2023 Kawasaki Vulcan S Performance and Capability

The 649 cc, two-cylinder, short-stroke mill in the Vulcan S shares DNA with the sporty Ninja 650 plant. However, it comes tuned specifically for a more cruise-tastic power delivery with more bottom-end torque at a less frenetic engine tempo.

The Kawasaki Vulcan S produces a maximum of 46.3 pound-feet of torque at 6,600 rpm, plenty of power for its 500-pound curb weight. This torque comes from the cruiser-tuned intakes in the 38 mm throttle bodies, cam grinds, and dual-valve induction management, as well as the beefed-up mass of the flywheel.

A balancer shaft counters the rocking couple and smooths out the vibrations from the reciprocating masses in the engine. Kawasaki's own Digital Fuel Injection contributes to low-end torque as well, since the factory really wanted to make sure the sporty Ninja engine was appropriately grunty for its new role. The Kawasaki Vulcan S top speed is 116 mph.

So far, I have to agree with the factory prose that names the Vulcan as a great beginner's bike. One of the features in the six-speed transmission reinforces that opinion.

First-time riders, and even experienced riders on an unfamiliar bike, sometimes struggle to find neutral; the stiffer your boots, the harder it is. Exacerbating circumstances, such as clutch drag, make it worse.

Enter the Positive Neutral Finder, Kawasaki's answer to the problem. Once you come to a full stop, you just upshift from first to find neutral on the first try, every time.

Design

Kawasaki launched its first Vulcan in 1985. The Vulcan VN700A with Kawasaki's first V-twin had to make do with a 699 cc engine to avoid import tariffs on anything over 700 cc. Thankfully, they lifted that tariff, although today's Vulcan S is a 649 cc parallel-twin so it would pass muster even in yesteryear. New from 2016, Kawasaki introduced the Vulcan S Café and the Vulcan S SE to round out its cruiser stable.

Typical of the Vulcan lineup, you'll find a narrow chassis, tapered seat, and low seat height so it's easy to find the ground even for the shorties among us. In the new-in-2016 category, the Vulcan S Café sports a bullet fairing, and the Vulcan S SE offers a few cosmetic splashes of color and bling.

I'll say this for Kawasaki, they certainly bent over backward to make the Vulcan S family accessible to the broadest range of body types possible. The Ergo-Fit concept allows the rider to change the size and shape of the rider triangle. Add the short-reach handlebars to bring your hands closer to your body, use the reduced-reach or the extended-reach saddle with gel inserts to move your hips fore or aft, and move the footpegs forward or back one inch to tweak your foot position and amount of leg stretch.

With this many options available, most riders can tailor the bike for a perfect fit. The engineers -- bless their hearts -- even made the hand levers adjustable. Whether you have dainty little hands or great big meathooks, you can find a configuration that works for you.

Incorporating cruiser styling with sportbike performance, the Vulcans have features such as a 3.7-gallon teardrop fuel tank, a distinctive front inverted triangular headlight, LED taillight, and black-out mirrors. These features complement the black-out frame and muffler.

Chassis

Kawasaki uses a perimeter-type frame as a sort of exoskeleton in the Vulcan S. Two fore-and-aft pipes protect the jugs and a double cradle supports the engine.

The tubular-steel frame sports a narrow subframe sans seat rails. This keeps the rear end as skinny as the rest of the bike. It's a design feature that makes for easy ground access for riders with shorter inseams.

The steering head is 31 degrees -- nothing like a bit of rake to give a bike that cruiser look and feel -- with 4.7 inches of trail for handling. It tracks well at highway speeds and retains some agility for the corners.

Old-fashioned, right-side-up forks support the front end with 5.1 inches of travel. A coil-over monoshock tucked away under the rider's right thigh floats the rear on 3.15 inches of travel. The rear shocks also come with a seven-position, spring-preload adjustment so you can dial in for your weight and preferred stiffness.

A two-pot caliper pinches the 300 mm front brake rotor, and a single-pot caliper binds the 250 mm disc in back. The choice between ABS or non-ABS is back on the board for 2023 on the base-model Vulcan S. The Café has ABS as standard equipment, as did the Special Edition (SE) when it was in the lineup.

2023 Kawasaki Vulcan S Price and Availability

The 2023 Kawasaki Vulcan S costs $7,349 for the non-ABS model and $7,899 with ABS. The Café rolls for $8,099. While I'm not digging the new paint choices as much this year, color is at the bottom of the priority list much of the time.

Kawasaki covers your Vulcan with a 12-month limited warranty. You have the option of picking up additional coverage through Kawasaki Protection Plus™ for 12, 24, 36, or 48 months.

Competitors

Since the Vulcan S range is obviously meant to compete in the U.S. market, I came to a quandary when selecting a worthy competitor. Do I go with another import geared toward the American crowd, or pick a bonafide domestic brand? Though the Shadow Phantom from Honda is a tempting foe, I decided to go the domestic route with the Harley Street 750.

Harley-Davidson Street 500 / Street 750

First off, the price range was right. The Street falls into the entry-level range at $7,599 in Vivid Black and $7,894 in the optional custom colors, right alongside the Vulcan S at $7,349.

Looks-wise they are comparable, too. The bullet fairing on the Street and the Vulcan S Café lend both bikes a café-esque air, though neither really qualifies as such by my definition. That aside, they both look pretty cool in my book.

Engine power likewise falls out in the same neighborhood. The Vulcan ekes out a win with 46.3 pound-feet of torque, just over the Street's 44.5 pound-feet. You won't feel the difference in the ol' heinie dyno, but the Street maxes out at a much-lower four grand. Plus, the V-Twin in the Harley just adds to the overall American cruiser look.

These bikes are so close, I can see only the name power Harley brings to the table as a tiebreaker. To me, this speaks highly of what Kawasaki accomplished with the Vulcan, and I can't help but be just a little impressed with it.

He Said

My husband and fellow writer, TJ Hinton, says, “I'm with my wife on this one, I like the Vulcan range, though I'd have to go with the S Café version if I had to pick one. The smooth power is a plus, too. As much as I like my Harley, there are times I could do without the vibration, to be sure. I expect to see this Vulcan range perform well on our shores, even though the mid-size cruiser market is heating up as more manufacturers release smaller-displacement rides.”

She Said

"I'm glad to see more of these mid-range displacement engines in the cruiser market. I think the market went big-big-big for a while and I'm glad to see things dialed back a bit. Not everyone wants to go as fast as possible with as big an engine as possible. These cruisers in the 600-1,000 cc range really open things up for a lot of riders and the price is right for the entry-level or budget-minded folks."