2002 1500 Vulcan maintenance & reliability

**OmahaShadow** · 10-13-2012, 02:57 PM

Looking at purchasing a 2002 1500 cc. Vulcan.

1. What are the maintenance issues with the 2002 1500 cc. FI Vulcan?

2. Anything with reliability?

3. Any particular maintenance "watch outs" and certain mileages?

Blueraven · 10-13-2012, 03:39 PM

Welcome to the forum from Hamilton Ontario. How many miles on it?

**manban9888** · 10-13-2012, 03:42 PM

Welcome from Florida. This is a great forum w a bunch of good people that will teach you more about your Nomad than any book ever could. Guys that no more than me will way in shortly but you have a great bike.

**ringadingh** · 10-13-2012, 03:42 PM

You will replace a clutch spring at around 35 to 50k, perhaps an oil seal in the final drive, nothing different than most Nomads.Other than that not much goes wrong with them. Regular maintenance is important but not that hard to do yourself. Overall they are very dependable bikes to ride.

cactusjack · 10-13-2012, 05:07 PM

A Vulcan what? Vulcan Classic? Vulcan Nomad? Vulcan Drifter? Vulcan Mean Streak? These bikes are all Vulcans.

Welcome from Chandler AZ!

Erilflynn · 10-14-2012, 07:53 AM

I had a '02 1500 Classic FI. Had one problem in eight years and 59k miles. Sensor for the FI went out. Besides that just your normal wear and tear (oil, brakes, tires, battery). Original clutch. Ran like new the day I sold it to get my Nomad. A GREAT bike!

Tearitupfixitrepeat · 10-15-2012, 06:16 PM

Most all the issues were gone by 2002, but would get on it hard going into 2nd and see if it skips. Bent shift forks are not common, but not unheard of either, especially 02-03.

**OmahaShadow** · 10-21-2012, 03:39 PM

30,000

**OmahaShadow** · 10-21-2012, 03:39 PM

Thank you. That's encouraging.

**OmahaShadow** · 10-21-2012, 03:40 PM

Nomad.

**OmahaShadow** · 10-21-2012, 03:43 PM

Thank you. I'll give that a try and see what happens. Thanks for the tip.

What about tires? Any thoughts there?

**OmahaShadow** · 10-21-2012, 03:45 PM

I"m so new I didn't realize how this forum worked!

**OmahaShadow** · 10-21-2012, 03:49 PM

Thanks for the response and information. Any thoughts on what the best tires are? I'm planning to replace front and rear.

macmac · 10-21-2012, 07:15 PM

Driving up your post count too! Huh? Waugh!

Around 28,000 miles you should check the cam chain tensioner too.

Besides this site you need to book mark this site and get familar with it too.
http://www.gadgetjq.com/gadgetsfixitpage.htm

ringadingh has done a lot of work on Nomads... A lot of work but his k is clicks not miles since he lives in Canada. So you need to convert his clicks to miles unless you do clicks yourself.

IMO the best of the best tires you can put on a 02 Nomad are a Avon Cobra front tire in radial at the stock size for the 02, and a Dunlop SP 5000 195/60 R 16 car tire for the rear.......

That is the largest tire that can work on a up to 04 Nomad. After that the wheel rims change...

**ringadingh** · 10-21-2012, 08:59 PM

My bike is an American bike so its in miles Bill. I hate the metric system here.
I used Dunlop D404's the last few tires, but I switched to a car tire on the rear last season.

