Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Classic Motorcycle Reviews on Cycle Insider (15)
Avg. Rating

These bikes are what realiablity is all about. At 117,000 kms the repairs that I have done amount to the cam chain extenders for 8 dollars and I replaced the u-joint on the drive shaft for 27 dollars. Of course some tires, brake pads, and a new battery, but hey that's just normal operation. Here comes the next 100,000 kms.

I bought this bike, a left over 2003 model in Jan. of 2005. It had 9 miles when I got it and now has over three thousand problem free miles. It has excellent power, beautiful handling and very good balance. The only glitch in the bike is it will backfire occasionally when you turn it off after a short ride (20 miles or so). Gas mileage is in the 45 mpg range (a whole lot better than my F350 dually Ford with a power stroke engine). If you are looking for a big scoot, this is the one!

I'm 61 and have been riding for 33 years. I bought this machine in May of 2003. At 11000 it developed a slight oil leak which was repaired by the dealer. I have enjoyed many 200 mile plus rides without any problems. I would not hesitate to ride this bike across country.

Having been away from riding for several years and being accustomed to Sport Bikes, I decided on a Cruiser. This Kaw is a nice Bike with plenty of power to boot-around on. Too quiet so I changed the pipes to the V&H Straightshots. The change gave some noticable gains in the low-end. Kaw makes a great line of Bikes but I plan to eventually move on.....probably to H-D for the final purchase. No regrets in the purchase though and would recommend Kawasaki to anyone interested. Keep 2-wheels down.

I like my Kawasaki 1500- when I get to ride it. When it had 560 miles the fan switch went bad and the fan stayed on all the time killing the battery. Then there was a recall on a fuel system gasket that could leak and start a fire. Then as reported by another owner of the same motorcycle on this website it started stalling after it was warm and you made a stop and then restarted it. That seemed to be solved when the Kawasaki dealer put in a new float needle. But 400 miles later it is acting up again having weird behaviors. I love the looks of the motorcycle and the features but I spent 10,000 dollars so I want to ride it, not sit at home waiting for repairs. The Kawasaki dealer has been great but still it is embarrassing to take it in the 4th time. Maybe they suspect me. I have been riding and racing motorcycles since I was 16 and now I am 55 years old.

This is without a doubt, the best looking, most comfortable, well balanced heavyweight I have ever ridden. I have owned mine for almost a year now and I use it to commute in NYC as well as for long runs almost always two up with my wife whose need for comfort made me select this over the Road King. We have even ridden it across grassy meadowlands and dirt trails to get to campsites and the bike for all its considerable heft, has always been sure footed and controllable. Although not the fastest cruiser out there, this bike is a torque monster and has it right from the bottom of the rev range. It has no vices and gives a tremendous feeling of confidence, I have been riding for over forty years and this is in my top three of all time for its splendid qualities and drop dead gorgeous looks. Add saddlebags, a crashbar and a windshield and you have a deluxe machine which whilst being impressively huge still manages to be surprisingly nimble. I have had no problems nor do I have any complaints.

I have driven Harley's for years... a sportster, heritage softtail, and a low rider... and I find myself asking "Why did I not know about this bike before!?" It has better all around power, smoother ride, better sound with the Vance and Hines pipes added. Puts the old american cruisers to shame!

If you're going to be adding a windshield and saddlebags, do yourself a BIG favor and pass this one up. And instead just buy their Nomad that has most of these features anyway. Otherwise look forward to adding or replacing the following: the seat (TERRIBLE example on stock bike; comparable to sitting on a shoe box, especially for a big guy) Risers for the handlebars so you don't have to reach for em. Adding a windshield. I'd recommend a Memphis Shades product for easy off and on. Bags of your choice. Hard bags would be nice but are costly. Other than spending an extra $2000 for the mentioned upgrades/additions buying that Nomad "bagger" would have been a better choice in my opinion. But I do like my Vulcan Classic now that I've personalized it. Judging from the comments I get, others like it as well.

I purchased my 1500E in May of 2003, it is my first total street bike,(I rode a lot of dirt bikes, ie... Bultacos, Yamaha's). I did a lot of research and rode some Harleys, etc.., and it came down to a Yamaha 1100 V-Star and the 1500 Vulcan. I rode the V-Star and felt cramped, but just sitting on the Vulcan it felt right. From the first ride I was in love, this bike handles like a dream, I live in a rural mountainous area with a lot of twisty 2 lane roads and this bike lays down in the corners and rights itself just by your thinking about the turns. The power is there for the asking. My only complaint is that the engine noise takes a little getting used to, but I think most of it is from the cam chain adjusters getting ready to adjust. I find I can't stay off the bike, I ride to work everday.

