Returning to motorcycling after about 4 years

[Yaatri]

Hi I have been riding motorbikes since 1984 with some gaps. Have not owned a motorbike since 2016 when my son wrecked it. Now that both of them are out of the house, I have been thinking if getting one again. Covid-19 and then open heart surgery in the middle of the pandemic put a dent in my plans. I am as much back to normal as I can be. I have looked at and rode a 2009 Vulcan 500 with very few miles---yeah that's a concern. It started fine when I looked at it. I didn't buy it that day as we couldn't agree n a price. Now he has lowered the price but also told me that he can't start it. I am going to wait until he has resolved the issue. In the mean time, I will learn about the attitudes this bike has.

[Triangles]

If It's a 2009 with low miles I'd assume it has the original tires. Tires that old are unsafe. My first move would be to put new rubber on the wheels.

When it sits for long periods of time the carbs get gunked up pretty bad. If it's not too bad half a bottle of carb cleaner in one tank of gas and then the rest in the next tank will usually dissolve away varnish after the 3rd or 4th tank of gas. I've found the best thing to do is put some Sta-bil in the gas tank and run it long enough to get some in the carbs before you park it for the winter. I have never had to do anything to my 2006 carbs in the 13 years of owning this bike.

Also flooded batteries don't seem to last long. I got an AGM type back in 2014 that is still going strong and I don't put it on a trickle charger in the winter. However I also ride in the winter and rarely go much more than 6 weeks without riding.