Kawasaki KZ1000-LTD reviews

I was looking for a cruiser style motorcyle that wasn't too heavy, had satisfiable acceleration and speed, and was not too costly. I looked at the new Kawasaki Vulcan S 650 but did not want to spend $8,000 to nearly $10,000 after taxes and mainly motorcycle dealer costs on a motorcyle as this is just a leisure form of transportation. I looked into the pre-owned Suzuki Boulevard S40 (LS650 Savage), Suzuki Boulevard M50, Honda Rebel 300, Honda Rebel 500, and some pre-owned Harley Davidson models but they were either too slow, too heavy, rated to have too uncomfortable seating, or too expensive for what they are. I looked into the Kawasaki Vulcan 500 and saw a few on Facebook Marketplace sell quickly for about anywhere from $2,000 to $2,800 and heard that these motorcycles (Kawasaki Vulcan 500) once had the quickest acceleration off the line for it's class at one specific point in time and were of the lightest in it's class. I found another Vulcan 500 on the market and purchased it. On the first ride I was impressed with the acceleration off the line and the handling. It was easy to put away or push into storage as it's not too heavy. After owning it a while, it has been reliable, and starts right up every time. In regards to comfort the seat can be uncomfortable after riding over an hour or so. Also, when riding at higher speeds on the highway it does feel a bit wavy or not fully stable I think due to it's light weight. It may be best suited for backroad travel, main roads, and in town travel but not highway travel at 70 mph travel. Show less

I was looking for a lightweight, comfortable, water cooled cruiser with plenty of get up and go. I looked at the new offerings from Honda, Moto Guzzi, Suzuki and Yamaha and they were either too heavy, too slow, too expensive or uncomfortable. By chance a 2006 Kawasaki Vulcan 500 LTD model came up for sale on Craig’s list near me and after a test ride I was sold! It’s fast, comfortable, light, easy to maintain and reliable. This is a gem of a bike and it looks great as well, especially in red. Gets 55 MPG which is pretty good for an old, carb cruiser. Show less

The power is overwhelming. As much as you want, ever. Make sure you have new tires, always. Make sure your shocks and springs are up to date. Risers on the handlebars, even at 6 feet tall, are great for long cruises. I have taken it across the country twice. Great machine, totally reliable. Show less

So about April this year I bought a 1984 KZ550-F2 LTD. The owner said that the engine would die if you put it into gear and showed me such. The bike sat outside behind a house for 2 years and had mice living in it, but it at the very least ran, and I was happy to buy it for $900. Then I cleaned it, tuned it, and fixed all the electrical issues. Looks great now. But I digress: 5/5 for reliability. This thing is easy to work on as long as it isn't the air-box. Almost maintenance free. 4/5 for quality. This thing has many features such as two helmet locks, a center stand, air adjustable forks, dual adjustable shocks, hazard lights, most standard features for an old bike. Just nothing that stands out. 4/5 for performance. Can do it all. It has power, it has steering, brakes are rather weak despite being a disk in front and a drum in back. Top speed is around 110 mph, but has a 1/4 mile time of around 13-14 seconds. It is loads of fun on twisting roads. 3/5 for comfort. The biggest the issue I have with this bike is the seat. I hate the seat. I hate having no aftermarket options to change this (I don't want cafe racer seats). It will probably hurt your back after an hour, especially if you are taller. I do recommend this as a second bike, as it can do any type of commute or trip. Very tame power without being boring, very solid steering, 45 mpg, a good $900 spent. Would I get it again? Probably. I'd prefer a GPZ 550 to this, but I can't deny that it's a fun bike. Show less

Lots of torque just of idle makes it a challenge to be smooth at very low speed maneuvers.Dont get me wrong it will make its way around the parking lot,but you better pay attention. On the whole seams to be a fantastic machine. Need to change the seat out. Need to sit about an inch or two higher,31 inch inseam. Show less

A buddy of mine bought this bike to get his license on. I've gotten to ride it a good bit since it's stored in my garage. I've been riding for years and am normally a sport/sport-standard type of rider, but this Vulcan 500 is FUN. It doesn't suffer from most of the traditional cruiser flaws - it is relatively light weight, it handles well and it accelerates surprisingly fast. The 500cc parallel twin pulls hard through all the gears, but it's still very newby-friendly. The long wheel base makes it a little tough to maneuver in parking lots, but other than that no complaints at all. Maybe a center stand would have been nice (it is chain driven), but it fits on my rearstand just fine. The swingarm is even the same width as my sport bike. Show less

I bought it July 10 for my wife. She had just completed a bike course. She tried out several different bikes, and found this one to be the best overall for easy of handling, and power vs. size. Plus it seems to have been made with a smaller framed person in mind. The bike is excellent around town, and for short day trips; but, it's a little light for extended trip riding. I just bought her the 900 Vulcan for extended trips. The saleswoman at the dealership was great. Show less

Being a lady in my late 50's and wanting to ride - this bike is wonderful. My son and I along with a friend all go riding on weekends and it is able to keep up with the bigger bikes. Never did I think I would be riding a bike. But I choose the right one as it is easy to handle. I love it. Show less

I just purchased a 500ltd after fighting to touch the ground on a 1100 Shadow. Size matters in the fact at 59 years old I want fit and comfort. When I was younger I wanted to look cool and now I want to be cool. This little big bike has plenty of get up and go and I found it to handle truck drafts close to my big cruiser. I am just puttering through the break in. I did punch it enough to tell it will haul me plenty fast. Show less

This is my 2nd bike. First one was a Harley Sportster which I found very top heavy and difficult to hold up since I'm a short person. I sold it and bought the Vulcan 500. I love this bike and it has a lot of power. The only thing I have trouble with is the brakes squeak, but that's minor and fixable. Show less