Here's Why The Kawasaki Vulcan S 650 SUCKS! Everything I HATE (Honest Review) 

The look for me is one of the biggest positives about it. I love the fact that it doesn't fit in with either a sport or cruiser it's got a "personality" of it's own.

😂😂😂 The ‘Hate List’ is so thin you start with ‘ugly mirrors’ Pretty funny

A bike so perfect the only thing to hate about it is the fact that there's nothing to complain about. Great video dude

Not for nothing, but I just want to be in the wind. I don't care about the lifestyle or impressing anybody. Put me on any bike and I'm happy.

When I purchased my 2019 Vulcan last June I sent a photo to both of my Cousins who ride Harley’s. Within minutes both of them started sending me listing for used Harley’s for sale and one of them stated “The law is on your side you have 24 hours to change your mind and return it to the dealer”!!! I wrote them back to Bite Me, I’m not a Harley dude. Now after a full season of going on some rides with them they can’t believe how I beat them every time in any length of a race. They love the Retro “Stormcloud Blue” and how everything is blacked out. Don’t have to own a Harley to be cool, or happy.

You've just convinced me to buy one!

The Vulcan S 650 is an awesome bike. In terms of first bike / beginner it's a God Tier. And it's also a very decent middleweight one. It's a great machine that does exactly what it's supposed to do and it even has some "power" if you need it, at least more than it should have for a 650 cruiser. Comparisons with belt models are pointless, this kawa is not meant to be in that league and doesn't want to be. I mean, dude you started this review by criticising the mirrors. THE MIRRORS. Just think about that for a sec.

-Mirrors -Chain Drive -Style, can't fit in -Throttle control -Lean Angle -Seat comfort -Turning Radius -Difficult to wheelie This has been an amazing motorcycle for me. I own this exact model. I agree with you that the seat could absolutely be upgraded. The mirrors could also be upgraded. But my biggest complaint of this video is the styling comment. This is Not a Harley. This is Not a Sportbike. If you are worried about fitting in, you need to get some new friends. I have received the biker wave from both style of riders. I have been ignored by both. And I couldn't care less. I throw my leg over that bike and ride. This motorcycle is too much fun to ride to complain about petty issues or comparisons with [insert favorite bike model here]. This bike has its own unique style and can be enjoyed by all types of riders with all types of skill levels.

Synopsis: it’s not perfect, but pretty close. Give it a belt drive and LED lights, maybe a better seat and you’re good.

Yeah you were reaching hard to find the negatives in this vid. The vulcan s is a great bike. Another great vid man.

I rented 2017 on vacation last year and fell in love with it. Now i had my 2019 cafe edition since May of last year and couldn't be happier, the only reason i would sell this bike if they came out with 1000cc vulcan s.

You buy a bike because YOU like it not because your friends do. If they're really you're friends they'll be happy for you regardless of what you get.

I'm 6'2" @ 280lbs and have the seat and pegs set to mid-reach on my Vulcan S. This is my very first bike and was awesome to learn throttle control on. I've found 2nd gear perfect for low speed parking-lot maneuvers. The one thing I can definitely 100% agree on is that the stock seat is crap after 45 minutes. I've had a super happy butt after I upgraded to a Corbin Gunfighter Saddle.

I did 4 hours on this bike at around 80mph, very small intervals in between to stop for gas and such. Definitely capable of highway riding, but I would get a windshield and new seat for sure.

Hey great video. I actually passed this over SEVERAL times due to the title. I wasn’t going to let any friggin review discourage me from getting what I fell in love with. So, yesterday I came home with my new 20 Vulcan S. My last was a Sportster 1200 and it’s been 15 years or more. I’m 67 now and seriously got the (MC-let’s b clear) bug. I looked and did my research and it wasn’t until after days of looking I got stuck on this particular bike. So I wasn’t gonna watch this video, no way. After bring it home I’m right away thinking this is a LOT more bike than I anticipated. I’m so out of practice. I’m waiting for a MC Safety course. I was curious about the turning and you basically dispelled my fears. Of course, I’m still bonding and practicing practicing practicing. I’m 67, man. So something’s gotten a little more rad in these engines to my thinking. Overall and so far I LOVE it. I also have a little bit of healthy fear that I’m working on. It’s been a while but really I LOVE guys like you who get out on these machines and ring their necks a little. Ok, so really a tongue-in-cheek “I hate it” video. I get it. I’m also really relieved. Thanks, so good of you to post these things for old guys like me haha..

