I've seen a lot of comments in vulcan 900 videos about the buzzing at high speeds, mine did buzz at first until I replaced the front tire(Dunloop) for a Shinko 777 they balanced it and that got rid of the buzzing.
I just returned from a 600 mile interstate run between Utah and Idaho on my 2022 Vulcan 900 LT - everything stock. Comfortable riding for extended periods at 85 mph. Several distances at 95mph. I found the vibration to be minimal. Lots of hill climbs at 80 - 85 mph and some fairly sharp cornering, two rainstorms, plenty of truck passing etc. The bike is a champ. Think I'll keep it.
I live in northern Utah, approximately 15 miles south of the Idaho border. There are some awesome back country roads for cruising. I love the sound of your bike. Ride safe bro!!!
Exactly my experience, no need for a bigger bike they are absolutely adequate. When a 900 first came out it was considered a huge engine bike, a super bike with an inline 4.
Bs, bs, and more bs! My 900LT buzzes very noticeably over 65 mph. This bike's sweet spot is in the 50-60 mph range. 85 mph for more than 15 minutes? "Several distances at 95 mph"? NOPE and NOPE!!! This is pure bullshit or else this guy is a glutton for punishment. The Vulcan 900 is a great cruiser on the twisties. Highway touring? Not so much.
60 you start feeling slight annoying vibration, 65 you can really feel it. 70 it starts to be very bad. 75 can’t go more than 20 min, over that you’d want to stop to catch a brake and stop your hands from shaking. 85? 95? My ass!
I have a 2015 Vulcan 900 Custom. I’m 6’3” and weigh 220. It’s comfortable and definitely not underpowered. The only thing I would change is adding a 6th gear but I love it. It’s a great mid sized bike and sounds amazing with the Vance and Hines pipes. Very fun to ride.
I had a 2018 Vulcan 900 Custom. I am a die hard Kawasaki lover, and I did not want to go straight to the Vaquero as a first time cruiser. I had a hard time adjusting to it as I have only had sport bikes. I found it slow of course and it felt like it needed another gear. Those were the only issues with it I had. (Side note, I have owned a 600F3, ZX9R, two ZX7Rs, two Busas and a ZX14R. ) Getting older and wanted to make the jump to a cruiser BUT after a few months on the Vulcan all I wanted to do was add accessories like a batwing (it came with Kerker exhaust) with speakers, change the rear fender, the rear rim( did not like the solid rim at all). I felt like I wanted a Harley lol. But will never own one. Kawasaki needs to come with a bigger CC bagless cruiser.
Sorry I disagree, they don't need a bigger cc bagless cruiser, the 900 is just fine for the open road, if you want to sit on 100 mph all day just take a damn car it's no fun on a cruiser bike. You only need a screen if you want to do high speeds, and then you may as well take a car. I've had heaps of fast bikes and found the 900 vn custom just fine for any type of riding, even two up she pulls just fine. All this big cc bullshit is just that, you just add more weight and more hassle riding the bike, a 900 IS a big bike always will be. The VN900 will sit on 70 - 80 mph all day and night without issue. If you think it's too much vibration you just aren't used to a jap cruiser because they don't rev like a sluggish harley, they rev much higher and can do it all day long. This is due to the different V angle. Same goes for Moto Guzzi which also rev high and fast unlike a harley, so a 1200 Moto Guzzi is a quick bike and able to do highway speeds all day.
If you want a harley save up for a harley. Japanese bikes cannot replace the feel of a harley. However, japanese bikes are pretty fucking sick. I'm also just saying japanese bikes don't fulfill a harley itch if you have one.
@@dadyking1210…I agree, they are two totally different beast, respectfully. I think the Vulcan series of bikes (Vulcan S/900, Vaquero, Voyager) give you that good old fashion American muscle cruiser bike feeling but with the reliability and nimbleness of Japanese engineering. It’s the best of both worlds, that why I love those Kawasaki cruisers so much! …And for half the price of HD or Indian!!!! Especially in the used market, you can get these Kawasaki cruisers super cheap and spend the leftover on mods!
@@NubianStarr I have a vulcan 900B, its definitely just a cruiser and not close to a muscle cruiser. Kawasaki makes a mean streak 1500/1600. Vulcan is a slow bike for California, where I do my riding. I love it though. However, I got a 1976 Harley that i'm working on and once that's finished this Vulcan will be sold and I will buy another Harley or a cb750, xs650.
