The new Kawasaki Vulcan S can be custom fitted to your ergos.
We recently returned from Santa Barbara, California, where Kawasaki introduced its all-new Vulcan S ABS to the media. Kawasaki led us on a 130-plus mile ride, which included plenty of backroad twisties, urban stop-and-go riding, and open highway cruising, and we came away very impressed with this unique “little” cruiser.
Unlike your typical V-twin-powered cruiser, the Vulcan S is powered by a 649cc parallel-twin motor that already drives both the sporty Versys and Ninja 650.
Perhaps the standout feature with this bike is its Ergo-Fit concept unique to the Vulcan S. Dealers that sign up as Ergo-Fit Centers (and most have), will custom-fit the bike to the rider at no extra charge. There are three Ergo-Fit configurations to chose from: Mid Reach (standard), which is designed basically for riders 5’7” to 6’1;” Extended Reach, for riders 6’1” or taller; and Reduced Reach, for riders 5’6” and under. And you can do some mixing and matching, too. Kawasaki gives you the choice between two different handlebars and one of three seats, and can reposition the footpegs to your preference. When it comes to the handlebars, there is a standard bar and one that brings it one inch closer to the rider (Reduced Reach). The three seats come in different lengths/contours, and the footpegs can be positioned either one inch forward or rearward from the factory position. The forward position requires a longer shift rod. Again, at no extra charge.
The Vulcan seat height is a very low 27.8 inches, and that number remains that way regardless of which seat you chose.
2015 Kawasaki Vulcan S shares the same motor as the Versys and Ninja 650, and you can feel the similarities.
The Vulcan S, which is built in Thailand, targets both the entry-level and experienced riders and sells for a rather luring $6,999 without ABS and $7,399 with ABS.
In a nutshell, the Vulcan S is pretty cool bike. For me, I chose the Extended Reach version to accommodate my 6’1” frame, though I felt just as comfortable on the standard bike (Mid Reach) initially. On our somewhat long ride, though, I soon realized I needed the extra room for both my legs and arms, so I would chose the Extended Reach setting as my “live-with” configuration.
Even with my long legs, I appreciated the super-low seat height of the Vulcan S. It makes everything simple, like rolling up to a stop and maneuvering the bike on the parking lot. Overall, I found the Vulcan S to be quite comfortable in the saddle for both short jaunts and long hauls.
The Vulcan S is a very easy motorcycle to ride. The motor, which features revised cam profiles, modified intake tract, ECU and exhaust, is ultra user-friendly, offering sufficient bottom-end for smooth take-offs and impressive midrange and top-end performance. Kawasaki also added crankcase mass, making it nearly impossible to stall while launching from a stop. A nice, light-pull and positive clutch helps, too.
The Vulcan S is equipped with Kawasaki’s Positive Neutral Finder, which makes finding neutral a breeze when the bike is stopped.
Unlike your traditional big V-twins, the Vulcan S is more of a revver, and since it’s a parallel twin, it does not have that traditional cruiser bike sound or rumble. Not even close, really. Basically, there is no rumble at all from its dual-wall (to make the headerpipes visually look bigger and pleasing) exhaust, which runs underneath the bike. It instead purrs, while delivering a seamless rush of power from midrange on up. And it doesn’t mind being revved up to its 9,900 rpm rev limit at all. When you do, you’re rewarded with decent power for passing cars and very few vibes. Overall, the motor is quite smooth and lively.
The Vulcan S is light, nimble, comfortable and easy to ride.
The motor rests in a Diamond tubular frame, supported by a single KYB shock and 41mm conventional, non-inverted, fork. It has 3.2 inches of wheel travel in the back and 5.1 inches up front, an only the shock offers any kind of adjustment, just preload. The Vulcan’s ride, as I found out, is fairly stiff out of the crate. Kawasaki set the shock’s preload at the second-from-lightest position (out of seven) for my 175 pounds, and I found it to be a still a little on the stiff side. Damping could be a little better. I often times got blown out of the seat when hitting medium-sized bumps at speed, which made me feel a little uneasy at times.
