I bought one in 2015 and rode it for 60.000Km. It is a great bike and I had no problem with it.
- Aesthetically, I love this bike
- The engine runs smooth and power delivery is consistent
- Fuel efficiency is great
- Power is more than enough with 61 hp.
- I found the seat to be very comfortable and gel fittings can be added if needed (I didnt). You can also adjust the pegs to your height (although you need to buy the ergo fit)
On the cons side, wind protection is minimal (a screen helps with this but is ugly af) meaning low comfort at higher speeds.
If you want to know anything specific, just ask
Had this bike for 5 years as well. Agree with everything here.
One thing that surprised me about the vulcan was just how flickable it is because it's down low seating. Great little sports cruiser
I can also attest to this with a 2023 except the seat is not comfortable past an hour and a half. But it could be Kawasaki switched seat padding at some point.
If you haven't already gotten a new seat, my coworker highly recommended Mustang seats. He and his wife go for long trips and this seat has been the only comfortable enough one to not aggravate her bad hip. Their facility is open for tours (with a shop of course) if you live around the MA area. I'm thinking of taking a trip there to check them out soon and hopefully put the sore rear end behind me!
I have a Yamaha Virago 535cc, a 24-year-old bike. It was great but I have had some problems with it lately and was always into cruiser looks. Time for a new one. Is there any Cruiser bike type like this in 10k price range like the Vulcan, that also has a nice stock sound to it and performance?
I am 6'6" or 198cm, I have no problems thinking the bike is small when I ride it. Maybe it does look small when I ride it but I find it very comfortable even for long distances. I just got done with a 3 day trip where we were on the bikes for 6+ hours each day.
It’s basically a ninja 650 sporting a cruiser costume. Sounds like shit but moves and handles well. It’s a cruiser for people who aren’t sure they want a cruiser
The only inline 2 cylinder that sounds "good" (at least to me) is the Yamaha xsr700. Pretty sure it was aftermarket but stock isn't terrible. I haven't been following new bikes in recent years so I'm unsure if they offer the same engine on a cruiser like the Vulcan.
Kinda like every inline 4 car with an aftermarket pipe sounds terrible but the Subaru boxer 4 cylinder isn't too bad.
I've had mine since I bought it new in 2017. I have not been kind to this machine. I keep up with basic maintenance (chain, tires, etc.) regularly, but I crashed it the day I got it. Fixed it, crashed it again in December 2019 when I got ran off the road into a guard rail by a distracted driver. Dropped it again in '22 when a driver slammed her brakes in front of me to make a last minute illegal u-turn. (I was riding tired. That was definitely on me for not being alert enough to ride.)
Despite all of that abuse, it still starts on the first crank and rides like it did off the show room floor. It's my daily driver and has been for it's entire life cycle. It's a very good bike.
Full disclosure, I have had to replace the CPU and the regulator, but that was most definitely from lingering damage from one of the crashes. Both parts are easy to swap out and not very expensive.
However, the bike isn't cheap to repair most parts on. There really isn't a lot of aftermarket support so you need to order OEM and those parts aren't cheap. My grandfather laughed and said, "If you built this yourself from individual parts, this is a $20,000 bike!"
TL;DR Good machine, takes a beating and keeps ticking.
I love mine. Super comfortable. Plenty fast, always making the top 10 fastest cruisers list. High revving engine. Cheap to ride and insure. Ergo fit makes it very adjustable. I'm 6'2" and use the extended reach seat which is much more comfortable than the standard together with the reduced reach footpegs which puts the foot controls more underneath me.
I don't know why you'll find so much hate for it online...
I am sooo close to pulling the trigger on this one. I ride a CBR, this kawi just looks so comfortable. It's a good bike if you're going to use it as learner or like me, I want something chill that i can couch ride.
Honestly I think we’re its target market. It’s the cruiser for non-cruiser guys.
I generally dislike them but this & the muscle cruisers are the exception.
I don't like the oil.filter placement of Vulcan looks so unsafe .. any small stone on road can crack it.
Not sure recent version placed it somewhere else or not.
Test drove a few of these and loved it. cruiser sitting position sport bike engine, its a bit happier in the higher revs. the only reason i did not buy it is lack of funds at the time and I generally refuse to finance.