I just got the '03 Vulcan 1500 Classic. I've put about 350 miles on it and am more pleased with it every time I crack the throttle. This baby has some serious "grunt"! It rides and handles smoothly on our winding Vermont back roads. I can't wait to get past the break-in so I can crank on it! Lots of compliments on the bike's appearance, even from a Harley dealer! Accessories are abundant but extra chrome pieces are expensive although not really necessary. The bike is very handsome as is, right off the floor.

I havent owned a bike since the mid 70's but got the bug and had to go shopping. I really had my eye on the yaw 1100 silverado.I ordered the yaw. Dealer told me 4 weeks to deliver. After 3 weeks I get this call and there not sure when the bike will be delivered, problems at the factory,said it could be 2 more months. I had been reading reviews this whole time and started feeling like I made a mistake ordering the yaw. Air cooled,expensive mx,noisey vavles,etc. Made a trip to the dealer and asked him for the same money, which would he considered the best bike. He points to the kaw and says "bar none the best bike for the money period" liquid cooled,hyd lash adjusters,better seat,floor boards, quieter eng.,neutral finder,less mx expense,etc. And yes the bike changes color in the sun. Black in the shade and metallic red in the sun,great metal flake paint job. Guess which bike is in my garage ,ha.. Just turned 800 miles. Added a fire and steel light bar, have a rifle classic L windshield and lowers on order, classic backrest on order. The ONLY disappointment I have with this bike is the tank size,4.3 gal. Have to stop for gas every 150 to 170 miles. Awesome is an understatement...

picked up my vulcan today.i had a chance to buy a road star warrior,an 02 that was titled but never picked up for the same price has the kaw.the yamaha was a kick but ride,super power and handling but the ergos were wrong for me.6'4,210,i need the floorboards instead of pegs and the freedom to change feet positions,the yamahas bars were to low and a reach which made me hunch my back a little.the vulcan is very comfortable for me.though not quite has powerful the kaw still hauls plenty fast for me.a smooth ride,effortless shifting and good handling,lots of nice features-neutral finder,self cancelling turn signals,bungee cord hooks ect.i previously had a v star 1100 classic,which was a good bike but a little small for me.looked at a lot of bikes,road a suzuki 1500,kaw meanstreak,honda aero 1100,harley sportster 1200,to small for my frame,none in my opinion as nice a ride has the vulcan.would have liked to have the vulcan nomad,but the 1500 fit my budget just right.almost overlooked this bike,from the smile on my face when i pulled into my driveway,so far iam glad i didnt.let you know more when i get more miles on it.forgot to mention the ton of available accessories for this machine.by the way,bought my first new bike,a kaw 900 from the same dealer back in 76,keep the rubber side down,peace out.

I rode a 250 yamaha in high school thirty years ago. Just did the MSF program on a 250 a couple weeks ago and went out and test rode a 1500 classic. I've never been on anything this big before. Was considering the 800 classic but wanted the features of the 1500. At first I was a little intimidated by the weight and size of this bike, but after just a few days in the saddle I feel like I've been riding it for much longer. I don't have anything else to compare it to, but I can't believe it gets much better than this. This bike is smooth running, smooth shifting, and smooth riding. I can be lugging it some up a hill but roll the throttle in any gear and it just takes off. I am so glad I didn't get the 800. If this bike doesn't make you want to ride, nothing will.

Just bought a new 1500 Classic Vulcan. In fact it looks just like the one in the picture you are looking at. I thought it was black in the showroom but when the salesman wheeled it outside to take it to the shop to put the fluids in it, he came back in and said, "You'd better come look at this." "This bike isn't black" I went and looked and it was some sort of metalic red, purple, and black that changed color in the sunlight. AWESOME!!! I needed to change from the Harley Sportster I had. For the long distance freeway driving that I do with my bike, the Harley just was too uncomfortable and tiresome. It was a good bike for around town and short distance but I needed something with more comfort. I can not currently afford to upgrade to a Harley Big Twin so after a test ride of a Yamaha Vstar 1100 and a Vulcan 1500, there was no doubt that although the Yamaha was a nice bike, the Kawa had it beat in every dept. No maintenence hydralic valve lifters that don't have to be adjusted. Watercooled engine, smoother ride and more power. All those things are in the Vulcan's favor. Not to mention that the Yamaha has to have its pipes removed to change the oil filter. We are still on our honeymoon with only 350 miles on the bike but so far I have had nothing but raving compliments on the looks and my wife certainly likes the ride better the two up on the Sportster. My understanding is that this model is going to be phased out and the 1600 is going to replace it. So there are some good deals out there. Actually a straight across trade for my 2000 1200 Custom sportster with 6000 miles on it. I think that was a fair deal. Whatever your ride, ride it safely!!!

I just sold my Goldwing but wanted a cruiser. I looked at the Honda's, Yamaha's, and Suzuki's, but quit looking when I road the Vulcan. It's the smoothest bike I have been on. Has plenty of power. No vibration or noise at any speed. I dressed it with the windshield, road bars, sissy bars, bags and luggage rack. What a machine!