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2001 750 Vulcan newbie

1K views 6 replies 6 participants last post by  VN750Rider/Jerry 
#1 ·
Hey everyone. I finally got a bike! 2001 Vulcan 750.
Guy told me it wouldn't stay running.
I got it home fired it up adjusted the idle and works great!
I put a little sea foam in the tank just to be on the safe side.
 
#2 ·
SeaFoam was a good idea. I'm a regular in the church of SeaFoam.

Welcome to the place! Where are you at?
 
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#4 ·
Welcome. There are those who believe in Seafoam and those who don't. I do, and have been using it for decades. I think it depends on what you expect from it. It is not a miracle cure for a totally plugged up carburetor any more than Drain-0 or Liquid Plumber is for a totally stopped up drain. Some things simply have to be taken apart and cleaned. I use it once in a while to help keep the carbs clean, and also use it right out of the can to soak carb float bowls in while the carbs are still on the bike. This has prevented me from having to remove carbs a few times. Anyway glad it worked for you.

I am assuming from your name that you are a woman. It is nice to see a woman riding a bike. I wish more women rode bikes. There seem to be less and less riders of both genders recently. I hope the Vulcan 750 works out for you. I'm a 6' 240 pound guy and it fits me perfectly.

Since you just got the bike there are some things I recommend you check/service asap. Aside from the infamous stator failure problem these bikes have, they also tend to have issues with the cam chain tensioners and final drive splines, both of which can cause catastrophic damage.
 
#6 ·
Newbie too

I found a great deal locally on a '91 VN750a... First bike I've had in 30 years, and look forward to riding again.

So... It had been sitting for 2yrs, but it still ran (sorta ). Just over 28K miles. Needs tires and some TLC.. As my friend drove it home, he ran it up to 80mph and said it seemed strong and quiet.. shifted smooth. When he got caught by a stop light, it was hard to keep running and stalled. After it sat a couple minutes it started up again, and he rode it back to my place... I caught up a few minutes later :wink2:

It seems an old leak developed during the ride ... his left pant leg was saturated, as was the left side of the bike from the middle of the fuel tank to the side cover. The seller seemed "surprised " by that news, but hey... What would I expect him to say, right? I really hope it's a simple fix and not a head gasket.. time will tell. I have begun tearing it down, and have found other little problems in the process. Lots of vacuum lines that need replacement, some electrical stuff too. I should say too, that it has what I believe is a Vetter faring along with hard bags.

I'm not convinced the prior owner had very much mechanical ability, but had some. I hope when he decided to "top off" all the fluids, maybe he over-filled the crankcase? I have not torn it down far enough to inspect oil lines or head gaskets... The tank had a bit of crap in it, so there's all that goes along with that and cleaning carbs.

I ordered a Clymer manual, bought some better metric sockets / wrenches. I've been watching a few videos on YouTube, etc,etc. At what point is enough enough? I'd sure like to ride it to the Leesburg Bikefest in April... Wondering if I should put my efforts elsewhere..
 
#7 ·
You can expect problems from any bike that sat for 2 years. If fuel was left in it, the carbs are probably a gooey mess. The Vulcan 750 has a vacuum petcock, so at least one the gas that was in the carbs evaporates no more can get in. I have seen carbs badly damaged and a couple (on the same bike) completely destroyed by ethanol gas. Hopefully the oil leak is coming from the crankcase vent. Clean all the oil off, and let it sit and idle, maybe you can see where it is coming from. Wind from high speed riding can blow oil all over. "Completely saturated" does not sound good. These bikes have FOUR cam chains, and there is a cap over the jackshaft with an O ring that can leak. Letting a bike sit for years is a sure way to destroy oil seals. They rot, crack, and leak. There is also a possibility it could be leaking around the spark plug well, which is on the left side front cylinder. I believe they also have an O ring. One more possibility, if the bike is stock, is the drain hose on the front of the airbox. If it is leaking a lot, it won't be hard to find.
 
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