2003 Kawasaki Vulcan 500 LTD Motorcycle reviews

In November of 2002 I was looking for a second parallel twin. My 305 Superhawk is a good daily rider, but I wanted to give the old girl some rest and TLC. When I walked into the Kawasaki shop I bee-lined right through the V-twins to the Vulcan 500 LTD. It was stock Dark Purple only in 2003. I didn't even know what it was, it just had nice looks. The mechanic says it has the same engine as the 500 Ninja with slightly smaller carbs, and only one horsepower less than the H-D 883 Sportster. Extremely low maintenance and it's a very reliable bike. Show less

When I went to my local dealer, I was first interested in checking out a VLX. I've always been a fan of Honda cars so naturally gravitated to their bikes. Upon speaking to the sales guy, he suggested the Kawasaki Vulcan 500 LTD (from here on referred to as EN500). He assured me that despite less displacement, it is suitable for freeway use, faster and better all around than the Shadow VLX. He also said that people who buy the VLX are almost always back in about a year looking to trade and that those who buy the EN500 tend to keep them. At first, I thought he was just feeding me this line in attempt to get rid of the leftover model, but upon reading other reviews, I believe it. While there are more total reviews for Shadow VLX and VStar 650, there are more long term ones written up for the EN500. This says something! I have put about 9,000 miles on my EN500 over the past two years and have a bond with my bike that is still only getting stronger. I've had the opportunity to ride Buell Blast, Honda Shadow ACE, H-D Road King (put 900 miles on it), H-D Sportster 1200. Each of these are great bikes but I'm always happy to return to my EN500. Let's not forget the engine is based on that of the Ninja 500R. It's a bullet-proof, dual carb, liquid-cooled, parallel twin coupled with the only 6-speed tranny available in any cruiser sold today. Of course, what review would be complete without some negatives thrown it? I haven't done much 2-up riding. This bike will carry a passenger (max load rating is 399 lbs), however there are other bikes more well suited for this task. Also, aftermarket accessory options are ridiculously few for this bike, but creativity can usually be used for solutions to any customization desired. The current model was fitted with chain final drive from the factory. Kawasaki recommends lubing it every 400 miles. This annoyed me enough to warrant getting a belt drive conversion. It's a pricey mod, but it's usually on sale mid-fall. Bottom line; I recommend buying one of these bikes. Show less

While looking for a decent cruiser with a small price tag I found that my options were extremely thin. While suzuki offers a small almost childlike cruiser that simply wouldnt satisfy my grandmother nor her checkbook, honda does offer a decent sized cruiser at an extreme cost with a bulky appearance and old man attitude, yamaha has a really nice cruiser but i'd have to sell my house to afford it, at $4200 I bought a 2005 Kawasaki Vulcan 500 LTD. brand spankin new with a full 3 year warranty and a helmet and leather jacket. Now this bike may look rather small and have a slight 80's appearance but you gotta get a closer look as a picture does this bike no justice at all, the front end of this machine has the most of the sparkle and custom look with a nice handlebar and fork setup not to mention the headlight angle as well as the curvature and beautiful simplicity to the body styling and attractive fenders. It really is a sharp bike. some things that arent so neat like lack of a gas gauge, replaced by a "almost out" indicator light, and rear drum brakes which makes the bike look a bit older and the 1970's "Chips" style gas tank and tank pinstriping, and the worst thing about the whole bike is the quiet, quiet exaust, none of these things really effect performance but do tend to get on your nerves at times, these things can also have a negative effect on your ego, but nonetheless these things can also be swapped or changed or customized to fit your own style. now on to reliability, this bike is a reliable machine, you never have the feeling of uncertainty while riding, there is no feeling of uncontrolability as the bike corners well and easy to recover from a variety of skids and quick manuevers, also better on slag than my kz1100 which says something. the bike also has decent acceleration (enough to give ya a little smirk here and there) and excellent stopping when applying the right amount of pressure front to back. if your looking for a great starter bike or are an experienced rider that doesn't like the idea of spending wads and wads of cash on something just to cruise around on then go get yourself a KAW vulcan, cuz your options are very very limited. this one will make you smile. just make sure to get some new pipes sooner or later cuz not only is it quiet, it purrs to nice not to be heard. Show less

