 Vulcan S 2015
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Haven't seen any posts regarding that bike. Looks interesting. It's a twin, but the engine is taken from the Ninja 650, which I owned for a while and that engine was a great little performer! It would purr nicely at low revs and come alive after 6,000 rpm. Very easy to deal with, no power surge or blurp while revving up. Very fuel efficient as well. So, even if 650 seems a bit underpower, I can vouch for the zippiness and power of that little 650 being more than a match for the 865 in my America... The most interesting thing is their "Ergo-Fit" system. You can get 3 different saddles (of different height), 2 different length of handlebars and.... the front controls have 3 different position they can be set at. That last one is a biggie, and I wonder why it's not available on the models from other companies... in 2015! They also offer ABS, and the price is right. I'm ok with the looks and I like the size, having seen and sat on one last week. I think Kawa might get a lot of new riders with that one, and even older ones wanting a good little cruiser to get back in the saddle, or adding to their stable. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ibv4_vFQfVM  
Last edited by perceval; 08/14/2015 11:36 PM.
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Re: Vulcan S 2015
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I looked at them as well.They use the same engine in different tune in three models.The Ninja, the ER6N and the Vulcan S.I believe the Vulcan makes less HP than the others but more mid-range torque. They were the only economic possibility in Thailand when the Aussie Dollar was at 28 they are 285,000 bht.Now the Dollar is at 25 so plans are on hold .I'm going back home soon AND it's rainy season.I looked at Bonnevilles today, they start at 435,000.They don't import the America/Speedmaster anymore.The Bonnevilles are made here.The Vulcan would be a good alternative but I'll just wait until I get back to my Triumph.Maybe next trip.
Dinosaur.
"Oh Man I only ride 'em.I don't know what makes 'em work". Donald "Oddball" Sutherland
"Don't let the bastards get you down". Kris Kristofferson
"I am only paranoid because everyone is against me". Larry [Frank Burns] Linville
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Re: Vulcan S 2015
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Joined: Sep 2009
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I see you don't get the same taxes as in Taiwan. Taiwan is just insane when it comes to taxing over 150cc bikes.
The America is over 600,000 here, same for the T100.... while the Vulcan S is 468,000.
At least insurances here are way low, so, in the long run,. we are pretty much equal in ownership price ... but the initial cost is a bit extreme.
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Re: Vulcan S 2015
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Same tax craziness here.In Thailand the only bikes at a "reasonable" price are locally produced.The 650 Kawasaki range,and the Bonnevilles are made here.Even then the Bonnevilles start a few thousand dollars more than Australia.The Newchurch is 435,000 Thai Baht,the T100 470,000.The America when they brought it in was 730,000 baht.So the 650 Vulcan at 285,000 doesn't look too bad.The 900 Vulcan is about 590,000 I think.  P.S.I think the same engine is used in the 650"Versys"too. So that'd be 4 models,same engine but tuned dirrerently.
Dinosaur.
"Oh Man I only ride 'em.I don't know what makes 'em work". Donald "Oddball" Sutherland
"Don't let the bastards get you down". Kris Kristofferson
"I am only paranoid because everyone is against me". Larry [Frank Burns] Linville
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Re: Vulcan S 2015
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Joined: Aug 2009
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I like this bike as well, especially their ergo fit system, which seems to do a great job in fitting a large number of riders from this review: http://gearpatrol.com/2015/02/09/2015-kawasaki-vulcan-s-review/
2013 Speedmaster Matte Black
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Re: Vulcan S 2015
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Kind of a strange looking bike, without the Tax protectionism I doubt many would chose the Kow over a Bonne.
Tin Man 2
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Re: Vulcan S 2015
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If the Bonnie was even close to the price range I'd take a Bonneville in a heartbeat, even though I'd need to fit forward controls and probably different bars,Maybe longer forks.
As it is, the Kawa would be good to go,and about Aust.$6,000 cheaper without the price of bars and forward controls added.
