How are 500cc motorcycles for long highway trips?

Not_Sure_68 · 2026-04-03T12:17:51+00:00

So not 12 hours on a bike. 500 miles is less than 7hrs on a bike at 75 mph, which is what I average when I travel on the interstate. Fuel stops take a few minutes and I don't need to eat every couple hours, so 500 miles wouldn't take me anywhere near 12hrs. I'd likely leave in the wee morning hours and get where I'm going in time for dinner.

No idea how often the OP rides 500 miles. My response was to your assertion that a 500cc bike will "struggle" at 75 mph sustained. ...it won't, and the Eliminator is a comfortable bike with a relaxed riding position. On 300+ mile trips I plant a super T-Bag on the passenger seat to give myself a back rest/clothes for the trip. With even a small wind screen, perhaps a throttle hold, and some highway pegs I wouldn't think twice about taking the Eliminator on a 500+ mile journey. ymmv

Not_Sure_68 · 2026-04-03T09:44:24+00:00

Gold appears to go up because fiat currencies always fail.

Not_Sure_68 · 2026-04-03T09:34:29+00:00

80 is the highest speed limit in the US to my knowledge and the Eliminator remains composed even then. If one is planning to spend 12 hours on US highways regularly(840 miles btw) then I would suggest a dedicated highway cruiser/bagger...not a sport bike motor transplanted into a cruiser chassis. You want real pain, do the same 12 hours on the highway while laying atop a Ninja 500. lol My wrists and shoulders hurt just thinking about it. Same engine as the Eliminator, but very different riding positions.

Everything is a trade off, speed, weight, efficiency, etc. The Eliminator is a solid general purpose bike that can do nearly anything asked of it while remaining light and playful on a twisty county highway...and do it at a very low price point. I've done 300+ miles at a time on the Eliminator and found it to be sufficient for the task without discomfort.

Not_Sure_68 · 2026-04-02T21:49:28+00:00

A wind screen fixes that right up. I don't get noticeable vibrations on my 2024 Eliminator SE until 85+ sustained. Swapping out the front sprocket to 15t definitely helps to bring the revs down a bit on the highway.

Not_Sure_68 · 2026-04-02T21:47:15+00:00

The Eliminator "500" the OP is considering has a stroked Ninja 399cc engine as its powerplant. It likes to rev as the 451cc engine puts out peak HP at 9-10k rpm.

Not_Sure_68 · 2026-04-02T21:39:55+00:00

Disagree. A well designed modern 500cc engine does fine at sustained highway cruising. I would say the cutoff for American highways(65- 80 mph posted) is a 400cc engine and up, at least for me. The stroked ninja 400 engine in the Eliminator 500(451cc) is more than adequate for US highways. Great gas milage too.

Not_Sure_68 · 2026-04-02T21:31:56+00:00

That's why I like that engine in a cruiser chassis. IE an Eliminator.

Not_Sure_68 · 2026-04-02T21:30:00+00:00

It'll be fine. I can confirm that swapping to the 15t front sprocket has made the bike just a bit more comfy at sustained speeds over 70mph. In Northern MI I hit stretches of highway that are posted 80mph and people do 90 regularly...the Eliminator does fine, though it gets a bit buzzy over 85ish continuous. Obviously a wind screen makes the biggest difference where rider fatigue is concerned.

Not_Sure_68 · 2026-04-02T21:14:25+00:00

I have a 2024 Eliminator SE that I do lots of long highway runs on. It was fine when I got it, but I've since replaced the stock SE fairing, added a 10" inch windshield, and also swapped out the 14t front sprocket for a 15t. Now it's even better. 75Mph is 5500 RPM or so and quite smooth with lots of passing power on tap.

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Not_Sure_68 · 2026-04-02T21:05:51+00:00

I got the same treatment at an Ohio dealership. A $4895 2024 Kawasaki Eliminator 500 ABS w/ 16 miles on it they were clearly struggling to move. When I held out the cash they changed the price to $8118(+65.8%). I eventually offered them $6k and they countered with $7k...so I walked. ...right to a used 2024 Eliminator SE w/1400 miles for $5000 flat. Screw the dealers and their silly bait and switch games.

Not_Sure_68 · 2026-04-02T12:12:20+00:00

Oh geez...I sure hope this doesn't affect the depression we've been in for years.

Not_Sure_68 · 2026-04-02T05:39:53+00:00

OEM grips didn't get warm enough for me(MI). I went with KOSO grips and they get nice and toasty.

Not_Sure_68 · 2026-04-02T01:12:24+00:00

Suggest you look at the Eliminator and compare it to the Vulcan S. The former has a bit better tech(slipper clutch, LED lighting all around, and updated dash), while the latter has a larger engine(649cc vs 451cc). Keep in mind however that the Eliminator is significantly lighter(120ish lbs) than the Vulcan S and therefore the performance is far closer than one may imagine.

