Kawasaki KX 500 reviews

I was looking for a cruiser style motorcyle that wasn't too heavy, had satisfiable acceleration and speed, and was not too costly. I looked at the new Kawasaki Vulcan S 650 but did not want to spend $8,000 to nearly $10,000 after taxes and mainly motorcycle dealer costs on a motorcyle as this is just a leisure form of transportation. I looked into the pre-owned Suzuki Boulevard S40 (LS650 Savage), Suzuki Boulevard M50, Honda Rebel 300, Honda Rebel 500, and some pre-owned Harley Davidson models but they were either too slow, too heavy, rated to have too uncomfortable seating, or too expensive for what they are. I looked into the Kawasaki Vulcan 500 and saw a few on Facebook Marketplace sell quickly for about anywhere from $2,000 to $2,800 and heard that these motorcycles (Kawasaki Vulcan 500) once had the quickest acceleration off the line for it's class at one specific point in time and were of the lightest in it's class. I found another Vulcan 500 on the market and purchased it. On the first ride I was impressed with the acceleration off the line and the handling. It was easy to put away or push into storage as it's not too heavy. After owning it a while, it has been reliable, and starts right up every time. In regards to comfort the seat can be uncomfortable after riding over an hour or so. Also, when riding at higher speeds on the highway it does feel a bit wavy or not fully stable I think due to it's light weight. It may be best suited for backroad travel, main roads, and in town travel but not highway travel at 70 mph travel. Show less

I bought my bike new in 2004 and still ride it today. It's perfect for my 5'5" height and 125 lb. I'm a 60 y/o female and have been riding mc's since I was 7 y/o. I absolutely have a passion for riding and plan to ride the remainder of my life. I also have a 2002 Honda VTX 1800 that i purchased new as well but I am considering having it converted to a 3 wheeler because it is about 5 or 6 inches higher than I'm comfortable with as it causes me to stand tippy toe when stopped in traffic or while trying to back my bike. Safe travels. Show less

I've owned a 2007 Vulcan 500 with about 12,000 miles on it when I bought it for one season now. Even at this age and with this mileage the bike is still great. My experience agrees with the other favorable reviews. It's a great performer, with an excellent engine. The only problem I've had with it is that it runs a little rough for the first 50 miles or so. I generally have to run it on half choke at mid-range speeds for about the first half an hour, and that seems to smooth it out. I've been adding an ounce or two of Techron per tank of gas and it seems to be getting better. I would recommend it for anyone looking for a good used small to mid-size cruiser. Show less

I was looking for a lightweight, comfortable, water cooled cruiser with plenty of get up and go. I looked at the new offerings from Honda, Moto Guzzi, Suzuki and Yamaha and they were either too heavy, too slow, too expensive or uncomfortable. By chance a 2006 Kawasaki Vulcan 500 LTD model came up for sale on Craig’s list near me and after a test ride I was sold! It’s fast, comfortable, light, easy to maintain and reliable. This is a gem of a bike and it looks great as well, especially in red. Gets 55 MPG which is pretty good for an old, carb cruiser. Show less

The KX500 is like gold. It keeps going up in value. Nothing can touch the sheer raw power inside this monstrous engine. Those that had 2-strokes when they were legal and allowed by the EPA knew what fun you can have day in and out. Now that the EPA killed 2-strokes; the value has only gone up faster than gold. MSRP in some cases has already been passed up for higher prices. The KX 500 is the most powerfull bike in the world. This bike will smoke any 4-stroker period! I am a pro since 1979 on my XR80! Those were experimental days. Since then the KX 500 is the final masterpiece. The bike is a little heavy compared to my skinny 250's but makes up hands down for the amount of disgusting cheating power it produces. It almost feels like I'm cheating everyone with their wimpy 4-strokes. See you in pits 4-strokers with a wrench in your hands. Seriously, just buy them all since they will be worth big money. Show less

A buddy of mine bought this bike to get his license on. I've gotten to ride it a good bit since it's stored in my garage. I've been riding for years and am normally a sport/sport-standard type of rider, but this Vulcan 500 is FUN. It doesn't suffer from most of the traditional cruiser flaws - it is relatively light weight, it handles well and it accelerates surprisingly fast. The 500cc parallel twin pulls hard through all the gears, but it's still very newby-friendly. The long wheel base makes it a little tough to maneuver in parking lots, but other than that no complaints at all. Maybe a center stand would have been nice (it is chain driven), but it fits on my rearstand just fine. The swingarm is even the same width as my sport bike. Show less

I'm sorry to lower the reliability rating because mine takes a lot of kicking to get started on a trail ride. Other than that, this is a very great bike. It has a lot of power and good handling at high speeds. I wouldn't recommend it for long rough trails, but it's great for Motocross. This bike flies across the track and is easy to move around in the air. If you need to save money by buying an older bike, buy this one, because mine works pretty well for a 10-year-old dirt bike. Mine is a big bore 144 with a racing muffler and a reed force valve. I bought it for $1,050, so I wouldn't recommend spending too much on an old bike. Wait a while and you may be surprised with what you might find. MY BIKE: The rear number plate and front number plate were painted turquoise, and the radiator shrouds are black. I honestly don't like how it looks very much, so remember not to get one with a custom paint job you don't like. Replacing plastic isn't cheap. Show less

I bought it July 10 for my wife. She had just completed a bike course. She tried out several different bikes, and found this one to be the best overall for easy of handling, and power vs. size. Plus it seems to have been made with a smaller framed person in mind. The bike is excellent around town, and for short day trips; but, it's a little light for extended trip riding. I just bought her the 900 Vulcan for extended trips. The saleswoman at the dealership was great. Show less

This bike is very fast. It beat a 2004 KTM 125SX. The KTM was all the way topped out and I was in 5th gear 3/4 throttle tieing it, then shifted into 6th gear and blew it away! That just proves Kawasaki is the best Show less

Being a lady in my late 50's and wanting to ride - this bike is wonderful. My son and I along with a friend all go riding on weekends and it is able to keep up with the bigger bikes. Never did I think I would be riding a bike. But I choose the right one as it is easy to handle. I love it. Show less