I've been there. Usually there's good deals on bikes this time of year can get them lot cheaper. Good bike.

Yes its great just all round bike and probably best performance in cruiser for price on the market.

I love mine as well no complaints or mods

Have you found a chip that will take care of the engine braking ?

@@johndickinson8848 i put a booster plug on mine and it floats

Ridden a rebel 500?

The vulcan is awesome bike. It's actually very quick and handles really well too. Nothing wrong with liking it as more than a beginner bike. My wife loves the way the vulacn sounds she says it makes pops on decel a little and it tickles her lol, I drilled holes in muffler for that. I enjoy a good v twin but I like a good high revved parallel twin too. They all got their different personalities, I enjoy almost every bike I ride.

The vulcan is a fantastic bike.

Why? The Japanese themselves have been doing so for decades. This isn’t a proper cruiser in the traditional sense. The actual Japanese Harley competitors are often superior so…your issue is more with people comparing cheap cruiser “style” bikes from Japan with higher end Harley’s

Japanese Cruiser > Murican Harleys

I agree

It's a great bike, not just as a beginner bike neither. It's plenty quick enough to ride for along time and not get bored. It's got plenty of pep but forgiving enough to not be intimidating.

Have had mine since 2019 bought used threw on a delkevic pipes rear seat rest and cargo rack it is still fun to ride as day 1. Like the green black too. Never drove a Harley and prob never will. Good luck with yours

@@chrisman714368 Just put delkevic pipes on mine!! Sounds killer!

Yeah v twins typically got lot of character

Thank you I am very blessed, it truly is God's country.

Wow thats good. The cs was the one on top of my list which its newer and the new freedom performance exhaust as well. I think im paying $20 a mo th which is full coverage and aint bad at all on it. Its a good all round bike probably best bang for buck good bike out there right now.

Which insurance are y'all using?

@@paganrythyms In germany its also 13€ a month for me at the highest insurance settings with all exras. its the HUK COBURG

The cs exhaust sounds very good that's one I would like for our vulcan. I haven't tried booster plug but have thought about it for awhile.

The Musarri Exhaust can be bought on Amazon for $350... Just saying. There are plenty of examples of the sound. A Google search or KZfaq search will get you there.

Hey there Allen weren’t you a subscriber of kawaka John channel?

@@jsrides2065 Hi J, to your question - Yes. Sadly John gave it all up. But I still have my Vulcan-S, and enjoy every minute of riding my bike. It gets my mine right on some days. I have 2,500 miles on my bike. I do not get to ride it as much as I would like due to the weather, grand kids and the honey do list...

@@allenarneson4349 yes I heard John gave up sadly come join my channel I do rides around Devon and Cornwall I have lots of short rides and some long 1s I’m still riding my kvs but like you not that much because of the weather and life’s responsibilities looking after mother and wife and sister, glade you’re still loving your bike 🏍💨💨💨cheers j’srides jamie 👍🏻🤟🏻

Allen as a newbie biker what is a booster plug please ?

Super Reliable no problems at all.

@@bikerbeliever8169 is that gear tracker on the left handle bar standard or did you add that on that’s a pretty useful thing for new folks

Its aftermarket. Ours is 2016 model and don't have one quipped stock. 2017 and up vulcans have a Gear indicator in the dash stock.

It's pretty common thing with Kawasaki in general I believe. It's not the worst thing in the world it can just be a little alarming to first time riders. Vulcan is good bike but mean streak is a monster of a motor big difference id believe.

Yes its a fantastic bike. I love it and my wife (its her main bike now) really loves it.

Tell her I said to ride like the wind! Lol

Well get ready to trade up. Kawasaki is announcing something like 12 new models in October. I have a funny feeling one of those bikes is going to be the rumored Vulcan H2. If they do release it its going to be a supercharged liter cruiser with 200hp. Too much power for me, I'd kill myself haha.

Yeah I like the thoughts of a new vulcan. I actually don't want that kind of power though, I'd get hurt I fear. 100bhp and good torque and thats all I would ever use for the riding I do.

