Kawasaki Vulcan S First Ride

DESIGN AND STYLE OF KAWASAKI VULCAN S

The Vulcan S might not dress in the traditional Kawasaki green but it still makes a statement. The simple and composed black colour gives this bike a serious cruiser face. The matte finish is lovable and there are certain panels on the side finished in glossy black that add a nice accent. In case you would like your bike to have a brighter look then the company is offering the Vulcan S in an orange colour for an extra Rs 10,000. Being a cruiser, the bike is quite low slung and that means riders of all sizes can easily hop on and feel safe with their feet planted to the ground. The seat height is a mere 705mm. The curvy design begins with the rising fuel tank that depresses into the rider seat which again rises as it reaches the pillion seat only to taper off at the rear fender like a perfect wave drawn by a single brush stroke. I did not fancy the halogen unit in the triangular headlamp much but the tail looks decent. The fit and finish overall is very good and the bike looks neat. Even the switches on the handlebar have a nice look and feel. The meter console has a nice balance of giving you a retro feel as well as being functional. You have a semi-circular analogue speedometer with a digital display embedded underneath. The display shows an odometer, range, 2 trip meters, average fuel economy and even an Eco indicator. The only chink in the armour would be the not so flattering grab handles and saree guard (a compulsory fitment as per ARAI norms).

A clever feature of the Vulcan S is Ergo-Fit. What this does is optimize the bike just a little for riders of most heights. The handlebar, seat and footpegs can be repositioned a little to allow for a different reach. In its stock configuration, the bike is ideal for most average height people. But if you are short then you can have the handlebars pulled back by an inch and the footpegs and seat brought in closer. The opposite can be done for taller people ( usually 6’2” and above). This is a feature that makes Kawasaki’s product stand out among others. The two piece seat is plenty comfortable with a very soft cushion and good amount of space for both, rider and pillion.

ENGINE AND PERFORMANCE  OF KAWASAKI VULCAN S

The Vulcan S gets the same 650cc twin cylinder engine that was also seen on the Ninja 650. The performance has obviously been tuned to fit the cruiser nature of the bike. Despite that some of the Ninja character has managed to slip through and I am not complaining. In fact it was refreshing and I loved the feel of shifting at and above 7000rpm which is roughly where the peak power of 60hp and torque of 63Nm reside. As you lift off on the first gear and redline the machine to shift to the second, you are already close to triple digit speeds and it is only a matter of pushing a bit in the third that you achieve it. But adrenaline rushes aside, the bike does behave like a well planted cruiser at steady speeds. Yes, the peak power and torque figures come at rather high rpms, but at lower rpms the bike rides natural. You do feel the bike’s length and weight while moving it around but you tend to get used to it pretty soon. Despite that, the Vulcan S did not shy away from leaning on one side as I took sharp corners. If you are a hardcore cruiser lover then the sound of the exhaust on the Vulcan S might not excite you. The sound while being low does not have the grunt that you would expect from a bike that looks the way the Vulcan S does. Of course it can be easily fixed with an aftermarket solution but adds to the total cost of the bike.

While the soft suspension setup does soak most of the irregularities of Indian roads, you might want to slow down before crossing a speed breaker or deep pothole as the ground clearance is very low. At 130mm, it is the stuff of nightmares. Braking is spot on with the 300mm dual piston disc at the front and 250mm single piston disc in the rear. You get a lot of bite combined with the surety of ABS.

VERDICT

The Kawasaki Vulcan S is a capable and lovable cruiser. I believe that Kawasaki has made a great first impression with this cruiser and the price is quite justified at Rs 5.48 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).