I disagree with you..I Love the Design and style of Vulcan s. In fact i may just buy one for myself when this Covid 19 Lockdown ends.

Best bike for the money. I absolutely love this motorcycle. 😎

2:55 disagree with you bro.. I LOVE!! the style of the bike Totaly my thing.. 419 thats why i Love it, its a Uniqe hybrid kind of bike. One of its kind Uniqe

Hmmm... I’m 10 minutes in, and I still haven’t heard any reasons to hate the Vulcan. Lol...

One year since I bought mine, and I will keep this jewel until it die. Awesome machine! Change the mirrors, add a low wind shield, change the back stop light to R&G custom led light and to finish add an arrow rebel exhaust... Full dark... That mine that the way I love my bike.

I am 55 and recently got a Kawasaki Vulcan 650s... I love every bit of it... Reliable, Punchy and yet Comfortable. I have done 12-14 hours of riding in a day but no issue with the seat comfort ( not too demanding or too critical about it i guess 😃). The only issue is that the exhaust keeps scraping on every speed breaker in India due to its low ground clearance. Enjoy every ride ... God speed 🙏

The only legitimate complaints I've heard about the Vulcan S are the bounciness in the rear suspension and the seat not being as comfortable as it should for a longer ride and the headlight needing to be upgraded to a bright LED bulb. Ninja 1000SX is the Sport Tourer. Kawi should use that engine or the Z900's engine to make a Vulcan SX.

My biggest complaint is the ugly headlight that’s shaped like a peach 🍑. Other than that it’s a pretty good bike.

I'm honestly on the fence between a ninja 650 and this primarily for commuting to work. I grew up racing and being around cars and especially competing against the Porsche guys, I learned it doesn't matter what you got so long as you like it. Personally, I kinda like the looks but it would mainly be about comfort, power and efficiency for me. I don't want to race or hoon around but I would like a little fun and bursts of speed every now and again. My girlfriend would also like to ride with me so comfort for passengers would be a big selling point for me too

For anyone thinking about getting this bike as their first. Do it, pull the trigger. I bought mine a 2019 ABS version in the matte green. And I love this bike. I have since put a TBR exhaust and booster plug on it and it has transformed the bike for me. It sounds the way it looks now and the booster plug alleviates the jerkiness in 1st and 2nd gear. The bike is agile and she’s fast and controllable. I’m 6’4” and over 200lbs and the bike is awesome. I hated the stock sound so changed that and the mirrors I’m planning on changing before summer comes just because I have broad shoulders. Other than that, I cant complain about this bike. It’s awesome!! It’s a perfect city cruiser!

They're awesome! I love mine. Everywhere I go, people come over to take look. I easily out run my friends on bigger cc bikes. She's fast out of the gate and has great stamina too.

I came in thinking you'd convince me not to get this bike because I only heard positives and I like the look of it... seems like my choice is made 😂😂😂 Thanks for helping educate us mate 😉