10-13-2012, 02:57 PM	#1
OmahaShadow Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Omaha, NE Posts: 118	2002 1500 Vulcan maintenance & reliability Looking at purchasing a 2002 1500 cc. Vulcan. 1. What are the maintenance issues with the 2002 1500 cc. FI Vulcan? 2. Anything with reliability? 3. Any particular maintenance "watch outs" and certain mileages? Login or Register to Remove Ads
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10-13-2012, 03:39 PM	#2
Blueraven Advanced Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Southern Ontario Posts: 805	Welcome to the forum from Hamilton Ontario. How many miles on it? __________________ Rhys Westmoreland VBA# 01622 (Kawanow) 1969 Suzuki 250 1973 Honda CB750 K3 (Sold Dec 11, 2011) 2003 1500 Nomad FI "REBA" PC III Commander (Died April 2011) PC III Commander (Installed new one April 2016) Vance and Hines, Mustang Seat BadBoy Air Horn Front LED Fog Lights 2011 Maggie Valley,NC 2014 NE US/Eastern Canada Rally,Lincoln NH
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10-13-2012, 03:42 PM	#3
manban9888 Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Sebastian, Florida Posts: 1,016	Welcome from Florida. This is a great forum w a bunch of good people that will teach you more about your Nomad than any book ever could. Guys that no more than me will way in shortly but you have a great bike. __________________ 2008 Nomad Red/Black 1998 1500a VBA #02113 Antlers, Oklahoma '12 Blairsville, Georgia '13 Antlers, Oklahoma '13 Eureka Springs, Arkansas '15
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10-13-2012, 03:42 PM	#4
ringadingh Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Newmarket Ontario Canada Posts: 35,387	You will replace a clutch spring at around 35 to 50k, perhaps an oil seal in the final drive, nothing different than most Nomads.Other than that not much goes wrong with them. Regular maintenance is important but not that hard to do yourself. Overall they are very dependable bikes to ride. __________________ 2002 Nomad aka Bountyhunter VBA #27 VROC #18951
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10-13-2012, 05:07 PM	#5
cactusjack Mega-Contributor Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Where it doesn't snow...ever! Posts: 21,926	A Vulcan what? Vulcan Classic? Vulcan Nomad? Vulcan Drifter? Vulcan Mean Streak? These bikes are all Vulcans. Welcome from Chandler AZ! __________________ Scott "Cactusjack" Hanks VBA #00105 H.O.G. #4250060 2011 H-D Ultra Limited 103ci :: 2011 HD Electra Glide Ultra Limited w/Stage 1 :: Rallies: Mesquite '08\|Custer '09\|Cortez '10\|Crescent City '11\|Kanab '12\|Antlers '12\|Estes Park '13\|Antlers '13\|Orofino '14\|The Dalles '17 Login or Register to Remove Ads Last edited by cactusjack; 10-14-2012 at 10:46 AM.
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10-14-2012, 07:53 AM	#6
Erilflynn Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: New Jersey Posts: 335	I had a '02 1500 Classic FI. Had one problem in eight years and 59k miles. Sensor for the FI went out. Besides that just your normal wear and tear (oil, brakes, tires, battery). Original clutch. Ran like new the day I sold it to get my Nomad. A GREAT bike! Last edited by Erilflynn; 10-14-2012 at 12:33 PM.
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10-15-2012, 06:16 PM	#7
Tearitupfixitrepeat Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 87	Most all the issues were gone by 2002, but would get on it hard going into 2nd and see if it skips. Bent shift forks are not common, but not unheard of either, especially 02-03.
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10-21-2012, 03:39 PM	#8
OmahaShadow Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Omaha, NE Posts: 118	30,000
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10-21-2012, 03:40 PM	#10
OmahaShadow Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Omaha, NE Posts: 118	Nomad.
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10-21-2012, 03:43 PM	#11
OmahaShadow Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Omaha, NE Posts: 118	Thank you. I'll give that a try and see what happens. Thanks for the tip. What about tires? Any thoughts there?
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10-21-2012, 03:45 PM	#12
OmahaShadow Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Omaha, NE Posts: 118	I"m so new I didn't realize how this forum worked!
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10-21-2012, 03:49 PM	#13
OmahaShadow Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Omaha, NE Posts: 118	Thanks for the information. What about tires? Thanks for the response and information. Any thoughts on what the best tires are? I'm planning to replace front and rear.
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10-21-2012, 07:15 PM	#14
macmac Sr. Contributor Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Tamworth New Hampster 06 1600 Posts: 12,484	Driving up your post count too! Huh? Waugh! Around 28,000 miles you should check the cam chain tensioner too. Besides this site you need to book mark this site and get familar with it too. http://www.gadgetjq.com/gadgetsfixitpage.htm ringadingh has done a lot of work on Nomads... A lot of work but his k is clicks not miles since he lives in Canada. So you need to convert his clicks to miles unless you do clicks yourself. IMO the best of the best tires you can put on a 02 Nomad are a Avon Cobra front tire in radial at the stock size for the 02, and a Dunlop SP 5000 195/60 R 16 car tire for the rear....... That is the largest tire that can work on a up to 04 Nomad. After that the wheel rims change... __________________ 06 1600 Nomad Just call me Mac molon labe come and get it
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10-21-2012, 08:59 PM	#15
ringadingh Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Newmarket Ontario Canada Posts: 35,387	My bike is an American bike so its in miles Bill. I hate the metric system here. I used Dunlop D404's the last few tires, but I switched to a car tire on the rear last season. __________________ 2002 Nomad aka Bountyhunter VBA #27 VROC #18951
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