Vulcan 1700 Engine & Tranny job

[theMucker]

Assuming it might be of some use to the Vulcan 1700 riders here, I wanted to put in a link to the process I went through installing the 2011 transmission into my 2010 Voyager. I also cut the heads .025" to raise compression to the factory specification of 9.5:1 and, while I was at it, I ported the heads. The result worked out great. The tranny is quieter and it now has the OOMPH! that a 1700cc V-twin motorcycle should. Rather than cut and paste it all, here's the link:
http://forums.delphiforums.com/kawvulcan/messages
Thread 105848.31 and on.

[cactusjack]

Somebody should ask BD about his tranny. The one he picked up on Sunset Blvd. :lmao:

[AlabamaNomadRider]

Thanks for the link.

CJ, Brad didn't realize until it was too late that he had picked one up.

[ringadingh]

Somebody should ask BD about his tranny. The one he picked up on Sunset Blvd. :lmao:
I'll bet its not as quite as the one Mucker replaced, Bd's was a screamer.:D

[twowheeladdict]

Have no idea how to navigate that forum. Why doesn't the link go directly to the post in question?

So, you had to cut the heads in order to bring the compression up to the advertized compression?

[ponch]

Have no idea how to navigate that forum. Why doesn't the link go directly to the post in question?

So, you had to cut the heads in order to bring the compression up to the advertized compression?

This is what he meant: http://forums.delphiforums.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=kawvulcan&msg=105848.31

Yes he did. It looks like quite a job.

[ponch]

I'll bet its not as quite as the one Mucker replaced, Bd's was a screamer.:D

Yeah, but we actually have pictures and details here. No shamwow. :D

[Monkeyman]

What's different between the '10 and '11 transmissions?

[ringadingh]

A year.

[Monkeyman]

Oh. I see. Humor early in the morning, EH? :D

[REDWIND]

welcome to the fourm.

[jestephens]

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/jestephens/trannyclinic.jpg

[ponch]

A year.

Kawasaki revised the gears and piston rings between 2010 and 2011. The newer gears aren't as noisy. If you've ever ridden a Voyager, it's shifting is a lot different from the 1500/1600.

[Monkeyman]

Never rode a current Voyager. Is there anything bad about the newer transmission or is the older newer (?) tranny just noisier?

[cactusjack]

Yeah, but we actually pictures and details here. No shamwow. :D

Shamwow? ShamPOW! :D

[ponch]

Never rode a current Voyager. Is there anything bad about the newer transmission or is the older newer (?) tranny just noisier?

I rode a 2010 and it was much clunkier and noisier than a 1600. More like a HD. The 1600 is a much smoother shifting bike. According to the OP, the new gears fix a lot of this. I don't know as I haven't ridden a newer bike. As far as the rings go, you'll have to ask the OP about that. I imagine Kawasaki had a good reason to change the rings.

[ponch]

Shamwow? ShamPOW! :D

You know Shamwow? X invention cures acne, lumbago and makes you sport wood for 10 hours, but wait, if you order now...We've been down that road.

[Timay]

This is what he meant: http://forums.delphiforums.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=kawvulcan&msg=105848.31

Where does he explain what he meant about "cutting the heads in order to bring the compression up to the advertized compression"? I've just spent the last 45 minutes reading a thread about a transmission...? :hmm:

Tim

[ponch]

Where does he explain what he meant about "cutting the heads in order to bring the compression up to the advertized compression"? I've just spent the last 45 minutes reading a thread about a transmission...? :hmm:

Tim

Try reading from the beginning of the thread. That link starts at post 31. Here is the link to the beginning of the thread http://forums.delphiforums.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=kawvulcan&msg=105848.1 IIRC, he measured the compression at 9.1:1 or something like that. He decided to mill the heads to bring it up to 9.5:1, which is what Kawasaki advertises.

[Timay]

Thanks for that...interesting read - well done by the author! The actual post where he talks about the compression is 105848.82...

Tim

[twowheeladdict]

Never rode a current Voyager. Is there anything bad about the newer transmission or is the older newer (?) tranny just noisier?

They changed the gear ratios. The '11 - present do not have as much pull off the line as the '09-'10 bikes do. Shifting is a little quieter but not enough IMO to lose the first gear stump pulling that the earlier Voyagers have.

[blowndodge]

:bird:

[ringadingh]

Did the new tranny reduce the big clunking into gear that some riders mentioned?

[ponch]

Did the new tranny reduce the big clunking into gear that some riders mentioned?

According to the OP, yes, but you'll have to read it.

I guess the idea, if you want a quiet transmission is to buy a 2011 and newer voyager.

[ponch]

They changed the gear ratios. The '11 - present do not have as much pull off the line as the '09-'10 bikes do. Shifting is a little quieter but not enough IMO to lose the first gear stump pulling that the earlier Voyagers have.

When I test rode a 2010 voyager, I didn't think it had any more power than a 2010 96" Ultra. It vibrated at speed more too. It seems to me, outside of the V2K, Kawasaki tunes their engines to be very mild in relation to the displacement. I'd bet the 103 walks all over the 1700 as would the 106 from Victory. IMO, the 1700 was underwhelming in terms of power. May be I had a dog. It was a ABS model demo with almost 3000 miles on it.

[redjay]

If you read Muckers write up of his Voyager rebuild you will read that the gears and piston rings have changed from the 2010 model. The older transmission is noisier. Mucker has photos posted that show the difference between the 2010 and 2011 gears. Excellent writre up with photos, Mucker knows his way around an engine.

[theMucker]

Have no idea how to navigate that forum. Why doesn't the link go directly to the post in question?

So, you had to cut the heads in order to bring the compression up to the advertized compression?


Yes. The shop manual says the Voyager is suppowed to have 9.5:1 compression, but after cc-ing the combustion chambers, I found that mine had 9:1. Cutting .025" from the heads brought it up to spec. It is running great and stronger than ever. And still happy with regular gas as well.

[dlars]

According to the OP, yes, but you'll have to read it.

I guess the idea, if you want a quiet transmission is to buy a 2011 and newer voyager.

Maybe some are quiet, but my 2012 is pretty noisy at hwy speeds. It starts when you shift into 3rd and carry's on all the way up into 6th. It just does it when on the throttle and cruising but goes away when I let off. I used to worry a bit about it but not anymore. Oil type had no effect on it either, I tried synthetic for the first few changes then tried regular dyno oil with no difference. I'm still running synthetic.

[Peg]

02-21-2012, 08:07 am

:hmm:

[Gypsy Dragon]

People ARE encouraged to search threads before starting one... Sometimes the last time something was discussed was a long time ago. I'm glad this was brought back to life, I learned some things. One of them made me very happy.:D:D

[landman]

Somebody should ask BD about his tranny. The one he picked up on Sunset Blvd. :lmao:

ok I will ask..hey brad, what are they talking about ?something about picking up a transmission on Sunset blvd.

[Silent Sam]

..I bumped-around, many forums over the last 22 years..Most are designed by hackers for hackers.. !

The reason I'm here is because this forum is the easiest by far to actually -USE ! ..And I bet a bunch of the other members are here for that reason also...thus "a coven of bike mechano-magictions and knowledge" ! (well the spell-checker didnt work on that one)

..now to find those photos of the work done on the tranny and the heads !