I have to ride a cruiser because I'm short and can't put my feet on the ground on other bikes. I like the chain drive better than a belt, it is very easy to change the rear spocket to fine tune the dreaing to my liking. There are several sizes available for the Vulcan S. As far as the quickness and fear of a speeding ticket. When I was young I only knew two positions of the trottle, all the off (idle) or all the way on (wide open). Now that I'm OLD I've learned there are other postirons for the trottle. My friend says he likes to grab a fist full of trottle, I like that term. I currently own a $37,000 Harley Davidson and I ask mtself why when I can have much more fun on a Kawasaki Vulcan S for around seven grand? As far as highway riding, I'd put a small windscreen on the Vulcan, I would not want to ruin it's good looks with a large ugly windscreen. Puig has some nice smaller ones and even a flyscreen that would look good. We don't travel like we use to because of my wife's many health isses so I would not put saddle bags on mine, but I would have a passenger backrest with a luggage rack and buy a leather round top bag for the rack to keep our rain suits and light jackets in.( The top trunk on my Harley has me spoiled). I like watching your videos because you are young and ride like I use to. I hope you never get seriously hurt on one. I wreck one in 1984 and messed my left leg up real bad, that probably is what slowed me down a bit. I had a freind who was older who use to cut doughnuts on blacktop with a Harley 74. He and his friend would be riding down the road at 6o mph and trade places, crazy huh? I also had a high scool classmate get killed on a Kawasaki 900 a couple years after we graduated when a car pulled out in front of him.He hit the brakes, but it wasn't enough, so he slid the bike down and went under the rear of the car. He was wearing a full face helmet which made contact with the rear bumper of the car and popped his head right off. So please ride witin your ability, I hope you never get hurt. I've ridden almost 400,000 miles with only one bad accident. Enjoy every journey.

The reason why people hate on this motorcycle is simply because it smokes their harleys 😂

My only complaint is that there isn't another one built around the z900 that I could trade up to.

Jon. You are a Ticket walking and talking even sitting (no bull shitting). You make all of the rest of us look innocent in a court of law. Thanks man. That's why I'm a subscriber!

I got a 2018 Vulcan S and absolutely love it ... use to have a Vulcan 900 custom and i prefer the Vulcan S .. Way more fun to ride around .. Got windshield , Saddlebg , passenger seat rest and footpeg . Bought it used equiped like that last summer for under 5K ..

The U turn is the rider. I took my safety course on my Vulcan S.

I know why you really hate this bike Jon! You hate to get off of it! Hahaha! Keep up the great vids man!

Vulcan S is a bike for an adult, not a teenager stuck in a grown man's body.

Loved the satire!! I love my 2018 Vulcan S 650. I've added a windshield (as i was getting blown around too much as I'm 162cm and 53kg and 50 years old), two brothers exhaust system (sounds great), heated hand grips (hate the cold), added a tail tidy and changed the rear light and i have put padding on the seat (my bum is happier now). Loved riding it around the track at Phillip Island when i got the chance ....Overall a great bike!!.

I genuinely came here to find even one video of negative comments just to settle my urge to buy one of these, and this video ended up being more convincing that I want one than any other

The bike was designed, I would say, for 80-mile commutes, unless you get an upgraded seat. At the 7200 price point, and 58 mph it's hard to pass up. Couple that with extremely low maintenance, it's a winner.

Just bought one. I haven’t had a bike since high school 35 years ago and found this one, basically brand new with extras for under 5k. My grandkids think I’m fight crime on this bad ass bike. Looking forward to this summer.

The styling. I was sold the second I saw it. Between cruiser and sport bike. That was exactly what I was looking for and I did not regret it for a second. Already did 25k + km on mine, driven it across half of europe. And I loved every single second on it. My biggest complaint? The horrible stock exhaust. Luckily got taken care of it by a local exhaust manufacturer, who did an amazing job to get my aggressive braaaap and stututu.

It was opposite day when Jon made this video. 😂 What he meant was everything that doesn't suck.

The only things I agree with you on are the mirrors and the chain. I can deal with the chain, though. I'll be replacing the mirrors when I get one. I plan on getting a 2015 with a huge windshield on it in a few weeks! Gunna be sick. I have been riding a 250 for 4 years. It's time for an upgrade!

Bring it out to Tucson and let’s show this town some much needed Vulcan S love!

One main complaint for this great bike is it doesn't transform into an Autobot.

