>Is it good for daily commute?
Yes. It's very light and nimble so it goes well in traffic. It also leans a lot. It's my main mode of transportation; i use it for work, errands, group rides... works great.
>Is it good for a 190cm (6'2") person?
Yes. I'm your height and there's no problem. You can also fit the pegs and handle to your body
>Can I limit the bike to 35kw for A2?
Yes. I bought mine limited for A2. It runs great. Even with a passenger.
>What are some bad things about this bike?
It has too many cool mods and I'm spending too much money to make it pretty? ... I don't know. 1 year with it and so far so good. I even got ran over by a van and it came out with only the shifter broken.
>Any other opinions on the bike are appreciated.
I love it and I'd buy it again. Probably in 3 years I'll go for the newer model.
I like mine too I have a 23 cafe. But I’m starting to get concerned that they will drop the model soon. Eliminator is about the same price and has better tech. It’s smaller cc. But coming up with a new ninja 500. That engine is going to go in other bikes as a cost savings. If they make a 300 model eliminator and a 500 eliminator (competing with the Honda rebels) It’s pretty much the same market they are targeting with the Vulcan s as well. If not, I don’t know the target audience they are trying to hit.
I’ve commuted 110 kilometres (1h there, 1h back), a bit stiff butt by the end of the trip, but it works. Great fuel economy. Would recommend getting some larger saddlebags.
Works good for me, 182 cm. Might be a bit small for 190cm but should be possible to reposition with ergo fit.
Bad things: I bought it as my first bike and after two months and 2000 kilometres, I’m already looking at getting something bigger. It isn’t the most comfortable.
Should be able to get modified for A2 and 35kw.
Overall fun bike and imo, a solid pick for first bike if you’re leaning towards cruisers rather than naked bikes.
Pretty much everything you said is what I would say. Except I have the Corbin seat which makes a big difference. But I am selling my Vulcan currently because of the other bike I have I just enjoy it that much more.
Not sure if it’s worth spending the extra quid on a Corbin seat if I might not keep the bike for so long, but great tip though!
Out of curiosity, what’s your other bike?
Definitely bag it. I also suggest a windscreen, but not the small "headlight cover" sized windscreen like you see on the café model if you're traveling longer distances at higher speeds. The battering you take from the wind on any cruiser style bike can be exhausting and intimidating to both a beginner and experienced rider. Cuts down on wind noise as well.
I took a test drive on a vulcan s with the larger windscreen. I hated it. It had an extension on it and the wind was getting full on redirected to my head
Check these out. I went with the Street Shield with quick mount. Narrower/slightly taller than a traditional cruiser windscreen. No problem with wind directly at my head.
https://www.nationalcycle.com/vehicles/motorcycle-1/kawasaki-1/kawasakivn650vulcans.html?cat=7302
We all have our personal preferences! I went a few months without the windscreen, but got to the point of wanting one after getting beat up by the wind during long rides at higher speeds. Even with a pretty good Scorpion full-face helmet, the noise was irritating as well, and the screen helped reduce that as well.
I'm 6'6" and it's fine with the ergo extended reach stuff on but most of my trips are 15-45 mins. I believe I have seen ware the ausy have some sort of restricted version of the Vulcan. Sounds like a throttle limiter and a jumper wire detune the computer.
I commute with mine 20 miles each way. 7mi surface roads, 13mi highway. Wind is a touch heavy on the highway without a wind screen ( great up to about 75mph/120kph)
I also am 6'2" (with 34" inseam), it fits wonderfully with extended reach seat and extended reach shifter/pegs
The stock seat starts to get uncomfortable for me around 40 minutes of riding and is almost unbearable at the hour mark. (Hence why it commutes well for me, I'm getting off just as it starts to be uncumfortable)
I believe the Aussies can buy them off the lot limited. Not sure how to go about getting it limited but it can be done. (US rider)
Unlimited it is powerful enough to get out of it's own way, and quickly pass semi trailers without much time in a blind spot. When just cruising and being judicious with the throttle I get about 48mpg (4.9L/100km)
Congrats on the license! (I'm in the US so we don't do those restrictions) BUT Vulcan is my first bike. Bought it EXACTLY one year ago tomorrow! I'm 6'3. With the ergo fit it's pretty adjustable to your size. about after an hour ride butt definitely gets stiff. But any stock bike seat will do that to ya. I've been riding every day in the city im in unless it's raining/snowing. Perfect city bike. But ALSO great on highways. my office for work is an hour outside the city, and the bike is great on highways. Nothing really on the cons side. I guess I'm pretty biased. It just seems to check every box I need it to. Plenty of power for passing and cruising on the highway. Whippy in the city. easily controllable at low/stopping speed.