@@bikerbeliever8169 I'm the same way man. I have about 105whp and weigh 500lbs. 1st gear is actually pretty scary. And that's in standard mode where it cuts a bit of the power off. I really don't see why you would need any more than 100whp on a sub 600lbs bike. Anything more is a death wish. Lol

That's odd. It's definitely got on off feeling to me. I've heard lot of other people express this as well. Does it mean I don't enjoy the bike? No, it's fun bike. My other bikes don't have this issue, throttle is linear and responds as you twist the throttle, and nonits not a free play issue. It's electronic issue, just a slight delay in throttle opening and giving fuel from when you twist the throttle. Definitely there on my bike. And seems to be on others but if yours isn't noticeable that's a good thing.

Public roads in North East Kentucky yep.

Awesome they r very good bike

Dude the Angel GT's make a huge difference, or they did to me. The stock tires for me were not good. The Angel GT's made it night and day difference for me and really boosted my confidence as a beginner rider.

What do you think of the 43 sprocket? I have been going on longer rides and wouldn't mind bringing down the highway rpms.

@@Mereshot101 when I install it I'll let you know. I've done that with previous bikes and it makes a huge difference. Plus I've read it helps with the throttle response/engine breaking. I have the booster plug coming as well... Bike runs way to lean so I'm hoping that evens things out.

Nothing wrong in that its a fantastic bike.

I enjoyed every detail you provided in your video. Thank you for taking the time to make it:)

Vulcan 650 for sure on performance. I like the honda shadow phantom styling better though. It also has shaft drive. They all are gonna be good reliable bikes though.

No need for higher performance. The longer you ride the more you realize that

I been riding forever and had bikes with way more power than this thing, bikes that corner way better, tour way better, etc. and I'm perfectly happy on this bike as a 35 year experienced rider. It's not a beginner bike, it's a niche bike. You buy this bike to have a lightweight cruiser bike that flicks and handles twisties while commuting and kicking around locally with maybe a longer trip here n there. You have fuel injection, liquid cooled bulletproof engine too. I feel it's actually a purpose built bike. In my opinion beginner bikes are 500cc and below. I've seen noobs destroy themselves on a 650 "beginner bike".

@@kjfrank2036 I’m thinking about getting this my first bike new rider with 0 experience I never rode a bike ever.. you believe this isn’t a good beginner bike. I’m 6’0 465 pounds

Yes, thanks, the kuryakyn products are typically really good and solid.

Where did you see it?

@@TranslateToEnglish in the video man.

I will do a comparison try and do a little acceleration run between the two. I would do a head to head race, but my wife would be the other rider and she's still learning to shift smooth and be good on throttle and stuff so Im not going to put her in that position. I may find someone around here to ride it and run it against me though and Ill try and film it.

That she is

Oh Im not suprised at all. It has some pep in its step, so to speak. Sometimes it doesnt feel fast because the power is very linear, but then you look at the speed and your like oh man it is quicker than I thought.

@@bikerbeliever8169 when I first got this bike I took it out a couple times and thought man this bike isn’t as fast as I thought it would be. Then one day I really cracked the throttle and looked down and realized how quick it actually was. And I still haven’t given it hell yet to see what it can do.

They look like Kawasaki mirrors from other models.

Amazon they were just generic mirrors

About every 300-500 miles of cleaning and lubing chain and checking the slack. I had several bikes, moto guzzi v7, Husqvarna svartpilen 701, and sold them since as well and now have a cfmoto ibex 800t currently.

@bikerbeliever8169 Thanks so much! BTW, a couple months ago I rode my 900 Vulcan Classic into Fleming County, Goddard Covered Bridge area from Georgetown. That's certainly a beautiful area! Continue to ride safely and enjoy.

Which ones is he using now?

Z650@@Hattinchannel

Northeast Kentucky

I would have guessed somewhere in TN. Those look like some epic roads with no traffic.

Kentucky and Tennessee got Appalachian mountains passing through both, very similar states, similar terrain, roads, except supposedly our grass in KY is blue.

Off Amazon I think. I also got a little bracket for handlebar for it as well. IDEA Waterproof Motorcycle Gear Indicator Plug & Play LED Display for Kawasaki (Rectangle, Blue) a.co/d/4lsG9TP (except green was available back then)

No it did not. It's a very easy install. There's different paths of install. I did the diagnostic port install very easy gear indicator was setup and plugged directly into it and gives you the gear. You can do the accessory relay option as well but have to buy the accessory relay also, but would still be easy.

Oh yeah seems like different bikes now a days have that off on throttle issue. Kawasaki makes good machines though.

