2004 Kawasaki Vulcan 750 Motorcycle reviews

I have owned my Vulcan 750 since 2005, bought it brand new off the floor. I have ridden mine back and forth to work, and on a few day trips before I had to put it away for almost two years. I took it out, got it serviced and went on a 1600 mile ride this past week with 16 other guys. We went all through eastern Washington and Oregon. I bought a tank bag, and a tail bag made by Cargo. I also put the Vulcan V-force windshield on my bike. I don't like the way the bike looks with saddlebags but that's just me. The bike did quite well. The biggest thing is it didn't break down. I had no mechanical or electrical problems at all. I rode through a lot of windy areas that gave me some fits on the highway, but not on the back roads. The bike did very well in the corners, so much so that I was able to keep up with some of the guys on their sport bikes. I will give you this piece of advice, get an upgrade on the seat. If you are looking for a solid bike that does good for a first timer, you can't go wrong with the Vulcan 750. It's easy to maintain and works well for weekend rides. Show less

Well I finally put my baby away for the winter. It was my 1st bike ever, I took the safety course in May and bought this bike before I was finished with the course. I have absolutely no complaints other than the seat is not too good after about an hour, but just about every bike you read about on here has that problem with the stock seats. Honestly I don't see how anyone could buy a different make of bike in this 750-800 class, it came with everything, tach, fuel gauge (saved my butt a few times), and shaft drive. She will get up and haul when you want her to. 2-up riding is not too good, me and the wife together weigh 400+ and the limit is 400 so I noticed a little loss in power and the shocks bottomed out a few times with her on the back. Other than that, she is perfect. I may buy a bigger bike soon and give my wife this bike. It would be her 1st time riding also, she is taking the course this April. Good luck and ride safe. Show less

I did a lot of research before buying the VN 750. All the features of the bike (shaft drive, water cooling, etc.) seemed good. It certainly seemed to be the most bike for the money. The clincher was sitting on it in the dealer showroom. It just felt "right". I bought mine at the end of July 2004 and have no regrets. It looks fine, handles like a dream, and has power to spare. The only problem I had was when it quit on me when I was taking it to the dealer for the 500 mile service. It turned out the factory had run the choke cable in a way that every time the handlebars were turned, the choke was being activated. The rich mixture with the engine hot was causing it to quit. After that was corrected there have been no problems. It is a little difficult to find accessories for the VN 750, but I've managed to get most of what I want for it. It's a great ride! Show less

First bike ever. Waited 50 yrs. to start riding. This bike is 100%, nimble in town, comfortable at 80 MPH, starts 1st time hot or cold,shifts smoothly(even without clutch), 50+ MPG, looks great(to me), and fits me perfectly(really,really important. I spent a good deal of time researching prior to buying. Was very impressed by low maint., shaft drive, water cooled, cast wheels, hydraulic lifters, this bke has the whole package. Generally held to 4000RPM for first 500 miles as per mfg. 5th gear,4000RPM=60MPH indicated. Mfg. says 6000RPM 500 to 1000 miles, 5th gear,6000RPM=82MPH indicated. Very easy to ride around town, upright position makes for good field of vision, bike has excellent response, both steering and acceleration. Brakes very good, though hard braking pulls front end down, hasn't caused any problems thus far. I feel this is a perfect 1st bike(know your limits), and responsive enough to stay with. As was once said(I don't remember by who)-There are old riders,and there are bold riders,there ain't no old bold riders. Ride safe and often. Show less

This is actually my brother's bike and I helped him pick it out, but he is a workaholic and never seems to have time to ride it so he brought it to me and told me to ride it for him. The 750 Vulcan is a very pleasant and easy handling bike. It's also the first shaft driven bike I have ever ridden. It seems to have plenty of get up and go but since it isn't broken in yet, I haven't had it past 4000 rpm. After riding the 750 all weekend, my VN800A seemed heavy and awkward, although my 800 seems to have a little more grunt than the 750. They are both 2004 bikes so it's kind of neat to compare their strengths and weaknesses. The 750 seems to have a much plusher ride than my 800 and the maintenance free aspect is nice, but the 800 delivers more of a visceral charge than the 750. I helped my brother choose this bike because I believed it would be easier for him to get back into riding and easy to handle when he took the test for his license. The last thing he rode was a Yamaha RD200, almost 30 years ago. After riding the 750 myself, I'm pretty sure that it was the right choice for him. Hopefully he'll get in some riding and be ready for the Colorado trip next year. I would recommend this bike to anyone looking for a great machine at a fair price. Show less

A Harley owner told me to check out the VN750! That in itself says something about the Vulcan 750. So far I am 100% satisfied. Smooth ride, great performance and lots of fun to drive. MPG is 41 city, 45 combined and 51 highway. I'll be adding on a windshield (darn bugs) and a seat more suited for my big butt. Other than that, why mess with perfection? Show less

I used to ride while in college and now that I hit my mid-40's, I longed for the return of my youth. After my wife saw the high value of my life insurance policy, she agreed that I could go out and buy a bike. I investigated, and did my homework. I read many review threads at various sites like this one. This kawa VN750 is second in 1/4 mile performance to the Suzuki 800. Best of all it has full instrumentation (i.e., tach; full gauge), self-adjusting valves, rubber mounted engine= no vibration from 0-70 MPH. If you are going 70+, you'll need to put some effort into riding this bike. At 60 MPH, you'll feel like your sitting in your easy-chair watching TV. Very comfortable! No spokes to shine, water cooled, shaft drive, so owning this bike is about riding it, not getting out your tool box. The price is right too. I'm happy now, and even though my wife now worries each time I go out on a ride. But, she knows what this means to me, hitting the road, smelling fresh cut grass, temp changes when you reach the bottom of the hill, and of course, the bus exhaust at the stop light. I found my youth again. Show less

I've had bikes on and off for over 30 years. My new 750 is going to be what I believe to be the best one I've ever owned. For all the features the VN 750 has and for what you pay for it a very, very good deal. Tach. Fuel gauge self-adjusting valves air adjustable shocks shaft drive Cast wheels (means tubeless tires) more plush seat for the passenger than just about any other bike in its class, that I know of. hazard flashers When you twist the throttle....it goes! Not sure what the horsepower is, but I've read and been told 65. Two up is no problem at all, plenty of power. Rubber engine mounts; means reduced vibration for a more comfortable ride. Study the other bikes in this cc size and you won't find any that have this many positives for the same price. 5 all the way! Show less

This is my first bike and I have been riding for a little over two months now. I think that this is a great first bike. It handles well and has more than enough power. I also like the price and value of the bike. I feel that I got alot for my money (tachometer, temp guage, shaft drive). I have not had any problems so far with the bike. I find myself wondering what a bigger bike might feel like, but this one is so nice to ride it may be some years before I find out the answer to that question. Show less

I actually own a 2003 Vulcan 750. From what I hear, they haven't changed any. I bought my bike last May, but just started riding seriously in January 2004 due to back problems. I'm new to riding and sat on what seemed like thousands of bikes. The 750 was my choice hands down after sitting on it and gathering all of the info. The ride is nice and smooth. Even with my back problems. I get virtually no vibration, even at higher speeds. The gel seat is exceptionally comfortable. don't know anything about maintenance, (but I'm learning) so the shaft drive, hydraulic valves, etc., are real nice to have. I love riding this bike. What other bike has so much for the price? Most people don't care for the looks of it. That for me personally helped sell it. Like that retro bike look. My ONLY problem is finding accessories for it. Mainly a driver's backrest. Show less