2002 kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Classic reviews

I went to buy a Harley Road king but the price was rediculous. Across the Street was a Kawasaki dealer and my wife suggested we go there and check it out. I didnt want a crouch rocket and was amazed when I saw this 02 Vulcan sitting in the showroom that looked like a Harley. I even asked "you sell Harley's here"? No, thats a Kawasaki Vulcan. The price tag? $7995.00 "WOW" Just what wanted, chain drive, carburated, perfect. The owner came over and said "this is the last motorcycle you'll ever buy. They never come back for anything". My wife asked "Whats the best yo can do" The final price was $5200.00. My wife asked if there was something wrong with it. Its brand new, if its junk, I'll make a lamp out of it for that price. Im a mechanic by trade. This bike is flawless. The welds of the frame, the engineering, the handleing, it runs perfectly. At 33,000 miles, not an ounce of trouble. General maintenance is all it needs. Most important, it has solid lifters so be sure to check the valve clearance at least every 10,000 miles. Thats it. This motorcycle will last you a lifetime. Stopped at a WaWa one night. A guy with a new Harley there with his friends stopped to talk. He owned an 02 Vulcan Classic and got rid of it and bought a Harley. "what a mistake" he said. I loved that bike. I have been back to the Harley dealer 4 time for oil leaks, still not fixed. What a mistake I made, he said. Dont make the same mistake. I said, I know and I also know that most electronics among other parts on Harley's are made in China. Very sad! The Vulcan is the first japanese vehicle I have ever bought. The head mechanic at the dealer where I purchased it said, "It's built in Nebraska, how much more american can you get. Boy was he right. You will fall in love with this motorcycle. It has plenty of power, my wife and I ride 2 up, It weighs much less than a Harley and it is the most perfectly balanced bike on the market and it looks just like a Harley. I've had people ask me about the color, metalic red, they say, "I didnt know Harley had a color like that" They dont. Its not a Harley. Theyre shocked. For the price you pay for this motorcycle, you can afford to fit it out with all kinds of addons. A windshield, bags, floorboards, crash bars etc. I've known people who have over 90,000 miles on this bike, and it still runs great. Dont be fooled. Dont think its junk. IT'S NOT! Later on in years there are some bigger beautiful cruisers Kawasaki makes. Im not gonna get rid of what I got cause I dressed it just like I want it but you cant beat Kawasaki, And the new ones are really tempting and dependable. Hey, Years ago they made aircraft engines for fighter planes. They know what they're doin. Show less

Kool to ride cruiser. Comfy seat, windshield my choice. Never overheats. OK gas mileage. Enuough power band for average bike runs, not shabby. Show less

I am on my second Vulcan 800 Classic. The first one was nice but a little bit of rust from the previous owner not keeping it garaged bothered me. I found a great deal on a VTX so I sold my first Vulcan. I later realized how much I missed my first Vulcan that the first opportunity I got to get another one, I did. I could not be happier. This one had no rust and looked great. I can cruise around with other cruisers or wind it up to be a little more sporty. It loves to cruise at 80-85 and the engine feels so smooth at that speed. I think it has the same sweet spot as my VTX 1300 but this Vulcan is only an 800. Slow speed manuevers are much easier than my old Shadow 750 and VTX, too. I've had cruisers, standards and sportbikes and this one is perfect as it is between the average cruiser and standard. It handles well and inspires confidence. Like I mentioned before, the Vulcan likes to rev so be aware that you might be going faster than you thought. After 16 bikes in six years, I think I found the perfect one for me. It gets 48-55 mpg. and it is easy to get out of the garage without the weight being overbearing. It is perfect in the city and comfortable on the highway. Show less

OK, final review on this bike because it just died. It started running on one cylinder. After 122K I guess I can't blame it. Other than the motor, the bike is still in great shape and still looks good. I just put tires on it; bummer. I might try to find a motor. A rebuild is too expensive for my taste. So the eleven-year saga ends. I guess I got my money's worth. Show less

Again, continuation review of others with the same title. Now have almost 102,000 miles and nothing has changed except more tires. Still runs great. Since last review (#4) have made trips to the Black Hills and Bad Lands in SD in 2007; Maine and New Hampshire in 2008. Not too much this year except running around Missouri and Arkansas. Will probably go back to New England next year. I'm less able to afford a new bike than ever so looks like me and my Vulcan for a few more years. Repairs: Front wheel bearings, one spark plug cap; that's it. Want a Big Baron Air Kit; Maybe next year. Great, comfortable, 45 mpg cruising. Still looks good. Get a lot of jaw dropping when I mention the Mileage. May update in another year or so. Show less

I bought this bike in 2008 from a local dealer. The guy that owned it took very good care of it. I have only had it serviced and just bought a new battery for it. This bike is plenty fast enough, it is pwerful and has lot of torque. I have the black over red color scheme and I get compliments on it all the time. One nice thing, when you are on it for any length of time, you want to be on it longer, it's that comfortable to take on longer trips. I like the shaft drive and it does very well on mileage. I chose this one over two other bikes, both were Harley Davidsons. The Nomad has it all over most bikes this size hands down. Keep it serviced and it'll serve you forever. Show less

I bought my 2002 Nomad at an auction w/34000 miles on it. The seller had put screws on the chain tensioners to hide the engine problems so I put the bike in the shop and had the motor rebuilt. I've ridden the bike with my wife and I have to say, it's turned out to be the nicest bike around in looks, comfort and size. Harley riders criticize a lot about anything other than a Harley but being a Harley owner many times in 53 years of riding, this bike blows you away. I pass every thing on the road and the ride and look makes Harleys look like junk minibikes. Show less

It took more than 16 years to get a bike again. Lots of visits to the showroom to drool. Had to bring a friend to test ride because I did not have a license. The folks at the shop were right about jumping in over my head but, of course, I bought it anyway. I was a bit intimidated going from a 750 to 1500 with all those years in between. I love the bike. Can not think of anything I would trade for it. It sounds great (Vance & Hines) and rides great. Surprisingly smooth with lots of power. The only down for me are the drag bars which are not terribly comfortable when you have short arms. If practical, I will change them and, plan to put heel/toe controls on it. Show less

I'd say this bike is just about perfect. It does the whole cruiser thing very well despite being a 500. I love the smooth performance and ride. It doesn't have the big V twin rumble or noise, so it may not appeal to the straight pipe have to pay $20,000 for a bike crowd. It is a vertical twin displacing only 500 cc, so it will rev higher than a big Hog on the highway, but it's so smooth you really can't tell unless you listen for the pitch of the exhaust. I would like a little more power, but I feel very confident in traffic of any kind. Smooth comfortable reliable. Those are the best words to describe this bike. Show less

This is a continuation per the title. See others for more info. Have turned over 73,000 miles now with still no major repairs. Still original except for the K&N filter. Bike still rides and runs great except for a pinging issue I plan to remedy with a TFI fuel injection modifier. Just put on my 6th rear tire. Gas mileage isn't what it used to be but I still get over 40 mpg. Would like a new bike but don't need it. I believe this bike has the most comfortable stock seat on the market. I've used a Kuryakyn Tombstone backrest bag for about two years now. Very comfortable and handy for extra storage. I'm itching for another long bike trip which I'll do sometime this summer. Looks like I'll be keeping this baby another couple years. At 15,000 or more miles per year, I should be over 100,000 miles by then. The 5 year unlimited mileage extended warranty just expired and I never really got to use it. Show less