Wow, I've got a blog now.
The purpose of this blog is, initially, to chronicle the transformation of my 'old' 1997 Kawasaki Vulcan 500 LTD to a 'new' 1997/2009 Kawasaki Vulcan 500 LTD at 108,000+ miles. I will include photos with captions as well as reasons to why certain decisions were made during the rebuild.
I hope that you enjoy my project.
Thursday, July 30, 2020
Friday, July 30, 2010
Starting point

This is what I started with. A 1997 Kawasaki Vulcan 500 LTD purchased in June, 1999 with 2,900 miles on it. This photo was taken March, 2008, at 100,000 miles. A milestone that I had looked forward to from the day I bought it.
Back then I made myself a promise that IF it ever reached that milestone I was going to give it a complete teardown and rebuild just to freshen everything up and make it look as close to new as I could.
It's been a tough little machine. Given that it is perceived as an 'entry level' motorcycle and aftermarket accessories are slim pickin's I think it does just fine. I'm somewhat of a handyman and have fabricated a few items to suit my taste over the years.
As you can see from the photo I don't keep it spit shined but I do try to keep it mechanically sound. All that is going to change, at least for a while. :-)
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Frame part 1

Yep, here's the frame, nasty as it is. Sure I could just pressure wash the gunk off of it but I have loftier plans for it.
First, the area at the front of the swingarm is just plain nasty! Gunk, grime, and road film have just accumulated there, just out of reach of a water hose. The swingarm is all scratched up from chain adjustments & a one time leaking battery vent hose. There are also scratched up areas on the front down tube where the highway bars were clamped on.
Engine part 2
Well, the engine's out. This welded spot is a little side-story:
A few months after I purchased the bike, at about 13,000 miles, I did a bit of maintenance, including adjusting the valves. In my distraction I didn't tighten one of the adjuster jam nuts. About 1/4 mile down the road it came out and got caught in the timing chain. This broke the timing chain and 'spit' it out the front of the motor, of course, stopping the engine.
Pushing the bike back to the shop I didn't realize what had happened. When I did find the gaping hole in the front of the cylinder head I knew just what had happened and I went back to where it happened and picked up most of the pieces of the cylinder head off of the road.
Next I pulled the head off and took it, and the pieces, to a welder and had them welded back in. I also replaced the intake valves as the camshaft stopping allowed the valves to contact the pistons, bending the valves. I was able to find a 'master link' for the timing chain and install it without completely disassembling the motor.
Although the gasket surface isn't perfect it sealed well enough that there wasn't any oil dripping out, just enough to attract dirt that has to be cleaned off periodically.
I changed the timing chain again at 102,000 miles. This time without issue. :-)
Friday, August 7, 2009
Engine part 1


Okay, got the engine out now. I thought I might have to wrestle it out of the frame, possibly scratching things, but it came out without a hitch.
Not much else to report except that it's time to start cleaning things up. The frame has caked grease and grime in the center part where chain lube has been flung off and the engine needs to be 'degreased', especially around the sprocket area.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Taking things apart
November 16, 2008:
Sorry, no pics on this one. I took my youngest for his first motorcycle ride today. He is six months old now and got his first ride, like his older brother did when he was that age. We have a 'papoose' that holds him against my chest while allowing him to look forward. We rode around the yard for a few minutes to get a photo-op.
As soon as his ride was done I rode it into the garage and started taking parts off of it. Accessories first:
Saddlebags & brackets
Windshield
Highway pegs
More substantial parts next:
Seat
Fenders
Fuel tank
Lighting
Headlight
Lightbar & turn signals
Taillight
Foot pegs
Handlebars & cabling
Front brake system
Wiring harness (gotta be careful where things are attached)
Drive chain
She's starting to look a little naked at this point. It's getting late so I stop for the day and realize that this project IS going forward and I am committed to it.
Next item I plan on is getting the motor out of the frame.
Sorry, no pics on this one. I took my youngest for his first motorcycle ride today. He is six months old now and got his first ride, like his older brother did when he was that age. We have a 'papoose' that holds him against my chest while allowing him to look forward. We rode around the yard for a few minutes to get a photo-op.
As soon as his ride was done I rode it into the garage and started taking parts off of it. Accessories first:
Saddlebags & brackets
Windshield
Highway pegs
More substantial parts next:
Seat
Fenders
Fuel tank
Lighting
Headlight
Lightbar & turn signals
Taillight
Foot pegs
Handlebars & cabling
Front brake system
Wiring harness (gotta be careful where things are attached)
Drive chain
She's starting to look a little naked at this point. It's getting late so I stop for the day and realize that this project IS going forward and I am committed to it.
Next item I plan on is getting the motor out of the frame.
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