Still, the Vulcan’s ride is overall quite good, especially at slower speeds.
Even with its 31 degrees of rake, its expansive 4.7 inches of trail results in a pretty stable ride with rather light and neutral steering. I found the Vulcan S to be quite nimble and agile through the twisties, while also providing a decent amount of footpeg-to-tarmac clearance. The Vulcan S weighs in at a respectable 498.3 (curb) pounds.
You have the choice of ABS or no ABS—for only $400 more, I’d say go for the ABS. It works well and you hardly notice its there. It’s not overly sensitive; instead, sometimes you have to give the pedal a healthy stomp to wake it up, which is how it should be.
Braking power from the 300mm rotor and twin-piston Nissin front brake is superb—super strong yet not grabby at all. It won’t take long for a beginner to master the front brake on this bike. The 250mm single disc/single piston rear brake also has good feel and stopping prowess.
The Vulcan rolls on cast five-spoke wheels, 18-inch in the front and 17 inch in the rear.
The Vulcan’s instrumentation includes a compact analog tachometer with a digital display that features most of the basics: speed, fuel level, clock, odometer and dual trip meters. It also reveals range, average and instant fuel economy, plus there is an Economical Riding Indicator, which glows when you’re optimizing fuel economy. Fuel capacity is a rather generous 3.7 gallons.
Three color choices are offered.
Kawasaki offers the Vulcan S with three color choices: Candy Lime Green, Pearl Crystal White and Flat Ebony—all of them, in our opinion, look good. The green, however, really stands out in a crowd.
Kawasaki will also offer plenty of accessories for the Vulcan S, including saddlebags, a passenger backrest, a DC power outlet, an LED light bar, Kawasaki Quick Release large and medium windshields, and a helmet lock. Kawasaki even offers a $200-plus gear select indicator as an accessory, since, for some reason or another, it does not come with one originally.
Like Kawasaki says, the Vulcan S is indeed “geared up to fit a wide range of riders.” But, not only in fit, but also in performance. From what we can tell so far, the Vulcan S a fun and easy bike to ride that should please a wide range of riders, from the entry-level rider all the way up to the experienced rider, who is looking for something comfortable, sporty, and has that cruiser look. And all for a reasonable price.
SPECIFICATIONS
2015 Kawasaki Vulcan S
ENGINE: Liquid-cooled, DOHC, 4-stroke, Parallel twin
VALVES: 4 valves per cylinder
DISPLACEMENT: 649cc
BORE x STROKE: 83.0×60.0mm
COMPRESSION RATIO: 10.8:1
FUEL DELIVERY: EFI w/two 38mm throttle bodies
IGNITION: TCBI w/digital advance
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed with Kawasaki Positive Neutral Finder
FINAL DRIVE: Sealed chain
FRAME: High-tensile steel double-pipe perimeter frame
FRONT SUSPENSION: 41mm conventional fork, non-adj.
REAR SUSPENSION: Single, KYB laydown shock, w/adj. preload
FRONT WHEEL TRAVEL: 5.1 in.
REAR WHEEL TRAVEL: 3.2 in.
FRONT TIRE: 120/70R-18 in.
REAR TIRE: 160/60R-17 in.
FRONT BRAKE: Single 300mm disc with twin-piston caliper, ABS
REAR BRAKE: Single 250mm disc with single-piston caliper, ABS
O/A LENGTH: 91.0 in.
O/A WIDTH: 34.7 in.
O/A HEIGHT: 43.3 in.
GROUND CLEARANCE: 5.1 in.
SEAT HEIGHT: 27.8 in.
WHEELBASE: 62 in.
CLAIMED CURB WEIGHT: 498 lbs.
FUEL CAPACITY: 3.7 gal.
COLORS: Pearl Crystal White, Candy Lime Green, Flat Ebony
