2007 Kawasaki Vulcan® 900 Classic LT

I was a Yamaha guy for decades. Maxims and Specials mostly for the better part of 25 years. SO when I decided to move from the sport cruisers into more of a wide body cruiser, I went looking for a V-star 1100.

Until I test rode a Vulcan 900 Classic LT. I fell in love, bought the bike ... and that love affair continued for over 40k miles till some asshat in a Chevy Tahoe didn't look and pulled out right in front of me.

It might be the best all around bike I've ever ridden. It does everything well.

When you first approach it, there's the styling. IMHO the best of the mid-sized class by far. The Classic sparks images of old Harleys from the 50's. The Classic LT has Heritage Softail written all over it, and the Custom looks like a Dyna, only cooler.

When you slide into the saddle, the comfort is obvious. Everything just seems to fit The bars are just right, the windshield on my LT cut the wind at just the right spot and the boards are well placed for a number of different sizes. I've heard some people claim that the leg position feels cramped but I'm 6' 230 with a 34 inch inseam and I rode it 1800 miles to California and back, zero issues.

The one aspect where the comfort might fall a little short is the old bugaboo, the seat. Get yourself a Mustang.

The tranny has the typical loud Kawi thunk when shifting gears, but that's just the way Kawi builds em. The performance is healthy, but you're not gonna win many drag races. You're not gonna be able to just roll on power to pass or enter the freeway. Kawasaki has tuned this motor for higher RPMs and it shows. A quick grip and kick and there's enough power there for whatever you need.

Probably the most surprising thing about the performance of the 900 is its canyon carving ability. Don't get be wrong, it's no sport bike, but it is much more nimble than you might expect.

I found the key to this nimbleness is its slow slung profile combined with absolutely rock solid dependable nature. It is never gonna do anything odd or unusual. After a few thousand miles on the 900 you know exactly how it's gonna react in curves, under hard braking, accelerating out of curves etc. it will be exactly the same, every time. (UNlike my meanstreak which likes to go on adventures in curves)

This creates a symbiosis between man and machine that allows you to ride right on the edge with full confidence if you so desire.

And if you are a more sedate rider who just likes to cruise, It's great at that too. Hwy 1 in California, Hwy 101 in Oregon and Washington, The Cascade Loop. You name it. A great cruiser.

Are there any flaws? Of course. It winds a little high at freeway speeds and you will find yourself kicking it into phantom 6th for a while before you get used to it. But it is a very capable freeway cruiser that will chug along at 80 for days, no problems.

When I was fully loaded on long trips it topped out at about 78 mph going up steep hills. But that's hardly slowpoke. Maybe not as fast as some would like, but respectable.

One other aspect of the 900 that sometimes gets overlooked is that it has been exactly the same since 2006, virtually zero changes other than paint. This means used parts are everywhere, there's aftermarket doodads FOR DAYS, and everyone knows how to work on one. I took mine to a Honda/Suzuki dealer a while back when my battery crapped out and the guy said it's one of the few Non Honda/Suzukis that they work on, because it's so ubiquitous and easy to work on. So not only is it easy to customize with all the aftermarket parts, but you can easily find someone to do it for you if that's your desire.

And of course, the price. Buddy of mine just bought a brand new Custom for $6400. That is a whole lot of good looking canyon carving and crusing for a great price.

I have 16,000 miles on my Vulcan and it has been amazing. Every Vulcan Classic owner is going to have to buy an aftermarket seat if they want to enjoy their ride. This goes for every motorcycle but especially the Vulcan. I put a Mustang seat on mine and went from being able to ride 100 miles per ... day to 500 per day...seriously. A stock seat rider will have to get off the bike every hour and once back on it for 5 minutes the torture begins again. That said it is an easy fix with a new seat. Reliability is amazing and the only thing you may want to consider is that you are going to need a valve adjust every 15,000 miles....these are not hydraulic self adjusting they need to have shims replaced under the tappets. I did my own but a dealer charges about $300. Other than these 2 things that need attention these bikes are bullet proof and a very nice riding bike. A guy in Texas has over 150,000 on his 900 and never even adjusted the valves....thats crazy but true. These are very low maintenance and ultra reliable. Keep oil chabged at 5,000 miles or less and ride it until you are tired of it.

I got my 900 last February after test riding one at the IMC show in Greenville, SC. We ride a lot in the summer and didn't bother to winterize this past year.

Overall, this machine is adequate for most local riding (and by 'local', I mean a couple hundred miles a day) but I dunno ... about a cross country tour. On the open highway, I find myself wishing it had a 6th gear because it seems like it just oughta have one. I understand there are "overdrive pulleys" that change the gearing ratio, thus giving you lower rpms at the higher speeds. I don't have one of these, nor do I know anyone who does, so I can't speak with any authority on them.

The stock Kawasaki seat was a real butt-killer after a hundred or so miles so I replaced it with a Mustang with a backrest; marvelous investment for an old guy with a tired back!!

The stock Kawasaki horns are a bad joke. The chance of one of these getting anyone's attention is pretty slim if someone with the windows rolled up and the stereo blasting tries to change lanes over the top of you. I've replaced mine with the Stebel air horn. This has saved us on more than one occasion when we've had to blast another driver back into 'conscious awareness' that, indeed, there ARE other people on the road with them.

Aside from the above mentioned issues, the 900 is great mid-size bike and we enjoy it very much. We'll be spending a lot of time on it this summer!

I purchased my Vulcan in the spring of 2008 from a dealership in London. I haven't had a bike since the early 80's (I had a 1979 Knigt Hawk)and was really excited with my new cruiser. I have enjoyed 1000's of kms riding all over south western ontario. I even made it to friday the 13th in Dover ... "What a rush" My Vulcan has a windsheild, saddle bags, highway pegs, drivers back rest and it a true pleasure to ride for hours.

It roars it flys and above all it looks ...

abs brakes is all i have to say about their braking

acceleration is swift!

COMFORT is what is most important and it shows on the LT design!

Ups

Quality Workmanship

Great Handling

Good Looks

Smooth, great-running engine hot or cold

Smooth and powerful

Downs

Butt-numbing seat

Needs 6th gear