Thanks I appreciate it

yeah I hear the arrow exhaust is the best, it was just really pricey for me to justify it at the time. My bike is a 2016 also, they may have adjusted the throttle issues over the years, so Id imagine it could be better each new year. The throttle doesn't bother me now, but it was my first bike I actually owned and initially caught me off guard a bit and made me nervous. It isn't bad just for somebody that has never rode before it could be slightly alarming first time (just because this bike is recommended as one of best beginner bikes by a lot of people)

vulcan is a great bike

I think fuel gonna drop quick on any bike or vehicle when going 80 plus. May get there quicker but fuel gonna go down quicker too. I probably guess I ride between 55 and 70 on most roads with Vulcan and it's around 50 to 55 mpg. For first few thousand miles I was only getting like 45mpg to 50 at most. Bike got better over time things just run smoother now then when I had it new.

@@bikerbeliever8169 I had other bikes but way higher CC and fuel drain wasn't as bad but those bikes didn't get what the vulcan does for in town. I can get around 60mpg with mine if not that hard on it.

@@scottneal2738 that's really good actually. My wife weighs less than me and she's getting over 55mpg really good since she has taken over riding it most of time. She loves the bike.

@@bikerbeliever8169 it definitely is a fun bike and to me it can really move for the idea of being a 650, the sport part really gives it a great feeling. Not sure if you have but I throttle shift at 4k rpm and it's smooth and don't feel a throttle lag. I weigh 160

Your light guy, my wife weighing less is really quick with her on it. I'm 260ish now, but it has good pull performance for sure.

Amazon

I couldn’t the differences between the s and cafe model. Are the handle bars lower out something?

No it comes with a fairing but most people take it off

I could have easily learned to ride on this bike no problem. A lot of others could have as well, its gonna come down to the individual and if they are competent or not. The Guzzi imo rides very direct to me, probably because of the shaft drive and direct connection to the rear wheel. Yes it handles like a bike because well it is a bike.

The newer models do. I think they added it to the stock display in 2017 and up I believe.

Thanks! I’m a noob but I’m taller and I think this bike is a good fit for me. Appreciate the review

If taller get the extended ergonomics and you should be good.

Find a good dealer. It's alright to negotiate, worst they can do is say no. Build a relationship with a good dealer and they will give you better prices and perks and be willing to let you test ride new bikes when they come in.

@The Boss of Hart Lane Yeah im working on that right now with a couple dealers I found that offer the best inventories but so far I haven't had any luck getting a deal. Maybe I'll wait until winter when they are stuck with inventory and riding season is over.

@TuggyPeppa yeah also go to demo days. I went to one and they are fun anyways. I got a $500 off any new Kawasaki bike just for riding motorcycles. It's fun and you get free stuff lot of times, also got free pair of Kawasaki motorcycle gloves from the dealer. It was nice.

@The Boss of Hart Lane Thanks I'll certainly try that. Appreciate the tips!

Northeastern Kentucky near Goddard

I have no idea we sold the bike awhile back I don't remember what we got exactly, it wasn't bad bad expensive off Amazon should be something that would work.

Oh man yes we don't ha e it anymore but it's probably the best bike you can get for the money certainly.

@@bikerbeliever8169 they still sell it here under partnership with modenas, from malaysia btw. Materials are probably not so reliable now but we'll see since its a new collaboration.

Ya that sounds horrible I'd find another dealer or salesman.

I am 6 foot 1 inches tall if that helps

@@bikerbeliever8169 It does, thanks :)

scorpion klaw ii gloves in grey if I remember right.

Should be in the description

Vulcan is a good bike, but 120 horsepower is obviously a lot and going to be more exciting, and 94lb ft torque is gonna make for good ride as well. I like all bikes Ive rode, vulcan is a good starter bike and good value (minus the on off throttle thing). Harley's are expensive and tough entry point into biking unless get used sportster.

@@bikerbeliever8169 does anybody know what is the top speed for this bike ? Kawasaki Vulcan s650

@@hassanhassoon6944 116

It costs over 2.5 times more too. It is nice for sure though.

