Hello, this is my first post. I saw a good deal for a 94' Vulcan 750 for $3000. Only thing that worries me is that it only has 3,692 miles on it. So this bike has been sitting around quite a bit for the last 11 years. Any advice on wether this is a good deal or to just pass? I'm worried about the oil and shaft fluids doing bad things since it's just been sitting there. Is there anything else to look into.
Also, i don't know much about motorcycle mechanics and i will be using this bike as my main mode of transpo so any advice or help is greatly appreciated. thanks.

$3000? Does it have solid gold lowers or something? Kelly Blue Book lists it at $1775. I think you're right to be cautious about the lack of miles. Even if it was kept in a garage under a sheet, things can still seize up or bugs can find places to build nests. I'd say give it an EXTREMELY thorough look-over and offer an acceptable price.

Kelly blue book does indeed value the bike at $1775.00, but that's a trade in value. Retail value is $2630.00. I'd probably say somewhere in between those two would be the value of a private sale. But it's only worth as much as someone is willing to pay for it. Check the condition carefully. Look for hoses that are cracked, crackes in the side walls of the tires, any scrapes on the pipes or the paint anywhere on the bike, and especially scrapes on the ends of either the clutch or brake levers. Those will show lack of use, or if the bike has been dropped. Check the battery box under the seat. See if there has been any acid damage to wires etc. Also, if you know a mechanic, or someone that is inclined mechanically, have them give it a once over.
These are good bikes, and good transportation.
Good luck
Ride Safe
Wayne :)

Unless the gas was drained before it was stored, the fuel system is probably gummed up. That leads to stuck floats. Since there's two carburetors, one could be working well enough to get the bike running, the float in the other could be stuck. That'll cause rough running and gas flooding the unlucky cylinder. That usually means pulling the carbs for a thorough cleaning if things are really bad. Sometimes a couple of doses of SeaFoam will clean them out. Anyway, it means something you're going to have to take care of before it's ridable. The oil's probably never been changed nor the battery. So if it starts, they probably just charged up the battery. The other big bugaboo is the stator. I'm not sure if a '94 got the crummy stators or not. At some point in time, Kaw switched to a cheaper, far less durable stator as a cost cutting measure. Anyway, that would have to be confirmed good before putting any money down. A quick test requires removing the seat. Using a digital voltmeter read the voltage across the battery at 2500 rpm. It should be at least 13.5 volts. Any less and the value of the bike just dropped to about a grand. If the first voltage check is ok, rev it up to 5000 rpm. The voltage should be lower than 14.8. If it's higher, that means trouble too. Replacing the stator means pulling the engine and it costs about $800. Most bikes don't have a problem, but mine (an '04) had a bad stator right off the showroom floor! So you can't assume just because it has low miles, that critical item is ok. I'd say $3000 is way too high a price for such an old machine.

Just as a rule of thumb to go by.. I paid $3400 for my 2000 with 4400 miles on it.
Because it had been sitting for 6 mionths first thing we did was change out ALL the fluids and run Seafoam through it to clean out and gas build-up. They had stored it with sta-bil and it did have evidence of a battery acid spill or overflow. R/R connector was partially melted but still functioned. The connector was the second thing we replaced after the fluids!

Possibly will need to replace the stator as stated above. I would be leary of the gaskets and the brake caliper pistons. If the gaskets needs to be replaced, that could be a costly item (same as the stator) if you are not mechanically inclined and you want a dealership or wrench to do it for you.

If the brake caliper pistons freeze up, they can be expensive to replace unless you can find someone to rebuild them.

Everything to do with fuel will probably be gummed up too.

I actually, found a 94 too with low miles at a shop that purchases and resells used bikes. The bike looks in new condition. The owner took me for a ride (as a passenger since I wont have my license for a couple more weeks), and it seemed to run fine. No hesitation, braked fine, no strange noises.

He said he purchases bikes that are in decent shape, gives them a once through mechanically, and fixes anything that requires attention. He said the bike needs nothing and is ready to ride....for the mid $3000s. He wont negotiate.

I also saw a 2003 bike (for sale by owner) with low miles too. It is selling for same price. But I wouldnt benefit from having a mechanic having gone through the bike either.

Given that, would you risk buying the 2003 w/o any mechanic giving a good once over, or, would you buy the 94 with a mechanic that did, and addressed anything that needed attention?

I appreciate some guidance here being this is my first bike.

Jon

mid $3k range is high (for a 94) even if it has alot of chrome and other stuff added to it. If it is a stock bike without any accessories I would recomend the 2003. You need to look both bikes over and check for YOURSELF the items gnon2705 and others mentioned (also make sure the fork tubes are spotless). The person with the 94 is a reseller and their goal is to by low, sell high, and do as little as possible to the bike inbetween the transactions. Is the reseller a certified bike repair person? If not, just how much do/can you trust them?

No, the reseller isn't a certified Kaw seller. However, he has been in business since the early 90s, and being his own personal business, relies on good experiences to get repeat business. I also checked the better business bureau and nothing was found (not necessarily bad or good I know).

Do I trust him? I am a good judge of character and feel as though I could purchase from him (in terms of bikes safety and overall condition). But I think buying from him will come at alittle bit more of a price too than buying from a private owner (as to be expected).
I going to check out the 2003 tomorrow.

Just for a point of reference: I bought a '93 VN750 two weeks ago with 13k on it for $2k. It looks, runs, feels, and sounds like it just came off the showroom floor except for two stone dings on the tank. It took me almost a year to find this gem, but they are out there if you are patient. Don't be too hasty, know what you want, and don't be afraid to walk away if it doesn't feel right!

Well the 2003 was WORSE than the 1994. The '03 was pitted, chipped, and didn't appear to be really taken care of. The spark plugs were soaked in fuel too (running very rich). The owner didn't seem to answer my questions directly either, and didn't have any records on the service he performed. He was asking $4300. But I walked away from it. Too much was "off" about this one.
By comparison, the 94 looked more the like '03, and the '03 more like what you think a 94 would look like. Sad.

I did find a 2002 in great shape with low miles and picked it up last wkend. Its in near mint condition, runs like a champ, and the owner was maticulous about servicing and taking care of it. I picked it up for less than the '94 I saw.
This one felt right. The price was fair, and the owner really took pride in owning the machine. He was selling because he could no longer ride do to injuries he sustained in a car accident this past winter.

Now - I am waiting for the insurance form to arrive so I can go and register it.
I am very excited though!

Good luck with it, and if you need any other advice, the guys and gals here and at Yahoo are a great resource for info and experience.

Thanks! Yeah, I have been parusing this site and yahoo now for a number of weeks. ALOT of knowledgable people with alot of experience under their belts!

Being a new rider with my first motorcycle, I love having this resource for information! Its great! :)