I own a 2014 kawasaki 900 vulcan classic and I'm 230lbs and ride 2 up most of the time through country and interstates as well and I have no issues with power at all,,highway speeds 70mph easily or more if I want it,,great bike!
I have a 2018 and mine starts "buzzing" after 80-85mph. 65-70mph is the sweet spot for cruising. Side note: I have those same mirrors. Great minimal size and cuts out that headlight glare.
2020 Vulcan 900...Mine gives me that 'buzzing' at about 70. I took it back to the dealer...had the tech's ride it at highway speeds.. He said it's typical for the Vulcan... "Made to run at high rpm.". Feel better..love the way it handles.
5:08 Dont ya just love when you come to a complete stop on the freeway...for no apparent freakin reason! About learned that the hard way first time in cali, crazy.
I bought a 2021 LT for $9199 off the dealer floor in order to get back into bikes after 35 years away from them. This was a very good move on my part - but it was not long and I realized there is a major issue with this bike - no 6th gear. At 80mph, you are turning (hard to remember exactly) something on the order of 4300 rpm. That is nuts, the engine has plenty of power to be hauling you down the interstate at 80 doing something reasonable, like 3000 rpm. I sold mine with 4400 miles on it this spring and picked up my dream bike: A 2006 Classic LT Vulcan 2000 with 19000 miles on it. Paid $4500 adn put $1500 into tires, front bearings, brake pads, bleeding of brakes. I also added an oil pressure gauge, tach and voltmeter. It too is missing 6th, but at least with it, the tach reads 2600 at 80mph. I still had a hard time selling the '900, as it was a wonderful bike.
@@perrycalabrese3475 There are places in Texas with speed limits of 80 - that's in the area of 4300 on a '900. My '2000 chugs along at 2600 or so at 80. :) I loved my 900 but I could not take over 4000 rpm on the interstate.
Not sure how but I had my bike at 125mph. I thought they are governed to 115? First owner put cobra exhaust and pwrflo intake. Maybe he flashed the ECU. It's loud AF though.
I have a 07 VN900 custom and google claims it tops out at 99-105, well my speedometer reads 130 and I’ve topped it out at 130😂 so I’m guessing the previous owner must’ve taken the governor off it or something. Other than that my bike is bone stock besides the fact the previous owner debaffled it to make it louder
Ages ago, I drove my friend’s Vulcan custom and preferred it over my Yamaha Stryker that I used to own. Much smoother, better gearing, and very quiet. All things I want from a cruiser.
I have a 2009 custom but its basically the same bike.Its fine on the freeways.You do get some vibration at 70 mph or so.I put on some vibration dampening grips which reduced it by about 50 percent .
"Can it keep up with freeway speed" 🤦 of course it can its a 900 man i think the question is how long can it hold freeway speed before it starts to push the guts out of it and starts to bevome uncomfortable
Nice video. I have a 2008 v900 custom in that color. Watching this is almost like riding my own bike, haha. I put some 12" apes on mine but otherwise looks the same. I've has mine for three years now and I'd really like to do the pulley conversion to get those RPMs down a bit at 80-90. Thanks for making/posting this.
No need for pulley conversions it's not a harley so it will rev like that all day and night. Waste of money, the vibration isn't bad at all and the bike will do 100 mph all day long with no issue.
I have the choice of a dark grey and white 2012 Vulcan 900 or a black 2018 Boulevard C50. Vulcan is $5k and C50 is $6k and both have under 4k miles. Im conflicted cuz Vulcan looks so damn nice and is cheaper but the C50 is newer and also looks great but a little nore money. You think the C50 has better highway performance than the Vulcan? That's important for me cuz im gonna be riding 80 miles of highway total round trip whenever I take it to work on nice days. Hard decision.
Of course it can! I dunno why people think it's a weak bike. That thing has plenty of power. And as for vibration, it's a motorcycle, it's supposed to vibrate. I always see Harley's vibrate hard just waiting at a stop light! 🤣
They should compete with Suzuki M109R, since Suzuki and Kawasaki, has had a similar bike identical to each other back in the early 2000, i’m all for a 1700 cruiser from Kawasaki(and yes I know they have the vaquero )
Genuine question, I’ve ridden sports bike my whole life from my first FZR400 to my last which was a ZX636, I’ve had three right offs (not my fault poor road conditions) my knees are shot - what’s it like coming from sports bikes to cruisers?