You don't compare a Harley to this bike lol. They're not even remotely the same. When you "upgrade" to a Harley you upgrade the initial cost of the bike, maintenance costs, the heat on your legs, the vibration, the insurance cost, the gas cost, the accessories costs and you give away all the reliability. I been riding 35 years and I know all about it as I've owned everything you can think of. Having said that, ALL bikes are pretty awesome in my opinion. 2 wheels, open air, the wind..Can't beat it!

Flemingsburg, KY area.

Thank you. It was absolutely beautiful countryside:) We're looking for better places to which we might relocate in the future. Kentucky is certainly a possibility!

Lived here whole life never had desire to leave

This is/can be a good first bike. My advice, be patient, take your time, wear your gear. Take the written exam for your bike permit first (though this may differ by state, not sure). If you get your permit you could already be practicing, riding the roads to practice right now, legally. Then if you already have your permit, then after you pass the msf, all you have to do is go in and have them update your license and show them and you are officially legal on a bike on the main roads. As far as buying the bike, that depends on how you want to do it. I bought the bike before I had ever even rode one. That being said it took me few weeks of practice, just driveway, small road practice to get going. It was frustrating a bit, but then it became easy and second nature and is so relaxing and enjoyable now to ride for me. So be patient, understand learning to ride is a process and their will be frustration and just take your time, it could take you weeks to even be comfortable to pull out of your driveway. For me the clutch and gear shifting was easy, I had to work more on my balance and learning to push the direction I wanted to go, as well as getting used to the throttle sensitivity on the bike. Check out motojitsu's channel, he is great and can help you a lot as far as becoming a better, safer rider. As far as the color scheme you get for your bike, thats going to depend on the dealer you go to and what they got available or if they can order the paint scheme you are looking for, as well as how far you are willing to drive to a dealer that may arleady have what you are looking for, so you'll have to call ahead and figure it out set it up.

You should check out dan dan the fireman he has some pretty good tips as well.

@@Mereshot101 yes Dan Dan is great

I like your game plan. First time rider myself (older guy in my 40s). Started looking at bikes and watching videos. Took the MSF in April, bought a decent helmet but basic/cheap gear for class. Wanted to make sure my want (to be a rider) and my abilities (to ride affectively) matched up before any more financial commitment. Took the class and passed ( on a crappy DMV bike) and the hook was set. Scheduled DMV visit in May for license and started shopping Used shops and FB marketplace. Found my 2015 Vulcan S for $5k with 1500 miles on it. Kept watching a ton of Dan Dan the fireman videos and other training and tips. Hit the closest school parking lot until I was road ready. Took a lot of left and right turns, braking, slow maneuvers. The Vulcan has a sensitive throttle. Stalled it a bunch of times, dropped it once (every new rider does). While I was practicing started upgrading to my street ready gear. Better jacket, gloves, boots. Got a good deal on FB for jacket. Then progressed to neighborhood roads and light traffic. Now I ride most days, commuting and casual riding. Still stall it occasionally when I get quick on the clutch but feel more confident every day and very happy with my first bike choice. I think the hardest part was the time between the course and license and the bike purchase because I didn’t have anything to practice on. I will add my buddies who rode were a great source of information and tips just don’t listen to the one who says shorts and tennis shoes are fine. Hope your journey to riding goes well. Get ready to throw down the two fingers sign!

Oh yeah I never updated this. This is the route I ended with. I took the CMSP course in Cali. Passed. Got my license. While saving for my bike I bought bits and pieces of high quality gear during the holidays. Bought a 250cc adventure bike. Paid off. And now the plan is to practice motojitsu. Take more courses. Get more miles under my belt. And a year from now upgrade to a faster adv bike and do some traveling. Thanks for supporting me when not many people did.. because ya know motorcycles are dangerous. See y'all out there I'll throw the ✌️ up. :)

Honestly don't know if the power would be that much more impressive. It would be but not like drastically. If wanting more power I'd pass the vulcan if your already good at riding and get little more cc unless u just like the styling of the vulcan.

Not that I'm aware of. Just Amazon mirrors.

​@@bikerbeliever8169any links?

they are stealth mirrors if i remember? they were generic and cheap on amazon i got them for like less than $20

Money, lol. Expensive and wasnt 100% certain I liked the exhausts I heard online and paying what they cost. I like the two brothers racing exhaust at idle sound, but its really loud everybody says and will ring your head if you ride too long, so I was like nah. People said that delkevic was overly loud too, my second choice, but I didnt think it sounded as throaty thumpy at idle like the tbr. So I never settled on any I was happy about and just tried the drilled holes exhaust mod and it sounded not too bad, not overly loud ring your brains out.