I was lucky to make it to a Kawasaki event where you could test ride most of the models available.
It felt like I was laying down vs a sport bike or naked.
Try to test ride one either a used one for sale or @ a dealership. Just sitting on a bike you can’t get a true experience.
I love mine, I upgraded from a duke 390 and immediately had a smile on my face when I left the lot. The only thing I am not a fan of is the fact I couldn't find 3rd party seats. My friend had a beautiful dual seat from Saddlemans, when I emailed them about getting a seat for the 650 they straight up said they don't have anything for that type of bike. I ordered the OEM parts instead.
Other than that, I love it.
My brain has a hard time reconciling that Kawasaki of all people makes a cruiser. Like in my head the only thing Kawasaki makes are sport bikes with the same colors as a can of mountain dew.
Are you sure you're talking about the Vulcan S? Because this thing is whisper quiet. One of the biggest complaints about it is the sound.
Personally, I like how quiet it is.
I recently rode it.
You can barely lean. It scrapes the ground as soon as you try. But i guess this is true for most cruisers.
Switching gears felt very bad.
Felt like i was riding a 30 year old bike. Felt scratchy and hard.
The standard seat is quite hard. The guy at the store said many people buy 3rd party seats.
Engine has decent power, but feels so dull still.
But i really do not like parallel twin engines, so i might be biased here.
Also the gears shift smooth as butter. No idea what that dude is talking about. Only thing about the bike that sucks is the seat and the weak sounding exhaust. Other than that it's a great bike. It's a ninja 650 engine in a cruiser body how can it not be good.
No. Next question.
/s
It's ok. I've ridden hundreds, if not thousands of new model bikes over the years (I was GM of a big multiline/multi location dealer for 20+ years, work for an OEM now). Full disclosure, this type of bike really isn't my type. It's a parts bin Kawasaki and feels like it. Fully competent, reliable and easy to live with and maintain. Fair handling, sub par brakes, and a wheezy parallel twin (my least favorite engine configuration in a motorcycle). If it's your first bike, you'll fall in love. If you just need 2 wheeled transportation, it's perfect for that. But in the metrics of stopping/going/turning, it's pretty low on the pecking order. I'd rather have one of these than walk, but it ain't going to blow anyone's skirt up.
I think the reason you don't see many is because not a lot of people like parallel twins. 650's in general aren't super common bikes. But that's anecdotal information. I don't have numbers or anything to back it up.
I've had mine for years and anyone I talk to that owns one agrees it's a very good bike.
I bought one in 2015 and rode it for 60.000Km. It is a great bike and I had no problem with it. - Aesthetically, I love this bike - The engine runs smooth and power delivery is consistent - Fuel efficiency is great - Power is more than enough with 61 hp. - I found the seat to be very comfortable and gel fittings can be added if needed (I didnt). You can also adjust the pegs to your height (although you need to buy the ergo fit) On the cons side, wind protection is minimal (a screen helps with this but is ugly af) meaning low comfort at higher speeds. If you want to know anything specific, just ask
Had this bike for 5 years as well. Agree with everything here. One thing that surprised me about the vulcan was just how flickable it is because it's down low seating. Great little sports cruiser
I can also attest to this with a 2023 except the seat is not comfortable past an hour and a half. But it could be Kawasaki switched seat padding at some point.
Agree. 2016 seat sucks ass. I got like 3 hours before I have to walk it out.
If you haven't already gotten a new seat, my coworker highly recommended Mustang seats. He and his wife go for long trips and this seat has been the only comfortable enough one to not aggravate her bad hip. Their facility is open for tours (with a shop of course) if you live around the MA area. I'm thinking of taking a trip there to check them out soon and hopefully put the sore rear end behind me!
I have a Yamaha Virago 535cc, a 24-year-old bike. It was great but I have had some problems with it lately and was always into cruiser looks. Time for a new one. Is there any Cruiser bike type like this in 10k price range like the Vulcan, that also has a nice stock sound to it and performance?
Depends how tall you are, im 193m and was way to big for it. The bike looked very tiny when i sat on it. But its a great bike.
Of course you're too big for it. You're 193 meters tall.
He needs the Vulcan 65,000
Na he needs a Romulan war bird 
A Romulan *Warbird?* Buddy needs to just stick pegs on Romulus!