I had one a while ago (a 2009) and it really needed, and lacked, a sixth gear for the highway. Anything over 70 and the engine got really loud and was begging for shift to a higher gear and its big enough for real highway cruising.
That's in your head. They'll run all day, every day that way with no I'll effects and beg for more. If you want a taller overdrive, change the final drive ratio. Nothing needs "more gears" than 4.
Have a Kawasaki vulcan 900 custom 2010 model. This is my first bike, and right off the bat - its got two issues that the internets does not talk about as much. You see a hint of it in the comments tho. One is the god awful buzzing engine at highway speeds. This is a decent backroads bike, but take it to the highway and anything above 55mph and over and this bike is clearly straining- with the engine buzzing excessive. It needs a 6th gear. The other is the lack of acceleration. Granted its not a sport bike, but I like a bit of pep even if its a beginner cruiser bike. On my 2nd ride on the bike giving it the beans, the power was definitely lacking.
I agree, but I think that’s what makes it the perfect beginner cruiser as most new riders really don’t need too much power. And for most beginners a 900cc may be too much. I look @ the 900 as a “stepping stone bike” for most… much like a starter home, you will buy it, love it, fix it up but you will grow in time & eventually feel the need for more and move on.
I have the 07 custom it would shake at 70 to 75 after that it was gone smooth I had mine aftermarket air cleaner exhaust fuel processor dyno the bike has way more power smooth lot faster love it
I had done the the same to the exhaust it was ok but at high speeds u couldn’t hear it now with aftermarket exhaust it’s nice no struggle smooth power responsive way way better
own a 2011 custom lots of power 0 to 140km/h.... bike needed a 6th gear kawasaki never addressed this issue. bike def vibrate your hands numb if you try to ride high speed for any length of time if you call 120 to 140 high speed... I don't. anyone own one and change the sprocket ratios to lower high speed rpm? did it make a difference?
@@marcmaschal2897 I switched to royal purple oil this year and filled it to just below the full line on the eye glass has made huge difference in smoothness and vibration at high rpm
I like my little VN750. Totally different engine design (like Indian copied it). Almost 20 more HP than the 900's and less weight, but not so good for long distance.
@@axolotlmoto My 750 is a 1995. The 700/750 had a production run from 1984-2006. VN900 "The engine produces a maximum peak output power of 49.62 HP" VN750 "66,0 hp/7500 rpm - basic 68,0 hp /7500 rpm after modifications. The 750's are a sweet bike and great bargain if you want something to scoot around town. They have awesome power to weight advantage.
I have a 2014 vulcan 900 custom. It's the bike I started riding on, and over the last 3 years of owning it. No complaints other than I wish it had a 6th gear.
A different front tire don't change gearing ratio's. You ride less than 120km/h tacho, so aprox 110km/h real speed. That is just below the vibration zone.
@@axolotlmoto Mean the vibrations were front end related, not the typical 5th gear/cruising speed vibrations. 110mph? That is 177km/h? Never on a stock VN900. 165km/h max. To answer your question: keep up with 85mph freeway speed... no, you need a fiew mods.
@@corneilcorneil I have a stock VN900C and 110mph is what I have read on the tachometer idk if it's real or not, even at 165kmh/102mph is enough to keep up and pass traffic at freeway speed.
@@axolotlmoto "keep up" takes the whole time, not just to overtake. A stock VN900 is not able to ride 120/130kmh the whole time. Specialy not the Custom model because the pegs and narrow 80/90 tire. If you want to make the bike highway worthy, yiu need to get rid off the stock 32/66 pulley setup and add a fairing. Over the years, my Custom(i own the Classic also) changed fro a stock city mopet to a cruiser that is able to ride highways in a comfortable way without the typical high revving and vibrations. So, is the stock VN900 able to ride on the highway? Yes, but not for long. My Forza 300 is more able, and that is no joke.
@@corneilcorneil yes it can "keep up", you can ride at 120kmh for as long as you want, engine won't break on you. Would it be "confortable" to ride long distances? well that's a different story.