Dinosaur.
"Oh Man I only ride 'em.I don't know what makes 'em work". Donald "Oddball" Sutherland
"Don't let the bastards get you down". Kris Kristofferson
"I am only paranoid because everyone is against me". Larry [Frank Burns] Linville
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Re: Vulcan S 2015
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,681 Likes: 1
Bar Shake
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Bar Shake
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The seat looks comfortable but not much character/soul like the America or SM. But if I lived in Taiwan or Australia it might be a different matter. 
"Catching a yellow jacket in your shirt at seventy miles per hour can double your vocabulary" Author unknown
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Re: Vulcan S 2015
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Joined: Jun 2009
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Loquacious
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Loquacious
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Quote:
The seat looks comfortable but not much character/soul like the America or SM. But if I lived in Taiwan or Australia it might be a different matter.
I should have made it clearer.I'm talking about buying a Kawa in Thailand and leaving it here,opposed to a VERY overpriced Triumph in Thailand.I'd take a Triumph anyday if the price was even in the same "ballpark" in Thailand.
My Australian Triumph, would get VERY annoyed at me riding a Kawa in Australia. 
Dinosaur.
"Oh Man I only ride 'em.I don't know what makes 'em work". Donald "Oddball" Sutherland
"Don't let the bastards get you down". Kris Kristofferson
"I am only paranoid because everyone is against me". Larry [Frank Burns] Linville
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Re: Vulcan S 2015
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,681 Likes: 1
Bar Shake
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Bar Shake
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It's really kind of silly. They make Triumph twins in Thailand now but the tax is too high to buy one there. Crazy.
"Catching a yellow jacket in your shirt at seventy miles per hour can double your vocabulary" Author unknown
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Re: Vulcan S 2015
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Yep Paul,
It's ludicrous all right!
The 650 Kawas are made in Thailand too but even they are a little above Aussie prices.
Dinosaur.
"Oh Man I only ride 'em.I don't know what makes 'em work". Donald "Oddball" Sutherland
"Don't let the bastards get you down". Kris Kristofferson
"I am only paranoid because everyone is against me". Larry [Frank Burns] Linville
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Re: Vulcan S 2015
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Joined: Jun 2009
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Loquacious
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I went to the KAWA shop here in Thailand today and sat on a 650 Vulcan.The kawa was ok but not really comfy somehow
I'm now thinking maybe a Honda Forza 300cc Scooter.Just for transport.A Forza scooter would be about $5,000 Aust.cheaper at 160,000 Baht,and supposedly cruises at 120kph with a top speed approaching 140kph which is MORE than enough for the "#### roads and lunatic drivers here
Anyway, I'll be back home to my beloved Triumph soon.
Dinosaur.
"Oh Man I only ride 'em.I don't know what makes 'em work". Donald "Oddball" Sutherland
"Don't let the bastards get you down". Kris Kristofferson
"I am only paranoid because everyone is against me". Larry [Frank Burns] Linville
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Re: Vulcan S 2015
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,202 Likes: 11
Learned Hand
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Hmm.. I was hoping that seat would be more comfy than the stock America seat... which leaves a lot in term of comfort and support.
I know many swear by the Corbin seat, but they are expensive, and shipping here would almost double the cost.... ain't going to happen.
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Re: Vulcan S 2015
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,681 Likes: 1
Bar Shake
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Bar Shake
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Quote:
I went to the KAWA shop here in Thailand today and sat on a 650 Vulcan.The kawa was ok but not really comfy somehow
I'm now thinking maybe a Honda Forza 300cc Scooter.Just for transport.A Forza scooter would be about $5,000 Aust.cheaper at 160,000 Baht,and supposedly cruises on 120kph which is MORE than enough for the "#### roads and lunatic drivers here
Anyway, I'll be back home to my beloved Triumph soon.
Did anyone ask what you are doing in Thailand, Paul? Or did I miss something?
