500 cc cruiser to a 500 cc sportbike

ifiddles

ifiddles

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so here i am, finished my first season of riding on an '09 kawasaki vulcan 500...i'm female, 5'4" and weigh just over 100 lbs...posted another thread about 500 cc sportbikes and have come to the conclusion that i like the kawi ninja 500...i think i found a good one (2007 with under 1500 km for $3600)...my bf rides a victory kingpin 1705 cc and we ride together, he pulls away from a stop like a bat out of you know what...i do eventually catch up to him, but he complains that i'm so far behind all the time...i gently remind him that his bike is much bigger and faster than mine and he needs to also realize that i'm a new rider, whereas he's been riding for 30+ years...

thanks tricky for your response...you read my mind...i didn't finish the post because the bell rang and i had to go back to class (i teach)...

so my question was/is...would the ninja 500 be any different with regards to keeping up with him better even though it's the same engine as my vulcan 500 (i went through the specs for each bike and noticed that 2nd, and 3rd gear are different as is the final gear drive as are the brakes, suspension, dimensions - ninja being smaller and lighter - as well as a few other differences)...

do you guys it'd be a waste of money getting the ninja 500 and i should go a bigger cc bike like a 600 or 650?...or would the differences in the ninja versus my vulcan be enough to make up for it being so similar...
 
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It's unfortunate that he can't be a little more patient. When you get more and more confident, though, you can start to push your bike harder. A Ninja 500 should be able to do 0-100km/h in under 6 seconds or so when you've got some practice. Let it rev high to get to where the power is, and you'll have a fighting chance of keeping up.

First few rides when I had my GS500, I was changing gears around 4k RPM. I didn't understand all the horsepower on a GS was at 7000+ RPM. Your bike will surprise you! Just be sure you are confident and ready to handle the power. The engine can handle it, but if you are up at the higher revs often, shortening your oil change intervals is a good idea.

Maybe try getting your boyfriend to understand that every set of lights isn't a drag race, or try getting into some new-rider friendly group rides here on the forums
 
You won't go wrong with an ex500, sounds like a decent price too and if you maintain it well you should be able to sell it near the price in a few years if you want to move on to something else.

I never rode crusier so I can't help you with the comparision but I loved my ex when I had it.
 
I have a feeling no matter what bike you ride, you're bf is going to blast away in front of you. The 500R is a nice bike and you should be happy with it. But, your motive to switch shouldn't be anything other than what you want. I don't think it will help you keep up any more than if you had your own 8 ball to tag along with. Just my 2 cents.

The 500R does step off the line without making too much of a fuss but, I'm pretty sure the Vulcan can speed up just fine too. It might seem a bit dramatic revving a Vulcan over a 500R to keep up but, I think you're better off keeping your distance in the back anyways. Regardless of what you're riding. JMO of course.
 
1500 miles is suspiciously low for a 2007 bike.

If I were you, I would want to make extra sure that everything's working properly (carbs/fuel system most of all, since those are the part that's most likely to gunk up while sitting) and that it's been stored properly.
 
If your boyfriend wants to race, than he should be the one getting a new bike because his is not designed for that.
Pulling fast from a stop is ignorant as well. Intersections are where most accidents happen.

At any rate, a Ninja 500 will be quicker than a Vulcan although probably not all that much as the Vulcan is already a pretty fast cruiser in its class and not that much heavier, maybe 10-20%. I don't believe EX500 would have much of a trouble keeping up with a pig that a 1700cc Victory is.

Ninja 500 is never a bad choice as it's a comfy bike for a shorter person but you won't be sitting upright any more as it's got a bit of a forward lean compared to the Vulcan.
 
Keep your current bike and just change your boyfriend.
Much cheaper alternative.
 
warp speed said:
Keep your current bike and just change your boyfriend.
Much cheaper alternative.
Click to expand...

Not a bad option.
Keep in mind it's your machine and your life resting on it. Ride the bike you're most comfortable with and think is best for you. You never mentioned what you don't like about the Vulcan?
 
adri said:
Not a bad option.
Keep in mind it's your machine and your life resting on it. Ride the bike you're most comfortable with and think is best for you. You never mentioned what you don't like about the Vulcan?
Click to expand...

I agree. Your bike isn't the problem with keeping up with your BF. Your BF is the problem with keeping up with your BF.

Buy the bike you want and ride it the way you want. If your BF complains about your riding style, bottom line is that he shouldn't ride with you. Not suggesting you need a new BF but you should not be pressed into riding in a manner you don't want to ride.

My wife rides a ZZR600. There is no way in hell it will keep up with my S1000RR. So what? If you think I leave her behind anywhere (other than some curves, with her blessing) you're very mistaken. When I ride with someone I ride WITH them. A good friend of mine has a Harley bagger. When we ride together we ride together. I don't take off from him at every stop or every curve. What the hell's the point? When I want to ride my way I ride by myself. Anytime you ride with someone else you need to compromise. It's sort of like life that way. And complaining that your companion is holding you back is a recipe for an unhappy life/ride.

All that aside, the EX500 is a nice bike.
 
Yep, girlfriend can't keep up but she doesn't ride as hard as I do. So when I'm with her I take it easy... But I still let it rip once in a while.

Keep in mind the more experience you get riding the faster you'll be on that Vulcan 500. You'll learn to feel the bike's powerband and when to shift in each gear much better. I'm much faster on my girlfriend's 250 than she is because she doesn't work the powerband as hard. I bet that will change by middle of next season.
 
FYI, EX500 has a flat spot about ~4500rpm. Do the Airbox Mod (Fog Mod ) if you end up getting the bike and it'll remove the flat spot. When you test ride and the bike feels sluggish, it may mean the jets are clogged, especially if it's just been sitting since '07.
 
Hmmm, I cant imagine tearing away from ANY new rider and making them catch up, yet alone the missus. Im with the others saying ditch the bf and keep your current bike.
 
Its the rider not the bike. I once smoked a 1700 cc vulcan off the lights with my cbx250. Then i looked back and noticed he was making a left turn. :)
 
The big cruser has way more usable torque which is why he's pulling away so quickly and easily and changing to a bike that makes power at 7000rpm isn't going to help unless you launch it at every stop. If you want to change bikes do it for you.
 
I agree with the others that you should not worry about keeping up with and ride the way you feel most comfortable. But... if you really want to keep up and want to stay at 500cc you can still stay on a cruiser, just get yourself an old Honda magna v30 from the early 80's, they are v4's and have insane power for their size and age and tons of jump. it will leave his heavy cruiser in the dust. i have a 750 magna and it has more power in 2nd gear than most of the big modern cruisers have in fifth, and a higher top speed. always fun seeing the surprised look on the faces of guys on their hardley abelsons when i whiz past them. :)
 
What you ought to do is get him to play "keep up" with someone much faster and more exp.

Let HIM see how fun it is riding beyond his abilities.

My advice - new b/f.
 
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