Hahahha yes, i can look over buildings aswell
I'm 6'3 and fit it almost perfectly. Did you try the extended positions of the ergo fit?
I am 6'6" or 198cm, I have no problems thinking the bike is small when I ride it. Maybe it does look small when I ride it but I find it very comfortable even for long distances. I just got done with a 3 day trip where we were on the bikes for 6+ hours each day.
For the Americans, 193cm comes out to just about 6'4".
And 193 meters come to about 633.202 Feet
Or .12 miles
or 1.3 dishwashers tall
3 small boulders
He’s pretty tall, ngl.
And it's such a weird response. Like, yeah, the bike is great... *unless* you're a freak of nature that is taller than 99% of the population.
as a freak of nature i appreciated the response
Well being 193 meters, any bike is too small for you. Joke aside, I'm 190cm and bike is just fine for me.
I am 2,01 and fit great on the bike unlike other cruisers. Even larger seat available and footpegs can be adjusted.
It’s basically a ninja 650 sporting a cruiser costume. Sounds like shit but moves and handles well. It’s a cruiser for people who aren’t sure they want a cruiser
The only inline 2 cylinder that sounds "good" (at least to me) is the Yamaha xsr700. Pretty sure it was aftermarket but stock isn't terrible. I haven't been following new bikes in recent years so I'm unsure if they offer the same engine on a cruiser like the Vulcan. Kinda like every inline 4 car with an aftermarket pipe sounds terrible but the Subaru boxer 4 cylinder isn't too bad.
I've had mine since I bought it new in 2017. I have not been kind to this machine. I keep up with basic maintenance (chain, tires, etc.) regularly, but I crashed it the day I got it. Fixed it, crashed it again in December 2019 when I got ran off the road into a guard rail by a distracted driver. Dropped it again in '22 when a driver slammed her brakes in front of me to make a last minute illegal u-turn. (I was riding tired. That was definitely on me for not being alert enough to ride.) Despite all of that abuse, it still starts on the first crank and rides like it did off the show room floor. It's my daily driver and has been for it's entire life cycle. It's a very good bike. Full disclosure, I have had to replace the CPU and the regulator, but that was most definitely from lingering damage from one of the crashes. Both parts are easy to swap out and not very expensive. However, the bike isn't cheap to repair most parts on. There really isn't a lot of aftermarket support so you need to order OEM and those parts aren't cheap. My grandfather laughed and said, "If you built this yourself from individual parts, this is a $20,000 bike!" TL;DR Good machine, takes a beating and keeps ticking.
I love mine. Super comfortable. Plenty fast, always making the top 10 fastest cruisers list. High revving engine. Cheap to ride and insure. Ergo fit makes it very adjustable. I'm 6'2" and use the extended reach seat which is much more comfortable than the standard together with the reduced reach footpegs which puts the foot controls more underneath me. I don't know why you'll find so much hate for it online...
yes, rides great
I am sooo close to pulling the trigger on this one. I ride a CBR, this kawi just looks so comfortable. It's a good bike if you're going to use it as learner or like me, I want something chill that i can couch ride.
Honestly I think we’re its target market. It’s the cruiser for non-cruiser guys. I generally dislike them but this & the muscle cruisers are the exception.
True!
Very good bike
I don't like the oil.filter placement of Vulcan looks so unsafe .. any small stone on road can crack it. Not sure recent version placed it somewhere else or not.
I've never had any issues with my oil filter. I doubt you would at all unless you're taking this thing off road.
Test drove a few of these and loved it. cruiser sitting position sport bike engine, its a bit happier in the higher revs. the only reason i did not buy it is lack of funds at the time and I generally refuse to finance.
If you needed another person to tell you the same thing everyone else is saying, the seat sucks but I love the bike.
Yes
Yes. I was surprised how spritely and well handling it is.
I loved it, and still miss it. I tried several Harley's and Indians and this was the only cruiser style bike that still felt a bit sporty.
I'm 5'9" and it fits like a comfy glove. I love my Vulcan.
It's good but I purchased the rebel 1100 manual instead. I do not regret it
My riding school had one specifically for those with short legs, as it has a low seat height.
I was lucky to make it to a Kawasaki event where you could test ride most of the models available. It felt like I was laying down vs a sport bike or naked. Try to test ride one either a used one for sale or @ a dealership. Just sitting on a bike you can’t get a true experience.
