Kawasaki Vulcan S

The Kawasaki Vulcan S does not have a rich heritage and fanbase of other middleweight cruisers which are its competitors. It does lack the bling effect and image of other cruisers with its all-black appeal, which does give it a sinister look distinctive from others.

The Kawasaki Vulcan has got an ovular shaped front headlamp which is tilted at an angle and has got a heavy-looking cowl around it which is given a blackened look. A pair of small and round clear lens turn indicators are mounted on its lower edges, with the motorcycle getting a traditional chopped front fender reminiscent of other cruisers.

The Kawasaki Vulcan S has got an old school low slung stance like other cruisers, but it nowhere looks old fashioned, thanks to the all-black appeal it carries out for both its body panels and cycle parts.

The curved fuel tank which slopes down towards the large single-piece seat which the bike gets sits above a tubular panel which acts as a part of the frame beneath. This fuel tank gets dual-tone treatment with the secondary colour being gold towards the inner edge of it.

Unlike in most of the other cruisers, the Kawasaki Vulcan S misses out on proper side body panels and exhibits the monoshock placed below the seat. The engine as well as the 2-into-1 exhaust pipe placed below the former have been finished in all-black treatment.

While the Kawasaki Vulcan S doesn’t get a proper rear seat, it is available as an optional accessory. In its standard form, the Vulcan S gets a large single-seat, behind which sits the curved rear fender, which also gets the same dual-tone black and gold treatment like that on the fuel tank. The rear fender ends up in a blackened rear fender which houses a small trapezoidal tail lamp and round clear lens turn indicators.

Like in other cruisers, the single-piece handlebar of the Kawasaki Vulcan S is placed slightly higher which is in good conjunction with forward-set footpegs. What here is unusual though is the part digital instrument console, in which a small rectangular LCD display sits below the half circled analog tachometer. The LCD panel displays speed, fuel level, odometer, trip meters, and clock. The unit looks dated for a part digital meter but somehow offers a more advanced form in comparison to the consoles of other cruisers.

The Kawasaki Vulcan S is armed with simple telescopic forks at the front and a fully adjustable offset monoshock at the back. Given its cruising capabilities, the Kawasaki Vulcan S has a very comfortable and relaxed driving posture.

The rear brake lever and front footrest has three different adjustments which give a more flexible driving ergonomics to the rider. In terms of braking, the Vulcan S gets a single disc brake at the front and a single disc brake at the rear.

The Kawasaki Vulcan S shares its four-stroke, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, parallel-twin, 649cc engine with the Z650 and Ninja 650. The engine, which is known to be one of the most refined middleweight engines currently, is offered here in a different state of tune. Here on the Vulcan S, this engine makes 62.2 PS of maximum power and 64 Nm of peak torque output.

Small capacity cruisers are usually not much rich in terms of safety equipment, and the Kawasaki Vulcan S too misses out on several safety features. The motorcycle only gets dual-channel ABS as the major safety feature.

The Kawasaki Vulcan S surely gives a distinctive riding experience among cruisers with its sark visual appeal sans chrome bits, low slung stance, and a unique power delivery similar to a naked roadster with a punchy mid-range performance of a cruiser.