Kawasaki Vulcan 800 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

Want to commute on a comfortable motorcycle that is nimble in the city and cruises great on the highway? Want to get good gas mileage (50-60 mpg.)? Want to look good on a classic? Want to lean into corners more than the average cruiser? Want to be able to rev you rpm. and feel sporty? Want to perform better and faster than the 1300-1600 cruisers? Want to have lower insurance rates and low ownership costs? If the above criteria is what you are looking for in a motorcycle, look no further. Even in 2014, this cruiser still beats what else is available. I'll be riding this for a long time. Knock on wood, but no problems or maintenance issues. I get to enjoy riding this more than having to fix something. Feel confident to take this on a long trip. 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

I bought this bike from a previous owner who customized it and babied it, basically. She has about 20,000 miles and feels like she only has about 1,000! This bike is comfortable and easy to ride/control! I bought a "Johnny Pag" 300cc brand new for $3,300 and thought I was getting a deal!! I rode the thing for 300 miles and was scared I was going to kill myself only going 40 miles an hour! Something definitely wasn't right...so I looked into trading her in for a bigger better bike. When I came across this, the dealer promised me I would have a blast with this bike and even talked me out of getting a Sportster 883 and it was so worth it!! I can't stop thinking about it when I'm not riding and I ride it every chance I get!! I love it!! I feel safe and I know I can rely on it! I would recommend this bike to anyone, especially if your not wanting to spend thousands on a "Harley"! Personally, I think this bike beats out a Harley all day!! Show less

I'm a returning biker who finally got a deal I couldn't refuse. This is my first cruiser and my maturing body absolutely loves it. Lots of room for this older belly to hang out without hitting tank and a great Mustang gel seat that feels more comfortable than anything in my home. I got the bike equipped with a Kuryaken Hyper Charger and 2" slash cut Cobra Pipes which provides ample power out of this 805cc engine. When I went in for a safety check, the dealer thought it was a Harley! Awesome sound, very comfy seat, and 45mpg. Happy in Hawaii... Show less

This being my third bike since a beginner 15 years ago, I have to say, not bad. The stock seat sucks, as most stock seats do, so I'd recommend getting rid of that. Maintenance wise, not much is needed over the long haul except for oil changes and such. that's a good thing, because any work to be done is a pain as it's hard to get to anything without moving a lot of other things out of the way. That being said, anyone with mechanical aptitude can work on this bike. I've changed the leaking coolant pipe on the right cover, the chain and sprockets, front brake pads twice, and the light switch. There are a lot of aftermarket parts for this bike and mods are easy to do. The high rpm's at highway speeds are annoying, so do what I did. When it's time to change the sprockets, get the rear one with less teeth. I went from the 42 stock to a 39, and wow! Now I can peg the speedo. Show less

I just got a used 05 Vulcan Classic 800 with ONLY 3200 miles for a great price. I wasn't planning to buy this bike. I was visiting the dealer to trade in my old bike for a new V Star 1300 Tourer. Instead I purchased the Vulcan 800 Classic and kept my old bike. The bike fits me perfectly. It is not over powered, but not slow either. Top speed on a flat road was 110 mph in 4th gear, but I pegged the speedometer in 5th gear on a downhill. The bike was stable at those speeds; slight wobble, but it wasn't bad. A former bike I owned was uncomfortable and unstable above 70 mph. This Vulcan 800 has the same acceleration and power as that bike but without the issues. This bike is about evenly matched with the 1100 cruisers. I ride with the big boys and I can keep up with this bike. I am very happy so far. Show less

My VN800A is just a hair over 44,000 miles and still running strong. Recently had the oil changed and the carbs cleaned and it runs as good as the day I bought it new. This bike is almost bulletproof. It even survived my wife using it for the DOD required MSF course. Show less

When I went to look at this, basically stock, bike I was surprised. I am a large man, but it fit pretty well, and the first time I rode it the power it had with me on it was very pleasing. Now if I can find a fault with it, it would be that my long old legs need a bit more room, but that can be remedied with forward controls, which I wanted anyway. Personally I think the bike is better suited for a shorter individual, if someone wants to keep it stock. Since I have plans to customize it I am not concerned. I have found many aftermarket parts to do what I want. Having a steak appetite and a hamburger budget, this suits what I want very well in balance, comfort, and power. Show less

I went intent on buying a Honda Shadow, but after rode off the lot with my 05 Vulcan 800 Classic. This is a great motorcycle. Plenty of power for a mid-sized bike, but the handling and the feel of the motorcycle are unbelievable. Show less