I bought my bike last year as an upgrade from the Honda Rebel. I had my heart set on a Suzuki Marauder, but the guys at that bike shop wouldn't cooperate as well as my Kawasaki dealer. The purple color looks awesome (much better than the '04 red and '05 blue). The stock seat is actually really comfortable. Kawasaki certainly outdid Honda in that area (my Dad's 750 Shadow ACE came with a worse seat than this baby). The bike will get-up and go, not quite what you'd expect from such a small contender. The low seat height is perfect for someone my size. I couldn't handle one much heavier, for that matter. Show less

I bought a Honda Rebel 250 last November 2003 and got my license with it. Hated it, would only do 70-75mph wide open in 5th on flat land. So I went to the local cycle center in February and got an '03 Vulcan 500LTD. Got a great deal because it was the prior year's model. Has awesome powerband for a 500. I don't have to downshift at all in the mountains. Will out accelerate my buddy's '03 Suzuki Volusia 800. Tops out between 105-110 mph. Has lots of great features like liquid cooling. For a 500cc it has been more than I could expect from a bike like this. So easy and nimble that my wife who is very petite 5'3" 105lbs now rides it. The only problem I've ever had is the gear linkage problems, but most likely due to damage. By the way seat comfort became better after about 4,000 miles when the seat wore in. Miles 4,716 between Feb and Oct. Show less

I took a 24 year layoff from riding. I had owned Harleys, Hondas, and Yamahas. I did not want to buy a used bike so I priced the Yamaha V Stars. I ended up with this bike. I got a lot better deal on the financing and I saved a couple of grand! I really like the bike! It looks a lot bigger than a 500. The only problem I had when it had 2 miles on it it was fouling a plug out. The dealer replaced plugs before I took it home and 100 miles later it is fouling plugs again. I am taking it back in for them to check it. It is not uncommon for new bikes to have a couple of bugs to work out. I would reccomend this bike. Show less

We have not riden bikes in a long time! We went to the cycle shop just to look! All we had to do was sit on this bike and it felt like it was a part of us. We did not have the opportunity to take it for a test drive (due to not having cycle license's) but just the feel was unbelievable! We can not say enough, the ride is great. It corners like that was what it was born to do! The speed and power are just what we thought they would be. After saying all this just to prove we believe what we are saying, we not only bought 1 but we took 2. Got our license's by taking the cycle safty course. We have been riding ever since!!! If you are thinking about choosing this bike JUST DO IT! Show less

While my 800 Kawasaki Classic was unavailable I decided to try a friend's 500LTD. This bike is undersold in value. It provides better control on highway drives than it's lighter competitors, maintains speed with the Virago 750 and Yamaha V-Star 650 (I think it may even be faster than the 650)and provides a comfortable ride. The seat height gets your knees at a good bend providing good balance for quick stops and steep hills. The weight is distributed lower in this bike than some, making it feel easy to manage. The rake, length, tire size and weight make it "nimble" for cornering in close proximities. It is even noted for keeping up with some of the 800's. So if you are considering a bike for the cc's alone, don't be fooled thinking the 650's, 750's or even the 800's will give you what you want. Of course there is some difference, but this 500 is a big value for the money. Buy for the comfort, performance and power that fits you. Show less

I just got mine back from the first service, and it runs better than ever. I'm a new rider, so I only have experience with 3 different bikes, but I sure am glad I bought this one. I used a Suzuki GZ250 during the MSF Riders Course, and had outgrown it by the end of the course. I test drove a Honda 750 ACE, and wasn't impressed with it. I read a comparison in a magazine and they said this was the top choice for a beginner, so I bought one. It's easier for a beginner to handle than the ACE, and it actually feels more nimble than the GZ250 even though it's a heavier bike. Power sure doesn't seem to be a problem, especially since the service (they check and adjust valves, and synch the carbs). It's up to 60 mph in no time, and that's not even at full throttle. I'm sure this bike will have enough power to keep me happy for a long time. Show less