Motorcycle Repair: kawasaki vulcan 500, kawasaki vulcan 500, kawasaki dealer

Question
2009 model.  My bike goes dead while I'm driving it.  Sometimes it cuts out -- and doesn't go dead, but once it starts cutting out, within a few minutes it goes dead.  I have to let it cool for about 20 minutes before it will crank again.  When the bike does this, it smells like it's running hot. The Kawasaki dealer just replaced the fuel valve, but this had no effect on the bike going dead.

Answer
Judy, in my experience the symptoms you describe seem to be more of an ignition problem than a fuel system one. When ignition components such as the coils or pickup plate are faulty, then tend to work fine when the motor is cold but start acting up when the motor is hot. Letting the bike cool down usually results in the affected parts working again but over time the working/not working cycle gets shorter and shorter until the bike refuses to run at all. Annoying as this is, it can also be the potential for disaster if your bike cuts out while riding down the freeway.

This is an obvious safety issue that should be fixed right away. You should still have a full warranty in effect on your bike (I believe Kawasaki gives a 12 month warranty with the Vulcan 500), so I would take it back to the dealer and tell them you want it fixed under warranty and you do not want it back until it works properly.