Kawasaki Vulcan S Cafe reviews

Still loving this bike. I did have one breakdown which is very rare. We lost a rear wheel bearing on this bike on the Blueridge Parkway. This happened in an area where we had 0 cell reception. Lucky for us a park ranger drove past after 30 minutes that we were able to get to help us. We also met some very nice people in Bedford, VA. who were lifesavers. Kawasaki fixed the problem but would not cover the rear tire that wore out totally on one side due to the alignment issue. Overall, I'm still happy with this bike. Show less

If you want to feel like your "own" the open road and you want to command a man's bike (no offense ladies!) then this is the one for you. No, it isn't perfect. I wish it handled a little smoother at low speeds and while cruising through town in stop-and-go traffic. But, this bike is meant for open road cruising (80 mph.) and down right romping through a twisting turn (although not designed for the tight turns!) The sheer power and sound from the big 2053 cc motor when you open up the throttle let's you know immediately that it's not your granddad's bike...this is definitely a heavyweight cruiser! It's a handsome bike that consistently commands admirable attention from other bikers. I've not had any mechanical problems with this bike but generally I am not hard on my ride either. I don't think Kawasaki makes this model any longer so if you find a used one in good shape with low miles, it would be well worth considering if you primarily ride the open road. If your main ride is through town or have short commutes then it might be best to look at something different...this beast is most comfortable cruising at 50-80 mph...all day long! Show less

I love this motorcycle! I've been riding full time for over 30 years now and owned more bikes than I can count. This Vulcan 900 Custom Special Edition not only looks good, it also performs and handles better than I ever expected. The tall, thin front wheel handles corners exceptionally well, the engine is quiet, powerful with loads of torque with a quiet, yet deep and authoritive exhaust note that is music to the ears. The transmission is tight and shifts beautifully. The clutch has a nice firm feel. The stock drivers seat is very comfortable. It's much better than the Star 950's seat that we traded in. My wife hasn't complained about the passenger seat but we have not taken any all-day rides yet. If she doesn't complain we're keeping the stock seat. The bike is still in break-in period but from what I can tell it is already one of my all-time favorites. This is my first (well 2nd, bought a 2012 Ninja 650R a couple of weeks ago) Kawasaki in 20 years. I've been overlooking the brand and that was a mistake. I purchased the Ninja as a toy for myself and was so impressed with it that I decided to try the Custom. It was one of the best decisions I've made in a long time. I am very impressed. I think you are going to love it, too. Ride safe! Show less

This bike is great. I bought it (2011 model) at the 2012 Toronto Motorcycle show in January. I took delivery in mid-March, and have ridden 1,250 kms. so far. It's a very nice, very comfortable bike. It's perfect ergonomics for me at 6'0". The windscreen at the lowest setting and there is no wind buffeting at all. It is lighter in handling than my 2003 1500 Nomad, but similar to the 2006 Harley Road King I owned for a while, and almost as good handling (except for limited lean angle - I've dragged the footboards several times on the pavement going around corners already) as the 1984 1200 Honda Goldwing I owned for 12 years. It has considerably more power that any of the others except for the Goldwing (which had 96 hp. and 87 ft/lbs. torgue if I remember correctly). It's got more power in stock form than my 2003 Nomad stock, and still more than the 2003 Nomad after I added the V&H pipes, custom air intake manifold and K&W air filter and a Dynajet Power Commander to the 2003. The Harley's power starts earlier in the revs (almost immediately you twist the throttle) and is more linear in feel the way it builds up. But eventually when the revs. get up on the 1700 Nomad, it finally pulls harder. But, you have to get the revs. up (probably to about 3500 rpm. - estimate for now) to feel a good satisfying burst of power. So I'm getting a tachometer installed so I can read when I'm in the best power RPM range in each gear. Maybe I'll even see what a set of V&H pipes or D&D pipes with modified air intake and Power Commander will do for this one. Cruise control was an option I was really looking forward to, and it worked great - for the first three times I used it. Then it just stopped working after that (at about the 200 km. mark). It's currently in the shop for its first warranty check, and hopefully it gets fixed under warranty (it should or I'm going to be mildly upset to say the least). Shifting is a bit clunky, but just like my Harley Road King was, but to me, it just feels like good solid quality. The Goldwing and 2003 Nomad shifted more with that snickety-snick feel to it which makes the transmission seem rather lightweight. There's no more noise on this bike than there was on any of the other three I mentioned above. Personally, I absolutely love every piece of the styling, looks and design of this bike. I just wish they had designed a slight more ground clearance on the lean angle to let it carve out the corners a little cleaner, because the frams give such a confident solid well controlled feel when cornering. Overall, I'd recommend this to anyone who is in the market for this kind of bike Show less

