Hello everyone,

Please excuse my ignorance of motorcycles and everything else that I may post that sounds really retarded to the veterans here. I just bought a 1989 Vulcan 750 from a fellow soldier of mine. Unfortunately, there was no manual for this bike at all and I was wondering if anyone knows where I can find a website or if there is a PDF file consisting of the basic maintenance schedule for this bike. She has 24,550 miles on her and body wise is just a little bumpy. Other than that, she rides really well. This is my first beginner bike and being in the military, I had to take the MSF Basic Rider Course. I am enjoying riding it, but I don't want to run it into the ground. If there is any advice anyone can present, please Message or reply to this. Thank you very much, fellow riders.

 

Change your oil yearly, at minimum, or at 3000 miles. It kind of does depend on how you ride. If you're a tach junkie or a track junkie, you my want to change it even at 1500 or less. (Probably unlikely with a Vulcan, though.) Maybe not necessary, but I'd flush and change my coolant yearly, too, along with the plugs. Take out the battery during the really cold months (unless you're an idiot like some of us who ride during the winter, except for snow and ice) and keep it on a battery tender which cycles on and off; NOT the trickle charger kind that continually puts 1.5 volts to the battery regardless of charge level. Batteries will last around 2-4 years.
Chain lube? Probably less necessary than many years ago before the sealed O-ring chains so common now. You should CLEAN our chain, though, and hit it with a very light coating of your preferred lube. Chains can last a very long time with proper cleaning.
The rest of the winter prep stuffis covered somewhere (DIY section) on this site, or in the specific posts, so keep watching.
Welcome to KF. I'd suggest to anyone to get a manual (even though half of it is useless) and probably a fiche specific to their bike, primarily for part numbers and exploded diagrams. Also, make DARN sure you get good protective gear and use it religiously. It's not you; it's usually the idiot cager that gets you.
Glad you're with us. And, thanks for your service to our country.

 

Congrats on the msf course, the ride and welcome to KF!

Oil changes vary but are within normal ranges as listed above. At 24k miles, valves should have been already done at least twice in my thinking. Not sure on what the manual states.