Kawasaki Vulcan 1500
KAWASAKI VULCAN 1500
CRUISER COMPARISON
Puttin’ aboard the plushmobile
AH, YES, THERE IS INDEED NO substitute for cubic inches. Bigger, and louder, and faster, is always better. The Vulcan 1500, assembled in Lincoln, Nebraska, is big, loud and fast. That "1500" designation is real stuff. Mr. Vulcan forges his horsepower in a great brute of an engine that displaces 1470cc. Twist the thing's tail and it lurches forward with a happy urgency only available from heavy flywheels hung on a big, long-stroke motor.
The Vulcan’s suspension is pillowplush, with soft springs and not much damping. So in a straight line at highway speeds the bike floats along unbothered by pavement irregularities. Floats is the operative word here. At cruise speed, the bike’s ride mimics that of an ocean liner, or maybe a mid’60s Buick. On backroads, the Vulcan’s combination of soft suspension, updown shaft reaction as the throttle is opened and closed and lack of ground clearance makes low speeds the order of the day.
Like the Shadow, the Vulcan fits bigger riders best, but unlike the Shad, smaller riders can reach all its controls without stretching. Not one of our testers, however, cared for the bend of the handlebar, which contorts the rider’s wrists into a weird angle.
The bike’s styling may be its most troubling aspect. Said one tester, a sensitive kind of guy, “Well, er, it’s the least pretty of the bunch.” Another, more direct, said, “You kidding? It’s as ugly as a letter from the 1RS.” Whatever you think of the Vulcan’s styling, you’ve got to admit that it’s distinctive.
If you like the Vulcan’s lines, great. If not, there’s this: It owns one of motorcycling’s great engines. For a lot of riders, that alone is enough.
$7699