"Catching a yellow jacket in your shirt at seventy miles per hour can double your vocabulary" Author unknown
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Re: Vulcan S 2015
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Loquacious
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I spend about half the year here Paul.3 or 4 months then Australia for a couple then here, then Australia for 3 or 4 and so on.Had a real fine,smart,educated,lady[don't know what she ever saw in me!] for 12 years,we split up last month, so I'm sort of wondering what I'm doing here myself ATM!
I couldn't/wouldn't move here for good. My Mum and Aunt are still in a country town in Australia and I miss the country lifestyle and my Triumph too much after awhile too.
Dinosaur.
"Oh Man I only ride 'em.I don't know what makes 'em work". Donald "Oddball" Sutherland
"Don't let the bastards get you down". Kris Kristofferson
"I am only paranoid because everyone is against me". Larry [Frank Burns] Linville
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Re: Vulcan S 2015
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Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 3,995 Likes: 10
Loquacious
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Quote:
Hmm.. I was hoping that seat would be more comfy than the stock America seat... which leaves a lot in term of comfort and support.
I know many swear by the Corbin seat, but they are expensive, and shipping here would almost double the cost.... ain't going to happen.
I don't know for sure but the seat is supposedly able to be put in three positions .I also believe there's an "extended reach seat ,but they don't know about it here.I saw a burnt orange one and it looks nice.
I have a Corbin on my Triumph and it was expensive but I love it.I wouldn't spend the money to put one on a 650 Vulcan though.The stock seat may be a bit more comfortable than the America,it seemed a bit firmer,but without riding the bike for awhile, it's impossible to tell.
IMO the Vulcan seemed a little "tinny"and "plastic" compared to the Triumph, thinner handlebars,foot controls,footpegs etc.
Dinosaur.
"Oh Man I only ride 'em.I don't know what makes 'em work". Donald "Oddball" Sutherland
"Don't let the bastards get you down". Kris Kristofferson
"I am only paranoid because everyone is against me". Larry [Frank Burns] Linville
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Re: Vulcan S 2015
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Posts: 1,202 Likes: 11
Learned Hand
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Thanks for the hands on. I'm going to see one next week, just for fun. No plan on letting go of the Triumph either!
Just have to let this other typhoon sweep by us. Bugger.
Come over to Taiwan one of those days. Can't say the drivers are any better than in Thailand, but for myself, I couldn't go back home (Canada) after living here for 13 years. I miss family and friends, but I do not miss the freezing temps, the traffic jams, the income taxes, cost of living...
I kinda love my free life and my toes in the sand whenever I want.
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Re: Vulcan S 2015
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The Forza is nice, as is the PCX.
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Re: Vulcan S 2015
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Joined: Jun 2009
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Loquacious
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Quote:
Thanks for the hands on. I'm going to see one next week, just for fun. No plan on letting go of the Triumph either!
Just have to let this other typhoon sweep by us. Bugger.
Come over to Taiwan one of those days. Can't say the drivers are any better than in Thailand, but for myself, I couldn't go back home (Canada) after living here for 13 years. I miss family and friends, but I do not miss the freezing temps, the traffic jams, the income taxes, cost of living...
I kinda love my free life and my toes in the sand whenever I want.
I might just do that Jeff.Flights from Thailand to Taiwan are cheap.Thailand is getting overcrowded [an understatement]The driving has always been terrible but now it's horrendous.I am 700kms away from Bangkok and it was semi-rural but the "big smoke" has caught up now.
BTW.I still like the Vulcan S.in spite of what I said .It just doesn't have Triumph on the tank!  If it did I'd have one by now already! 
Dinosaur.
"Oh Man I only ride 'em.I don't know what makes 'em work". Donald "Oddball" Sutherland
"Don't let the bastards get you down". Kris Kristofferson
"I am only paranoid because everyone is against me". Larry [Frank Burns] Linville
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Re: Vulcan S 2015
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Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 3,995 Likes: 10
Loquacious
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Yes Steve the PCX is very popular in Thailand.The forza not so much.It can't cut through the traffic the way the PCX can,and it's double the price of the PCX, but It'd be better for me in my shape[round], and for longer journeys which is what I want it for.
