centerville has the Vine Brothers Grocery, Gas Station and Restaurant! It can handle about 100 bikers anytime, check it out. Tomorrow will be 62 degrees and I will be on the ROADDDDDDDDDDDDDD! If you see anyone in flourescent green pants and coat on our Vulcan 750 ... its me; if they hit me, it won't be because they never saw me! See you on the road, Ken