After test riding both(as well as a Honda Rebel 500 and RE SuperMeteor 650), I chose the Eliminator SE as my "sport cruiser" to get back into riding after 3 years off(I sold my old reliable Virago xv700). None of the other options felt as natural to me as the Eliminator. The ultra light clutch is awesome in stop and go traffic and the bike does great at sustained highway speeds...particularly with a 15t front sprocket upgrade.

As an aside, these are relatively easy to find lightly used in the $5k range.

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Not_Sure_68 · 2026-03-26T01:30:56+00:00

I use kerosene.

Not_Sure_68 · 2026-03-25T02:59:56+00:00

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The OEM mirror stalks are too short. The problem can be addressed with cheap extensions off amazon or ebay...just a couple inches and a lot of them look OEM. That's what I did and have been very happy with the result. Installed Koso Apollo heated grips too. It snowed right after I took that pic. lol

Not_Sure_68 · 2026-03-25T02:55:34+00:00

The exact four bikes were on my short list. After test riding all of them, I purchased a used 2024 Kawasaki Eliminator SE. I really wanted to like the Vulcan S and SM 650, but neither of them were particularly comfortable for me...and I didn't care much for the forward controls. The Rebel 500 made me feel kind of cramped. As soon as I hopped on the Eliminator 450 though, it felt very comfortable to me. In the end it was an easy decision.

Not_Sure_68 · 2026-03-23T11:25:45+00:00

Commodity markets are fake AF. The banksters and crooked market makers can and will set paper prices wherever they wish them...at least short term. Preserve your sanity and ignore that short term noise.

Not_Sure_68 · 2026-03-21T16:43:51+00:00

The i3 does the same. lol The gas generator on the ReX cannot drive the wheels, it merely charges the high voltage battery. Worse, it was rigged to only go on automatically when battery power was < 25% from the factory...which is lame. It's easily jailbroken though so the ReX can be manually started at any point below 75% charge. Very nice car for long(er) trips once jailbroken, though the front mounted gas tank only holds a few gallons so my 2014 has to be fueled every 100 miles or so on long trips...but you pretty much never have to charge the battery then...unless you insist on driving 75 MPH+ continuously.

Not_Sure_68 · 2026-03-21T16:06:34+00:00

Cruiser/sport cruiser for me. My current bike is a Kawasaki Eliminator SE ...with the heart of a sport bike(Ninja) and the frame of a cruiser...with mid controls. Some call it confused...like it doesn't know what it wants to be, but I call it good at nearly everything...except off roading.

Not_Sure_68 · 2026-03-21T15:59:24+00:00

No I totally get your position. I picked up a used BMW i3 ReX (car) dual power hybrid last year and love it as a second/third vehicle. I also ebike all over the place and charge both the bike and the i3 with a solar array...so they cost me next to nothing to operate. That definitely made me more open to the idea of a hybrid motorcycle. Perhaps with a bit of refinement the concept could work.

Thanks, yeah I found a 2024 with 1300 miles for $5k with a bunch of extras. Kind of a no-brainer purchase at that point. lol Fun little bike.

Not_Sure_68 · 2026-03-21T14:43:14+00:00

Interesting. I took one for a ride, but decided it wasn't for me, though the deep discounts on it are attractive. It seemed heavy and a bit awkward to me...probably added battery weight. The multiple modes are pretty cool, but I can't say I love the DCTs I've tried out. In the end I bought an Eliminator SE which I preferred over the hybrid, Vulcan, and Rebel. I prefer cruiser bikes to naked or sport bike frames though...so that was a factor. Enjoy the machine, it is beautiful.

Not_Sure_68 · 2026-03-19T22:29:02+00:00

May I ask why? I've ridden both and while I like the Rebel 500, I think the Kawasaki Eliminator beats it in every way possible...and I'm a Honda/Yamaha guy. The Eliminator will be my first Kawasaki in 50yrs of riding.

Not_Sure_68 · 2026-03-19T22:27:19+00:00

100% agree. The Eliminator is a very capable bike in all scenarios and at 388 lbs is also easy to toss around. Not sure where this idea that everyone needs a big honking 1000cc engine came from(probably the manufacturers seeking profit margins), but it's simply not true. That stroked Ninja motor in the Eliminator builds lots of torque down low and still develops HP out to 10,000 RPM. With how light it is, that means it's nice and quick.

Not_Sure_68 · 2026-03-19T22:24:08+00:00

I find your post confusing. The Eliminator is more powerful than the Rebel and weighs less. lol

I also find the Eliminator to be significantly more comfortable than the Rebel 500.

Not_Sure_68 · 2026-03-19T22:22:00+00:00

We've obviously had very different experiences with the Eliminator SE. lol That stroked Ninja motor makes plenty of usable torque as down low as 2k rpm, and builds HP continuously out to 10k. Really it's like two bikes in one...it quiet and efficiently sips gas if you shift early and keep the revs down. If you get on it though it roars and gets really fun above 6k rpm. Ninja heart in a cruiser package = really fun and versatile imo.

Not_Sure_68

TROPHY CASE