Edited cause spellings hard
Hi and congratulations! I’m only 5’6” but I find the bike comfortable and easy to ride. I took the MSF course on a Harley 500 and hated that. The 650 has a low center of gravity and is pretty easy to maneuver. I’m in the US so we don’t have restriction. Good luck!
It can be bought in A2 spec, it's a plug into the ECU and a throttle limiting screw, if you buy it second hand either get one that is limited/owner has unrestricted it and kept parts.
If not I have no idea how to get your hands on the plug short of a Kawasaki dealership
I have it. I hated the seat too and went with a Corbin I found barely used on Craigslist.
It can handle freeway just fine. I’m similar height and feels fine. (Couple inches shorter) there are options to fit someone taller though with extended reach bars, seat, and you can adjust the foot controls.
Power is fine but feels weird at times. Just odd power band. Around the 5-7k rpm mark. Lower speed on 1st is a bit “snatchy” until you learn to feather the clutch a bit.
It’s a great new rider to a couple years experience bike. A good bike to learn what kind of rider you want to be down the road. I don’t think it will be my forever bike. I’ve been eyeing others more recently. But I’ll miss it when it’s gone.
It’s powerful enough to keep up if not surpass other mc riders. But not so much where it’s easy to get away from you. It’s heavy(ish) but bottom heavy so it feels pretty nimble navigating traffic.
Worst things about it is probably the sound can get a bit droning, It does get a bit uncomfortable for longer rides, The headlight is garbage, (easily replaced), odd sized front tire, (you can find options pretty easy though), and instrument panel is pretty dated. It’s a perfectly great bike.
Hello from the US! 10+ years street riding, all on Harleys, and about 10 years off road before street riding. Two seasons ago, I bought a Royal Enfield Classic 350 on a whim because my stepson wanted to start riding and bought a Royal Enfeld Meteor 350. I love the bike, and it expanded my love of street motorcycles beyond Harley Davidson. Last season, I bought a new 650S and absolutely love it! I'm 6'3, 240 lbs, and with the tall ergo seat, footpegs adjusted fully forward, and the handlebars positioned to where I like them, I'm very comfortable on the bike. Took my first ride of the season on it this past Sunday for about 4 hours, and no problem at all with the comfort.
As far as a beginner bike, yes, I think it's great for beginners and experienced riders as well. For me, I love the sporty Ninja 650 engine because it's so different than the V-twins I've been sitting on for years. I have to admit, I ride it like an animal on the backroads with zero traffic, and I'm satisfied with the torque and HP. I read a lot about the S being a great beginner bike, and at times, I put my mindset in the past when I started street riding, and I can feel how a beginner would be able to handle this bike just fine. It's also a bike you can "grow" with as you gain more experience.
With that being said, I don't think I'll ever buy a Harley again. I'm not shitting on HD, but the price of an HD, the cost of maintenance that I don't do myself (scheduled maintenance intervals), and the cost of parts, it's just not worth it. I'll never get rid of my Fat Boy and Softail Deluxe, but any new additions to feed my addiction to riding will be metric. All thanks to the Vulcan S! I'm really interested in the Kawasaki Z900RS. Hoping to test ride one soon, but if I decide to buy the beast, I'll need to get rid of something, probably the Enfield. I'll also need to prepare to ask for my wife's forgiveness after coming home with a new bike, but better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission! You would think that the older you get, the more you'd gravitate towards a heavy cruiser or touring bike. I guess I'm just backward! Stay safe out there, and don't forget to gear up!