Dinosaur.
"Oh Man I only ride 'em.I don't know what makes 'em work". Donald "Oddball" Sutherland
"Don't let the bastards get you down". Kris Kristofferson
"I am only paranoid because everyone is against me". Larry [Frank Burns] Linville
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Re: Vulcan S 2015
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,681 Likes: 1
Bar Shake
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Bar Shake
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,681 Likes: 1 |
Quote:
Thanks for the hands on. I'm going to see one next week, just for fun. No plan on letting go of the Triumph either!
Just have to let this other typhoon sweep by us. Bugger.
Come over to Taiwan one of those days. Can't say the drivers are any better than in Thailand, but for myself, I couldn't go back home (Canada) after living here for 13 years. I miss family and friends, but I do not miss the freezing temps, the traffic jams, the income taxes, cost of living...
I kinda love my free life and my toes in the sand whenever I want.
No income tax in Taiwan? When's the next flight? One of my best friends Jerry Ho is from Taiwan. About half of his family (he has 10 siblings) still lives there. He goes back about 2-3 times a year. from what he said its a very long flight from Tulsa.
"Catching a yellow jacket in your shirt at seventy miles per hour can double your vocabulary" Author unknown
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Re: Vulcan S 2015
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The saga continues.
I just read a report from a guy on the Forza and he was saying it's got a long 61" wheelbase making it hard to maneuver at slow speed and in Traffic.The Vulcan has about the same wheelbase but would handle better IMO.
So it's back to considering the Vulcan S.
Dinosaur.
"Oh Man I only ride 'em.I don't know what makes 'em work". Donald "Oddball" Sutherland
"Don't let the bastards get you down". Kris Kristofferson
"I am only paranoid because everyone is against me". Larry [Frank Burns] Linville
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Re: Vulcan S 2015
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,202 Likes: 11
Learned Hand
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OP
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Quote:
No income tax in Taiwan? When's the next flight? One of my best friends Jerry Ho is from Taiwan. About half of his family (he has 10 siblings) still lives there. He goes back about 2-3 times a year. from what he said its a very long flight from Tulsa.
It is a very long flight. Basically, from door to door, it takes me a bit over 24 hours to fly back home. That's with only 2 planes and a fast connection between them.
Income taxes are 6% here. Include all the reductions available, and I don't pay much each year!
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Re: Vulcan S 2015
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Learned Hand
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Quote:
The saga continues.
I just read a report from a guy on the Forza and he was saying it's got a long 61" wheelbase making it hard to maneuver at slow speed and in Traffic.The Vulcan has about the same wheelbase but would handle better IMO.
So it's back to considering the Vulcan S.
But the Honda is a scooter, which means space for stuff under the seat. Also, it provides some protection when it rains.
For the city, a scooter makes sense here. But for riding around... no.
Since you're planning to do both, you have a decision to make! 
Last edited by perceval; 08/23/2015 9:03 PM.
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Re: Vulcan S 2015
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Loquacious
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Loquacious
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Awh Jeff! I'd just decided the Vulcan and you throw the Forza in again! The Forza make sense in lots of ways, but it's as big as the Vulcan and although automatic, would be almost as unwieldy as the Vulcan in the traffic here. I am thinking of re-locating to another part of the country,Which would suit the Vulcan a bit better. No doubt, the Forza too!!   Oh well."I used to be indecisive but now I'm not so sure"  Let me know what you think of the Vulcan.
Dinosaur.
"Oh Man I only ride 'em.I don't know what makes 'em work". Donald "Oddball" Sutherland
"Don't let the bastards get you down". Kris Kristofferson
"I am only paranoid because everyone is against me". Larry [Frank Burns] Linville
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Re: Vulcan S 2015
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,202 Likes: 11
Learned Hand
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OP
Learned Hand
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Well,
I had both. A big scooter and a big bike (meaning something 400cc or bigger).