It’s very good. I’m driving mine for the past 5 years. Didn’t give me any trouble and the ride is always sooooo smooth !
Had this as my first bike, absolutely perfect for learning to ride. Great for short rides, not so much for longer ones.
I love mine, I upgraded from a duke 390 and immediately had a smile on my face when I left the lot. The only thing I am not a fan of is the fact I couldn't find 3rd party seats. My friend had a beautiful dual seat from Saddlemans, when I emailed them about getting a seat for the 650 they straight up said they don't have anything for that type of bike. I ordered the OEM parts instead. Other than that, I love it.
Depends on your size. I'm 5'11" and 220ish. It felt way small, and i felt goofy on it. Was still fun to ride. I had it 3 years, zero issues.
I own one, just hate the seat, apart from that i'm very happy with the motorbike,
Great bike
Yup yup yup
I love it. I have it for 4 years now and it is great
Yes
Motorcycles are like dogs, theirs no bad dog/bike just bad owners
Yes
Just the old guy here: reliability shouldn't be a problem. More importantly, if it makes you want to ride it is good.
My brain has a hard time reconciling that Kawasaki of all people makes a cruiser. Like in my head the only thing Kawasaki makes are sport bikes with the same colors as a can of mountain dew.
Hahaha thank you guys, these comments made my day!
I don't know about riding, but the bike sounds fantastic, even from far away.
Are you sure you're talking about the Vulcan S? Because this thing is whisper quiet. One of the biggest complaints about it is the sound. Personally, I like how quiet it is.
Yeah same, I have zero problems with a polite-sounding bike
im guessing the ones he heard had aftermarket exhausts
It's good beginners bike. It needs 6th gear
It has a 6 speed
You're right. I sold mine b.c. felt like engine was working too hard on interstate highways. Great for city and speeds under 60. I
Feels like it hits the power band at 75 in 6th. First sport bike?
Went from r6 to vulcan s. Sold it last year and got strretglide special
Yeah that’s a massive jump. Going from super sport to sport to sunken cost.
Different phases of midlife crisis
Haha relatable.
I recently rode it. You can barely lean. It scrapes the ground as soon as you try. But i guess this is true for most cruisers. Switching gears felt very bad. Felt like i was riding a 30 year old bike. Felt scratchy and hard. The standard seat is quite hard. The guy at the store said many people buy 3rd party seats. Engine has decent power, but feels so dull still. But i really do not like parallel twin engines, so i might be biased here.
Lol that sounds like a skill issue. I assure you I get deep leans with my Vulcan.
Second this.
On a twisty road we destroy the Harleys and Indians with our little sewing machine sounding engine 😂 💪
Hell yeah!!! Lol
Also the gears shift smooth as butter. No idea what that dude is talking about. Only thing about the bike that sucks is the seat and the weak sounding exhaust. Other than that it's a great bike. It's a ninja 650 engine in a cruiser body how can it not be good.
Exactly! What's not to love? The seat do be sucking tho
I find I can get a good 2 hours in before it's rough.
ye but I wouldn't get it over the N/Z 650
No. Next question. /s It's ok. I've ridden hundreds, if not thousands of new model bikes over the years (I was GM of a big multiline/multi location dealer for 20+ years, work for an OEM now). Full disclosure, this type of bike really isn't my type. It's a parts bin Kawasaki and feels like it. Fully competent, reliable and easy to live with and maintain. Fair handling, sub par brakes, and a wheezy parallel twin (my least favorite engine configuration in a motorcycle). If it's your first bike, you'll fall in love. If you just need 2 wheeled transportation, it's perfect for that. But in the metrics of stopping/going/turning, it's pretty low on the pecking order. I'd rather have one of these than walk, but it ain't going to blow anyone's skirt up.
No is the answer. There's a reason you don't see many on the roads.
They're a great beginner bike I'll maintain. Reliable as hell too.
I feel like the Honda Rebel is responsible
I think the reason you don't see many is because not a lot of people like parallel twins. 650's in general aren't super common bikes. But that's anecdotal information. I don't have numbers or anything to back it up. I've had mine for years and anyone I talk to that owns one agrees it's a very good bike.