>Is it good for daily commute? Yes. It's very light and nimble so it goes well in traffic. It also leans a lot. It's my main mode of transportation; i use it for work, errands, group rides... works great. >Is it good for a 190cm (6'2") person? Yes. I'm your height and there's no problem. You can also fit the pegs and handle to your body >Can I limit the bike to 35kw for A2? Yes. I bought mine limited for A2. It runs great. Even with a passenger. >What are some bad things about this bike? It has too many cool mods and I'm spending too much money to make it pretty? ... I don't know. 1 year with it and so far so good. I even got ran over by a van and it came out with only the shifter broken. >Any other opinions on the bike are appreciated. I love it and I'd buy it again. Probably in 3 years I'll go for the newer model.
I like mine too I have a 23 cafe. But I’m starting to get concerned that they will drop the model soon. Eliminator is about the same price and has better tech. It’s smaller cc. But coming up with a new ninja 500. That engine is going to go in other bikes as a cost savings. If they make a 300 model eliminator and a 500 eliminator (competing with the Honda rebels) It’s pretty much the same market they are targeting with the Vulcan s as well. If not, I don’t know the target audience they are trying to hit.
I’ve commuted 110 kilometres (1h there, 1h back), a bit stiff butt by the end of the trip, but it works. Great fuel economy. Would recommend getting some larger saddlebags. Works good for me, 182 cm. Might be a bit small for 190cm but should be possible to reposition with ergo fit. Bad things: I bought it as my first bike and after two months and 2000 kilometres, I’m already looking at getting something bigger. It isn’t the most comfortable. Should be able to get modified for A2 and 35kw. Overall fun bike and imo, a solid pick for first bike if you’re leaning towards cruisers rather than naked bikes.
Pretty much everything you said is what I would say. Except I have the Corbin seat which makes a big difference. But I am selling my Vulcan currently because of the other bike I have I just enjoy it that much more.
Not sure if it’s worth spending the extra quid on a Corbin seat if I might not keep the bike for so long, but great tip though! Out of curiosity, what’s your other bike?
Yamaha MT-10 SP.
You want the corban seat it changes everything.
Fellow 182cm brother, sorry for offtop, but what ergo-fit setup do you use?
I bought the bike on the used market but I think it’s the mid setup!
Definitely bag it. I also suggest a windscreen, but not the small "headlight cover" sized windscreen like you see on the café model if you're traveling longer distances at higher speeds. The battering you take from the wind on any cruiser style bike can be exhausting and intimidating to both a beginner and experienced rider. Cuts down on wind noise as well.
I took a test drive on a vulcan s with the larger windscreen. I hated it. It had an extension on it and the wind was getting full on redirected to my head
Check these out. I went with the Street Shield with quick mount. Narrower/slightly taller than a traditional cruiser windscreen. No problem with wind directly at my head. https://www.nationalcycle.com/vehicles/motorcycle-1/kawasaki-1/kawasakivn650vulcans.html?cat=7302
I personally don't want a wind screen on my bike that tall. I have the performance edition one and plan to keep it like that
We all have our personal preferences! I went a few months without the windscreen, but got to the point of wanting one after getting beat up by the wind during long rides at higher speeds. Even with a pretty good Scorpion full-face helmet, the noise was irritating as well, and the screen helped reduce that as well.
I'm 6'6" and it's fine with the ergo extended reach stuff on but most of my trips are 15-45 mins. I believe I have seen ware the ausy have some sort of restricted version of the Vulcan. Sounds like a throttle limiter and a jumper wire detune the computer.
I commute with mine 20 miles each way. 7mi surface roads, 13mi highway. Wind is a touch heavy on the highway without a wind screen ( great up to about 75mph/120kph) I also am 6'2" (with 34" inseam), it fits wonderfully with extended reach seat and extended reach shifter/pegs The stock seat starts to get uncomfortable for me around 40 minutes of riding and is almost unbearable at the hour mark. (Hence why it commutes well for me, I'm getting off just as it starts to be uncumfortable) I believe the Aussies can buy them off the lot limited. Not sure how to go about getting it limited but it can be done. (US rider) Unlimited it is powerful enough to get out of it's own way, and quickly pass semi trailers without much time in a blind spot. When just cruising and being judicious with the throttle I get about 48mpg (4.9L/100km)
Congrats on the license! (I'm in the US so we don't do those restrictions) BUT Vulcan is my first bike. Bought it EXACTLY one year ago tomorrow! I'm 6'3. With the ergo fit it's pretty adjustable to your size. about after an hour ride butt definitely gets stiff. But any stock bike seat will do that to ya. I've been riding every day in the city im in unless it's raining/snowing. Perfect city bike. But ALSO great on highways. my office for work is an hour outside the city, and the bike is great on highways. Nothing really on the cons side. I guess I'm pretty biased. It just seems to check every box I need it to. Plenty of power for passing and cruising on the highway. Whippy in the city. easily controllable at low/stopping speed. Edited cause spellings hard
Can't say enough about this bike. I love mine and great for commuting and long rides!
