The cruiser is one of the purest forms of the motorcycle. It is supposed to be a stripped-back, laid-back kind of motorcycle that prioritizes feel over equipment. However, with luxury rearing its head in the cruiser space, it is becoming more evident that cruisers are forgetting their roots and are pandering to excess. Because more is better, right? If you are the kind of person who wants a cruiser that will last a long time, then looking at these luxury cruisers presents a dilemma. Yes, you do want the finer things in life, but you also do not want excess. What is a body to do then?
The ‘Less Is More Philosophy’
There are many people who will jokingly say that ‘more is more’, but sometimes less truly can be more. If you pay less for your motorcycle – your cruiser, in this case – you have more money left for fuel and trips. You will be more likely to take it to places you otherwise wouldn’t take a luxury product. You will have more experience with it. And who better to turn to than the Japanese, who have been doing this for decades? They have the most desirable combination of affordability and reliability that is the envy of manufacturers everywhere. And that is where you will find the Japanese engine that is so bulletproof it quietly outlasts Harleys costing twice as much.
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Speaking of these Harleys, the Street Bob is the entry point to the quintessential Harley-Davidson experience. It features the Softail cradle frame, a large-displacement air-cooled V-twin, and traditional cruiser styling that makes it timeless. Harley has also now provided it with a full electronics suite, so it has modern amenities like ride-by-wire throttle, a six-axis IMU, and cornering functions for the ABS, traction control, and drag-torque slip control. It also has massive potential for customization. With recent price cuts, it has become a better value, but as an American product, it cannot match the level of a Japanese motorcycle when it comes to outright affordability.
The Modern Harley Power Cruiser
The Sportster S is priced very similarly to the Street Bob, but it couldn’t be any more different. It has a modern frame that uses the engine as a stressed member, and the engine itself is liquid-cooled and has variable valve timing on all its valves. Its styling is inspired by the flat-track racers of the 1970s, signifying its sporty intent. This is a bridge between the old and new for Harley-Davidson. But as it is a new concept for the marque, there will always be questions about its reliability until enough time goes by and it can prove its worth.
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The Kawasaki Vulcan S Is So Bulletproof It Quietly Outlasts Harleys Costing Twice As Much
The Kawasaki Vulcan series has been around for many decades and has been an imitation of Harley-Davidson with a Kawasaki twist (liquid cooling and fuel injection) while keeping the traditional cradle frame and V-twin engine. When the Vulcan S was launched in 2015, it was nothing like the Vulcans that came before it, or the Harleys of the time. It was based on a street bike chassis, used the engine as a stressed member, and the engine itself is a parallel-twin that doesn’t have the firing order of a V-twin.
It loves to be revved and has a bit more bias toward power rather than torque compared to the traditional cruiser engine. What is common between it and the older Kawasaki Vulcans is longevity. This engine has not changed much since its launch over a decade ago, and it is essentially bulletproof.
Reasonable Pricing Matches Its Ethos
The Vulcan S is available in a few variants today, and the base price is $7,649. ABS costs $500 extra, for a price of $8,149. There is a third variant called the Vulcan S Café ABS. This adds a few cosmetic features to the ABS version of the Vulcan S, and Kawasaki asks for an extra $600 for it, bringing its price to $8,749. All of these are still cheaper than the cheapest Harley-Davidson by over $1,000. And a “true” H-D Softail is priced at around 2x more.
A Proven Powerhouse With Impeccable Reliability
The key to the longevity of the Vulcan S engine is its simplicity. This is a parallel-twin engine with liquid cooling, fuel injection, and a 180-degree crankshaft. It displaces 649 cc, has a short-stroke design, and a compression ratio of 10.8:1. Sounds familiar? That’s because it is the same powerhouse as the Ninja 650 and the Z650. But a heavier flywheel and crankshaft ensure that the Vulcan S provides more torque here.
The result is 61 horsepower at 7,500 rpm and 46.5 pound-feet at 6,600 rpm. This is sent through a six-speed gearbox and chain to the wheel. It must be noted that the Vulcan S has a cable throttle and a regular clutch, without the assist-and-slipper function that both the other Kawasaki 650 models offer.
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Diamond Frame Is Derived From Street Bike Chassis
The Vulcan S’s chassis is also just as non-traditional for a cruiser as the engine is. It has a high-tensile steel diamond frame with the engine as a stressed member, suspended on 41 mm telescopic forks at the front and a lay-down offset single shock at the rear. The suspension travel available is 5.1 inches at the front and 3.2 inches at the rear. A 300 mm single brake disc is present at the front with a two-piston floating caliper, and a smaller 250 mm disc with a single-piston caliper is at the rear. This cruiser runs an 18- and 17-inch alloy wheel setup front to rear with tubeless tires.
Low Weight, High Accessibility
The Vulcan S is 91 inches long and 34.6 inches wide, with an extra-long 62-inch wheelbase thanks to its kicked-out front forks. Kawasaki has also done a very good job of keeping the seat height at a low 27.8 inches, despite the vertical parallel-twin engine with a DOHC head. Ground clearance is 5.1 inches, and the curb weight comes in at a shade under 500 pounds, at 498.2 pounds. That is with the 3.7-gallon fuel tank filled to the brim.
Features List Could Use An Update (Or Two)
The Vulcan S’s features list is not very impressive by today’s standards, but that is part of its appeal; it steers away from complexity, which helps its longevity. The Vulcan S has an analog/LCD instrument cluster — the only Kawasaki 650 with this layout, as the other two have moved to TFT displays. This display also means no electronic aids other than ABS.
An interesting inclusion is Kawasaki’s Ergo-Fit technology. It allows you to change the position of the seat, footpegs, and handlebars to give you a rider triangle that is comfortable for your height and reach. The passenger seat and backrest are options, though, as is quick-release luggage.
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The Vulcan S Competes Well With Rivals
You would be hard-pressed to find the Vulcan S’s combination of indestructibility and value for money. The Honda Rebel 500 comes closest; it has a similar engine, but it has a much smaller displacement for similar pricing, and the Rebel 1100 is bigger and more expensive. If you want more value, you will have to turn to either the Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 or the Moto Morini Calibro 700. While the Royal Enfield is quite reliable and has a 270-degree crankshaft, it is still an SOHC air-cooled motor, which means it is down on power compared to the Kawasaki. And the Moto Morini might be shockingly good value, but it simply hasn’t earned the reputation necessary so far to compete with the Vulcan’s reliability.
Source: Kawasaki USA