The bike is new, broke her in coming home from Peacocks approx. 100 miles. The power was good, ride was great, comfy, with a plush suspension and saddle. I have degenerative discs in my back so comfort is a must. I found the ride exellent. I spent two hours on the bike with no issues. I had not ridden in a while but I found the controls and handling very familiar. It was like riding an old friend. I am glad to have made the purchase. The bike looks awesome - fit and finish are top rate. There is very little vibration, excellent for a belt drive. This bike is a headturner, the local guys all stopped and drooled when I got home. If you want a crusier to motor on, this is it. It handles very good indeed and the list of custom parts is one of the most exstensive I have seen. It's the best bang for the buck and then some for sure. Show less

The bike has been a dream. It has power, speed and looks. The ride is great. The bike is wonderful. Show less

If you're on the fence about this one don't be, this buy is built to ride. The engine has loads of HP and torque, it looks good (although I have the 2007, they dont have the headlight nacelle anymore which I miss) and despite reviews easy to handle for such a huge bike (of course I'm a 6-7 guy who hits the gym five days a week). I moved up from a Boulevard C90 which was a great bike, but lacking in HP and torque, and I don't regret it one bit. Now the bad part, I am not really liking the seat, it seems to push me forward a bit. I will be replacing that for sure. OK, ehough reading, call, and tell them you're on you way to pick it up. Show less

I bought this bike back in July. In three months time I logged over 5,000 miles and loved every minute of it. I had to change out the windscreen to a 11.5" CeeBailey's. The original just wasn't high enough. The wind hit me right at eye level. It has plenty of power and cruises great. It's been an awesome bike. I can't wait to get off deployment and ride it again. Show less

I bought this bike from a previous owner who customized it and babied it, basically. She has about 20,000 miles and feels like she only has about 1,000! This bike is comfortable and easy to ride/control! I bought a "Johnny Pag" 300cc brand new for $3,300 and thought I was getting a deal!! I rode the thing for 300 miles and was scared I was going to kill myself only going 40 miles an hour! Something definitely wasn't right...so I looked into trading her in for a bigger better bike. When I came across this, the dealer promised me I would have a blast with this bike and even talked me out of getting a Sportster 883 and it was so worth it!! I can't stop thinking about it when I'm not riding and I ride it every chance I get!! I love it!! I feel safe and I know I can rely on it! I would recommend this bike to anyone, especially if your not wanting to spend thousands on a "Harley"! Personally, I think this bike beats out a Harley all day!! Show less

I purchased my 2010 Nomad in July of 2011 it was a leftover with 0 miles on it. I found two others exactly the same at other dealers but only one was serious about dealing. The Nomad has been on the short list of bikes I liked and wanted for awhile. I have always like the look of Nomads be it the 1500, 1600, and now 1700s. The new top loading bags are scoffed at by some of the 1500 and 1600 Nomad riders as is the belt vs shaft drive on the 1500 & 1600s. Personally I like the looks of the top load bags but there is a bit of a gap between fender and bags to allow them to open which does give them a clean look up close. I upgraded from a 750 Shadow to this bike and it has gobs of power compared to the 750 and slow speed handling is actually better at least to me. The bike is geared very tall and 6th gear really does not come into it's own until 65 mph. and makes interstate cruising very relaxed. With that said though you will need to down shift if you really want to get it moving which I have found it does with little problem. There are no issues keeping up with the 104CID Harley's though in a drag race with the Nomad gearing it will be at a disadvantage. If you want more mph. the typical exhaust, fuel processor, and intake upgrade will wake it up. It does generate quite a bit of heat but no more than the typical big twin air cooled or water cooled. There is some gear whine which is typical for straight cut gears in the transmission and belt noise vanished after the first 1,000 miles. 1st to 2nd shift is loud but this apparently is also typical of the '09 & '10 1700 Vulcans. The seat is comfy but does curve up a bit too much for me in the front. Air shocks are easy to put air into if you are riding two up and the shocks have easy to adjust pre-load settings. The seat is super easy to remove to access the battery. The windshield is adjustable and at 6'-3" I have it actually set pretty low and get very little turbulence thanks in part to the lower deflectors on the forks. The fit and finish I think is superb on this bike and it will turn some heads though not everyone will like the style of the hard bags. I like the "classic" Amercian cruiser/bagger styling that is still distinctive in a sea of Harley Davidson's. Last but not least the cruise control is amazing! Show less