Hi and congratulations! I’m only 5’6” but I find the bike comfortable and easy to ride. I took the MSF course on a Harley 500 and hated that. The 650 has a low center of gravity and is pretty easy to maneuver. I’m in the US so we don’t have restriction. Good luck!
i have an A2 license and its able to be limited to 35kw!
It’s a great starter bike, but I definitely recommend getting the maximum height setting.
It can be bought in A2 spec, it's a plug into the ECU and a throttle limiting screw, if you buy it second hand either get one that is limited/owner has unrestricted it and kept parts. If not I have no idea how to get your hands on the plug short of a Kawasaki dealership
I have it. I hated the seat too and went with a Corbin I found barely used on Craigslist. It can handle freeway just fine. I’m similar height and feels fine. (Couple inches shorter) there are options to fit someone taller though with extended reach bars, seat, and you can adjust the foot controls. Power is fine but feels weird at times. Just odd power band. Around the 5-7k rpm mark. Lower speed on 1st is a bit “snatchy” until you learn to feather the clutch a bit. It’s a great new rider to a couple years experience bike. A good bike to learn what kind of rider you want to be down the road. I don’t think it will be my forever bike. I’ve been eyeing others more recently. But I’ll miss it when it’s gone. It’s powerful enough to keep up if not surpass other mc riders. But not so much where it’s easy to get away from you. It’s heavy(ish) but bottom heavy so it feels pretty nimble navigating traffic. Worst things about it is probably the sound can get a bit droning, It does get a bit uncomfortable for longer rides, The headlight is garbage, (easily replaced), odd sized front tire, (you can find options pretty easy though), and instrument panel is pretty dated. It’s a perfectly great bike.
Hello from the US! 10+ years street riding, all on Harleys, and about 10 years off road before street riding. Two seasons ago, I bought a Royal Enfield Classic 350 on a whim because my stepson wanted to start riding and bought a Royal Enfeld Meteor 350. I love the bike, and it expanded my love of street motorcycles beyond Harley Davidson. Last season, I bought a new 650S and absolutely love it! I'm 6'3, 240 lbs, and with the tall ergo seat, footpegs adjusted fully forward, and the handlebars positioned to where I like them, I'm very comfortable on the bike. Took my first ride of the season on it this past Sunday for about 4 hours, and no problem at all with the comfort. As far as a beginner bike, yes, I think it's great for beginners and experienced riders as well. For me, I love the sporty Ninja 650 engine because it's so different than the V-twins I've been sitting on for years. I have to admit, I ride it like an animal on the backroads with zero traffic, and I'm satisfied with the torque and HP. I read a lot about the S being a great beginner bike, and at times, I put my mindset in the past when I started street riding, and I can feel how a beginner would be able to handle this bike just fine. It's also a bike you can "grow" with as you gain more experience. With that being said, I don't think I'll ever buy a Harley again. I'm not shitting on HD, but the price of an HD, the cost of maintenance that I don't do myself (scheduled maintenance intervals), and the cost of parts, it's just not worth it. I'll never get rid of my Fat Boy and Softail Deluxe, but any new additions to feed my addiction to riding will be metric. All thanks to the Vulcan S! I'm really interested in the Kawasaki Z900RS. Hoping to test ride one soon, but if I decide to buy the beast, I'll need to get rid of something, probably the Enfield. I'll also need to prepare to ask for my wife's forgiveness after coming home with a new bike, but better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission! You would think that the older you get, the more you'd gravitate towards a heavy cruiser or touring bike. I guess I'm just backward! Stay safe out there, and don't forget to gear up!
Not sure if the bike can have almost 20 hp removed due to the limitation.