2nd Opinion — Kelly Callan

Before I get started, I have to admit my prejudices. I’m not a big fan of cruisers. I’d rather ride a sport bike or a dirt bike. Even though I was hyped on this bike before I laid eyes on it, I still wasn’t convinced. After one ride, that changed. This bike is fun!

The Vulcan 900 Custom doesn’t ride like a cruiser, it’s not slow and it doesn’t vibrate much. Plus, when I pull out of my driveway onto the canyon roads of Malibu, it is even more fun to ride. It doesn’t corner like a Ducati Monster, as much as I wish it did, but it’s more like riding a big bore sport-touring bike. I just glided through the turns and was able to do so at a pretty fast speed. It does scrape once in a while, but not nearly as much as the Harley-Davidson 883 Low that I rode in a story for the June/July 2007 issue.

I can’t say that I like the footpeg forward position, but the 900 Custom does make it work. I didn’t feel overwhelmed by the bike at all, even on the first time out (I’m 5’6”, 110 lbs). That’s not because it’s slow—it’s not. The bike gained my favor thanks to it’s 27” seat height, reasonable 549-pound dry weight, and natural balance. Taking it down Ventura Boulevard, the 900 Custom just felt nice. It idles smoothly, and I don’t buy into the shake, rattle and roll school of engine design. Pulling away first from the green lights is child’s play. Also, I appreciated the smooth and predictable operation of the hand and foot controls.

The Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Custom may be a cruiser, but it’s a kind of cruiser that just might change my mind about the genre.

3rd Opinion – Arthur Coldwells

Don and I headed into the hills to do some testing on the spur of the moment. I didn’t select the Kawasaki per se, it just happened to be the closest of the two so I just jumped on and thumbed the starter. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but certainly I did get a very pleasant surprise. Following Don on the Star Roadliner—a very capable motorcycle in its own right—as he rode quickly through the twisty roads near his house I found the Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Custom not only kept up easily, but it did it smoothly, quietly, and without undue wallow from the chassis. There are torquier motors out there, but the 900 acts like a much larger unit with effortless revs, and not inconsiderable power that comes in nice and smoothly. Coupled with the very reasonable ground clearance, I found myself able to concentrate on the road rather than having to manage any lack of capability on these roads. (Click image to enlarge)

Overall, the handling is good. If you crank it over hard the pegs will scrape, but they do fold up (negating any likelihood of tri-pointing on the asphalt) and beyond that you have to really push before any other hardware touches down. Naturally, the shocks at the rear are a little soft, but hey – this is a cruiser!! When Don and I pulled up I was impressed enough to wonder aloud what size motor this was. I was blown away when he said it was “only” a 900. If you would have asked me to guess I’d have figured the displacement much higher than that.

I found this street sleeper to be an endearing wake up call for me. It is a nice looking, fun bike that carries some cool cachet with it too. Kawasaki have done an exemplary job with the motor, and the handling and brakes are more than adequate if you happen to enjoy cornering too. The Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Custom that doesn’t excel at any one thing, but does everything so well and so easily that the whole is way more than the mere sum of its parts.

www.kawasaki.com