Firetong Willy sounds nice too

@@bikerbeliever8169 I have the delkevic and its too loud for my preference. With the longer 21" it interferes with adding spools to the bike just a heads up. Luckily I got the bike with the exhaust otherwise I would be upset lol

@@bikerbeliever8169 I have put a delkevic ceramic exhaust on mine and its not too loud. It's less than the tbr and not annoying. It also improved the jerkingness of the throttle.

I got the arrow full system exhaust and couldn't be happier! In Switzerland we have rather strict laws concerning well anything therefore the muffler must be in at all times but it sounds amazing even with the muffler.

No I don't think so. Have you done a valve clearance check?

@@bikerbeliever8169 nope. Kawasaki said there's no problem with it, but I'm wondering if they're trying to save themselves an engine out job.

I mean the engine has a slight buzz to it maybe, but not like a can of marbles. I would definitely make sure you got proof take note that you contacted them about it for future warranty claim, otherwise drive it like you atole it. Mine has been bulletproof through 12k miles of ownership.

No they are not. Kuryakyn rear turn brake signals. I forget what the front are.

I hear the rebel 500 is nice. It won't be as fast but will be smoother and more user friendly probably for a beginner especially. Kawasaki just has that weird on off throttle which makes low throttle situations awkward and tough kind of.

The Vulcan beats the Honda, hands down! No comparison!

I wish I knew every bike should have it.

Stock are actually pretty good tbh

They were some cheap stealth mirrors off Amazon.

Mid

It's a 2016. You are correct 2017 and up has a gear indicator stock.

Universal Black Motorcycle 7 8 Handle Bar End Side Mirrors for Cruiser Sport Bikes Cate Racer Street Bike a.co/d/3tMQMWl

The bike is best for cruising between 4 and 6k rpm. That seems to be where the meat of its torque band is at. For power obviously it revs up to 9k little over. But to me the power though it keeps reving feels like it dies off close to 8k maybe little before.

@@bikerbeliever8169 Thanks for the reply. I am considering on buying one very soon.

It's a good all round bike and probably best or one of best cruisers for the money for sure, especially if you like one that has a lot of lean angle.

I can see the logic in that

Typically true, unless it's a mod to address something lacking in the bike. It looks like the booster plug is probably a worthwhile addition to fix the throttle response that is broken due to regulations.

Itll do over 150, probably 180 (assuming your not constantly punching the throttle), but I always fill up early to be on safe side. 3.7 gallon fuel tank, mileage of around 50mpg. My wife is averaging around 55mpg when she rides I get closer to 50mpg when I ride I'm over 100lbs heavier than her taller, wider than her, more wind resistance and weight and ride casually aggressive. It has a fuel guage that is pretty good for a bike actually.

@@bikerbeliever8169 thank you.

The spring/suspension?

@@bikerbeliever8169 I want a custom color

Oh you'd have to search on ebay or aftermarket somewhere

@@bikerbeliever8169 do you know a part number.

Or better yet a solid site without being scared about knockoff sruff

It plugs into the 02 sensor sensor and tricks ecu into giving more fuel in low revs to run smoother and not so jerky or bucky when just taking it smooth and easy.

@@bikerbeliever8169 Ta mate

No it's great bike, just not super characterful.

The motor is good but not unique or characterful I guess. A 270 crank makes a much more pleasing engine and exhaust note.

@@bikerbeliever8169 the motor * is good…I can accept that depending on the yard stick being used. I mean it’s functional and reliable but that’s it. Not to diminish those features it’s just …I mean the ninja 400 motor is even better imo because at least you can rev that thing out. The 650 is barely more performative than the 400, a bit more down low but even top speeds of the z400 vs z650 for example are basically identical. There’s just too many far superior options. You have to want a new bike, a small & light bike…cruiser style no less, a Japanese bike….at this price range and with 650 power. If you’re willing to alter any 1 or 2 of those metrics there’s much better options. Willingness to buy used destroys this as even an option imo. I like its looks, I’ll give it that. I’d rather the w800 though by far.

@MarissaTheMuse oh I love the w800 I'd take that in a heartbeat