The Cruiser That Proves You Don’t Need A Huge Engine For Serious Road Presence
Take a good look at today’s cruiser market, and you will realize that attainable middleweight iron is almost extinct. The large-displacement V-twins have retreated behind the velvet ropes of the premium segment, becoming luxury status symbols rather than daily drivers.
For an average enthusiast who would love the authentic attitude of a large, rumbly V-twin, the choices today are quite frustrating: you either have to empty out your pockets or settle for something that lacks mechanical soul. However, a closer look at the segment does reveal one interesting machine that has premium chopper charm with a middleweight MSRP.
Authentic Cruiser Charm Depends On Proportions Rather Than Massive Displacement
Here is a secret: turning heads while riding around has never required a massive engine or a high price tag. Get the mechanicals and visuals right on the motorcycle, and the job is pretty much done. All you require is a raked front end, a fat rear tire, the traditional long-and-low look, and a V-twin thumping away in the middle. Smart engineering and authentic custom proportions will deliver the swagger that everyone craves — even if it comes directly from the factory. And it is so much better when it does not demand that you empty your bank account.
But Modern Cruisers Force A Choice Between Luxury Pricing And Cost-Cut Platforms
Yet, genuine cruisers are getting scarce unless you are ready to drop serious money on heavyweights from either America or Bavaria. Even brands known historically for large-displacement cruisers are thinning their portfolios to one or two big engines at best. The budget-friendly segment of cruisers has abandoned the traditional cruiser formula almost entirely. With only a few options from China making their way to showroom floors recently, everyone else has taken to platform sharing and using the same parallel-twin engines that power their sports bikes and commuter bikes, but in cruiser form. These are undeniably practical motorcycles for the city, but they lack charisma.
The Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Custom Proves Road Presence Defies Engine Displacement
How do you tackle all that, then? Well, Kawasaki has a solution in the form of the Vulcan 900. It performs the function of the mid-size V-twin cruiser in Kawasaki’s lineup. This looks like a custom bike right out of the box — it achieves that with a blacked-out engine, alloy rims including a massive 21-inch front wheel, and drag-bike handlebars. Its road presence is undeniable despite the mid-size engine capacity, and it proves road presence is not proportional to the size of the engine.
$9,999 Price Makes It Accessible To Most
The Vulcan 900 Custom is available for $9,999, which is par for the course considering the other midweight Japanese V-twin cruisers. However, there is a bit of a problem because both American cruiser manufacturers now have products at that same exact price. However, both the Nightster and the Scout Sixty Bobber make compromises to achieve that price. The Vulcan also makes for a much easier customization platform of the three, and in LT form is the most comfortable cruiser under $15,000. There’s also a stripped-down base Vulcan 900 Classic you want something old-school for cheaper.
903cc Liquid-Cooled V-Twin Balances Classic Styling With Modern Fuel Delivery
Kawasaki decided to get the best of both worlds with its 903 cc V-twin: it has combined an air-cooled look, but in reality is wholly liquid-cooled. It is interesting that for an engine that was launched 20 years ago, it has a modern short-stroke design, but the laid-back 9.5:1 compression ratio was a conscious choice. It allows this engine to outlive its owner.
The two cylinders in the 55-degree V generate 51 horsepower at 5,500 RPM and 58.3 pound-feet of torque at 3,500 RPM. A five-speed gearbox and belt final drive complete the driveline. The numbers might not sound like much, but if you look at the gap between the power and torque peaks, you will realize that this is a very flexible engine that does not really need more than five speeds in its gearbox to go about most of its business.
A Hidden Rear Monoshock And 21-Inch Front Wheel Create A Classic Stance
The Vulcan 900 Custom has a semi-double-cradle frame with 41 mm telescopic Showa forks at the front and a hidden rear link-type monoshock with seven-step adjustable preload. There is 5.9 inches of travel available at the front and 4.1 inches at the rear. Elsewhere, the brakes consist of a single 300 mm disc at the front and a 270 mm disc at the rear, with two-piston floating calipers assigned to each.
One of the distinguishing features of the Vulcan 900 Custom is alloy wheels: there is a massive 21-inch front rim coupled with a 15-inch rear. Since these are alloy wheels, this is the only Vulcan 900 that has tubeless tires fitted. Oh, and if all that isn’t enough, the traditional chassis allows for easy customization. So you could transform this into something even more head-turning with ease.
A 64.8-Inch Wheelbase Gives The Middleweight Vulcan Full-Size Presence
The Vulcan 900 Custom might be a mid-size cruiser, but it has the length of a full-size one at 94.7 inches and a wheelbase of 64.8 inches. Its wide drag ‘bars also contribute to its 35.2-inch width. Despite the under-seat monoshock, the seat height is a low 27 inches, and the ground clearance is pretty good for a cruiser at 5.5 inches. The fuel tank can hold up to 5.3 gallons of fuel, and it weighs nearly 611 pounds ready to ride with a full tank. The kicked-out front forks and large front wheel, along with the dimensions, help the Vulcan 900 Custom be the most aggressive-looking Kawasaki V-twin cruiser.
Tank-Mounted Analog Gauges Preserve An Uncluttered, Pure Cruising Experience
The Vulcan 900 has not changed in 20 years, which is why it has a tank-mounted instrument cluster dominated by a circular analog speedometer. At the bottom is an analog fuel gauge, which is something that we appreciate on a cruiser of this age. In the center is an LCD that shows you information like the odometer, tripmeter, and clock.
The rest of the feature set includes a blacked-out engine and exhaust pipes that are slash-cut; the wheels have been pinstriped as well. From the accessories catalog, you can pick up a short windshield, a luggage rack, and auxiliary lights. Since it has been around for so long, the aftermarket is unlimited, so there is no shortage of choice. Its simplicity also gives it reliability among the best, like a Yamaha, to go with its iconic presence.
Lack Of ABS And A Five-Speed Gearbox Limit Highway Versatility
Read owner posts, and you’ll learn the Vulcan 900 engine feels more refined than expected in the city, but with the five-speed transmission, the engine can get quite buzzy on the highway because of the high revs it requires at speeds of over 70 MPH. The highway also exposes its modest power figure, where it can feel underpowered when loaded down with luggage or a pillion. Similarly, the stock brakes are simply not enough when measured against the products of today, and there is no ABS available even as an option.
There Is One Japanese Cruiser That Offers A Distinct Alternative
The affordable dragster- or chopper-style cruiser is almost dead, but it still has a few champions in the market. The Honda Fury is one of them: at $11,499, it is in the same price bracket as the Vulcan 900 Custom, and although the Kawasaki follows a drag-bike aesthetic, the Fury looks more like a chopper. It has a slightly larger engine at 1,300 cc and uses a shaft drive, but it has the same effect on people as the Vulcan 900 Custom – it brings big bike vibes on a budget.
Source: Kawasaki USA
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