Cool video was curious on any valid hate points and as I figured not many. Agree with the seat pain though. Added the windscreen, Dakivic exhaust, led headlight and corbin seat for comfort. Love this thing.

My one complaint is I wish my Vulcan had a bigger gas tank, Even that isn't really a issue I love this bike best bike I have owned

For the most part I really like the looks of this bike. It's different...like how a Vrod was a Harley...but different, in a neat way. One thing that I don't care for is that junk behind the rear fender. Relocate the plate and integrate the lights into the fender and it'll really improve the back end. I'd ride one.

I’ll completely agree with the seat comfort. I’ve only had mine a year now, but that 1 to 1.5 hour seat limit is true for me as well. I ended up biting the bullet and getting an aftermarket seat.

Getting my 2023 Vulcan S in in a few days (bloody paperwork)...watched this review like 2 years ago and got instantly hooked. Thanks alot in helping me choose the right ride for a beginner like me.

I own one and ride it as a DC. The stock seat and exhaust sucks, and some things that should be standard require after market purchasing. All negatives about this bike can be fixed via Amazon. The bike is great and if you are on the fence--get off and get you one of these. They are fun to drive and worth more than their low price.

Do you think this would be a good beginner bike for me? I am *in love* (6'1, 170 lbs)

I totally agree, it's a great bike but it feels like it's always ready to speed. It doesn't have much chill but I love it alot. Growing up I always wanted a cruiser with a street bike engine, and this is just what I wanted. Great review on a great bike

Would you recommend this bike to a first time rider? I don't like the idea of buying a bike only to sell it and "upgrade" down the road. I want a bike I can grow into and love the whole way through.

I don't know if there's a set standard on turning radius but my goal is generally 2 parking lot spot or tighter. Im not all that knowing on the matter just think that the bike is trying to be a little Muscle Cruiser, and I'm just thinking the chian drive is more direct power from motor to wheels. Just a thought of mine that cruisers that are big on torque and belts have a touch of "give" or "play" to help the back tire not brake traction. I don't mean this in a Cruiser vs Sport, more like a pickuptrucks are to cars if you will. Drive Shaft can do power, and Tourqe my guess on bikes is the wight and balance. So we don't see them often.

I own a Kawasaki Vulcan S since 2018... and i DO love it, ,mate.

Judging by the many reviews I've checked out on this bike I think there just might be a lot wrong with you..... :)

For $7,500. vs $20.k + for a used Harley-Davidson ... I’ll take the Vulcan and still have money for a 1000 super sport

It's a 650. Nothing wrong with it. I ride a vulcan 900 and always want a little more power. it has enough to commute and also to be fun at times. I think I have out grown it and can't wait to get a new vaquero!

Great video and very strong points about the Vulcan. On another subject, what do you think about the new HD softail standard and can you make a video about it. Thank you hermono. Nos vemos

I got a dan moto exhaust and aftermarket mirrors. Love my vulcan s. Mine is a cafe , has the small cafe wind deflector around headlight. 2016. Love it!!

I love how subtitles define engine sound as music

That's what I got ... Kawasaki Vulcan S 650 ...never had a problem from Houston Texas all the way to Alaska .... round trip ...

I've owned mine for a few months and have a couple thousand miles on her. I run on backroads for fun. Took a 600 mile round trip weekend run, mostly highway. I would recommend a windscreen for most riders, but the bike has no issues at highway speeds and is a blast to ride on the twisties. The cheap look of the mirrors is the only cosmetic complaint I have, but I don't care enough to replace them. The throttle does take some getting used to.

I think that was all pretty fair. I have this exact same bike and have the same gripes. For my tall frame at 6'3, I would add that highway pegs and floorboards are needed. But overall, it's a pretty great bike for its price.

Looks like those mirrors adjust in and out on those rods mabe.

My 2001 1500cc nomad is shaft driven and I love it. No lag, no skips, little maintenance to the drive system, only draw back is changing rear tires, i seem to go thru them pretty quick(2 yrs) or 10,000 miles is about my limit!