If I were living in a city, there's no doubt it would have to be a scooter. Just so convenient. The space inside the seat or on the floor for groceries and the likes. No speed changes to deal with in a stop'n'go situation between red lights.
But...
I used to live in a city, and the scooter made sense... but it was never ... fun.
Nw I live in the countryside, and although a scooter is still the norm around here, I just love my Triumph. I am a motorcycle guy at heart, not a scooter guy.
I had the Ninja 650R, which had almost the same engine as the Vulcan S, and it was sweet. I had a custom pipe fitted to a second hand Akrapovic can, and it sounded amazing!
If you're stuck in a city, the scooter makes sense.
If you're going around the country, than, for me, there's nothing else than a motorbike.
Best of both worlds?
Keep the Vulcan at home. And get a cheap 50cc second hand scooter that stays in the city, for running errands. Heck, even a bicycle would do for running around the city most of the time.
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Re: Vulcan S 2015
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Loquacious
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Loquacious
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Yep I'm a biker at heart too.Even the BSA bantam I had when I was 13 was a motorbike not a scooter. 4 Triumphs,650 Yamaha,600 Honda,1,000 Sportster all bikes.
I love my Triumph in Australia.
Here the Forza does make sense.Storage, twist and go,price, etc.There's not that much unoccupied road anywhere here anymore that I can see.Even out in the sticks.
The Heart says Vulcan, the head says Forza.
Time will tell I guess.
Dinosaur.
"Oh Man I only ride 'em.I don't know what makes 'em work". Donald "Oddball" Sutherland
"Don't let the bastards get you down". Kris Kristofferson
"I am only paranoid because everyone is against me". Larry [Frank Burns] Linville
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Re: Vulcan S 2015
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,202 Likes: 11
Learned Hand
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OP
Learned Hand
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If you're doing any kind of commuting, you will be so bored riding that Forza.
I know, I was.
That's why I rode the big bike into the city, found a safe place to park it for the day and kept a bicycle there to run around town. After a while, I traded the bicycle up for a small 50cc scooter. Cheap and easy to sell to another newbie foreigner that showed up later when I didn't need the scooter anymore.
Anyway, I'm sure you'll make the right choice!
And if later you find your choice was not exactly the right one, I've always believed that only fools never change their minds! And I believe I am not a fool... well... most of the time!
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Re: Vulcan S 2015
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Loquacious
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Loquacious
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I reckon it'll be the Vulcan. The Kawasaki Big bike shop is only a couple of hundred metres from where I stay. 
Dinosaur.
"Oh Man I only ride 'em.I don't know what makes 'em work". Donald "Oddball" Sutherland
"Don't let the bastards get you down". Kris Kristofferson
"I am only paranoid because everyone is against me". Larry [Frank Burns] Linville
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Re: Vulcan S 2015
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Learned Hand
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Cool.
Keep us posted and report on the ride when you get it!
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Re: Vulcan S 2015
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"He who hesitates" etc. It's gone up $500 overnight with the Aussie dollar dropping.Every currency in the world has dropped against the US,EXCEPT the Thai baht!Something fishy?They've been propping the baht up for years.Something's got to give soon. I will probably defer getting a Vulcan until my next trip,March I think.I'll bring saddlebags, gloves textile jacket,etc with me. I had another sit on a Forza today and I was a little cramped.With my frontal energy storage module [my gut] The seating position on the Vulcan is better.
Dinosaur.
"Oh Man I only ride 'em.I don't know what makes 'em work". Donald "Oddball" Sutherland
"Don't let the bastards get you down". Kris Kristofferson
"I am only paranoid because everyone is against me". Larry [Frank Burns] Linville
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Re: Vulcan S 2015
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Hmmm, frontal energy storage module. I like it! I'm going to use that one.
So much more elegant than "gut"
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