The name "Vulcan" is fitting!
Written: May 28 '01
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Pros: Practical, great value, high tech design for a cruiser
Cons: Lack of aftermarket accessories, retro 1980's looks
The Bottom Line: A well-designed bike that has sacrified looks somewhat in order to produce a feature-packed ride.
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| crazy_mike's Full Review: 2000 Kawasaki Vulcan 750 |
I'm a big Star Trek fan, and got a real kick when I heard a good friend of mine was buying a bike called the "Vulcan". I'd never heard of the model before.
For non-trekkies, the Vulcans are an alien race on Star Trek that are known for being extremely logical. Sometimes, almost to a fault. The Vulcan 750 is a good example of a bike a Vulcan engineer might make if designing a motorcycle.
The Vulcan 750 is a very well designed bike and is packed with all of the features anyone could want in a motorcycle. It is a "logical" bike. But that is both a good and a bad thing. I think that the bike is an excellent design, a hell of a value, practical, comfortable, and reliable. But the looks of the bike leave something to be desired. I think that when the bike was designed, the engineers forgot that some of us ride to get away from being logical and practical. I personally want some rumble from the engine even though a perfectly smooth engine would make sense. I also want a lot of chrome for no other reason than it's shinny and looks cool. I also want the bike to look a certain way if it's going to be a "cruiser".
As to the actual ride of the Vulcan 750, it's an excellent bike for the beginner all the way up to the experienced rider. It's balanced really well and doesn't have the low-and-heavy feel of a typical cruiser. The bike has excellent accelleration and has plenty of power for even two-up riding. The gears and clutch allow for smooth shifting, and the brakes are excellent.
On the downside, the seat, gas tank and handlebars would be my main complaints about the bike. The seat is an ugly old-school banana shape, and gets pretty uncomfortable after a short ride. The gas tank is slanted at a pretty sharp angle and I jokingly call it a "nut ramp". I think if you were to jam on the brakes hard, you'd launch pretty good given the design. As to the stock handlebars, they are kind of like conservative ape hangers. Since it's totally a matter of personal preference, I can't say the stock bars are bad. But when my friend put on an aftermarket set of bars more similar to drag bars, I thought the bike had a much better feel.
One last complaint would be the lack of accessories. Most aftermarket manufacturers have decided to skip over the 750, and make a ton of accessories for the 800 and 1500 Vulcan models. Still, most of the needed items (like a windshield and saddlebags) are universal in nature and can still be found for the 750.
As a whole, for someone looking for a practical cruiser, the positives far outweigh the negatives on the Vulcan 750. The bike comes loaded with features that no other bike combines as a whole package. The list includes the following: shaft drive (no need to clean, lube or adjust a chain), mag wheels (tubeless with no spokes to worry about), self-adjusting valves (no need to have them adjusted every 3,000 miles), high-rpm engine (more like a sportbike motor than a cruiser motor!), fuel guage (most cruisers don't even have a low-fuel warning light), tachometer (a lot of new bikes are leaving these off), storage space (nice little lockable box on the back of the seat), dual carbs (for more power), and excellent handling (many cruisers don't feel as good as they look).
In a nutshell, if you don't mind the looks, the Vulcan is probably the best value in a mid-sized cruiser around. It's a well-designed bike that has sacrified looks somewhat in order to produce a feature-packed ride.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 6100
Condition: New
Model Year: 2000
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Epinions.com ID:
crazy_mike
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Reviews written: 3
Trusted by: 0 members
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