Hahaha man this is an awesome review. Buying one tomorrow, I can't wait to hate mine exactly as much!

I was thinking on the 650 S too, but the dealer was sooo ... we don't have one and , blah blah blah, and no estimate on the monthly $$.... I went down the street and bought a Bolt. Never regretted that move at all.

lol love this video, pretty much sums up all i do with my vulcun. let me know when you come into tucson or sahuarita so you can take my bike for a spin lol

A great tongue-in-cheek criticism of the S 650 motorcycle!

On what u said about turning radius. The reason people say that about a lot of bike is that they don’t practice there low end speed maneuvers so they don’t lean the bike when going slow because they don’t know how.

I’m looking for one ! After your review I’m definitely getting one ! How many bones have you broken learning to flip and roll like that ?

1 Thing I dislike, every time my local dealer gets one, they sell it before I get to test it. 8)

I love it in red. And personally, I think it's the best stock sounding cruiser. Doesn't make me want a different exhaust right away

So I've owned my 2018 Vulcan for over a year and a half and I've yet to scrape a peg. I even swapped off the pegs for kuryaken floorboards that stick out about .75" more than the stock pegs and I still have yet to scrape them. I feel like you're cornering incorrectly or something. Are you gunning it through a turn, or braking right before a turn and causing your bike to squat lower? The only time I've ever dinged anything was over a speed bump because the ground clearance on the muffler is real low for how long the bike is. I can also do a U turn in a two parking space block which is standard, it's super solid and wants to stay on two wheels thanks to how low the CoG is.

Cant argue with any of that. Love Mine.....

I have no doubt it is an honest review but is it really professional and objective, regarding the real cons? I doubt it after watching about 20 of the other users' reviews. My conclusion: bikes are like flowers - some love the roses some hate them. Anyway, thanks for your work and arguments, which (in fact) pushed me even more, to buy this beauty.

This was my first bike I loved it. However, for long distance like 7-8 rides out of state it got very uncomfortable. If it wasn’t for that I would still have it.

Bought my 2021 last Saturday it's my first bike! I'm 6ft tall linebacker build wear a 2x here's some insight from a stocky dude: I have the Extended reach forward controls and they are very comfy. The seat is complete garbage tho, my commute is about 22 miles each way in Orlando FL and my butt gets sore about 20 minutes into it. My shoulders are pretty wide so getting a comfortable grip on the throttle is a little weird cuz my wrist bends a bit awkward. Which makes it a bit tricky for smoother throttle operation, not sure if it's normal or if the handle bar might be too narrow for my natural position. Also he wasn't wrong about the slow speed movements, 1st is really jumpy and seems too fast but 2nd feels like she'll stall. I've been dragging the rear brake in slow speeds to try to smooth her out but still need some practice. Lack of a windshield sucks big time, I'll most likely get the Cafe Racer edition screen to put on. Headlight still being halogen is a weird misstep by Kawasaki, not to mention the weird ass shape the housing is. There is an LED headlight you can get that keeps the original housing shape or you can completely replace it with a round headlight. Other than that it's an amazing package. I see it as a True Sport Cruiser. It's got the ride position and styling of a Cruiser with the handling and engine performance closer to a Sport bike. CAN'T RECOMMEND IT ENOUGH FOR MY FELLOW BIG BOYS.

For the European market it falls in the "dead zone". We have stepped licensing. It's too powerful to ride with a middleweight license but it's not powerful enough to take your heavyweight license with. There is a small gap in the powerbands (the dead zone) which the 650s slots right into. That's a big downer.

Just purchased a 2015 vulcan s as a beginner bike. I love it. Still getting experience on it!

You test the turning circle by stopping, putting the bike in neutral or turning it off. The put the bars into full lock and walk it 180 degrees either to the left or the right. The smaller the radius of that half circle, the better the turning radius is.

Leaving this video up is good because it warns people not to take this channel seriously.

13:57 mins I'll never get back.

