The all-new Vulcan S just revealed at AIMExpo 2014 fills in a gap at Kawasaki, that of an entry-level cruiser. But because this Kawasaki is powered by a 649cc parallel-twin (related to the one also found in the Versys and Ninja 650), the new Vulcan S should offer a level of performance that belies its displacement.
What’s more, this Thai-built Kawasaki, which goes on sale in January for $6,999 (or $7,399 with ABS), is very adjustable for rider size. Through what Kawasaki calls its Ergo-Fit program, the new Vulcan S will be available with a standard handlebar or one that brings it an inch closer to the rider. Perhaps more significant, there are three different seats available, and three peg locations, all part of Kawasaki’s effort to accommodate short, medium or tall riders. “We want the dealer to fit the bike to the rider,” explains Croft Long, Kawasaki’s Motorcycle Project Manager.
The standard Vulcan S, says Kawasaki, is designed for a rider between 5-foot-7 and 6-feet. Riders 6-foot-1 and taller should order the extended-reach pegs (which have been moved forward an inch from the stock location, and require a longer shift rod to be installed) and the extended-reach seat, which remains at 27.1 inches but has been moved rearward and is fitted with firmer foam and a gel insert to provide better hip support. Riders 5-foot-6 and shorter will profit from the Vulcan’s reduced-reach handlebar, seat, and pegs, the last items moved rearward one inch from the standard position. At the AIMExpo press conference, Kawasaki made it clear that this Ergo-Fit plan, which takes place at dealers, will not cost customers any extra money.
As for the 2015 Vulcan S itself, it looks to us like Kawasaki has built what it wanted, an affordable and highly accommodating cruiser, one that benefits from a low center of gravity and a reasonably light claimed curb weight of 496 lb. That’s good for both stability and rider confidence, and Kawasaki says the steel chassis has been designed with good lean angles in mind. In back, the offset laydown shock offers 3.15 inches of travel. It also has seven preload settings.
Compared to the engine in the Versys 650, the Vulcan S’s liquid-cooled DOHC powerplant has had its torque characteristics altered. The goal: better midrange, improved roll-on performance, and smoother take-offs. Revisions to the camshaft profiles and intake-funnel length are largely responsible for this, but the Vulcan S’s fuel-injected parallel-twin has been given added crankshaft mass for easier, stall-resistant starts.
That helps make the 2015 Vulcan S a good bike for a novice rider, as does a wide rubber-mounted handlebar and Kawasaki’s Positive Neutral Finder, which takes the skill out of finding neutral when the bike is stopped. The exhaust, whose dual-wall pipes run beneath the bike, helps keep the keep the Vulcan S narrow, which is appealing to all riders, not just beginners. For instrumentation, the new Vulcan S has a compact analog tachometer with a digital display features that features speed, fuel level, clock, odometer, dual trip meters, range, average and instant fuel economy. There is also an Economical Riding Indicator, which shows when the rider is optimizing fuel economy. The fuel tank is 3.7 gallons.
As with most cruisers, the chassis of the Vulcan S has been designed for stability, and the steel perimeter frame incorporates a rear subframe with a slim backbone that eliminates seat rails. With 31 degrees of rake and 7.1 in. of trail, the Vulcan S is prioritized toward comfort, and the D-section swingarm is both stout and stylish. Other hardware includes cast five-spoke wheels, 18-in. front, 17-in. rear, fitted with radial tires. A single 300mm brake rotor with a twin-piston caliper is on duty in front, complemented by a single-piston 250mm rear.
The 2015 Vulcan S, available in Candy Lime Green, Pearl Crystal White or Flat Ebony, is available with a boatload of accessories. These include saddlebags, Kawasaki Quick Release large and medium windshields, a passenger backrest, a DC power outle, an LED light bar, a gear position indicator and a helmet lock.
The cruiser market is growing, says Kawasaki, and the accommodating new Vulcan S appears to be hitting the market at just the right time. It’s affordable, and we get the sense that it will be easy to ride but with lively performance from its Versys-sourced parallel-twin. Although the new Vulcan S may not have what some consider a requisite V-twin, we see this new Kawasaki, especially from a dynamics perspective, competing quite well with the likes of Harley-Davidson’s Street models.
| PRICE | $6,999/$7,399 (ABS model) |
| ENGINE | 649cc, liquid-cooled paralel twin |
| TRANSMISSION/FINAL DRIVE | 6-speed/chain |
| CLAIMED HORSEPOWER | n/a |
| CLAIMED TORQUE | n/a |
| FRAME | High-tensile steel double pipe perimeter frame |
| FRONT SUSPENSION | 41mm telescopic fork / 5.1” |
| REAR SUSPENSION | Lay-down offset rear shock with linkage and adjustable preload / 3.2” |
| FRONT BRAKE | Single 300mm disc with twin-piston caliper |
| REAR BRAKE | Single 250mm disc with single-piston caliper |
| RAKE/TRAIL | n/a |
| WHEELBASE | 62 in. |
| SEAT HEIGHT | 27.8 in. |
| FUEL CAPACITY | 3.7 gal. |
| CLAIMED WEIGHT | 491.7 wet |
| AVAILABILITY | January 2015 |
| CONTACT | kawasaki.com |
(source: cycleworld)
GUMZ CUSTOM MOTORCYCLE 