Since the rear pulley bearing can (and probably will) fail on a 2004 Vulcan 2000, it is recommended to replace it with a dual sealed bearing (stock just has a dust guard on it).

To see if your bearing is currently having problems (failing), here is how to check for the noise: if you can, lift the rear wheel off the ground, then spin it by hand. If you hear clicking coming from the rear pulley area, the bearing is going bad. Click here for a AVI movie of a failed bearing's noise.

I, along with many other V2K owners, have replaced the OEM bearing with a Boca Bearing which is 2RS, or, 2 sided rubber sealed. The bearing number is 6006.

Boca Bearing replacement bearings: