A new Vulcan...

As of today I now have all the parts I ordered to install. Except for the oil filters that should be here Saturday.
A set of Shad SH23 side cases arrived this afternoon. The last of the bracket parts arrived yesterday.

When my wife saw me opening the box for the cases she told me... "well, there's your birthday and father's day gifts!"

That was me asking forgiveness. She gave permission to buy the bike, but then I had to go and buy a bunch of farkles to put on it without asking!

Now, if it would just stop raining when I'm not painting for her so I can get out and put some miles on the bike.
Yeah, painting the living room/hall/foyer/stair well is my payment to her for doing all this. I'm not fast at painting since I hate it and especially hate climbing a high ladder to reach the top of the 10 ft walls (17 ft in the stair well)! Hey, I'm 70 this month and climbing high ladders is not my favorite thing I want to be doing these days.
 
When I installed the Shad mount and side cases I did relocate the Battery Tender plug... just a little. I figured it was probably in the best place for now but I tied it more securely and it is a little more protected now.

Before, when it was flopping around a lot:
PXL_20250504_2.jpg

After, where it is mounted better... I think... on the footpeg bracket. It looks close to the chain but is actually held plenty of distance away:
PXL_20250505_2.jpg
 
I notice that there is a lot more vibration on this bike than even my AK 550. Both are inline twins. But the AK has a cross-plane crank... 270 degree... and the Vulcan S has a 180 degree crank. I am continuously surprised by how this bike loves the high RPM. It just doesn't seem to like running very well at below 3000 RPM, and finds its rhythm between 4000-5500 RPM at local road speeds around town. It will take some getting used to running at such a high RPM at even 35-40 mph. Even 30 mph or less around the neighborhood or school zones prefers to have the engine running at 3500-4000 RPM. That's what I get for a sport cruiser with a Ninja sport bike motor in it. Good thing there's an Economy Mode indicator that I keep looking for. Keeps me reasonable.
 
Did some measurements. There is an outside chance that I might possibly maybe be able to make a hitch for the Uni-Go for my Vulcan S... MAYBE.
It would be a lot simpler (just look at many cruiser hitches that are already available). I haven't found one already made for my bike (of course!).

The issue is to get the top of the Uni-Go receiver low enough to avoid blocking the license plate... a guaranteed award from highway patrol. The plate is a lot lower than on the AK. About 5.5 inches lower.

I measured that the Uni-Go drawbar has 2 more positions lower than where it is on the trailer. That would drop it 3.75 inches without lowering the front of the trailer (very important). Since the receiver is currently mounted 1.5 inches below the plate on the AK, dropping the drawbar as low as it can go will put the top of the receiver just above the bottom of the Vulcan S plate. That is doable since it wouldn't block any info on the plate. The plate frame from the dealer covers that much.

The downside is that I might not be able to easily use the paddock stand... without removing the hitch. That would be a deal breaker for me. Depends how I design the hitch. It would have to follow the curve of the rear fender and drop just below the plate and stick out straight back a few inches to the end plate for the receiver.
Something like this but with the end plate vertical across the ends instead of flat and likely black powder coated instead of Chromed:
1747615390121.png
It would mount to the same bolts as the Shad side cases mounting uses and the spacers would be shorter by the thickness of the hitch steel.

Will have to think on it for a time...
 
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