So basically your title is click bait. Why would you do that ? If you want to have a reputation as an honest reviewer then make the titles honest.

The thing that it still uses chain makes it suck a lot.

1)The stock seat is horrible after 40 minutes 2)throttle on off feel when bike is warm, runs lean down low with stock tune, noticeable in 1st and 2nd gear. Also makes it tougher to ride smooth. 3) chain drive annoying to maintain 4)sound is meh even with aftermarket exhaust, prefer vtwin muscle sound

Thanks for the roast. I bought one 3 months ago and 2 things I agree with. The stock exhaust sounds pretty damn good if you get up on the throttle! 2., It does not have a great turn radius. This is only by comparison to a sport bike. I felt really comfy and confident making tight turns or U-turns on my R6, as it has a narrow wheel base. The Vulcan S has a longer wheelbase, thus wider turns are required in some cases. Honestly I would NOT want to navigate a motorcycle safety course on the Vulcan S. Nice bike though and I'm still getting use to it. I do miss my R6 though, lol.

I was coming in expecting "this dude spitting 'bout my pride and joy!?" but nah, they're all fair criticisms and actually kinda useful to know for anybody weighing up whether to get one compared to all those reviews singing its praises, no bike is perfect and it's good to know what draw backs there are. But you are absolutely right about trying to go slow on it, the bike makes you want to open your throttle, when I get stuck in a 30mph zone it doesn't feel right. Whilst not a problem, you just have to be more conscious of it because it's easy to go above it. In terms of it looking ugly, I think its look work for certain colours, when you've got a matte black or a white version the bike looks gorgeous. When I was first looking into it, I thought the bike looked ugly, but sat on one and was like "but this feels so right". I found one in matte black and was pretty much sold and I think it's a gorgeous bike, I was gonna try and see if I could replace the headlight with something off of an old Vulcan for a more class look, but it actually grew on me so I didn't in the end.

I own this bike. The thing I really hate about this bike are very uncomfortable seat where you can't drive more than 2 hours and accessories are very expensive. The backrest cost AUD1000 here in Australia which is 10%of the bike price. Front shield almost 500.

About to buy mine next week! All black 2023 model. Sooo excited!

Having concidered this bike , now you mention it. Belt drive would be a great upgrade & it is odd looking for a cruiser. Maybe a shaddow phantom would solve these issues.

All the rest of the world knows that its an outstanding bike from technical perspective. Harleys are more charming. But thats it.

Looking at a Vulcan for my first bike, because having dirt bikes as a kid doesn't count. Clicked because I wanted to see if there were reasons not to go this route. Didn't see clear ones to sway me to any other bike over this one, but the criticisms are valid. Thanks for uploading.

Thanks for the informative video. I was in the edge deciding whether to buy or not and you’ve convinced me to buy :). I don’t like the lean angle peg scrape but I’ll try to find a solution. The mirrors are ugly, after market will solve it. Awesome video!

I had Harley's ,triumphs , Honda's .I now have a 2023 vulcan-s ...this bike is better than the others I owned .JON doesn't know what he is talking about .Jon , go buy a Moped .

You is the first person say this bike sucks but from what I've seen this is a great bike

I used to have a 2007 Vulcan. It was a great bike: I used to pass Harley’s on the road all the time... had the Ninja 500 motor on it... only problem I had was it rusted like a mofo (it was a constant battle after awhile), I wanted a bit more torque and the electrical system was a bit wonky. That said, I’m not a huge cruiser guy. Next bike is probably a GS1200 or a Multistrada as none of my stable is great for distance right now. To answer your next question, yes I am in my 40s, dammit. X-/

I rode one and wasn't all that impressed . I thought it would feel faster than my big heavy Vulcan 1600 but it doesn't . I thought it would smoke my bike . It doesn't

great vid. 7 months ago I bought an 2018 used Vulcan s as a first bike. As a first bike I found it really good for me easy to use I have put some mods on it and really like what I have. but yes 1 prob that I have found the stock seat is not good for longish rides.again great vid